Conspiracy Game by Christine Feehan Page B

warned. “Quick. Lie down in the exact center. You’re in the shadows up here.”
    Jack obeyed, expecting her to lie beside him. Instead, she hurried to the rope, pausing with one hand on it.
    “Stay prone. You’re too high; they won’t be able to spot you,” Briony hissed. She eluded his outstretched hand as she caught the rope more firmly and slipped halfway down to the floor. She was still dangling a good fifteen feet in the air as she began to perform a series of slow moves, changing positions with flowing precision, each move requiring tremendous strength and skill.
    What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re driving me out of my mind, woman.
    We don’t want them searching the place, and my brothers and I come in to practice all the time. Just stay still. If they find you, they’ll kill me and my brothers. She broke off abruptly, praying he wouldn’t go psycho on her.
    Jack bit back any retort. There was no use arguing with her; she was already out in the open. He could kill the rebels, was fully prepared, but it would bring down a hellstorm on them. Damn her. She had no right to take chances with her life—not to protect him or her brothers.
    Three men entered the building. Their movements were furtive, as if they were afraid of being seen. They weren’t dressed in uniforms, but they carried themselves like the soldiers she’d seen on every street corner. They stared up at her for a long moment, and something in the way they looked at her made her shiver. She stopped in mid-somersault and sat up, looping her foot through the rope to peer down at them.
    Rebels , he warned.
    You think? Her mouth was dry, heart pounding. “I’m sorry, you’re not supposed to be in here while we practice.”
    “Come down now,” one called to her and pointed to the floor. He let her see the gun inside his jacket.
    Briony allowed fear to show on her face. It wasn’t very hard—she was afraid. “I’m telling you, security will be here any minute, you’d better leave.”
    He drew the gun and aimed it her. “Get down here.”
    Even with the heavy accent, Briony understood. She slowly made her way down the rope. “I’m with the circus act performing at the music festival. My brothers will be here any minute. I have no money… ”
    Jack’s heart pounded with fear for her. He slid the gun out of the backpack and laid it on the platform, his finger on the trigger. Sweat beaded on his brow. The rebels made artwork out of raping women as brutally as possible. When he killed them, it would bring not only the rebels down on him, but the soldiers as well.
    “Close your mouth,” the rebel snapped, stepping toward Briony. He deliberately loomed over her to intimidate her.
    They’re used to everyone being afraid of them.
    Briony swallowed hard, stopping herself from nodding in acknowledgment of the information as she watched the shortest of the three shut the door.
    “We’re looking for an escaped prisoner.”
    Briony put her hand on her hip. “You aren’t soldiers or security, and take a look around, does it look like I’m hanging out with prisoners?”
    The leader slapped her hard, knocking her backward. Briony staggered, but kept on her feet. For a moment her ears rang, and then she felt the blast of rage, so deep, so intense it snapped her to attention. Don’t you dare go berserk and shoot him. She breathed deeply to try to calm Jack, knowing he was a heartbeat from killing the man.
    Briony put her hand to her stinging face. The big man advanced on her, deliberately aggressive, shoving his gun at one of his partners. He said something in his language she shouldn’t have understood, but it was all too clear. He thought she needed a man to show her who was in charge. Knowing Jack was close by was oddly comforting.
    The man caught the front of Briony’s shirt and she caught his wrist, locking on, exerting pressure, staring straight into his eyes. At the same time she pushed hard into his brain, forcing her mind