Chapter 216

"Damn it!" Charles slammed the steering wheel hard. In the passenger seat, Arthur was wrapping Fiona's bleeding arm with a bandage when the sudden jolt nearly knocked him off balance. "Signal's gone?" Arthur asked without looking up. Charles didn't respond, his jaw clenched tight, a vein throbbing at his temple. Five minutes ago, they'd just handed Fiona off into the pickup car. Stella's tracker signal had still been moving near the southwest corner of the estate. Now? Gone. Nothing. "Turn around," he said suddenly. Arthur's head snapped up. "Are you nuts? Fiona still needs—" "I said turn around!" Charles slammed the brakes. Fiona's unconscious body jerked forward in the backseat; Arthur quickly caught her with his arm. Tension filled the dim car, the two men locked in a silent face-off. "Listen," Arthur said in a low voice, "we already lost one. We can't just—" "She's not just anyone!" Charles's voice came out low and sharp. "She's Stella." Their comms crackled, breaking the standoff.