Chapter 32
Ryker noted movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see Floyd Armstrong ushering Cal Wallingford through a door in the corner of the ballroom. Armstrong closed the door again and then seemed to be searching the room for someone. He was struggling because he was moving through the huge crowd and occasionally standing on his tiptoes.
Everyone who was anyone was here now for the big announcement. Ryker was surprised there was no stage set up in the ballroom for the speeches. He grabbed a passing waiter.“Excuse me, where are the speeches going to take place?”
“Sir?”the young kid said confused.
“You know the toast to the birthday girl, that sort of thing.”
“Oh,”the kid said and nodded.“Those will take place by the fountain.”
“The fountain?”What was he talking about?“What fountain?”
“Over there,”the kid gestured behind him and then he took off through the crowd.
Ryker made his way to the back wall. He hadn’t really realized it because of the way the drapes hung, but the whole back wall was glass and there were doors out to a central garden. In the back corner of the garden was a fountain, and a photographer was setting equipment up next to it. No doubt Davis would stand on the fountain’s edge and make his speech. Still, it was sort of an odd place to do it.
The rest of the garden was full of waist-height planters with varying flowers and shrubs. He supposed it was set to resemble some famous garden or something. It was a riot of colors and smells and people probably loved it. There were tables along the far side where people could sit and relax. It was nice but not a space for an announcement of this caliber. What the hell was going on?
“Ryker,”Rush’s voice came through his earbud,“we’ve got nothing, and the clock is counting down.”
“Yeah. Let me check with Archer but I think we’re going to…”he paused as he watched Armstrong usher the Speaker of the House through the door.“Hang on. I’ll get back to you.”He made his way over to Armstrong who was once again hunting through the crowd. Armstrong glanced at his watch and a look of sheer panic came across his face.
Ryker made a beeline for Armstrong and caught him in the middle of the room.“Armstrong, what the hell is going on?”
“What are you talking about?”he demanded.“I don’t have time for you now.”
“Where are you taking those people?”
“What people?”Armstrong demanded.
Ryker got closer to him,“Cal Wallingford, for one.”
“Oh, Austin wanted to privately raise a glass with a few friends before the big event.”He tried to smile, but his eyes searched the crowd and sweat was visible on his forehead.
Ryker grabbed his arm and started hustling him through the room.
“What the fuck are you doing?”Armstrong tried to yank his arm free, but Ryker wasn’t having it.
“You’re coming with me. If you keep fighting, you’ll cause a scene and I know you don’t want that. But frankly, I don’t give a fuck.”He pressed on, half-dragging Armstrong across the floor. They got to the edge of the room and Ryker pushed the assistant through the door into the kitchen.
“What the hell?”Armstrong demanded.“I don’t have time for your Neanderthal shit. I need to get back out there.”He tried to move around Ryker, but Ryker blocked him.
The kitchen staff looked up at them but quickly went back to what they were doing.
“Tell me where the bomb is, or so help me, I will crush you like the bug you are.”
“Bomb? What bomb?”he asked, but his voice went up an octave and the sweat on his forehead started to run down the sides of his face.
“Where is it, Armstrong?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,”the other man said and tried to push past him. Ryker grabbed him by the arm and threw him up against a countertop, causing a bunch of pans to crash to the floor. All activity in the kitchen halted abruptly.
“What the hell?”Armstrong shrieked.
“Tell me now, or I’m going to waltz you out there and beat you to a pulp in front of the whole crowd while I tell them what you and Davis have been up to.”
“They won’t believe you,”he blurted with fear in his eyes.
“Wanna bet?”
His earbud went off.“Ryker, we’re down to twenty minutes. We need to start emptying this place out or we won’t get everyone out in time.”The urgency in Rush’s voice wasn’t lost on him.
He touched his earbud.“Five minutes.”He lost his grip on Armstrong, and the man was making a beeline through the kitchen to an exit in the back. Ryker gave chase and caught him with his hand on the exit door. He spun the man around and pinned him up against the wall.“Last chance. Where is the damn bomb? I’m gonna tell the cops that you were a part of this and that makes you culpable for anyone who dies. That’s years in prison. Your career is over. The only question now is if you get to live or if you die because if you don’t tell me I will drag you out to the ballroom and hold you there with me until the fucking thing goes off!”he snarled.
Armstrong looked around wildly.“Austin?—”
“Davis can’t save you now. He’s left you to hold the bag. Can’t you see that? Who dealt with McGinnis? Who made all the arrangements for Langille to wait in the attic?”Ryker hadn’t known for certain that Armstrong had been in charge of all that, so it stood to reason he was behind sneaking the would-be assassin in. Davis was way too clever to make himself that vulnerable.
All the blood left Armstrong’s face. Ryker had guessed correctly.“Now you’re getting the picture. You’re so screwed. Your only hope is that I take pity on you. Where the hell is the bomb?”
“The fountain,”he blurted.“Behind the fountain.”
Ryker tapped his earbud.“It’s behind the fountain. Repeat. The bomb is behind the fountain.”
“What’s supposed to happen?”Ryker ground out.
“Vic is supposed to go there for pictures now. It will take her a bit. He left instructions for Vic to get some shots and then, for Vic and Marilee to get some shots. Austin is going to have drinks with some friends in the other room and then…”his voice died.
“And then?”Ryker leaned on Armstrong’s chest.
“And then the bomb is supposed to go off killing, Vic and Marilee and anyone in a twenty-foot radius.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. The wall is glass, you moron. That will shatter into a million little shards and anyone in the ballroom will be lucky to make it out uninjured, let alone alive.”Panic gripped his chest.
Armstrong’s eyes bulged.“I didn’t think…I didn’t know.”
Ryker sucker-punched Armstrong on the jaw. His head snapped back and hit the wall snapping forward again. He was out cold. Ryker dropped him, letting him hit the floor. Armstrong was lucky Ryker hadn’t throat-punched him and killed him. The only thing holding him back was he might be needed as a witness against Davis.
He ran through the kitchen and out into the ballroom. Logan was at one set of doors, ushering people through to the emergency exits. Cash, Rush, and Drake were at other doors guiding people out as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Vic was walking toward the fountain with Marilee beside her. Ryker pushed through the crowd toward them. It took him precious seconds to get there. Finally, he burst through the crowd and out into the garden area.“Vic,”he called. She turned.“Come with me now!”She blinked and frowned. He ran toward her.“You have to leave now.”
“Why? I thought…”her voice died.“You haven’t found it?”
We don’t have time for this. He drew a calming breath.“We have and it’s behind that fountain. Get the hell away from here. Now, Vic.”
She turned to look.“Marilee,”she called but the other woman was engrossed in speaking with the photographer.
Gage started around the fountain.“I’m going to have to get you to leave. We’re having issues and we need to clear the area.”
Marilee started at him.“I will not. This is where we are doing the pictures. You need to get out of the way.”
Ryker’s heart slammed agonizingly against his ribcage.“Vic, please leave. Please,”he begged her. He wouldn’t survive if she got hurt.“Please,”he begged one more time.
She turned back to him. Fear in her eyes.“I…I can’t leave without Marilee.”
Gage grabbed Marilee’s arm.“I’m sorry, ma’am, you’ll have to evacuate like everyone else.”
“What?”she demanded, and she looked around as if suddenly realizing the ballroom was emptying out.
“Marilee! We have to go,”Vic pleaded. She reached a hand toward her, but the older woman seemed frozen.
Ryker knew they had no more than five minutes by this point.“Vic,”he said grabbing her hand.“Go, just go. I promise I’ll get Marilee, just, for God’s sake, please go.”He started pulling her but she fought him.“Vic, please don’t fight me,”he begged. Panic gripped him.“I need you to go. I love you. You need to get out of here.”
She stared at him.“I?—”
Archer sprinted through the garden with a large man on his heels.“Dragan,”Gage called.“You any good with bombs?”
The large man grinned as he came to a stop by the fountain.“I guess we’re gonna find out.”
“Bombs?”Marilee shrieked. The photographer who’d been standing there watching the drama unfold took off at a dead run.
Vic turned back.“I’ll explain everything, Marilee, just come on.”She reached for the other woman’s arm but Marilee had started to run, tripped over her gown, and went down on the pavers.
“Shit,”Vic yelped. She tried to go back but Ryker wouldn’t let her go. He knew it was too late. They wouldn’t make it outside the range of the glass in time. There just wasn’t enough time. He picked Vic up and carried her to the corner.
Dragan and Archer cursed at the same time.“Run,”Archer bellowed. He, Dragan, and the Callahan brothers raced into the ballroom through the door closest to the fountain. Marilee was struggling to get up, but yelped and grabbed her ankle. There was nothing Ryker could do for her now. He pulled Vic into the corner between the end wall and the last door to the ballroom and made her crouch down.“Marilee,”she said but he shook his head. Then he kissed her before he covered her with his body as best he could as the explosion rocked the hotel.
The glass wall next to them disintegrated inwards and flooded the thankfully empty ballroom. Plants flew in all directions and Ryker let out a grunt when he was hit by flying debris. It rained dirt and metal and wood for what seemed like an hour.
And then Ryker’s ears were ringing in the deafening, morbid silence. He blinked. He moved his arms and flexed his toes in his shoes. He had use of all his limbs. Slowly, he unfolded himself from around Vic.
“Vic?”She was curled in a ball, her face pressed into the building.
“Vic, honey?”he said louder.
Maybe she couldn’t hear him. He ran his hands quickly over her body, but she didn’t appear to be seriously injured. There were a few cuts on her arms and back, but they were minor.
“Invicta, open your eyes,”he demanded as icy fingers closed around his heart.
He’d been too late. He should’ve evacuated the hotel earlier. He’d failed in his job. Failed in everything. His fucking stupid hesitation had gotten the love of his life killed.
“Please, please open your eyes, Vic. Please.”
Her eyelids fluttered and then opened. She turned slowly and looked at him.“Ryker?”she breathed.
“Thank you, God,”he muttered as he pulled her into his arms again. He kissed her hair and then her cheeks.“Are you okay?”
She nodded slowly.“I think so.”She looked up at him and then kissed him on the mouth.“Thank you for saving my life.”
He said nothing merely squeezed her tightly. He didn’t think he could speak at that moment. He was swallowing a huge lump of fear and relief.
Finally, he eased back.“Do you think you can stand?”
She nodded so he slowly pulled her to her feet. She leaned on him and looked around.“Oh, my God. This is… Marilee?”she asked as her eyes flew to his face, but he shifted to block her view. He didn’t need to look to know Marilee was dead. She’d been way too close to the blast radius to survive. He merely shook his head.
Vic staggered and Ryker immediately swept her up into his arms. He then made his way across the ballroom where firemen were flooding in through the doors. Rush and Cash were right behind them.
“Thank fuck you’re alive,”Rush said.
“I second that,”Cash agreed.
“You, too. Is everyone okay?”Ryker asked.
“All accounted for,”Archer said as he approached.“The Callahans are fine as well. A few cuts and scrapes but nothing major. Any other casualties?”he asked glancing at Vic, who had her face turned into Ryker’s shoulder.
“Marilee didn’t make it.”
Archer swore.“I heard that one of the waitstaff is in critical condition but that’s it. Everything else is minor.”
“Good news.”Ryker started walking out of the ballroom. There were EMTs in the lobby. He gestured to one who brought over a gurney. He set Vic down on top of it, but she refused to let go of his neck.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“You need to be checked over, Vic.”
“So do you,”she growled.“Come with me.”
Rush nodded.“She’s right.”Ryker shot him a hard look.“Ryker,”he said quietly so Vic couldn’t hear,“your back is a mess. You need medical attention.”
Ryker glanced at Archer, who gave a curt nod, but then his cell phone rang. Ryker turned back to Vic.“I have to go deal with your uncle. He’s in the other room still.”
She immediately let go of Ryker and sat up.“You’re not going without me. That bastard nearly killed me.”She leaped off the gurney and started walking.
Ryker frowned.“Honey, you need?—”
She whirled around.“Are you coming or what?”
Ryker didn’t know whether to kill her or kiss her. Why the hell wouldn’t she listen to reason?
Rush clapped him on the back and grinned.“Ain’t love grand?”