Red Awakening (Red Zone 2)

Daniel took a step toward the man. “My instructions are to ignore those findings. That evidence has already been assessed and eliminated. It has nothing to do with this investigation. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.” He swallowed hard and turned to flee.

“And officer?” Daniel’s soft voice stopped him. “Make sure that there is no mention of these findings in any report.” The threat was clear in his tone.

“Yes, sir.” With that, the man turned and ran off.

Daniel reached into his back pocket and pulled out his personal datapad. The one with the research into Keiko’s background. Her parents were Freedom sympathizers, but he doubted she knew anything about their involvement. Keiko Sato had always struck him as the type of person who never asked questions about the world around her. Although, she’d always been kind to the people she dealt with. He remembered well the day she’d come to their office, carrying a cake to celebrate their promotion to heads of security. That was the day she’d put herself firmly on his brother’s radar, something he’d been hoping to avoid. Still, he’d been strangely touched by her gesture. That was why he’d planned to kill her fast rather than letting Charles get his hands on her. Because his brother did love to torture his victims before he killed them.

With a swipe of his thumb, all research on Keiko and her family disappeared. Later, when he was alone, he’d make sure that no one else in CommTECH could dig up her connection to Freedom. He looked up the bank to the route her saviors had taken when they’d rescued her. One thing was for certain—Mace Armstrong was no reporter. Reporters didn’t have a backup team ready to whisk them to safety, and they sure as hell didn’t fight the way the man had fought him. No, Mace Armstrong was something far more dangerous. Daniel just wasn’t sure what that was.

Yet.

He remembered the look on the man’s face when he realized he was dying. He’d searched for Keiko, found her through the carnage, and his eyes had filled with warmth. He’d spoken aloud, although Daniel didn’t think he’d been aware he was doing it. But in those last seconds, he’d told Keiko Sato just how much he loved her, and his words had made Daniel ache because they were a stark reminder of all the things he couldn’t have. Things he’d never have, because he was born to be his brother’s keeper.

He let out a sigh. There was no time for regrets or for wishing his life were different. It was what it was. But, if he could have just one wish, it would be that Keiko’s freak shot had killed his brother rather than just wounding him.

The world would have been a better place if it had.

Chapter Fifty

Secure medical facility

Austin, Northern Territory

Two weeks later

Keiko Sato was dead.

And the only people who knew otherwise were the strange team who called themselves the Red Zone Warriors and her family—who knew how to keep a secret. They’d been keeping some pretty big ones from her for years. Her funeral had been broadcast live on prime-time news, and Keiko had watched, along with the rest of the world, as Miriam Shepherd eulogized over an empty casket.

According to the CommTECH CEO, she’d thrown herself off the building to save the reporter who’d helped her escape the siege. But it had been a futile sacrifice because the shuttle Keiko had aimed for belonged to Freedom, and as soon as they knew who was on board, they’d deliberately crashed it into the bridge in order to kill her. Keiko was now a martyr for the CommTECH cause—and she despised Miriam for it.

“You need to stop watching that crap,” Sandi said as she strolled into the medical center common room. “It isn’t going to change, and it just depresses you. Plus, I hate to see you sad. It’s like Tinker Bell when she believes no one will clap for her.”

Keiko concentrated hard as she waved an imaginary wand. “Begone, Amazon, go back to whence thee came.” Her shoulders slumped. “Nope, not Tinker Bell. You’re still here.”

Sandi grinned. “That vicious streak of yours just endears you to me more.”

There was nothing Keiko could do but roll her eyes. Since she’d saved Mace’s life, Sandi had decided that the best way to pay her back was to declare herself Keiko’s protector—until Mace woke up. Which, hopefully, would be very soon. Otherwise, he might wake to find himself minus a sister.

Sandi nudged Keiko’s toe with the tip of her boot. “I came to tell you that they’re letting the big guy out of the recovery chamber—”

Keiko didn’t hear the rest as she was already up and running through the medical facility.

For two long weeks, Mace had been in an induced coma while the medical nanobots healed his body from the inside out. In that same two weeks, her whole life had been upended, and he hadn’t been there to talk it through with her or to let her pummel him for getting her into the mess in the first place.

She slammed through the door of his private room to find the glass enclosure of the recovery chamber open and Mace sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed only in a pair of blue jeans that were buttoned halfway. His head snapped up, his eyes darkened, and he whispered her name. And she screeched to a halt. Staring at the man who’d completely changed her life.

“Good to see you back with us, big brother,” Sandi said as she came into the room behind Keiko.

Doc cleared his throat. “As I was telling Mace, the nanobots have done their job, and he’s good as new.”

“Doc, Sandi,” Mace said in that deep, growling voice of his. “Get out and lock the door behind you.”

Doc turned red and strode toward Sandi, herding her out of the room.

“Typical,” Sandi said. “Big brother is thinking with his dick again.”