Page 107 of Red Zone Awakened

CHAPTER47

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, plus her family—who knew how to keep a secret.They’d been keeping some pretty big ones from her for years.Something she’d learned during a long chat where they admitted that they’d been Freedom sympathizers.At least until the terrorists had targeted their daughter.They were still firmly in the anti-CommTECH camp, though, which was fine with Keiko.After everything she’d learned about them, she was under no illusion that they were the good guys.

They’d broadcast her funeral 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 in an attempt 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 to kill her.Keiko was now a martyr for CommTECH’s cause—and she despised Miriam for it.

The only upside of the whole televised debacle was that her parents had used the excuse of their trauma to avoid attending the service, and had left for Japan to visit family instead.They had no plans to return to the Northern Territory.At least now CommTECH couldn’t use them to manipulate their viewers, and her parents were safe from Miriam’s reach.

“You need to stop watching that crap,” Sandi said as she strolled into the medical center’s common room.“It’s not 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 and 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 evil streak of yours only makes me like you even more.”

There was nothing Keiko could do but roll her eyes.Mace had a strange family, and it seemed she’d been adopted into it.For someone who’d grown up without siblings, it was a lot to get used to.

Sandi nudged Keiko’s toes 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 for her to talk it through with or for her blame for getting her into this 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, and his eyes darkened as he whispered her name.And she screeched to a halt, staring at the man who’d completely changed her life.

Sandi strolled into the room behind Keiko.“Good to see you back with us, big brother.”

Doc, another member of their team, 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, growly voice of his, “get out and lock the door behind you.”

Flushing red, Doc strode toward Sandi and herded her out of the room.

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

The sound of the door closing behind them seemed ominous.Still, Keiko stood frozen, staring at Mace.He was alive.Healthy.Larger than life.And for the first time since they met, she didn’t know what to do with him.

It appeared Mace didn’t have the same problem.He crooked a finger at her.“Princess, get over here.”

Keiko didn’t move.“You almost died.”

It was an accusation, and he heard it as such.“I’m sorry.Now get over here.”

As if it would be that easy.“You can’t drag me into this freaky world of yours and leave me alone in it.”

“I know.I won’t do it again.”

Her heart fluttered at his words.“You’d better not.”

“If you don’t come over here, I’m coming over there.”

She licked her lips.“We have things we need to discuss.”