Chapter 36
CHAPTER 36
V iper got back home around six. He'd been part of a team of men hired to guard a Chinese delegation that had arrived in D.C. for a series of important meetings. He wasn't point, but backup, equipped with an earpiece and following in a discreet SUV along with two police motorcyclists.
Now the delegation was firmly ensconced at their hotel, they'd handed over to a different team for the night shift.
With nothing to do, he paced up and down his living room and thought about Izzy. Was she okay? Did she miss him as much as he missed her? Fuck, he wanted to hold her so bad it hurt.
As he stared out of the window at his overgrown garden, he ignored the knot in his chest. Izzy was in her penthouse apartment, surrounded by stylists and photographers. He was in his run-down house in Fredericksburg, alone. The strange thing was, he'd never needed more than this.
Until now.
He sighed. They were polar opposites. It would never have worked. Except what they’d had, that had been real. He’d never felt that way about anyone before.
Fuck it.
He got a beer from the fridge, turned on the television, and sank onto the sofa. The channel it was on was playing reruns of Shark Tank. He watched as two of the judges agreed to invest in the start-up. Equal share. They'd each be putting in twenty-five percent of the capital.
Viper stared at the TV. Something Izzy had said came back to him.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
Shit.
Of course.
He jumped off the sofa. Suddenly, he knew who'd attacked her outside her apartment—or at least, he thought he did.
Viper grabbed his leather motorcycle jacket and ran outside. His Suzuki SF250 superbike was resting on its stand in the parking lot. He jumped on, put on his helmet and started the engine. The motorcycle woke up with a low growl.
He revved it just to get the juices flowing, it had been a while since he’d taken her for a ride. Then, he zoomed out of the parking lot and down the road.
It took him just under an hour to get to D.C. As he turned into the crescent street in which Izzy lived, his pulse increased. He drove slowly past, checking out the front of the building. It was lit up, the outside lights elegantly illuminating the front steps and the two stylish potted plants on either side of the glass doors.
Where was the cop?
The Metropolitan Police Department was supposed to have an officer outside the door, but he couldn’t see anyone.
Viper pulled over, took out his phone, and called Pat.
"First Izzy, and now you," growled the former SEAL Commander into the phone. "This had better be good."
"Sir, has the police presence been recalled from Izzy's apartment?"
A pause.
"No, not that I know of. Why?"
"Because I'm outside now and I can't see anyone."
"For fuck’s sake, Viper, what are you doing there? Do you want me to fire you?"
"I had an idea, sir, about who was responsible for today’s attempt on her life, so I came by to check and there is nobody guarding the place."
"You're sure?"
Viper got off his bike and placed the helmet on the seat. "Yeah. Hold on, I'm going to take a closer look." As a precaution, he drew his gun.
Just in case.
Apart from the streetlamps and the lights above the front entrance, the road was in darkness. He walked up and down outside the building, but there was nobody around. The park opposite seemed deserted too.
Then he heard a low moan.
"I've got something," he hissed into the receiver, before jumping over the low fence that surrounded the park. "Hello?"
"What is it?" Pat asked urgently in his ear. "Do you need backup?"
Viper saw boots sticking out of a nearby bush. He rushed over and bent down. The police officer was lying on his back, moaning.
"Man down. Man down," said Viper urgently. "The officer has been shot. Gunshot wound to the stomach. He’s in the park. Alive, but only just."
"I'll send the paramedics," Pat barked. "What about Izzy?"
Viper heard the worry in his voice. "I'm going to check on her now.”
He raced back across the road and leaped up the front steps to the building. The front doors were locked, so he pounded on the glass.
Where the hell was Lewis?
Then he saw the pool of blood on the marble floor, and he went cold.
Fuck.
If Lewis was injured, possibly dead, what did that mean for Izzy? He pushed her buzzer, but there was no response. Heart pounding, he pressed every buzzer on the pad.
Come on. Somebody let me in.
Nothing.
The intruders must have disconnected the intercom system. There was no time to waste. Viper aimed his gun at the lock and blew a hole in it.
The sound reverberated around the building. Viper kicked the door open and dashed inside. Lewis was lying behind the front desk, pressing down on a bullet hole in his leg, trying to stem the bleeding. His face was ashen.
"They went up to her apartment," he rasped.
"How long?" Viper demanded, running past. He wished he could stop and help the concierge, but… Izzy.
"Ten minutes ago."
"Help is coming," Viper called, heading for the stairwell. "Keep pressure on that wound." He took the stairs two at a time and ran all the way up.
If they'd hurt her...
He couldn't bear to think about that.
Shit! Why hadn't he seen this sooner? He ought to have realized.
He’d been so stupid. It had been staring them in the face all the time. Izzy had said as much herself.
He’d lose everything if I sold out.
Then on the yacht: I wanted to take it to the next level.
It was only after seeing that program that he'd put two and two together. He didn't bother ringing the bell, he simply shot out the lock and kicked the door open. His replacement was lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, a nasty gash at the back of his head. Viper bent down to feel his pulse. He was alive.
"Izzy!" he shouted.
No reply.
An icy dread gripped him as he raced into the bedroom. It was empty. So was the spare room, and her study. Where the fuck was she?
They'd taken her somewhere. That wasn't good. But if she was in transit, at least it meant she was still alive. There was still time to get to her. If they'd killed her, they would have left her body here. He felt sick to the stomach. He had to find her.
Ten minutes, Lewis had said. That wasn't long. They might still be in the building.
The parking garage!
That's where they'd have parked their vehicle. Out of sight of the road. Somewhere you could lead a struggling woman without anyone seeing you.
He charged back down the stairs, jumping the last few on every landing, before pushing open the door to the underground parking garage.
The concrete flooring and open sides let in the cold, dark air, but it was well lit. He stopped and listened for any signs of activity.
Footsteps. A car door.
Then a muffled scream.
Izzy!
He followed the sound to the far corner of the parking garage. A black SUV stood with its doors open, and two men leaning into the back.
"Izzy!" he shouted.
The men glanced up.
“Viper, help!”
He launched into a sprint.
One of the men opened fire. The bullet whizzed past his head. He heard it embed itself into the concrete pillar beside him, but he didn't slow down.
"Let's go!" shouted a male voice.
Doors slammed and the car growled to life. The tires screeched as the SUV pulled out of the parking space. The window rolled down and Viper saw the barrel of a rifle.
More shots were fired, but they were erratic, the shooter not having time to aim.
Viper figured the odds were in his favor. He sprinted after the vehicle, knowing that he had to get to Izzy before they took off with her. There was no doubt in his mind that they planned to kill her and dump her body where it would leave no trace.
"Izzy!" he yelled.
Then he gasped and flew backward as the wind was knocked out of him. It was hard to breathe. He looked down and realized he'd been shot.