od. She listened to the heavy roar of the armored SUV engines starting up o

lene's confused stare. It's fine, Kandy chanted in her head. Once I marry J

hrough their dusty curtains, staring wide-eyed at the convoy of bl

rabbed the handle of the rear door and pulled. It op

nterior smelled of cold leather, ozone, and the faint,

ped the microphone clipped to his tactical v

suspension absorbing the potholes

ecaying houses and rusted factories of her childhood blur past. She f

rearview mirror, subtly stud

e involuntary loss of motor control. It wasn't just fear; it was the trauma of a prey animal remembering the jaws of the pred

in the cabin was broke

tions? Heart murmurs? Hemophilia?" he aske

physiological markers are optimal. I easily meet

ripped the steering wheel. The veins on the back of his massive hands

ked up a military-grade encrypted tablet. He thr

re Agreement. It was over a hundred pages long, st

k for a lawyer. She dragged her finger across the bottom

d the tab

ror. His brow furrowed. "Once we cross the perimeter into the Appa

reflection. "I'm not going an

brakes sla

s screeching against the asphalt before

were suddenly burning with

use the word 'cure' in front of him. You do not offer him hope. The last three specialists who p

tic Stress Disorder. Extreme trigger response to false

d," she sa

g onto an unmarked, winding gravel road that led dee

vous system. She began mentally mapping the bio-electric conduction pathway

ctly still posture. He assumed the reality of her situation had finally

, the convoy sl

guards in full tactical gear stepped out from the tree line. They approached the SUV, their assa

rrived at