After helping her mother off the table, Chantal stepped back as her mom gingerly stretched her arm.“How does it feel?”“Good. Better. You’re a miracle worker; you have the magic touch.”“It’s a learned skill and nothing to do with miracles.” Chantal folded a towel as her mother slipped a cardigan over her vest and walked to the sofa in the bedroom corner.“It’s late. Join me for a drink.”“I’m tired—it’s been a long day gathering remaining supplies for the symposium.” Chantal suppressed a yawn.Shrugging, the ambassador uncorked the brandy decanter and poured out a splash of golden liquid. Chantal took in a slow breath, gathering courage.“I mean it when I say that anyone else could step into my shoes.”“You’re my daughter and have my best interests at heart. You’ll continue with my therapy.” Conn

Hatton. Sri Lanka.   Getting out of the city was what Chantal needed. She paused to take in the lush surroundings as she climbed from the armored suburban on stiff legs. Surrounded by the hills of the Sri Lankan tea country, Chantal found relief in the cooler air. First the three-hour inland trip from Colombo to Kandy, and then the forty-mile trip to Hatton, which sat at an elevation exceeding 4000 feet. The perfect climate for growing the finest tea in the world. Mixed feelings over the location for the symposium had Chantal turning her back on the lavish plantation bungalow. To tourists, the tea fields provided a perfect getaway, set amongst green vistas, and waterfalls. Their every whim was taken care of, in luxurious rooms, between visiting tea estates and tasting herbal beverages. Many visitors ignored the colonial air permeating the region or the reality for the female workers picking tea for ten-hour days—a back-breaking

Chantal looked up as Wyatt approached, taking the opportunity to stretch out her back as she helped a patient off a bed.  “You’ve been at this for hours. It’ll get dark soon.”  Dishan joined her Agent in Charge and agreed, a concern reflected in his eyes. “It’s time to call it a day, after fifteen hours on your feet.” “I could help so many more.” Chantal looked around the humble meeting space where they’d set up their makeshift treatment site. “You still have tomorrow.”  She did. They planned to leave in two days, and she wanted to see at least sixty more patients. She wasn’t the only one hustling—the two local chiropractors who owned the center took the lead on the operation and shouldered the bulk of the work.  “Nanri.” The Tamil term for thanks rolled off her tired lips, and conceding to Wyatt’s request, she ga

Chantal felt along the patient’s scapula. “I’m not doing an adjustment. She needs to see a doctor and possibly have an MRI. I suspect a torn rotator cuff.”Shoulder pain was a common occurrence with many tea pickers who carried sacks every day, hoisting them over their backs as they walked.The translator told the hunched woman sitting on the table. The lady replied, agitation apparent as she pointed at her shoulder.“She can’t afford that. Even with her husband working in Dubai.”Chantal nodded at the translator. “Of course not. She should check first with her plantation manager. They may cover the costs through insurance. If not, here’s the number for a free clinic in Kandy. If she can get to that town, they’ll take care of her appointments and surgery.”The lady still shook her head and babbled in Tamil.“She can’t stop working in the fields or leave her three c

The well-planned attack took everyone by surprise, on a rough stretch of road surrounded by fields and foliage on all sides. When Gage had caught a glimpse of the targets’ vehicles barreling through the brush, he knew that they were screwed—and outnumbered. His only thought—live long enough to get to Chantal. He prayed Team Five’s training would pay off as a pimped-out Land Rover slammed into the MSD armored vehicle. Seconds before the collision, Lucius and Gage had already begun firing at the occupants as Gannon reversed. At the last second, and thanks to a headshot, the Rover driver veered off target, striking the hood of the MSD suburban, instead of pounding Gage and his team to kingdom come. “They’ve blocked the road to the front and rear!” Gannon shouted. “Heavy goods vehicles.”They’d need to evacuate on foot. There was no way that the teams could retrieve both princ