Scarlet Angel (6 page)

Scarlett’s eyes filled with moisture. She clenched
her fists in rage and glared at her brother in disbelief. “What the
hell does that mean?”

Cash cocked his head to the side. “Scar, c’mon. You
gotta understand. If someone’s after you...”

Hot tears streamed down her face. “Oh, I see... If
the going gets tough?”

“
C’mon. You know it’s not like
that.”

Bitter words formed on her tongue, only fueling her
anger. “Guess I’m not quite family enough to stick up for,
huh?”

Something in Cash snapped. His eyes shifted from
pleading to angry, and when he spoke, his voice boomed. “HEY! You
listen to me. I
am
sticking up for you. Probably even saving
your life. But more important to me are my kids. I get the shit
that’s going on. But I have to protect Ethan and Sofie. You can
hate me now, but that’s what I have to do.”

His words crushed her. Even though she was nearly
eye-level with her brother, she felt a foot tall looking up at him.
She wiped the dampness from her cheeks and sniffled. “You’re right.
I’m sorry.”

Cash adjusted his jacket and walked over to the
other man, keeping his eyes on Scarlett. “Neil, remember
Chicago?”

The taller man wrinkled his brow and nodded. “Yeah.
What’s that got to do with—”

“
Good. Now I’m collecting. You
keep her away. For her own and my family’s safety. You got
that?”

Scarlett wanted to say something, anything, but she
could not find the words. She was so ashamed by her own anger and
selfishness at not considering Emma and the kids that her mind was
numb.

Scarlett glanced up to see Neil and Cash with locked
gazes in an intense unspoken argument.

Finally, Neil’s face softened. “Fine.”

“
Thanks. Just keep her safe. She
is
my sister, after all.”

The two men shook hands, their forearms straining
with the strength of their grips. When they released, Cash turned
to his sister. “Don’t forget that we love you. I know this is
crazy, but it’s the best way I know to keep you and the rest of the
family safe.”

Scarlett just nodded.

“
Look, I know it sucks, but right
now they have no leads. Neil can help keep it that way. I was
hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but when I found out about the
accident at Universal Dynamics and that you might have been
involved somehow, I... had to be ready for anything.” His arms
wrapped around Scarlett and held her tight.

She wanted to sink into him and cry, but she knew it
would not help her situation.

Cash let her go and started to walk away. After just
a few steps, he stopped and pulled something from his waistband.
“Oh, and here’s this. It belonged to our friend in the car.”

Neil took the gun from Cash and turned it over in
his hands. “Figures. He had to use a piece of crap Sure-Point.”

“
It’s better than nothing,
right?”

Neil shoved the weapon into his own waistband. “No,
not really.”

Scarlett struggled against more tears. With her eyes
squeezed shut, she tried to make herself believe this was the right
decision. In her mind, logically it was, but in her heart, she knew
it was wrong. “Cash?”

Her brother turned to her. “Yeah?”

“
What about my stuff at Mom’s?
And... How are you going to get home?”

Cash chuckled. “I’ll keep your stuff in storage
until you’re settled. And as far as me? Don’t worry. I’ve got a
ride.”

He turned around and kept walking. As soon as he
passed the gate, a yellow taxi pulled up and stopped.

Scarlett watched as her brother shook the cabbie’s
hand and got in the front passenger seat. Another tear trickled
down her cheek when the vehicle pulled away and disappeared. She
jumped at Neil’s cold voice.

“
We should go.”

* * *

The primer-grey car backfired as it came to a stop.
Scarlett knew she was in a city, but had no idea which one it was.
The blindfold she’d reluctantly agreed to wear and Neil’s obviously
indirect route made sure she was good and lost.
He knows his
work.

The car lurched forward again and the last fringes
of light trickling through the black cloth vanished. Everything was
black.

Neil pulled the blindfold from her eyes. With a flat
tone, he said the first words spoken by either of them since they
left the docks. “We’re here.”

Scarlett blinked away the haze that clouded her
vision. When she could see clearly again, she found herself in an
empty warehouse with what appeared to be another building inside
the warehouse itself. “Aaaannd here is where?”

Neil pulled the handle to the door and it came off
in his hand. “Nice. Home, we’re home.”

She tried not to laugh as the stoic man climbed out
through the window, Dukes of Hazard-style. Scarlett gently pulled
on her own handle and the door popped open with little effort.
“
This
is home?”

Neil glanced over at her as he stalked to the
interior building. “Until I figure out exactly what to do with you?
Yes.”

Scarlett resigned herself to living in this strange
place for a few days. As she darted after him, the rest of his
words registered. “Wait... ’What to do with me?’ I thought you and
Cash had this all figured out.”

The smaller, inside building sat against the far
wall of the warehouse. Though thin, sheetrocked walls supported a
roof two stories up, it was still more than a dozen feet from the
larger building’s ceiling. Several windows, shuttered with blinds,
dotted the structure’s face. Some of them were lit, some were
not.

As she got closer, Scarlett noticed the small
electrical box attached to the wall next to the door. Neil walked
right up to the box and pulled it open. The casing swung to the
side, revealing a very out-of-place touchscreen, currently
displaying a numeric keypad.

Neil tapped a few of the numbers and pressed his
thumb against the surface. Crosshairs appeared on the screen,
centered on his thumb and the digit glowed. The pad beeped and an
electronic voice welcomed Neil home.

Scarlett made a mental note of the combination
keycode, thumbprint and biometric security to get in. She hoped
getting out would be easier than getting in.

Neil reached for the tarnished-brass handle. When he
pulled, a soft click came from behind the door and it swung open.
Scarlett was not sure what to expect inside, but the drab,
abandoned office look was not it. She knew that was what she should
have expected, since the building looked like a simple office
space. Still, something made her expect more. “You live in an
abandoned office?”

He strolled inside and she followed. The two weaved
their way through the empty offices and stopped in front of a broom
closet. Neil opened the door and they stepped into the empty
space.

A flickering light bulb illuminated the small
closet. Scarlett eyed her host as he reached over and flipped the
small light switch. Instead of the light turning off, though, the
floor lurched under her feet.

Scarlett gave a squeak at the sudden movement but
quickly realized the room was actually a small elevator. When the
tiny lift came to a stop, she was staring at a large apartment
space beneath the office’s floor. “Oh.”

The wall to Scarlett’s right was lined with three
large viewscreens showing several chaotic webs of information.
Halleon Technologies, the Drummond Tower... All this random
stuff. What is this guy up to?

To the left of the screens were several display
cases. The shelves held random objects that Scarlett could only
describe as junk. Among the items was a chunk of concrete, a
diamond necklace, a child’s doll and an old brass key.

Concrete, steel and glass dominated the apartment.
Few pieces of furniture decorated the area. Other than a few pieces
of electronics, a couch and a small dinette set, the main
livingroom was empty. To her left, though, Scarlett counted what
looked like three large weapons lockers and wondered why someone
might need that many firearms. She was surprised at the level of
style. From the warehouse above, she expected more of a grungy,
bachelor pad kind of place.

Neil stepped out of the elevator and moved toward a
black leather couch in the middle of the main room. He removed his
jacket, tossed it onto the sofa and held his arms out.

“
Welcome home.”

Chapter 9
Escape

We are all prisoners, whether held by someone else
or by our own destinies.

* * *

After just two weeks of isolation in Neil’s
underground apartment, a realization struck Scarlett: She would
never be safe. As much as she was starting to like him, and that it
looked like he was starting to like her, she knew she would always
be looking for another whiskey-breathed man in the shadows. Even
worse, her family would never be safe. She could not live with that
hanging over her head.

Scarlett watched Neil come and go at odd hours. His
schedule was random and impossible to predict. Most of the time,
he’d be gone for several hours, giving her plenty of time to get
away. Once she figured that out, she knew what she had to do.

For fifteen minutes after he left, she sat on the
couch facing the vidscreen with glazed eyes. Images and news clips
flashed before her oblivious stare. Her mind thought of only her
plan. Every minute that passed, her breath quickened a little.

When the clock finally ticked off the last minute,
she dashed into her bedroom and retrieved the backpack she’d been
living out of for the past month. Scarlett shoved her few
belongings inside. From under her pillow, she grabbed the pistol
Neil had left in case of emergency.

She made her way to the small elevator. Precious
seconds dragged by in the tiny closet lift. The floor lurched to a
halt and she waited. Listening for any sign of Neil’s approach, she
heard only silence.

Scarlett moved through the offices and cubicles
without a sound. At the door, she paused.
This is it. No turning
back.

She reached for the handle. The latch clicked and
the door swung open. Instead of seeing the open expanse of the
warehouse, she saw only Neil.

Her gaze moved up until their eyes locked. His jaw
set and his eyes bored into her. “What do you think you are doing?”
Neil’s flat voice showed no emotion.

She knew it was too late to lie; the backpack made
her intentions clear. “I’m leaving.”

Neil seized her arm and shoved her back. “Like hell
you are.”

Scarlett stumbled back a few feet. She righted
herself and glared him. “I am.” She moved to sidestep her obstacle.
He reached out for her arm again.

The moment his hand made contact with her bicep, she
wrapped her own arm around and over his. Arms locked together, she
swung around to shove him away.

But Neil moved too fast. He anticipated her attack
and pulled her close. Pivoting around, he came up behind her. His
flat palm slammed into the center of her back.

Air exploded from her lungs as she sailed over the
nearest desk. The backpack flew from her shoulder and landed
several feet away.

Scarlett climbed to her knees. Her eyes burned with
rage. “Who do you think you are? My jailer?”

“
Look, I made a promise to Cash to
watch and protect you. But more than that, I have to make sure you
don’t endanger his family... ever.”

She leaned on the desk and rose to her feet. “What
the hell does that mean?”

“
It means you stay where Universal
Dynamics can’t get you. Means you stay here”

Scarlett chuckled and stepped over to pick up the
backpack. “What are you going to do, tie me up?” She picked up the
pack with a smile.

“
I’d rather not.”

She’d figured out Neil’s profession shortly after
meeting him. She knew he was little more than a highly-paid
corporate thief and assassin. “And what if I don’t let you? Would
you kill me?”

“
If I have to.”

Her smile disappeared. “Try it.” Her hand made its
way into the black bag and touched the cold metal inside.

Neil stepped into the room. The door closed behind
him. His tone changed, becoming more relaxed and conversational.
“Why were you leaving? Where were you going? What were you hoping
to accomplish?”

His change in tone caught Scarlett off guard and his
questions shredded her anger. “To end this. I’m tired of living in
hiding. I can’t live like this for the rest of my life. And I don’t
want to always be a danger to my family.”

Neil sat on the edge of the nearest desk. “But
how... How were you going to end it?”

The question frightened Scarlett. In her heart, she
knew the answer. She’d already done it once. She hoped she could do
it again. If not, it would end one way or the other. “I’m going to
kill Derrick Martins.”

“
I’ll tell you what. If you can
get past me and out that door, I’ll let you go.” The man
smiled.

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head.
“Why?”

“
Because,” Neil laughed. “if you
can get past me then you can handle anything they throw at
you.”

A deadly silence hung in the air. Her fingers flexed
in the bag. The weapon’s textured grip comforted her. She gauged
him through narrowed eyes. “Fine.”

Her fingers closed around the handle of the gun. She
pulled it free of the bag in one smooth motion.

The weapon’s polished black metal glinted under the
florescent lights. She stared down the side of the barrel at Neil.
“Now, I’m going to walk out of here.”

A smile cracked the corner of his mouth. “Okay.”

Scarlett stepped to the side with the open backpack
in one hand and the pistol in the other. Neil’s utter calm unnerved
her. The weapon quivered in her hand. She stopped between Neil and
the door.