Brett’s face went from red to pale. His throat bobbed once, and he backed away half a step, forcing a stiff little smile to hide it.Ha, the Spirit snorted. The big bad government agent just got stared down by a librarian with biceps. Frame this memory.But while everyone was busy glaring at each other, Dr. Preston Hale had slipped past them and pushed through the operating room doors.“Dr. Hale, wait,” Dr. Kimura called out in alarm, rushing after him with his handkerchief fluttering. “You can’t just walk in there.”Dr. Hale did not even turn around. He marched straight to the bed where Captain Webb lay resting, and his sharp eyes traveled over the silver needles still glowing faintly in the captain’s chest. His mouth curled into a smirk of total contempt.“Amateur work.” He waved one hand through the air as if brushing away smoke. “These needles are placed completely wrong. The angles are off and the depth is sloppy. They need to be removed immediately so I can apply my own treatmen

Ethan reached the Clarke house a little past one in the morning. The porch light was still on, and a small yellow glow leaked through the kitchen window onto the wet grass.Victoria sat at the kitchen table with a cup of cold tea in front of her. Worry was carved into every line of her face, and her phone lay beside the cup with the screen still lit.“You’re home.” She let out a long breath, like she had been holding it for three hours. Her shoulders dropped, and her hand pressed against her chest. “I called you four times.”“I’m sorry, Mom. I was helping a friend at the hospital.” Ethan pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. His voice was soft and tired.Victoria studied his face for a long moment. There were no bruises on him and no blood on his shirt, and nothing showed the war he had just fought. Her eyes softened, and she gave a small nod.“A friend. Of course.” She stood and carried her cold tea to the sink. “Next time, send me one message. Just one word. I will not ev