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“Okay,” he said then walked toward Jax. Mariana headed toward the ladies’ room.
* * * *
“What’s going on?”
“Where did Mariana go?” Jax asked, sounding concerned.
“The ladies’ room.”
“Let’s get her out of here. Spider and the guys found some explosives in the back area of the displays.”
“What? What kind of explosives? Why?”
“There are extra men around that don’t normally work for Pro Tech securities. A large box truck, no plates, is parked down the street on the corner. Spider is interrogating some of the extra nonaccountable men. He also notified the owner of Pro Tech. He’s furious and on his way here.”
“Why the explosives?” Jameson asked as people started exiting the building. The exhibit technically ended thirty minutes ago.
“I don’t know. Just go get Mariana and head out to the limo,” Jax said, and as they turned around, an explosion rocked the whole entire first floor.
* * * *
Mariana grabbed onto the counter in the bathroom as a huge explosion seemed to rock the building. She immediately headed out of the ladies’ room and saw the smoke encompass the area. Sirens were blaring, people were screaming and trying to exit the building, but the smoke grew thicker. It was so frightening, yet odd, that there was so much smoke. She debated about where to go.
To the left were smoke and a crowd of people trying to exit the door. To the right the same thing, but the smoke was encompassing the entire area. It was as if a huge smoke bomb went off.
Her heart was pounding inside of her chest. Instinctively she covered her hand over her belly and then thought about the panic button she had that night when Ellington attacked her. There was no button tonight. No need for an emergency panic button when two highly trained retired commandoes and security professionals flanked her side. Oh God, Jameson and Jax? Please let them be okay.
In a matter of seconds, she could hardly see but a few feet in front of her. There was so much smoke toward the front of the building and the exit. She didn’t know what to do or where to head. As she turned to look behind her, she thought that she saw someone. A shadow through the thickness of smoke. Her throat began to tighten up and she started to cough.
“Come with me,” a deep voice demanded then took her arm and dragged her right into the smoke. She pulled at his fingers that grasped her upper arm. “Let go of me.” She coughed in between words, and then she noticed that he wore a mask. A gas mask?
“Let me go,” she demanded then tried to drag her feet, but he didn’t care. He just kept going into the thickness of the smoke. They reached a door, and she coughed some more as panic filled her body.
The door closed, and the smoke was lighter in this room.
He spoke into a mic. “I’ve got her. Bring the car around back. Move,” he yelled at her then shoved her toward the door.
She didn’t know who he was, but obviously he knew her and he wanted to take her out of here. Something was definitely wrong.
As the door opened, she heard the sirens down the block and saw the limo waiting there.
The man pulled off the gas mask, and she gasped. It was the man from the night Ellington attacked her. He met her at the bathroom and brought her to Ellington.
She turned around to open the back door, and he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her toward the car.
“Let me go. Leave me alone!” she screamed as he tossed her into the backseat just as the back door to the building slammed open.
She heard the bullets go off. The man jumped into the limo, and she tried to open the side door. He grabbed her legs, pulled her back, and as she turned he backhanded her across the mouth.
“Stupid bitch! You’re nothing but trouble.”
The car swerved as it took off in the opposite direction of the first responders.
* * * *
“What? Where is she?” Jax yelled into the sleeve of his jacket. Jameson was bent over next to him and coughing still. They had searched for Mariana and couldn’t find her.
“Follow that damn limo!” Jax yelled then pulled Jameson up and walked him away from the crowd of police and firefighters.
