The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Before Anna could even speak, she saw a motorcycle racing towards them from behind, the rider wielding a baseball bat. As it closed in, the bat smashed against the rear car window with a vicious swing.

Anna shielded herself with her arm and yelled, “Hit the gas, now!”

Kenneth snapped to attention and floored the accelerator, speeding forward.

The car was a top-of-the-line sports model, yet to their astonishment, the motorcycle clung to their tail, relentlessly hammering at the window.

Although Aaron had learned a bit of self-defense from Mark, he was no match for actual combat. He could only huddle behind his school bag, yelling at Kenneth, “Can’t you go any faster?!”

“This is as fast as she goes, dammit!” Kenneth was more terrified of the glass shards flying towards them than anything else; they could ruin his good looks!

Anna tried to open the door to fight back, but it was so badly bent it would not budge.

With a powerful kick, she shattered the car door window, steadied herself by grabbing the grab handle, and leaned out. Her lithe body delivered a kick that sent the pursuing motorcyclist tumbling into the roadside greenery, bike and all.

Kenneth was dumbstruck for a moment. “You could’ve just told me to retract the roof; this is a convertible!”

Anna’s lips twitched with irritation, unable to comprehend how their team leader could have such an idiotic brother.

Aaron cursed and said, “Well, aren’t you going to open it now?”

“Forget it,” Anna said, leaning forward to push Kenneth’s head to the side while she grabbed the steering wheel. “Just drive!”

Kenneth, reacting instinctively, slammed on the gas, and Anna executed a smooth right-hand drift.

They had just rounded the corner when they heard the sound of another motorcycle crashing at the bend they’d left, with someone on the ground.

“Damn, how many more are there?” Kenneth had not even seen the other motorcycle in pursuit.

Anna, too annoyed to reply, turned to Aaron. “Send Ms. Vivienne our location!”

Aaron quickly took out his phone and called Vivienne, informing her of their situation and location.

yourselves. Meet at the foot of Heaven’s Gate

Gate Mountain was a landmark in Rivenwood, situated well beyond the

where

and pick me up,” Percival commanded as he opened her car door

wheel sharply to

already kicked two pursuers off

a brief silence. Gripping the handle tightly, Percival’s face was dark

was a terrible

badge confiscated. Faced with

Thomas, instructing him to rendezvous

wreckage

earlier, on their way to meet Anna, several motorcycles had suddenly appeared,

ambush, not a tail. Otherwise, neither

them, especially when she had only learned of the location herself at the

flashed with icy

a traitor within the Nine

knew her real-time whereabouts: Anna, Matthew, and the man she had

at Eastlake Bay, she had suspected a

she thought it might be someone from the Vanguard Agency, but now it seemed

was her creation;

every member of the Nine Mystics Society implicitly. Who

the sound of an explosion was audible on the other end. “Vivienne, we’ve been

“Take care of yourself.”

Miller to your location. I’ll handle this mess and head

her phone to Percival. “Matthew’s in

opened the phone and located Quincy’s secure contact

quickly. [No idea. I was following

on him or Vivienne, and their phones were not

[Turn off

a string of codes, intelligible only to

and Kenneth to shut off their phones and then pulled up a location on the car’s navigation system.

confused by what