Authors: Kate Allenton
The Reckoning (30 page)
The General glanced over at
Lydia
and held her gaze. “Can I speak to you outside?”
Lydia Stevens gave a slight nod of understanding and stood. She’d seen this in her vision but it didn’t make it any easier. She’d known the time was coming just wasn’t expecting it now. She, just like her new found half-sisters had all inherited a gift from their father, and hers just so happened to put her in danger. Each gift unique to each of them, but still gifts that they couldn’t explain or make go away.
She turned to her family and smiled. Over the entire day, she’d tried to memorize them, so she could take a little piece of each of them with her in her heart when she left. She was going to suck it up, and leave, that was the only way she knew to keep them safe.
Lydia
turned and followed the path the general took. Stepping out into the night sky, she glanced up at the moon. A new moon, the meaning behind it not lost on her. New beginnings.
Gravel crunched beneath
Lydia
’s heels as she traversed the parking lot toward her future. She raised her hand to her stomach to calm the butterflies assaulting her and took a deep breath. Nothing seemed to be working to calm her nerves. She stopped in front of the General and gazed into his eyes, unseeingly as if a deer headed for slaughter. She’d seen this vision, she knew she was leaving, but it didn’t make things any easier. As footsteps behind her came closer, she spun on her heels. Walking towards her was a wall of muscles, the man that affected her more than the thought of leaving approached. She whispered. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
FBI Agent, Rick Thompson walked over to her without invitation. She hadn’t seen him in her vision. His decision to follow her, had the ability to change the outcome, and that alone made her heart race and increased the butterflies in her belly.
She turned back to the General, his arms crossed over his chest, he whispered. “Interesting.”
The general held out his hand to
Lydia
. It was more than his hand, it was her only hope; she recognized it for what it was.
Lydia
wasn’t much older than the General’s daughter, Elizabeth.
Lydia
only prayed that he knew what he was doing. She lifted her trembling hand and placed it in his before lifting her chin. “You better be right about this old man.”
The general gave a slight nod. “This is for the best.”
Thompson pulled
Elizabeth
’s grasp from the generals. He moved to step in front of her, a challenging look in his eyes. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
The general dropped his hand to his side. “This is the only chance she’s got to live. The men after her are terrorist. They kill to get what they want, what do you think is going to happen if she doesn’t go willingly?”
The general narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to protect her or are you going to get her killed? Right now, they don’t know about her sisters and Mike. Her best choice is to come with me.”
Thompson let out a growl; his hand reached for
Lydia
’s and clutched it tight. “She’s not leaving without me.”
Briggs appeared on her other side. The silent giant was wise beyond his years. The fact that he’d appeared also and wasn’t in here dream, initiated an uneasiness to roll over her. Briggs nodded to the General. “She’s my new assignment.”
Briggs shook the General’s hand, and grinned tilting his head toward
Lydia
and Rick. “Besides someone has to watch him, watching her.”
****
Lydia
looked up at Thompson with wide-eyed innocence. Something he knew was more out of astonishment than anything else. She’d come to harness her gift. He’d help train her to survive if it was the last thing he did, he owed her for saving both of his daughter’s lives. For someone with the gift of foresight, she should have seen this coming. He found it interesting, that she hadn’t. Something he would explore later. The sooner he got her out of Southall, the better it would be for everyone. The general studied the strong men at
Lydia
’s side. Briggs had been under his command during the war. Briggs wanting to tag along wasn’t what surprised the general the only wild card in this bunch was FBI Agent Thompson. “Grab your gear. I’ll clear it with your supervisors, but we have to leave now.”
The general turned on his heels; he could feel the energy in the air sizzle even as he walked toward his men that were waiting for him. She was gifted all right, she’d make an asset to any team she was on, but only if she could harness it. Who was he kidding? He wasn’t handing her over to another commander, he planned to persuade her to stay on his team, where there were people that could help her to adjust, a place where she would learn to accept who she was. He couldn’t help her, if she didn’t want his help. She would have to learn to trust him before all of this was over, they both would.
Kate has lived in
Florida
for most of her entire life. She enjoys a quiet life with her husband and two kids.
Kate has pulled all-nighters finishing her favorite books and also writing them. She says she’ll sleep when she’s dead or when her muse stops singing off key.
She loves creating worlds full of suspense, secrets, hunky men, kick ass heroines, steamy sex and
,
oh yeah
,
the love of a lifetime. Not to mention an occasional ghost and other supernatural talents thrown into the mix.
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