The Milestone Protocol Ernest Dempsey (best short novels of all time .txt) 📖

a moment, then looked off to her right to locate the second occupant.

She switched on her phone light and vaulted over the K-rail and into a grassy field. The fescue was only knee high, and she found the second body within thirty seconds. The man had been thrown forty feet from the car. He lay prostrate in the grass, his head bloodied and his neck bent at an impossible angle. Black eyes stared out at the grass in front of them, not seeing anything in the realm of the living.

He, too, bore the same tattoo as the other man.

Adriana noted the gun in the man’s hand and considered taking it. Uncertain of the fates of the other car’s occupants, she decided it prudent to be armed and took the pistol from his limp fingers. The Walther 9mm was an elegant weapon and felt oddly natural in her hand as she sifted through the dead man’s pockets. All she found was a wad of euros and a cell phone. She took both and stuffed them in a pocket, then hurried back to the road.

A quick scan to the left revealed no more traffic, but she knew that would change soon. She got back in her car and drove up to the next wreck, climbed out, and inspected the wreckage.

One occupant was very dead. His legs stuck out from underneath the roof that had crushed his entire upper body. The other man was still inside the car, barely breathing and laid out in the back. His eyes remained fixed on the sedan’s back seat overhead. When she approached and leaned in, he didn’t move. Soon, his breathing slowed, and he released one last gurgle before dying.

His shaved head gleamed in the headlights of her rental, and she noted the same tattoo as the others.

Adriana didn’t have to wonder who they were or whom they worked for. Her father had been right, as had Miyamoto—not that she questioned their correctness. But the reality of the truth struck her hard. What made matters worse, the Cult of Thoth had somehow discovered who she was and where she was heading. Despite her best efforts at concealing her identity, Adriana was now on the radar of the most dangerous organization in history.

The words her father and Miyamoto had uttered rang in her mind.

Trust no one.

26

Sweden

Adriana parked the Jaguar outside Sorenson’s mansion. She stepped out and inspected the damage on the side where the other sedan had scraped and rammed her. Good thing I got full coverage, she thought.

The door to the mansion opened, and she smiled at the sight of her husband at the top of the steps. He reflected her emotion and ambled down the stairs to meet her at the bottom. They embraced, and he kissed her on the lips before taking a step back.

“Are you okay?” He looked over at the car, wondering what she was doing.

“Yes,” she answered with a vague glance over her shoulder at the sedan. “Ran into a little traffic.”

Sean cocked his head to the side and lowered his eyebrows in suspicion. “At this hour?”

She sighed and noticed the butler standing in the doorway with a welcoming smile on his face. “I’ll explain everything. In private.”

Sean’s confusion deepened, but he didn’t press her for more, trusting there was a reason behind her suddenly coy demeanor.

“Okay. Sure. Come on inside. We were just getting ready to retire for the night.”

The two walked up the stairs and into the manor, allowing the butler to close the door. “Will you be needing anything else this evening, Mr. Wyatt?” the man asked.

“No, thank you,” Sean said. “I think we’re all going to bed soon. I’ll tell Magnus you’re calling it a day.”

The butler bowed and thanked him before turning away and disappearing down another corridor.

“Thank you for letting me know where you would be,” Adriana said. “It would have been more difficult to find you without that little tidbit.”

He looked over at her as they strolled down the passage. She was as beautiful as ever, though she looked tired—from so much travel, he suspected. Her accent still drove him absolutely crazy, especially when she spoke her native Spanish to him. But her English was still just as sexy as it had been the first time they met in the hotel in Las Vegas.

“You would have managed,” he said with a sideways wink.

She smirked. “Yes, that’s true. But having things easy now and then is nice.”

They slowed when they neared the study, and then Adriana stopped. He followed her lead and turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”

She could hear voices from inside the room discussing something, but the details were a touch fuzzy—muted.

“I….” She faltered for a couple of seconds.

He put his hands on her shoulders and held her with a reassuring grip. “It’s okay.” He searched her eyes for answers, wondering what could have shaken her or jumbled her thoughts in such a way. She was the most resolute person Sean knew, and for something to rattle her it must have been pretty big. “You can tell me anything.” Then his face blushed and his eyes widened. “Wait. Are you…pregnant?”

She abruptly pressed her lips together and laughed inwardly, her shoulders and head falling forward in amusement. Then her mouth opened, and she flashed her white teeth in a wide smile.

“No, dummy. I’m not pregnant.”

“Okay. I mean, it’s fine if you are. Would put a damper on all the travel and adventuring.”

“I promise. I’m not.” She hesitated. “At least I don’t think so.” She raised a playful eyebrow to tease him.

“Now you’re messing with me.”

“Am I?”

Sean licked his top lip, suddenly uncertain.

“Yes,” she continued. “I’m messing with you.” Then her face darkened again. “But I do have something important to tell you.” She glanced at the open door to the study again.

“I do, too,” Sean said. “But maybe if we both have something so big to share, we should wait until we get to bed. I think the crew is about ready