CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX – FAINTING SPELL

Lance's panicked voice finally pierced the fog of memory and trauma enveloping Kayla's mind. She blinked owlishly, suddenly aware that she was dangling uncomfortably from the safety harness, legs pumping uselessly in open air. "L-Lance?" Her voice emerged as a tremulous croak. Relief washed over his features as he hurried to her side, the facilitators already working to lower her carefully to the ground. "I'm here, babe. You're okay, you're safe," he soothed, cradling her face in his hands as soon as her feet touched solid earth. His eyes shone with barely contained anguish and fury. "What the hell did that heinous bitch say to you?" Kayla shook her head dazedly, pressing herself into the protective circle of Lance's embrace as reaction set in with harsh, juddering tremors. She was vaguely aware of raised voices, Carter's shrill tones cutting through the air like shards of glass, but she couldn't make out the words. Later - much later - she would recall being bundled into the back