AGENT 23 BLACKOUT (Agent 23 Book 1)

CHAPTER 41

As I gaze around the mountain pass and the tunnel entrance, taking stock of how the situation unfolded mostly in our favor, I don't care that Zero got away. I don't care because I saved my dad, and Kayla is still alive. And with Agent 24, we now have a new ally, someone I can trust.

When Kayla joins us from her mountaintop perch—to err on the side of caution—she fires a pair of darts into the arms of the two guards that Agent 24 knocked unconscious. Then, the big agent assists me with carrying my dad back to the Jeep.

Finally, with me at the wheel, we set out to free Kayla's father and Officer Tate from the storage closet at the warehouse.

"There's going to be quite the firestorm when the police arrive," I say as we exit the other end of the tunnel into daylight. "The mayor of Coastal City gets abducted and saved, all in one weekend. That's going to be some story and a ton of questions to be answered."

"Forget the police," Agent 24 says from the passenger seat. Kayla is in the back with my dad's head on her lap. "The FBI will swarm that warehouse. That's why I have to be long gone by the time they get there. After all, I'm the one who abducted the mayor."

"So, you're just going to take my dad's Jeep and disappear?"

"That's the idea, but don't worry, I'm sure our paths will cross again."

"We don't even know your name." Kayla's voice comes from behind us.

"You never will."

I nod, thinking that's likely for the best. As I drive, we see the carnage left behind from our hair-raising romp through the Rocky Mountains. Yes, Agent 24 confirmed that we're somewhere in Colorado. He also confirmed my cargo plane theory.

We pass the drone wreckage and the black mark it left on the cliff face. The Jeep's passenger side door still lays in the middle of the road. In awe, we stop for a moment to gaze at the remains of Trailer 2, thankful the latest versions of the Mind Benders are nothing more than ash and rubble.

Sometime later, after Agent 24's departure and with FBI agents roaming the warehouse property, searching every nook and cranny for evidence, they interview Kayla's father and Officer Tate. They're unharmed, and for the life of me, I can't put my finger on why Zero let them live and left without them.

My dad gets medical treatment while an agent hovers over him. He nods his head and seems to be himself again.

After I've gone through a barrage of questions from the FBI, with everything in my rearview mirror, I spot Kayla talking to an agent. I catch her eye, and once she's alone, I pace over toward her with the best Agent 23 look of cool confidence I can muster. I don't hesitate, don't glance away. But I take her in my arms and I kiss her like there's no tomorrow.