Misdirection (Pros and Cons Mysteries #1)

Chapter 49

CHAPTER 49

P ain sliced Olive’s arm, and she reached for her bicep. The bullet had skimmed the skin there, cutting through her suit jacket and leaving a bloody outline on the gray fabric.

“Next time, I won’t miss,” Sonny growled. “Now get moving.”

She raised her hand in the air in false surrender. “It’s not as easy as you think to access these files.”

“I know how this works.” He grabbed her uninjured arm and shoved her toward the computer. “Now sit.”

He left her little choice but to lower herself into the chair.

Olive’s hands trembled as she pulled her hand away from her bullet wound and reached for the keyboard.

Red covered her fingers.

She hadn’t lost so much blood that she was in dire trouble. But this situation was still precarious.

She would pretend to get this information for Sonny. But she’d rather die than give him anything.

Then again, if Olive died, who would stop Sonny?

Maybe Jason. Unless something had happened to him.

Her thoughts raced. Where was he? What if Adriana had done something?

There were too many unknowns right now for Olive’s comfort.

She used her badge to unlock the computer and then began to slowly work her way through the files. Duncan had said all the information on this smart dust wasn’t there. That fact brought her some comfort.

“Why are you doing this?” She clicked through several screens to get to the right one.

“I’ll never have the chance to make this kind of money again ever. I’ve worked hard for my entire life with nothing to show for it. Now I can give my wife the retirement she deserves.”

“But people have died.”

“And I regret that. I really do.”

“I didn’t see you as the type to chase money. I thought being a good person was more important to you.” She clicked on another page as she tried to buy more time.

A snarl entered his voice. “I see these rich executives come and go every day, barely giving me a glance. You were probably the only one who even knew my name. You don’t think I work just as hard as they do? But I only get paid a fraction of their salary. It’s not right. It’s not fair.”

“I understand your frustration.” She hit another key on the keyboard. “But are you really willing to sacrifice the safety of the world for your own comfort and pleasure? How long do you think that comfort will last? Sure, maybe you can take your wife to an island to retire. But when the world begins to implode around you, you’ll find yourself wishing you were just working a simple job with a simple retirement.”

He paused, and Olive wondered if her words had gotten to him.

Then he muttered, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I do. I guess the people you’re working with didn’t explain to you what they wanted and what this technology is capable of. How dangerous it is. Why else would they want it?”

“It’s just some silly technology.”

Olive turned toward him, realizing she had his attention now. “It’s not some silly technology. This smart dust has the ability to carry pathogens that could make a lot of people very sick very quickly.”

Doubt flashed in his eyes. “You’re bluffing.”

“Why would I bluff about something as dangerous as this?”

He paused before asking, “Why would someone even create something like that in the first place?”

“If you ask the team at Conglomerate, they’ll tell you it’s because they want the ability to take out villages where enemies are hiding. But, of course, when this smart dust was originally created, they planned to use it to record data like weather so they could help with crops. But all good things can be used for bad in the wrong hands.”

“The US government will figure it out,” Sonny finally snapped. “They always do.”

“Every great nation will eventually fall. You really want to be part of that narrative?” Olive glanced back at him.

Another moment of doubt raced through his gaze. Then his eyes hardened.

“We’re running out of time. I know you’re trying to get into my head.” He stepped closer and pressed the gun into her back. “Do what I told you to do. You’re not going to change my mind.”

Olive paused on the screen where she needed to enter her code. She wouldn’t go any further than this. “I’ll never do what you want me to do.”

Then she braced herself, waiting to see if he’d pull the trigger again.

Olive kept her eyes on Sonny. Just beyond him, she saw movement.

Her breath caught.

Was that Jason?

It was.

He was here! Whatever had happened with Adriana, he was here now. And he was okay.

Relief swept through her, but she didn’t let it show.

She was far from being out of danger. Sonny still held his gun toward her, and a locked door separated her from Jason. As soon as Sonny heard any movement, he would turn. See Jason. React.

Then mere seconds would decide everyone’s fate.

Would Sonny pull the trigger in time to take Jason down?

Or would Olive be able to stop him?

“I don’t know why you’re looking at me,” Sonny snapped. “I need you to put that code in the computer. Since you obviously have no care for your own life, then how about this? If you don’t do as I say, then I’ll kill Jason.”

All the moisture left her throat so fast it ached. “Why would you pull him into this? I thought he was your friend.”

Sonny’s gaze darkened. “He’s my boss. I should have had his position. I’ve worked at this company for twenty years. But instead of promoting me, Jason swept in and took what should have rightfully been mine.”

Another layer was peeled back on this man’s motivation. He’d felt overlooked, underpaid, and like he’d never get ahead.

He was the perfect person for Adriana to target.

But Olive had to convince Sonny this wasn’t the way to remedy the fact he’d been overlooked and undervalued.

“Do you understand what I’m telling you?” Sonny growled. “Now turn around!”

“Understood.” She did as he said.

Sonny pressed the gun to her back, and she flinched.

She kept her ears attuned to everything around her, knowing she couldn’t look over her shoulder again. The movement would be too obvious and would give away Jason’s presence.

Then Olive heard it.

The almost nonexistent sound of someone opening the door.

She began humming to cover any sounds of Jason creeping inside. Maybe not her best idea but her only one right now.

“Why are you humming ‘Song of the South’?” Sonny snapped. “Have you lost your mind? Is this a game to you or something? You do realize I have a gun to your head.”

“I hum when I get nervous.” The song had been one of Jason’s favorites back in the day. He loved talking about sweet potato pie and fields of cotton.

The memory was so bittersweet right now. She’d become a shell of the person she once was. Would she ever have the chance to regain all the things that had made her human?

She’d kept everyone at a distance for so long. The action had kept her emotionally safe.

But it had also kept her life empty.

Maybe she should remedy that. But would she have the chance?

Suddenly, an alarm filled the air.

“What’s that?” Sonny grumbled.

“The fire alarm,” Olive told him as lights began to flash over them.

Who had set off the fire alarm?

Olive turned in time to see Sonny pivot.

Then everything happened quickly.

Jason lunged into the room.

Olive reached for Sonny’s arm, desperate to grab his gun out of his hand before he could pull the trigger.

But the man was surprisingly strong.

He whipped his hand back.

Metal collided with her face.

Pain pulsed through her cheek.

Before Olive could do anything else, another bullet exploded through the air.