me! You and I know what a propensity humanity has for blackmail. Temptation is too strong! No…” There was a scuffling sound and Craig’s eyes darted to the edge of the counter. He wondered what they were doing on the other side. “I’m afraid there’s no two ways about it, Brandt. You have to die.”
Craig looked up as he heard a painful gasp from around the corner. And he knew, without having to check, that one of Osborne’s men had gotten to Dr. Sinclaire.
“Come on out, Brandt, or the good doctor takes one through the eye.”
Craig closed his eyes. Virginia cupped his face in her hands. “No. Don’t do it. Craig, please,” she whispered hurriedly. Then, with a grimace, she added, “he’ll kill John anyway.”
“Time’s running out, Brandt!” There was the click of a cocking gun.
“Osborne!” Craig called back, his mind furiously spinning. “I have my cell phone! If I press one of these buttons, the information I’ve recorded into it will be sent to a lab in Minnesota!”
“Nice try, Dr. Brandt,” came the too-calm reply. “Your phone is on the counter. And, it’s off, by the way.” Osborne added, his tone amused.
And then a gun went off and someone grunted in pain. A body hit the floor.
“No!” Craig couldn’t help himself. He jumped up from behind the counter and faced Godrick Osborne and his men. However, the sight that greeted him was not the one he’d expected.
John Sinclaire had backed up against the far wall, and stood there now, his color a pallid gray, his hands gripping the wall in fear. However, he was very much alive. The bullet that had been discharged had not been aimed at him.
It had been aimed at the man who was holding him. That man now lay on the floor, a pool of blood spreading beneath his inert form. He’d been shot in the head.
In the doorway stood Adam Night, gun at ease at his side, a cocky smile on his handsome face. His ice blue eyes glittered with mal intent. Godrick Osborne had turned and was facing the newcomer.
“Night, what the
Adam calmly stepped into the room, not bothering to reply or, even, to maintain eye contact with Osborne. Instead, he looked at the floor and lazily spun the gun in his right hand around his middle finger. His steps were slow, his demeanor utterly unconcerned.
Osborne’s gaze narrowed. “Kill him.”
The large man beside Osborne raised his gun arm.
Another bullet was discharged, and the second of Osborne’s guards hit the floor. This time, Adam kept his gun at arm’s length – and turned it on Osborne. His expression hadn’t changed. He still appeared laid back, indifferent, and the eerie glint in his eyes burned like blue fire.
A hundred yards away, on the roof top of a neighboring building, Annabelle Drake peered through the scope of a high powered rifle and watched the scene in the lab unfold with bated breath. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Sweat trickled down the side of her neck. A drop of it threatened her left eye, but she ignored it, since that eye was shut tight anyway.
“Just shoot him,” she whispered, quietly begging Adam Night to pull his trigger one last time. But she knew he couldn’t hear her, and that even if he could have heard her, he would have ignored her.
Night wasn’t going to kill Godrick Osborne. Because he wanted
Adam Night may be crazy as hell, but he was damned smart too. He seemed to know Annabelle very well, even though he’d only just met her. As if he’d known she couldn’t have brought herself to kill all three of them, he’d stolen into the lab and taken care of Osborne’s goons himself. But he was saving the best for her.
The single window that let sunlight into the lab was mirrored to shield it from unaided human sight, however, the Swarovski crystal scope on the .204 Ruger rifle that Annabelle used was special issue. Adam had given it to her. She’d had to refrain from saying
“He’s not human, Annabelle,” she whispered to herself now. Her voice shook. “He’s a monster.”
But as she stared through the scope, she felt her will draining away. “I can’t do it.”
As if he could hear her, Adam Night turned toward the window in the opposite building and, though it was physically impossible, he actually appeared to stare at her through the scope. He smiled. His lips moved, and even though she couldn’t hear his voice, she could easily tell what it was he’d said.
“Christ.”
And then Adam’s expression hardened and he lowered his weapon.
Annabelle’s brows drew together. “No…” She watched as Godrick Osborne, no longer threatened with Night’s weapon, spun around and vaulted over the counter that stood between himself and Virginia Meredith and Craig Brandt.
Brandt rushed forward, but not fast enough to keep Osborne from roughly grabbing Virginia and pulling his own weapon from the holster beneath his suit coat.
“Get back!” Osborne shouted at Craig and Craig stumbled back as the barrel of the Desert Eagle issue handgun was pressed to Virginia’s temple.
Annabelle swore lividly and flipped the switch that controlled the rifle’s laser sights. A red spot appeared on Osborne’s forehead. Craig’s eyes flickered to the glowing mark and widened.
Osborne noticed the movement. He cursed and dove for cover behind another counter a few feet away, drawing Virginia Meredith along with him.
Annabelle swore again, this time barely refraining from standing and stomping her booted feet in frustration. She couldn’t see what was happening behind the counter. She wondered why Osborne hadn’t just shot Virginia and then taken Craig out next. Maybe he still needed something from Brandt. And he could always use Virginia against him.
She swung the rifle to the side and peered at Adam through the scope.
Night turned around and strode to the door of the lab’s exit.
At the door, he paused and glanced back in her direction. It wasn’t possible, but their eyes met anyhow. He grinned then, teeth flashing. He pressed the door open, and then disappeared into the darkened hall beyond. In a few moments, he was out of her view.
“God dammit!”
Annabelle’s cell phone rang. She blinked, pulled back from the gun’s scope, and swiped her sleeve across her eyes. She glanced down at the LCD screen of the phone on her belt. It read: JACK.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she re-opened them, she peered once more through the gun’s scope. The phone stopped ringing. There was no change in the scene in the lab. Osborne was behind one counter with Virginia and Craig had taken shelter behind another. Nobody was moving.
Annabelle’s mind raced. If Osborne thought that he was being targeted from afar, maybe he wouldn’t chance moving until he had back-up. Which he was most likely calling for right now.
The men he called wouldn’t be told to enter the lab, where they were sure to simply get shot like the last two guys had. No. They would be sent to deal with the long-range shooter that currently threatened Osborne.
They would be sent to take care of Annabelle.
“Shit.” Annabelle stood and spun around, running toward the roof access door.
Again, the phone on her belt went off. “Mother piss bucket!” She hissed, not even realizing what was coming out of her mouth. Why had she brought the phone with her in the first place?
She’d brought it so that she could call for help if she needed to. In the case of an emergency.
Did this qualify as an emergency?
She blew out a sigh and ripped the phone off of her belt. She cradled the gun with her right arm as she
