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.

line was as chaotic as their own surroundings. “Handle it yourselves. Meet at the foot of Heaven’s Gate Mountain in 6 miles!” Vivienne hung up

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

was precisely where she was headed

pick me up,” Percival commanded as he

spun the steering wheel sharply to the

kicked two pursuers off

silence. Gripping the handle

gun. It was a

from duty, his gun and badge confiscated. Faced with this sudden

finally got a moment to call Thomas, instructing him to rendezvous at Heaven’s Gate Mountain without bringing any team

wreckage

to meet Anna, several motorcycles had suddenly appeared, riders brandishing bats and charging at

not a tail.

question was how these ambushers knew where to find them, especially when she had only learned of the location

piercing gaze flashed with

within the

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

their last botched operation at Eastlake Bay, she had suspected a

she thought it might be someone from the Vanguard Agency, but now it seemed like the Nine Mystics Society

Mystics Society was her creation; she had

of the Nine Mystics Society implicitly. Who could

then, and the sound of an explosion was audible

“Take care of yourself.”

location. I’ll handle this mess and head

hanging up, Vivienne tossed her phone to Percival. “Matthew’s in

opened the phone and

idea. I was following the real-time

phones were not

[Turn off

a string of codes, intelligible only to

message, Anna instructed Aaron and Kenneth to shut off their phones and then pulled

bewildered, utterly confused