“What’s the plan here, Evan?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are we going to live together off the grid? Are you going to start a compound with other people in the program?”

“The place is picked out.”

Her stomach heaved at the thought of how long he’d planned this. “Where?”

“Not something you need to worry about.”

He had lost all touch with reality and he intended to drag her to that same mental place. To break her. “This is over, Evan. My case. The danger. There’s no need for any of this. I need to be able to make my own choices, not live in fear.”

“You forfeited that life. Now you will return to the program.”

“You mean your program.”

He ticked off the parameters. “Limited contacts, all preapproved by me. Work. Studying your craft. Practicing maneuvers.”

“So, I’ll be your servant.”

“You’ll be my greatest achievement.” He managed to make the comment sound serious.

She felt like she was locked in a bad movie. “You’ve lost it. You’re not even rational anymore.”

“Then you shouldn’t test me.”

Connor had seen enough. He watched with Jenna, Ben, and Sylvia as Maddie and Evan talked. The distance gave them some protection. So did the remains of the two-story building they waited on. They lay on their stomachs. Among rocks and debris on the cold concrete.

He couldn’t feel anything but the anxiety clenching in his gut. Adrenaline pumped through him. Whatever needed to be done he’d do, even if he had to go through Ben to do it.

The special glasses Jenna grabbed at her house let them see most of what was happening but not hear a thing. He had no idea what Evan was saying but he could see Maddie argue about something.

If he waited too long she might piss Evan off. Connor did not trust the man to be mentally steady enough not to open fire.

Connor started to get up. “I’m going.”

“Do not move.” Ben issued the order without taking his gaze off Maddie.

“She doesn’t look like she’s hurt,” Sylvia said.

Jenna swore under her breath. “Yet.”

Ben glared at Jenna before returning to surveillance. “We watch and wait. The police officers are on the way. We need numbers and firepower. Not you rushing in and getting hurt.”

“We’re not waiting.” This time Connor got up.

Ducking and keeping low, he ran to the back of the floor and shifted behind a crumbling wall.

When he looked up, all three of them were standing there, staring at him. Sylvia stayed back a bit and watched the scene below them.

Ben’s glare was the most heated. “He is trained and has a weapon. If bullets start flying the chances of Maddie getting hit are too high.”