Chapter sixty-three

Sheree nearly blacked out from the wall of pain that suddenly exploded inside her head.

Chandra burst into tears.

Jane suddenly lost her breath.

Feifong gasped and had to grab onto Bruce to keep from falling.

Steve's head felt like his brain had been stabbed with a dagger.

Ada-- like Chandra-- started crying uncontrollably.

Damian's own brain throbbed in his scull like a strobe light.

They was less than 2 miles from Mike and Janet now, and her emissions were devastating to feel.

" They're torturing her." Sheree wailed.

Damian finishing anchoring the boat. The big cat bounded off the side and swiftly disappeared.

" Let's go." Damian said grimly. He stalked ahead, as dangerous as the cat.

They all grabbed their weapons and followed him.



Damian. We're ready. We're hiding to the south of the first woods you come to.

Damian knew he was lying even without sensing the stress he tried so hard to contain.

Okay, Mike. Just stay put. We're coming to get you.

He closed his mind to Mike and said to the others:

" They've set up some kind of trap for us."

" What are we going to do, Boss?" Steve asked. "They still have our people, so they can call all the shots."

" We let them. There's nothing else we can do. But we don't lie down. We'll let them have everything they want without a fight, but our lives. At that point we go down hard, and we go down together."

Damian sensed their agreement.

" Mike said they were much stronger than they were before, didn't he?" Bruce asked.

Damian nodded. " Yes, but so are we."

" What did Mike say about their breakdown, again?" Chako asked Damian.

" There's Antonio, Mustafa, Rick, David, John, Tameka, Sonya and...Mesha was killed in the fight with Lee."

Bruce said: " I would say we have a clear advantage even without our arrows--especially with Sheba as a surprise weapon.

" I think they know about Sheba." Damian responded.

" How?" Michelle queried.

" The same way they found out about our plans. I think they've evolved the ability to read emissions."

" Aw shit." Steve cursed.