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Krychek didn’tin the middle of what appeared to be a Psy medical facility, Krychek beside hi into gear Answering their snapped questions as to what had happened, Max gave over his custody of Sophia--but refused to move from her side

He had no awareness of when Krychek disappeared

Kaleb looked at the body of the hu with the sle perfect star--that was alith hi down at the star, he said, "For you" For the one person who he knew better than anyone else on this earth, and yet could not teleport to, no le day for over six years

If others had been present in the rooht’ve wondered at the sweep of black that eclipsed the stars in his eyes, a black so absolute, it was beyond ordinary, beyond acceptable But there was only a deadthe star in his pocket, Kaleb contacted the authorities and made sure this incident wouldn’t cause any problems Given Gerard Bonner’s predilections, he didn’t have to push at all

Then, when he was alone, he teleported to every location he’d ripped from Bonner’s mind to ensure he had the correct coordinates Cold and desolate, each unhtless roorooé

Kaleb Nikita’s voice carave and to the deck of his Moscow home

It’s done Sophia Russo and Max Shannon are both safe The gorge that fell aith jagged promise beneath the barrierless end of the deck called to him with the same whispered promise as the dark twin of the NetMind, the neo-sentience that was both the librarian and guardian of the Net But Kaleb wasn’t going anywhere yet Not until he’d tracked his elusive quarry, discovered what awaited

Nikita’s telepathic voice fluctuated in strength for a second I apologize I was speaking with the s they used appear to have had a serious side effect A pause Thank you

Kaleb could have reet his payment, but he didn’t Not today Are you certain, Nikita?

She didn’t ask hihting the wave Those who do will drown

Soainst a wall of Silence

And you?

Kaleb looked down into the blackness of the gorge, but it was another darkness that he saw, the light blinking out in a woed for mercy I think it’s time

CHAPTER 43

Now that it’s coood-bye after all, can’t bear the thought of letting you go It’s a selfish, stubborn need, but it holds e

--Sophia Russo in an encrypted and time-coded letter to

be sent to Max Shannon after her death

Sophia felt painfully exposed, as if her skin had been rubbed off to bare her insides Whihts stabbed and the voices, they were too sharp, too piercing

"Sophie"

She turned her unseeing, dazzled eyes toward that voice And when he wrapped his hand around hers, she held on Because he was quiet Hein a breath, she tried to think, tried to focus "Whathappened?"

"They’re using other drugs to counteract the narcotics," he said, and she knew then that his na to respond well"

I?"

"Twenty hours," he told her, deep grooves in his face that she knew hadn’t been there earlier "I was starting to worry you’d never wake up"

Her brain fought to slough off the lingering effects of the drugs, driven by what she felt for this man with his dark male beauty and his tenderness "My body shut down to deal with the drugs"

"That’s what the M-Psy said" He glanced to his right