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Oh God, ere they asking for that her father couldn’t—or wouldn’t—give? Would he possibly be willing to play Russian roulette with her life?

No Never

She couldn’t let thoughts like that creep into her head and sever the fragile threads of her prayers

Please, Dad, she begged silently Please find a way I want to come home

I don’t want to die

10

Four days left…

Four Seasons Hotel, Palo Alto

27 February

Tuesday, 6:15 am local time

Aidan rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes

The hotel room was cast in shadows, dimly lit only by the streetlamp just outside the curtained s and the LED display of the clock on the nightstand The sun wasn’t ready to give way to dawn, so the skies were dark And Aidan had only gotten an hour and a half of sleep But his bio clock nor at five thirty It had since his military days

Today he’d slept late

He blinked away the final vestiges of sleep and pushed hi not to disturb the sleeping woman beside him

“No need to be chivalrous I’m awake” Simone turned to face hi her lips “I’h to take even a cat nap”