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Without looking down, he hit a series of numbers on his cell and lifted it to his ear. After two rings, the line clicked and he started talking. “Apartment six. Now.”
Without hanging up, he slipped the cell in the front pocket of his black pants. That would be enough. His teammate Joel Kidd would track the phone, and someone, or a whole group of them, would come blazing in. Until then, it fell to him to assess and rescue.
Crouched and running, he slipped down the pathway that ran through the center, stopping one apartment down. Constantly scanning the area, he looked for trouble. Except for the muffled voices from a television and the wail of a child a few doors up, everything stayed quiet in the comfortable suburban area.
Her door and the drapes to her front window were closed. He could see the light on inside. Everything seemed normal. He knew that wasn’t true. And if he’d misread the scene, he’d apologize after. No way was he asking for permission or explanations first.
With a long exhale, he controlled his breathing, forced concern for Jocelyn out of his mind and put on the back burner the memory of how skittish she was to even go on a date. She would be okay. He would make sure of that.
Keeping his steps as silent as possible, he bounded up the stairs. He picked up the low murmur of a male voice. With a light touch, he checked the knob. He had the element of surprise on his side and tried to plan the best way to use it.
Then he heard her scream, and all common sense vanished.
Raising a leg, he nailed his heel into the door right by the knob. The wood split and the lock broke. There was a huge crack as the door slammed open and a hinge snapped.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked but Ben ignored it. All of his focus centered on Jocelyn and the man pulling her out of the chair and wrapping an arm around her neck while he hid behind her like a trapped rat.
Ben took in the knife and did a quick glance around the room for a potential partner to this guy. Then he stared at her. The attacker had her long auburn hair pinned under his arm. His hold hiked up her skirt high on her thighs. Nothing torn or ripped. The disheveled state suggested she was thrown around but that the attack hadn’t gotten as far as this guy planned.
Those huge blue eyes pleaded with Ben and her hands shook where she grabbed on to her attacker’s arm. She wasn’t crying or screaming. She stayed stiff and maintained eye contact.
Good woman.
Gun up, Ben moved into the room and kicked the pieces of what remained of the door shut behind him. Having an innocent neighbor wander by would only cause more trouble. Kids and families lived in this part of town. Someone might interfere. That meant the death toll could rise in a second.
Ben ran a quick mental inventory. The other man’s face didn’t look familiar. He held a knife, not a gun, though he could have more weapons handy. Clear eyes and dark clothes perfect for a silent attack.
Yeah, this wasn’t a junkie looking to steal jewelry. Possibly a professional, though that didn’t make sense. Jocelyn was a nurse, not a field agent.
Something else was going on here. Ben would figure out the “what” later. Once the man no longer touched her.
“Step away from her,” Ben said with his voice as steady as the hand holding the weapon.
The man’s eyes narrowed but his arm tightened against her throat. “Who are you?”
Confusion and maybe a touch of worry. Ben knew he could use those to his advantage. “Put the knife down.”
“You don’t seem to understand who’s in charge.”
“I am.” But Ben needed that blade away from her skin. She already had a nick where a small trickle of blood welled.
“You shoot me, you shoot her.”
The man underestimated his opponent. Also a good sign in Ben’s view. Bravado had taken down more than one otherwise strong man. “Actually, no.”
The attacker ran his nose over her hair and the side of her face. The inhale was deep and exaggerated. “She is lovely.”
Ben didn’t say a word. Didn’t so much as twitch. One sign of weakness and Jocelyn could get stabbed or worse.
The man pointed the end of the knife at Ben. “Is she yours?”
There wasn’t a good answer, not one that would help her, so Ben continued to stay quiet.
“Ben.” Her soft voice carried a wobble.
The attacker smiled in a way that promised pain. “Sounds as if the pretty lady knows you.”
When Ben didn’t respond, the man’s mouth flattened and twisted into a look of pure hate. “Gun on the floor now or I will carve her into tiny pieces.”
Her chest heaved and a strangled sound escaped her throat.
Ben watched the light fade from her eyes and knew it was time to act. “Okay, enough.”
