Nexus: Ziva Payvan Book 2 by EJ Fisch Read Free Book Online Page A

be in just as much trouble and she would be completely on her own. I’m not saying they won’t still have eyes on us, but this way the probability that we can help her is a lot higher. She’ll get her week-long grace period just like any other criminal, and nobody else seems to be on her side so it’s up to us to be her sponsors. If we work fast we might be able to put an end to this…or at least get some closure.”
    Zinni understood perfectly but was still less than thrilled with the entire situation. “You can bet they’re going to tell her what you’ve done, if for no other reason than to mess with her mind. Nejdra will no doubt put the fact that you testified on record for all to see.”
    “I did not ‘testify’,” Skeet retorted. “You heard the questions they were asking in there; they were clearly setting us up to say exactly what they wanted. Besides, I doubt Ziva will mind too much how we solve this problem as long as we get the job done. The end will justify the means.”
    Zinni nodded and massaged her temples as she pondered the situation. “You ever wonder if she actually did it? I want to believe she’s innocent, but…the evidence…”
    Surprisingly, Skeet didn’t chastise her for concocting such a negative idea. “I’ve thought about it,” he said after a brief silence. “She’s certainly capable of it, but it would be completely unlike her to have waited all this time. I feel like I would have known if she had something planned. And why would she have left that Shevin kid alive?” He scoffed. “I don’t know – there’s something very screwed up about all of this, regardless of whether she’s guilty.”
    “Agreed,” Zinni said. “We can’t let them take her back to Haphor.”
    “Even if she killed Tachi, I think I’d still shoot her myself just so she wouldn’t have to endure all of that again.”
    Once again Zinni agreed, though she said nothing. The thought was unbearable, but after reading reports and seeing Ziva in the med center three years earlier, she hoped someone would be gracious enough to put her out of her misery if she were ever in her friend’s position.
    “Well,” she said, “if they had her in custody before us, she could very well be on her way to Haphor already. Let’s get to work.”

-14-
    Haphor-Noro Traffic Lane
    Tasmin Forest, Haphez
     
    Ziva’s surroundings shuddered and her head rolled forward, jarring her awake from a very poor excuse for sleep. Somewhere around her a man swore, and her world tilted downward. She blinked several times and twisted her head from side to side in a futile attempt at alleviating the crick in her neck. The view in front of her slowly came into focus, and she realized she was riding in the back of an HSP aircar.
    The car bounced again, jostled by a powerful gust of wind which accompanied the clouds and rain that had carried over from the previous night. The agent piloting the little craft brought the car out of its dive just above the treetops, and they resumed their journey at a lower altitude where the wind was less violent.
    Ziva peered out through the tinted window and recognized the Haphor-Noro traffic lane amid the foliage off to their right; the service road that ran parallel to it was almost directly under them. Traffic on the little bypass was minimal compared to the hustle and bustle of the main lane, no doubt the reason they were taking this route. It was impossible to know exactly how long she’d been sedated, and thus she had no idea how far into the trip they were. Drawing a deep breath, she redirected all her energy to focusing on what she did know.
    She shared the car with a two-agent escort…odd considering what a high-priority prisoner she was. Her gaze dropped down to her restraints. Rather than shackles linked with a chain, her wrists were secured by clasps fixed to the seat on either side of her. A layer of blue energy reinforcement pulsed over the metal and made her skin tingle. The cuffs were