It seemed only moments before we were exiting, five minutes out from our destination. “Marty, text her and say we’re almost there,” I said.
“Right. I-Oh, shit. They found her.”
My stomach did a flip-flop. “ Okay, that means we go in hot. When we get there, you two circle the place and kill any perimeter security. Be careful, though. Might be some innocents out. Still early.”
“Right,” Tony said. “How about you?”
I’ll go in the back way. At my signal, you come up the front way. I’ll distract the bad guys so they’re turned towards me just as you enter.”
Tony slowed to the speed limit when we drove past our objective. “Two SUVs and one guard in the parking lot,” he said. “I’ll park a block south. That way you’ll get a straight shot into the back of the place.”
I checked my pistol, ensuring it was loaded. “Okay with me.”
Within a matter of seconds we were parked and on the sidewalk. I held up my hand. “Hold up while I call Wilbur.”
“I’m here, on channel one,” a tinny voice said in my ear.
“We’re ready to move in,” I said. “Any word?”
Dave’s voice came on line. “We just received a call from Crosby. Said you and I have to be at our old office in 45 minutes, or she’ll kill Alice. God, she’s got a creepy voice!”
“Right, we’re moving in now.” I pointed towards our objective. “Tony, west side; Marty, east. Go.”
We crossed the street at a fast walk, then slowed to a crawl once past the small building between us and the office. I headed to the south wall of our old office, pulling out the key for the back door. Glad I’d remembered to bring the keys with me when we moved out. Seconds later I opened the door a crack. No sound. Opening it wider, I gave a slow look around. Hallway and stairs were empty. Slipping inside I slowly shut the door, mindful of any squeaks or thumps. A near silent drift up the stairs, and into the smallest office was accomplished with only one creak to cause the sweat to start running.
“Ready?” I breathed, receiving two clicks in reply.
The door was already open into the room. I laid down and peered around the edge. Four men gathered around the entrance to the larger conference room, listening intently to a gravelly voice–Crosby–as she gave orders. A minute later they headed for the stairs, muttering among themselves. Good. Didn’t see anything larger than a pistol among them.
Just as the third one started down the stairs I stood, whispering “Go.” I burst from the room and darted into the conference room. Crosby was rising, mouth open in a shout. I put a bullet in her right knee, spun and fired four quick shots at the stairs, causing the startled men to duck back. Sudden firing from the bottom of the stairs gave me time to dash over to Alice who was tied to one of the chairs. Unlimbering my knife, I quickly cut her hands free.
Crosby lunged up, pawing at the table with a bubbling screech of rage. I struck down with my knife and pinned her right hand to the table. A fusillade of shots had me diving back to Alice, pulling her to the floor even while she tried to free her bound legs from the chair.
One of the men raced towards us. A quick low-crawl to the side of the conference room entrance and I tripped him as he entered. We scrambled to our feet at the same time, him without the gun. I lunged forward with a stiffened hand, which he blocked. Holding my arm, he spun me around and out of the room. I tripped over a chair and crashed to the floor. He snatched up the chair and flung it at me, giving him time to draw a knife. I desperately rolled away, banging against a wall as he advanced.
A large hand grabbed his face from the rear and he disappeared, a sharp crack sounding when his neck broke. Marty’s grinning face appeared. “Always layin’ around on the job.” He helped me up, quickly sobering. Where’s Alice?”
A loud shrieking came from the conference room, with cuss words mingled in. I pointed. “Over there.”
We entered, brought up short by the spectacle of a woman swearing at the top of her voice while whaling on what looked like a sack of potatoes-until you looked closer and saw the blood and gore.
“Holy shit!” Marty darted forward and enclosed Alice in a hug. He gently turned her around and began kissing her, silencing the curses and screams. Within seconds she collapsed into his arms, sobbing.
Reluctantly I approached Crosby, who was lying face-up on the table, an occasional groan the only sign she was breathing. Her right hand was still pinned to the table, and I wrenched the knife free, swallowing bile as I did so-I could see daylight through the hole in her hand. Alice must have pulled on her arm a time or two, worsening the damage from the knife. Her remaining eye was swollen closed. The rest of her face was mishappen, looking as if she’d repeatedly run into a wall. God, hope Alice didn’t go full Amazon with anyone in the office!
It was when I tried to pull Marianne’s lower half onto the table that the worst damage showed. The knee I’d put a bullet in was turned almost completely around, and flopped when I managed to get both legs onto the table. Now I did want to barf. After I’d slowed or stopped the bleeding in both her knee and hand, I stood back to give her an overall look. That was a mistake, since I wasn’t able to make it further than a step towards the door before vomiting.
Tony entered the room, grinning at Marty and Alice cuddling in one corner as they continued their kissing and whispers of endearment. “Hey, get a room you
