Page 134 of Fury In Death

“Ezra? He said he hated to see me like this, but I should’ve stuck with the company. They’d have made me rich. I could’ve given my kids the best of the best. I should’ve thought of my family and given them the best of the best.”

“They were wrong, Steve. They were cowards. They were complicit.”

Unballing his fists, he looked down at his hands.

“I wanted to kill them, both of them, with my bare hands, but I couldn’t break out of it. I couldn’t move at first. I was aware, but I couldn’t do anything. Not when Jacob came in. He said I was lucky to be alive, and he hoped I stayed alive, like a vegetable, for years and years. I deserved all I got for trying to betray the company. ‘Your family’s dead, Steve,’ he said. ‘It should’ve been you. They’re dead because of you.’ ”

He let out a sigh. “I wanted someone to know all of this. I didn’t know it would be you. I didn’t know I’d trust you to be sure everyone knows.”

“Everyone will know. I promise you that. You need help, Steve. I can help you.”

He smiled again, and the smile only held sorrow. “Oh, it’s way too late for that. You need medical attention. I can call MTs for you after I leave.”

“No, no MTs. Listen to me now.”

“No, there’s really no more time, and you’re hurt. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’ll release the elevator when I’m gone. You can go up or down. Your choice.”

He rose. “I’m grateful for what you’re doing. I didn’t believe anyone could or would. Thank you.”

With that he sprang up and went through the open grate before she could blink.

She slid a hand for her weapon, and though it sent throbbing shock waves through her body, shifted to aim up.

Useless, she knew, he was too fast.

She gave herself a few seconds, just a few seconds to breathe, then ordered the elevator back to the penthouse.

She managed to get to her knees again, breathe there when the doors opened. And saw Peabody arguing with Nadine.

Just what she needed.

“A little help here.”

Both women turned. Peabody let out a squawking sound, then beat Nadine to the elevator by two steps.

“Help me up. Watch the left shoulder. Dislocated.”

“Nadine, call for the MTs.”

“No!” Eve countermanded Peabody’s order with a snap. “Help me the hell up. And I want this building locked down. Nobody in, nobody out. Block this elevator. It needs to be processed. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she added as between them, Nadine and Peabody got Eve to her feet.

“You’re a mess, and you need medical attention.”

“Thanks, Dr. Furst, but it’s mostly bangs and bruises. Big bangs. Shoulder first. Peabody, let’s get it back where it belongs.”

“What? Me? No.”

“I can do it.” One of the morgue team stopped as they rolled Wyst’s bagged body out. “Man, Dallas, you got pounded.”

“Really? You think so?”

She had to pause, breathe again. “Peabody, get that search going. His hair’s mostly white, some brown still in it. He’s wearing black trousers, black long-sleeved tee, black boots. Weighs maybe one-seventy, and a lot of it muscle. He’s not armed. He doesn’t have to be.

“Nadine, if you take out your ’link to get an image of the body bag, my right arm’s still good, and I’ll knock you the fuck out. Let’s do it,” she said to the morgue tech.

“I’m training to be a medical tech. We did this manipulation on a practice droid.”

She ran her hands over Eve’s shoulder first, and might as well have rammed hot pins into it.