Fatal Affection, Bitter End

oar. Three sleek, black helicopters descended, landing in a nearby

setting up a quick checkpoint. "Registered s

awe and relief, gave my hand

, Susan grabbed Mark' s hand a

we' re next!"

r blocked their path, holdi

n. He' s with

' t have a Mark Johnson on the studen

r the exam! It' s an eme

. "As a private applicant, he can board the last helicop

is it?" Susan

st-minute emergency charter in these weather cond

o hundred... what? That' s

had requested be dispatched for "crowd control," pulled up, its lights flashing. An off

an, the card! Give me the debit card! All my savings a

nant to flustered. She hesita

, I..." she stamm

rk' s voice was

ster, and he sold me this lucky jade pendant! It guarantees your success!" She pulled a gaudy green pendan

en at her, his expression turn

a jeweler I' d spoken to earlier, walked by under an

ight market," he said casually. "Made of dyed quar

d seemed

e lunged at Susan, grabbing her by the collar of her soake

moved in quickly,

rned to me, her eyes wild with desperation. "David! Please! Loan me the money! F

my face a mask of

you two hundred thous

out a folder. Inside was a loan agree

her. "The terms are all there. Twenty percent interest, compounded da

eign language. The police officer was tapping his foot i

to decide n

agreement. I transferred the money. Mark, seething but desperate, paid

pter lift into the grey s

nt crackled over the p

have receded faster than expected. We' re reopening the r

rumpled. She had just signed away her future for a twen

touched my lips. This