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“But she doesn’t know anything about me!”
“Then how did I find you?” he laughed.
“Sheer luck,” I snapped. “That’s all this is. A pure coincidence.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences. And it doesn’t matter how you came face to face with me. The point is, I have you and now you’re going to tell me what I want to know.”
Yeah, there was no way that was happening. I watched as he pulled a knife from his side, then walked toward me with the menace of a man on the edge. There was only one way out of this for me. I waited for him to get closer, keeping my breaths calm and even as he approached. The knife drew closer and closer until it was just inches from my face.
In one fell swoop, I lashed out, kicking him in the balls with every ounce of strength I had. He jerked forward, hissing in a breath. I shifted to the right as the knife came way too close to my neck. I kicked him again, this time knocking him to the ground. With one hard yank, I broke the zip ties and landed on my feet. I reached for the knife, only to jerk my hand back as Mallock pulled a gun from his back and fired right at the knife.
Outgunned with nowhere to run, I took a step back. Mallock’s gaze met mine as a sinister look crossed his face. He raised the gun, pointing it directly at my face.
“I suppose now wouldn’t be a good time to remind you of how I saved your life.”
“You could try,” he grinned. “But it would be?—”
The loud crack of gunfire echoed around the garage. Blood bloomed from his chest as his last breath gurgled in his throat before he collapsed to the ground. Another shot fired, nearly taking my head off as it struck the wall behind me.
“Why is everyone always trying to kill me?” I shouted, running for cover. If I could get outside the parking garage, I might find some of OPS stationed there. I sprinted across the open expanse, hoping to get to the exit before this guy landed a shot.
“Anyone copy?” I shouted into comms. “In case you want to know, there’s someone firing at me, and I think he’s really pissed!”
There was no answer.
“I know you guys don’t believe me, but I think this guy really wants me dead!”
I was almost there. The light from the outside was a balm on my battered soul. After a year of being missing, this was not the way I wanted to die. Gunfire licked my heels, barely missing me with every step I took. I was almost there, almost free when I was tackled to the ground by a large bulk of muscle, and a bullet lodged in the wall right where I was about to run.
The bullet just barely missed my head. I didn’t know who saved my life or why. I was just happy I was yanked to the ground in the nick of time. I rolled over just as a man was getting to his feet. He was massive, a real beast. And when he turned, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Ivan?”
“Come, FNG, we must move.”
I scrambled to my feet, pulling my weapon as I ran behind the man who had just saved my life. But instead of leaving the building, he was taking me back inside. “I thought you were dead!”
“Yes, it was mistake.”
“Mistake?” I hissed. “I was your butler and you let me think you were dead.”
He stopped at an open doorway and peeked around to clear the area. “Yes, it was unfortunate, but necessary.”
“Ivan, I saw you. You weren’t breathing. You were gone!”
He turned back around, looking a little sheepish. “I wanted to tell you. It was matter of life and death. I took capsule. Everyone thought I was dead. It worked.”
“For everyone but me. I mourned you,” I griped.
“We talk about it later. Right now, we kill bad guys.”
“What about your not killing streak?”
He grinned at me. “I think it is time to break it.”
He spun and fired a single shot. I peeked out from behind him, watching as the man crumpled to the ground in a heap. Ivan ran over to him, grabbing him by the arms.
“Come, you take his legs.”
