Acceptable Risks (30 page)

“I think they might still be here. The guard lied to me, and someone came in a few minutes ago.”

Matt looked torn. “One of us needs to go secure the guard.”

Jason nodded. They couldn’t leave the entire building’s security compromised. But Lark’s safety, and Gabby’s, were paramount.

“The other can go to the lab,” Matt continued. “It’s the logical place. The data is down there, and they need Gabby to access it.” He gripped Jason’s forearm for a moment, then froze, his gaze flying to Jason’s face. “You’re hot.”

“Thanks, but you’re not my type.”

“No, I mean you’re feverish.” He released him and cursed. “You need treatment. Fuck! Why didn’t you say something? The simplest—”

“Matt.” Jason put a hand on his friend’s chest, halting him when he would have shoved Jason out the door, intent on locking him in a sterile chamber. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get to Gabby and Lark.”

Matt swore again, pacing away from Jason and then back. “All right. Let’s get this done fast. I’m not letting you die again.”

“I don’t plan to try. Let’s go.”

They parted in the main hall after a fast round of rock-paper-scissors, leaving Kolanko standing at the reception desk, looking lost.

* * *

Lark would give anything to know if Caitlyn was bluffing about the detonator. She watched the betraying bitch carefully, but her thumb never let up on the button. She had to have a cramp by now, but never shifted her grip or switched hands. She was in complete—and smug—control, standing with no excess movement, her eyes alertly watching both Lark and Gabby, not letting them get too far apart and split her attention.

“Who did you call? Front desk?” Lark asked, figuring keeping her talking would at least pass the time and help keep herself from going crazy.

Caitlyn’s heavily lipsticked mouth curved into an even more smug smile, and her thick lashes fluttered a little. “We’ve been having sex on his break, at lunch, and occasionally at night. It’s amazing what you can get a guy to do when you’re willing to…experiment.”

“Ew.” Lark made a face. “We don’t need details, thanks.” She wasn’t sure how to interpret Caitlyn’s easy offering of information. Was she just bragging because she was stupid? Or did she think Lark and Gabby wouldn’t be a threat later?

Caitlyn shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt that he’s married. Doesn’t want the stupid cow to know. He’d have to pay alimony and child support, since she’s a stay-at-home mom.” The phone next to her buzzed and she lifted it immediately. “Yes? Great. We’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone and waved the detonator like a gun, toward the elevator. “Back up. We’re getting the guys.”

Lark wished she meant Jason and Matthew. A lot of stuff her father had taught her over the years—like, amazingly, the range of certain electronics—seemed to be surfacing from the recesses of her brain, now that she needed it. But her father and Jason were better equipped to overpower the stupid assistant. Plus, if they were here, they wouldn’t be in the rigged conference room, and
she
could overpower the stupid assistant.

But of course, when the elevator doors opened to the lobby, Isaac and Nils crowded inside. Caitlyn made Gabby swipe her card again, and back down they went.

Isaac didn’t speak to any of them, but Nils apparently couldn’t resist lording his superior position over Lark.

“Hey there, sweetheart. Bet you’re surprised to see me.”

“Not really,” she said in as bored a voice as she could muster, watching the numbers light up overhead so he couldn’t see the hatred burning in her eyes. “I saw you drive by Ella’s hotel yesterday.” She cast a quick glance his way, satisfied to see his face fall.

“Well, I bet you wanna know how I got out of that barn,” he rallied.

“No.”

“Shut up, Nils,” Caitlyn said. “You’re pathetic.”

“Hey, I’m the right hand here, precious. You’re just the assistant.”

“Both of you, get a grip.” Isaac stepped out of the elevator and raked disgusted looks down both of his henchpeople. “I can’t believe you were the best I could come up with.”

Caitlyn’s cheek flickered with the clenching of her jaw. Isaac did have the best. Caitlyn had access to all Matthew’s logs, schedules, information and possibly his computer. Nils was a blender, floating from department to department without notice. Isaac had chosen his infiltrators well. Lark wondered if praising him for it would get her anywhere.

They filed into the lab at Isaac’s instruction. Lark cast around for something to do, some means of reversing their situation, but had no idea how to take back the advantage. Resignation settled over her. Cooperation seemed the best way to keep them all from harm, at least for now.

Isaac pointed to Lark, then to a chair at a long, low table in the middle of the room. “Sit there. Wait.” He pinned Nils with a glare. “Can you handle her?”

“Of course.” He lifted his hand and clicked the trigger of a contact-model Taser, which arced with blue electricity. Lark rolled her eyes but sat as directed, hoping Gabby was up to whatever came next.

Sure enough, Isaac addressed the doctor. “I want the data on the RT-24 and Templeton’s condition. Can you access it out here?”

“No. Only in my office.”

Good job, Gabby
. She was dividing the enemy. Lark didn’t think Isaac would want to crowd them all into that tiny room. And while Gabby’s voice had quivered the tiniest bit, and she vibrated with pure nervousness, Lark saw steel in her eyes and in the straightness of her spine.

“Let’s go.” Isaac nudged Gabby toward her office. “Caitlyn, put that ridiculous thing down and go watch the elevator. Let me know if someone starts to come down.”

Caitlyn smirked and dropped the apparently fake detonator into a metal trashcan. Lark flinched at the clang.

“Should have trusted your instincts, chippie.” Caitlyn sashayed out the door, pausing to block it open with the trashcan. Lark squeezed her fists and half rose to go after her, but the distinctive click of a hammer cocking made her freeze.

Isaac smirked and pointed a pistol at Gabby’s head. Lark sank back down, furious.

“Well, now.” Nils pulled a chair on wheels over next to Lark. “Just the two of us. How fun.”

Lark, who was sitting in a stationary chair, kicked the seat of Nils’ wheeled one. Nils flailed, knocking a tray of flasks to the floor and hitting two other chairs before he managed to stop. He scowled as he pulled his chair back, halting out of her reach. “Don’t do that again.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Lark slumped, folding her arms and scowling toward Gabby and Isaac. They’d left the door open, and she could hear the argument between them.

“I want it now, Abigail!”

“You can threaten me all you want, Kemmerling, but I can’t make it happen any faster. It’s all encrypted. I can give you the compressed, encrypted file if you want.”

“No.” Lark could practically hear his teeth grind from here. “The encrypted file does me no good, as it will self-destruct when I try to unencrypt it. I’m not stupid, you know.”

“Then you have to wait.”

“How long?”

Gabby typed on the keyboard. When she kept going and didn’t answer, Isaac gripped her shoulder, squeezing until she cried out. “How long?”

“I’m trying to figure that out. Have some patience!”

“Yeah, right,” Lark muttered.

“Shut up.” Nils sparked the Taser at her a second time. Lark snorted but didn’t speak again.

They sat that way for several minutes. Nils got fidgety, playing with tools and supplies on the table, shifting his feet, then rolling his chair around and around the room, feinting at Lark as if to keep her on edge.

She couldn’t have been less intimidated. Isaac scared her because he was losing, which meant he’d be desperate. Nils was still just doing a job.

“I’m bored,” Nils called, shoving his chair backward until he came even with Lark again. “We don’t need this one, right? She’s superfluous. Can I kill her?”

“No.” Isaac responded without looking away from the computer screen or keyboard. Gabby sat, watching something on the screen, her hands poised over the keys. “We need her for insurance in case Madrassa catches wind of our presence.”

Nils groaned. “But I’m boooorrred. Can I have some fun with her, then?”

“Be my guest.”

He grinned and lunged at Lark, but she swung her arm to block and direct his away. Then she thrust the heel of her hand into his chin, just hard enough to knock him back onto his chair.

His face darkened with rage. “You’ll pay for that.” This time he went for her leg, managing to get half a zap on her. It wasn’t a full charge, but still made her leg jerk. She slid, limp, to the floor. Furious, she struggled to get up. Nils grabbed the back of her collar and dragged her to a closet in the corner.

“I’ll be in here,” he called out. “Don’t interrupt if you need me!” His voice was gleeful with anticipation, and Lark gritted her teeth. No frickin’ way this idiot was going to take advantage of her.

She waited until he latched the door behind him, then came up swinging. Her right leg shook, so she balanced on her left and threw two quick punches. One sent the Taser flying. The other connected with Nils’ eye.

He screeched and lashed out, connecting with her upper arm and ribcage. The pain was no match for the adrenaline racing through her bloodstream, though. She ripped a clump of hair from his head and grabbed him by the nostrils, and he went down squealing. She kicked him with her jiggly foot and he dropped the rest of the way to the floor, unconscious.

Lark stood panting a moment, getting her bearings. Her entire focus had been on Nils and this tiny space, but now she heard a commotion outside. Her suddenly shaky fingers fumbled the door lock. A sob of frustration and fear escaped her before she got it open. She burst out of the room and halted, the rush of blood in her ears keeping her off balance.

Caitlyn stood by the office door, looking frightened. Isaac yelled something at her, but she didn’t move. Gabby pounded at the keyboard, the screen flashing so fast Lark had no idea what was going by.

And Jason, beautiful, furious Jason, roared across the room toward Isaac.

The rest happened fast. Caitlyn screamed and reached for something to throw. Lark ran over and backhanded her across the face again, this time hard. The woman crashed against the counter, hit her head on the cabinets above it, and fell to the floor. A gun went off, and Gabby cried out. Lark cringed and spun in time to see Jason leap at Isaac. The weapon flashed again, the report not registering in Lark’s ringing ears. Jason wrested the gun from Isaac’s hand but gasped for air before he went down to one knee next to Gabby, who clutched her left arm just above the elbow.

Lark opened her mouth to scream.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Matthew found exactly what he’d expected at the front desk. The officer was sweating before he got there, and hastily wiped his forehead with his sleeve when he saw his boss coming.

“Good morning, sir.” He stood and nodded at Matthew. “I just spoke to Mr. Templeton, sir. Did you want to see the register?” He reached for the signature unit, but Matthew shook his head.

“I’ve seen it. I want you to tell me what’s going on. What did Caitlyn tell you to do?”

“I don’t know what you mean, sir.” He started to lift his arm, spotted the stained sleeve, and reconsidered wiping more sweat with it. A drop coalesced and dripped down the side of his face as he stuck his thumbs into his waistband and thrust out his chest.

“Drop the act. I know you’ve been having sex with Caitlyn. I let it go because as stupid as it was, I didn’t think it had anything to do with me. I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

The officer’s bravado faded. “Uh, sorry, sir, yes, I’m…involved with her. But—”

“And what did she tell you to do?”

A light flashed on the console, accompanied by an urgent beep. The officer lunged for it, cursing. Matthew cursed harder and pushed through the swinging door into the circular station. The light indicated a gun had been fired somewhere in the building.

The officer typed frantically at the computer, backing up when he’d brought up the security camera image that corresponded to the alert. It was the lab.

“Oh, God, oh, God, I didn’t know, I didn’t mean it, I just…oh, God.”

“Tell me what is going on,” Matthew ground out. There was no one on the screen, but scattered tools and broken glass indicated
something
had gone down.

The guard couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. He babbled frantically, “I let Kemmerling and Fredlund in. They met Caitlyn at the elevator. Dr. Berwell and Ms. Madrassa, I think, were in the elevator with her. They must have—oh, God.”

“Shut up.” Cold from his brain to his gut, Matthew picked up the phone and hit a button. He pulled cuffs from the officer’s belt and secured his right wrist, and started speaking as soon as an agent picked up.

“Allison, I need an officer at the front desk immediately. Two of them. One to staff the desk, the other to take someone into custody. And call the police. Tell them there’s been a gun fired on the premises, they’re to enter the main lobby and wait for me.” He hung up, pulled the officer’s belt off him, and flung it across the lobby floor after removing the pistol from the holster. Then he dragged him to a pillar, wrapped his arms around it, and secured the other cuff. “Wait here.”

Then he took off for the lab.

* * *

“OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod.” Lark had controlled her scream but couldn’t stop saying “ohmyGod” as she stumbled across the floor to Jason and Gabby, barely noticing Isaac run out into the hallway. She went to Jason first. He was on one knee, the opposite hand wrapped around the gun he’d wrested from Isaac and braced against the floor while he tried to get his breath. Lark tried to pull him upright, looking for blood on his chest or arms or legs or anywhere and not finding any.

“Gabby,” he wheezed. “Gabby’s been shot.”

“It’s okay.” But the doctor’s voice was weak. “My monitor got it worse.”

Sure enough, the computer monitor’s glass was shattered and faint smoke curled up from the unit. Lark dismissed it and tried to check Gabby’s arm without looking away from Jason. Panic still struggled to choke her, numbing her hands and fuzzing her brain.

“What’s wrong, Jase? Please, tell me.”

“He’s sick,” Gabby whispered. “I knew it. I thought so yesterday. But he denied it.”

“I’m okay,” Jason muttered. “Just ran down all the stairs. Not in shape.”

Everyone in the room knew that was a lie. Lark touched his forehead. It practically scorched her fingers. He jerked away and dragged himself to his feet.

“You need—” Gabby started.

“I need to go after Isaac.”

“He’s trapped,” Lark said, shifting to Gabby’s side when Jason didn’t keel over. “He doesn’t have a card. He can’t operate the elevator or get to the stairs.”

“I know. But he’s smart. If I don’t go after him, he could get into the ventilation system or the wiring shafts and work his way into a less secure area. Take care of Gabby,” he told Lark. “The sooner I find him, the sooner you can take care of me.” He disappeared into the hallway.

Lark stood, torn, while Gabby bled at her feet and Jason staggered after a healthy opponent. Then Gabby let out a small moan, and she crouched next to her.

“How bad is it?” Lark made her lie down on the floor and raise her arm in the air. She grabbed a cushion off a chair and an extremely thick book—the
Physicians’ Desk Reference
, it said on the front—and propped Gabby’s feet on them.

“I don’t think the bullet went through,” Gabby said, sounding a little stronger. “It hit me at a weird angle.”

“Okay.” Lark pulled the belt from Gabby’s lab coat. “Can I wrap this around it?”

The doctor nodded. “That should work.” She let go of the wound, which oozed blood at a much slower rate than Lark had expected. She relaxed a little and quickly wrapped the belt around the wound, folding the lab coat’s sleeve over it as a bandage to absorb the blood and help provide pressure.

“Jason’s sick, Lark.”

“I know.” She stood and grabbed the phone, dialing for an outside line, then 9-1-1.

“I mean really sick. He has immunity issues.”

“I know, my father told me.” She wanted to cover Gabby’s mouth, because every time she talked the voice in the back of Lark’s head got louder. The one crying that this was just like her mother, killed by a flu that would have been nothing to most other people.

“Hello,” she said to the dispatcher who answered. She shoved the voice as far back as she could, and relayed her request for an ambulance. “She’s in an inaccessible area, so if we’re not in the lobby, just wait. I’ll get her up to you.”

“We’ve already dispatched police to that address, ma’am. Are you in immediate danger?”

“I’m not, but other people are. Send more.” She hung up and stepped over Gabby, starting to crouch to figure out how to get her upstairs.

“No!”

Lark recoiled at Gabby’s shout. “I need—”

“You
need
to go after Jason,” she insisted, feeding Lark’s rising urgency. “He’s sick, weak, and facing a strong, healthy enemy. Don’t you get it, Lark? He needs help. He probably can’t handle Isaac himself, and if he’s not treated immediately, he’ll die!”

* * *

Jason stalked down the hallway, listening hard to the dead silence. At least, to what silence he could hear over the ringing in his ears, residual effect of the gunshots. The fluorescent lighting flickered overhead, making his vision blur. He blinked and squinted. His arms holding his pistol up vibrated slightly, and a new full-body ache had joined the party.

Great time to admit he was really sick.

Think, Templeton
. Isaac had never been down here before, as far as they all knew. Even if he’d somehow obtained access to the building plans, he still had to figure out what was where. Every door down here was kept locked, except the bathrooms.

Jason headed toward that end of the hall, listening hard. Every door he passed was latched tight, which didn’t mean Isaac wasn’t in there but cut the odds a little. Now the question was which bathroom should he check first? Habit would send most people to the bathroom they’re used to going into. Was Isaac good enough to override that, on the run, and go into the ladies’ room?

Jason bet he was and eased carefully through that door, which he held until it silently met the jamb. A faucet dripped, and the lights hummed. There was otherwise no other sound, and no quality of waiting that he could detect. Still, he checked all the stalls and the janitorial closet before leaving the room. The ceiling was solid, not acoustical tiles. Isaac hadn’t gone up there.

The men’s room was different. Isaac had either not overcome habit, or anticipated Jason’s expectations. This time there was no humming or dripping, but the air was too still. He could feel Isaac holding his breath.

No sooner had Jason detected his presence than Isaac burst through the first stall door. It didn’t slam into him, but did catch his gun hand and send the weapon clattering across the floor.

He recovered, blocking Isaac’s first punch and ducking the second, but the other man landed a blow on the side of his head. His vision blurred again, the ringing in his ears almost unbearable, but he couldn’t succumb. Lark and Gabby were out there, vulnerable, and everyone’s future hinged on Jason capturing Isaac
now
. He swung and his fist connected with something cloth-covered. Isaac grunted but landed another hit. Furious at his weakness, Jason tapped his rage. Where was his bionic strength now?

He grabbed Isaac by the back of the neck and swung him toward the sink, intending to smack his head on it. Isaac slipped and landed on the floor, immediately sweeping Jason’s feet. Jason hit the ground flat on his back. The air whooshed out of his lungs and sparkly, colorful dots filled his vision. The door banged open and Isaac’s footsteps went out into the hall.

It took far too many seconds for Jason to drag air in through his nose, roll over and push to his feet. He found his weapon and staggered to the door, bracing himself as he opened it.

But he wasn’t prepared enough. As he swung around the doorjamb into the hall, he registered a red blur and pure, malicious glee on Isaac’s face as he drove the end of a fire extinguisher into Jason’s chest.

* * *

Lark wasted precious seconds arguing with Gabby, not wanting to leave her with Nils and Caitlyn, no matter how unconscious they were. Gabby insisted she’d be fine—she could hide in her office and they’d think everyone had left. Lark hesitated, watching blood stain the white fabric of the lab coat.

But the heat of determination in Gabby’s eyes convinced her. She went around the table and grabbed Nils’ Taser before she raced out into the empty hallway. She stopped again, listening. They could be anywhere. But muffled thumps and what could be grunts came from the end of the hall. She headed that way, startled when the men’s room door opened and Isaac emerged, alone. Lark ducked into the intersecting hallway.

“Stupid,” she muttered under her breath. He’d seen her. She expected him to come right after her. But he didn’t. There was silence again, eerie and taut in the too-bright hallway. Lark took a deep breath, made sure the Taser was ready, and whirled around the corner. Isaac stood in the hall, holding a fire extinguisher. Lark hesitated, confused—there was no sign of flames, and he wasn’t moving. Then the bathroom door opened again and she understood. She started running, breath filling her lungs to yell a warning, but too late. Jason emerged, gun first, but far too close to Isaac. He drove the end of the extinguisher into Jason’s chest. Jason went down, worse than being Tasered, his entire body limp.

Lark screamed. Isaac spun, but instead of attacking her, he ran to the end of the hall and hammered the extinguisher against the stairwell door, trying to open it. Lark skidded to the floor next to Jason, her breath sobbing now, not sure what to do, what to check first. She ripped open his shirt. His chest looked odd, a curved purple bruise already forming but also a spot of concavity, as if…she touched it gently, not wanting to press.

“Oh, God, no.” Gabby appeared, collapsing beside Lark. She was pale and holding her wounded arm. “He got hit in the chest?”

“Fire extinguisher.” Lark spread her hand across the center of his chest. “What do I do?”

“Does he have a pulse?”

Lark pressed her fingers to his neck while Gabby pressed the fingers of her good hand to his wrist. They shook their heads in unison. Lark rose up on her knees, automatically getting in position to do CPR, but Gabby pulled her back.