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sure in her heart that Mark did too. Then he d been deployed for a long time and now
those years had passed.
She d made it a habit to stop by and say hello to the Hallorans, even for a moment,
whenever she was at her parents place. They were her connection to Mark when
mental messages couldn t get through.
Sometimes she thought for all the excitement she had in her social life she could still
be living at home but her parents had pushed her out of the nest with firmness and
affection and a door always open.
 Time to grow up, her father teased.
With her first big royalty checks she bought herself a tiny house in northwest San
Antonio, not too far from either her family or Aunt Vivi. While she d been writing her
political thrillers she d also been honing her telepathic skills, an activity she never
discussed with her parents. Aunt Vivi and The Lotus Circle had helped her and also
provided a respite from her hectic life as a writer.
Faith shook herself. Letting her mind wander wouldn t get her anyplace.
Concentrate. The Hallorans.
Did& hear me?
Faith dropped her pen.
Mark!
Yes. I heard you. Can you hear me?
She held her breath as the silence stretched unbearably. Then, just as she felt
frustration grip her again, one word.
Yes.
She wanted to laugh and cry. He d heard her! He knew she d gotten his message.
I ll find you, Mark. Wherever you are.
More silence but she forced herself to wait with as much patience as she could
manage.
South America in&
Faith wanted to scream in frustration.
Where, Mark? Where in South America? Help me. It s a big continent.
Hurry&
Somehow she knew this silence wouldn t be broken. The invisible wall had
slammed into place again. He was obviously trying to time his messages when the
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Desiree Holt
telepathic captor was otherwise mentally occupied. No problem. At least they d made
the connection.
Hurry, he d said.
She d hurry as fast as she could. Picking up the phone, she dialed a still familiar
number.
* * * * *
 Faith, it s so very nice to see you, sweetheart Come in, come in.
Dinah Halloran reached out and pulled Faith in through the open doorway. In a
moment her arms were around the younger woman, hugging her tightly.
 I was just telling Frank the other day how successful your new book is. I hear
people talking about it everywhere. And that television show you did must have
boosted sales. Come on into the kitchen. I know you re not a big coffee drinker but how
about some sweet tea?
 That would be wonderful. Thank you.
They walked through the living room where every inch of the fireplace mantel and
a round side table were covered with pictures of Mark in his high school football
uniform, at his college graduation, in uniform, receiving awards. She was in many of
them and the memories of those years swamped her.
The picture that made tears burn at the back of her throat was of Mark when he was
accepted into Delta Force and began Special Ops training. War had already etched lines
on his face and his eyes were far too old for a man of his age. But he stood tall and
proud, his muscular body evident beneath the uniform. Pride stamped on his face. And
his mouth split in his familiar killer smile.
Please, God, keep him safe until I can help him.
She allowed herself to be propelled into the big room where she d eaten many
meals with the Hallorans, at the table where she and Mark had often done their
homework. Usually she felt warmed by its familiarity. Today she had to work to
conceal her tension.
She forced herself to sit quietly while Dinah busied herself getting out glasses and
pouring tea. Mark s mother was aging gracefully, her figure still slender and well-
toned, her skin smooth, her graying hair pulled back in a clip at the nape of her neck.
She s really ageless, Faith thought.
 Well. Dinah sat down across from her.  Are you visiting your folks today?
 Maybe later. Faith sipped her iced tea, collecting her thoughts. How to approach
this? She didn t think Mark came home and blabbed classified secrets to his family, no
matter how close they were. Honor and country first, that was his motto.
 I was looking at a picture of Mark today, she began,  and realized I don t have
any recent shots of him. How s he doing? It seems ages since we saw each other.
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Jungle Inferno
Dinah smiled at her.  I know.
 Anyway, I just wondered what you hear from him.
 Well, not too much, as you can imagine. Dinah fiddled with her glass.  The stuff
he does is so highly classified he can t talk about it much.
 Oh, yes, I know. Faith made her voice as casual as possible.  I just wondered if he
ever talked about the countries he was sent to. You know, just in passing.
Dinah looked at her with eyes that scrutinized.  Faith, what s this really all about?
You know Mark can t share any information. More than anyone, you re aware of the
secretive nature of what he does. So what are you really asking?
Faith swallowed, weighing her words.  I just& I guess I just had a sudden fit of
worry about him. That s all.
The older woman looked at her with the wise eyes of a mother.  Have you ever told [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]