He popped open the rear ambulance doors just as the side door of a Mercedes Sprinter van slid open beside them. Jed lifted the Chinese scientist by the legs and watched his head loll to one side as Bex lifted him as well, awkwardly maneuvering him off the stretcher, the unattached nasal cannula and wires to his EKG leads dangling from his chest and face. In three great strides, they crossed to the van and Jed all but jumped inside, laying Zhao on the rear bench seat, where Bex slid to cradle the unconscious man’s head in her lap.

Jed took a seat beside the driver while Hyeon and “Dr. Weider” jumped in and slammed the slider closed. Without a word, the driver made a two-point backing turn, and seconds later they were out of the garage, keeping a slow and relaxed speed.

“Where’s Gayle?” Jed said, having assumed she was in the van.

“She caught another ride,” the driver said, all business.

“She’s with us,” Nisha said in his ear, and Jed could hear the smile in her voice.

He nodded, connecting the dots. She gave up her ride for us.

“Dragon has the package and is heading to the Ark,” the driver reported.

“Roger, Dragon,” Gayle said. “Stay frosty. A call went out through the police channels just now to stop all ambulances. It won’t be long before they find your abandoned ambulance.”

The driver grumbled his displeasure at the news.

“Mother?” Jed said, picturing Gayle sitting with her notebook computer on her lap in the back of a different panel van with John and Nisha.

“Yes?” she said.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. We’ve got to get everyone to the airport before they shut things down. Doing that will be a miracle.”

“We’re used to miracles,” Hyeon said with a laugh, reaching up to give Jed a squeeze on the shoulder. “Right, boss?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I suppose we are.”

As they headed west, Jed closed his eyes a moment in silent prayer for a minimum of thirty more minutes of divine intervention on their behalf.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE

BOMBARDIER GLOBAL 7500 N77SNA

EASTBOUND, 37,000 FEET OVER THE EAST CHINA SEA

150 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OKINAWA

1355 HOURS LOCAL

Jed added a touch of cream to the large cup of coffee he prepared for himself in the forward galley of the luxury corporate jet and thought about answered prayers. They were airborne and over international waters, with Dr. Zhao on board, their entire team unscathed . . . Now he could finally relax.

He took a celebratory sip and silently thanked God with what had become his go-to prayer lately: Thanks for keeping us safe, Father. And thank You for the opportunity to do Your work.