Page 348 of Abduction

“We’re going home,” she told him. “And you owe me a date, Remington Bowman. The swamp is NOT for lovers!”

He laughed weakly.

“Deal,” he whispered.

As they began walking, back the way they came. Maura only hoped that the gators weren’t there.

She prayed they were full.

Because this trek was shit times ten.

Artemis was going to get her ass beat.

BY her.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chartres

Tuesday

Morning

I t had been a long trip out of the swamp, and carrying a two-hundred-pound man wasn’t exactly a pleasure cruise. To be honest, it was exhausting, but the show had to go on. They had to stay ahead of Artemis Dubois.

Somehow, they got lucky.

That seemed to be a theme, as of late.

It appeared that maybe the fates were with her for once. Remington didn’t die, he escaped, they found the warehouse, and supposedly, Elizabeth had a wild card up her sleeve.

Time would tell.

Their priority had been to get Remington to the hospital. Oh, and when they rolled in, dropping him off, the doctors were appalled.

First, because Mikey O’ was there.

Secondly, they smelled like a swamp.

Thirdly, someone stitched a man closed with a fishhook and fishing line.

Hey, sometimes, you had to improvise.

Calyx had kept him alive, and that was all that mattered.

So they left Remington at the hospital, until they could get him released. Calyx stayed by his side, and they put Reaper on him.

Wolf had gone back into the trees after they’d gotten Remmy loaded up and did so without a word—only a salute to Maura.

As they arrived home, it was time to get a shower, eat something, and get ready.

For what?

They weren’t quite sure. Hopefully, while they were out playing in the swamp, the team had found something on one of the phones or on the laptop they’d swiped from the warehouse.

As they headed into their home, the family was gathered in the living space.

That they weren’t in the office part of Chartres told them that there had been some issues.