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It sure as hell didn't feel right Just looking at theside Mary The weight of his guilt bore down against his heart, crushing the strength right out of hie and his proh this

As much as he wanted to see the Siped out, he hated the thought of pulling Noelle into the h to keep her safe?

"How long until wearound in a place as open as this"

Monroe leaned back in the office chair that had been brought in as part of his mobile office One of the bedrooms in the old house had been converted into a work space, containing a computer, printer/fax machine, communications equipment and a closed-circuit TV screen thatmatched as it was all cast-off furniture from renovated offices, but it functioned, and that was all thather transfer now," said Monroe "There are three facilities fighting over her I' contest to run out of a to convince his , body that he was relaxed rather than ready to strangle soned to her protection tearay head "You can escort her to her final destination, but after that, we're going to need you in the field, Captain"

David hated leaving Noelle alone

No, not alone, he corrected hiuarded 24/7 deep in the bowels of some impenetrable compound

She'd be safe

Safer than she would be with hiet involved He couldn't forget what happened the last tied back the hot coffee fast enough it didn't have ti him feel more alert already

"I don't like it" David adh he wasn' t specific about exactly which part he didn't like Let the colonel figure it out

"She'll be fine And when it's all over, we can even let you come for a visit, if you like"

He did like, and that was the probleave a whatever-you-want shrug but said nothing about David's choice "I'll call in and see if there's any news on where she'sto eat? It looks like you both could use a decent lanced at the screen, which showed Noelle curled into a ball on the chair with her legs tucked up under her

She was covered co visibly

After she'd been sick, they let her clean herself up while soot rid of the trash can and the photos

He thought her color had been better when he left the rooht actually sleep a little, but it was obvious now that she was a long way fro and felt that selfish need to coain, as if he couldher feel better

Too little, too late

"Okay, sure," said David, and went to the farmhouse kitchen in search of so Noelle ju Every tiot worse

David cary?" he asked, his eyes roa She had no idea why he did that every ti used to his scrutiny

"I really just want to get out of here If I never see this rooe that Couards outside the door and led her to a smaller roo by the faded Mickey Mouse wallpaper The floors were bare wood and there was a smaller table set up in here--the old-fashioned drop-leaf style just big enough for two Even though it was still a prison of sorts, it was nant air and recent, but horrible,several sandwiches, a couple of cans of Coke and a bowl of canned chicken noodle soup

He ignored her statement and popped the top on a Coke 'This should help settle your sto you"

Noelle took the drink and sipped Her stoht it wasas this wholein his steady strength and unwavering honesty gave her a slim thread of comfort, which was more than she found from anyone else "When can I leave?"

David bit into a sandwich and chewed "Soon You'll be taken somewhere safe where you can work"

"Where?"

"I don't know yet, but we'll find out soon"

"Soon? Soon as in minutes, hours, days?"

His blue eyes slid to the soup "You should eat soet another hot et out of here right now Barring that, I'd like some more aspirin since I puked up the last ones"

"I can do the aspirin, at least--if you proain The rest is out of my hands" He sounded truly sorry about that last part, which didn't do anything toto happen next

Noelle took a sip of the soup just to get hi bad

"You took off your vest," he said, his tone casual, as if he hadn't just told her she was going to die a fewet you a s it at all times Just in case" He pinned her with a laser stare that would have made her cower if her circumstances had been different She'd faced death today--both hers and that of countless others--she could certainly face his glower

He left and caain, he watched her s the pills as if he was

What kind of a life did he have not even to trust someone to take medicine that she'd asked for in the first place?

She wasn't sure she wanted to know

Noelle ht, and she had to take off all but the inneret the straps fastened