Chapter 14
Chapter 14
D arren dove for the ground, mashing Babs beneath him. In a metal building full of echoes, it was impossible to tell where the shooting was coming from, or how many people were doing it. They lay there for what felt like a long time, but was probably only a few minutes, trying to be silent while adrenaline made them pant as if it were the end of a marathon.
The door was yanked open and a man entered. “Up,” he commanded.
Darren started to protest, but Babs recognized his silhouette in the doorway. “It’s Ethan,” she said, beginning to wriggle free.
“What?” Darren asked, sitting up. He sounded numb, as if his body had taken one more shock than it could handle.
“Come on,” Babs said. She reached for his hand and tugged him beside her. They reached the door. Ethan went ahead of them and Ridge came up from behind, also in tactical gear.
“Two down in the west hallway. Five coming from the east,” he said.
Ethan didn’t respond, just kept herding them toward the south and an exit. Shouting erupted from behind them. Ridge peeled away and headed toward the sound. Ethan, paused and faced them.
“Keep heading this direction. The exit is in a hundred feet. Maggie has you covered.”
“Maggie? My sister? Wait, what?” Darren said, but no one was listening. Ethan disappeared as silently and completely as if he’d never been there. Babs didn’t pause. She’d been close to the action enough times to understand that questioning a directive or hesitating in any way could cost lives. Still tethered to Darren’s hand, she picked up the pace and began to sprint toward the exit, Darren hot on her heels.
They were nearly at the door when someone stepped in front of them, gun raised. From previous experience, Babs knew Maggie was likely set up somewhere outside, wearing a thermal imager to track the action. But without knowing where she was, Babs had no way of knowing if they were blocking her shot.
“Down,” she said, crouching and tugging Darren beside her. She had to tug twice until he knelt beside her, and then a shot went off, this one too high caliber to have come from the gun beside them.
The man who had intercepted them went down. Babs didn’t wait around to see if he would get back up again. She stood and tugged a stunned Darren beside her, finishing their sprint outside.
Once there they pressed against the side of the warehouse. Now that she was outside, she had no idea what to do next. Approximately a hundred yards away, a red light flashed. Babs took Darren’s hand again and began dragging him in that direction.
Maggie was set up on a slight rise, stationed behind a tree. Her eye was still on her rifle sight, and she didn’t acknowledge their arrival. Babs bent over, sucking oxygen. Was she that out of shape or had adrenaline robbed her of energy?
To her right, Darren remained staring mutely at his sister, sniper rifle in hand.
“What is going on?” he said after a long silence, each word sounding as if it were punctuated by a period.
Instead of answering, Maggie sat up, pressing her finger to her ear. “It’s over. Ridge needs me. Are you going to be okay here?” finally she faced them.
“What is going on?” Darren repeated.
“Does he need me?” Babs asked.
“Not yet. Maybe stay and take care of this situation.” She motioned to her brother.
“What is going on?” Darren said again, more urgently this time.
“Babs will explain,” Maggie said, standing.
“How much am I allowed to explain?” Babs asked.
“Ridge said whatever you feel is reasonable, he trusts your judgment,” Maggie said. She skirted by them, brushing her dusty backside.
Darren thumped hard against the tree, leaning on it for support. “What is going on? Why does my librarian sister have a gun? Why are my brothers-in-law dressed like they’re pulling a high-end art heist? Why is the woman I’m interest in seemingly adept at lying and being kidnapped?”
Babs rested her hand on his arm. “So, we’re not exactly an accounting firm. We’re an offshoot of the intelligence community, something with a precise focus.”
“You’re a spy?” he whispered.
“No, I do data entry. But, you know, sometimes things get dicey.”
“Maggie’s a spy?” His eyes were wide and unblinking, practically bugging.
“No, of course not. She’s an actual librarian.”
“But she had a gun. She shot someone.”
“Well, she’s kind of an amazing shot. Ridge uses her as a sharpshooter whenever he needs cover. But she’s always far away and out of the action, like this.” She motioned to the wide open space around them.
“And Ridge is…”
“Oh, he’s a spy. So is Ethan.”
“Is Amelia actually a beautician?” he asked.
“No, she’s a stylist,” Babs corrected.
“And Blue…”
“Our hacker extraordinaire. We literally couldn’t do it without him,” Babs said.
He sank to the ground, likely skinning his back on the tree’s rough bark. He rested his forehead on his knees and tried to breathe deeply.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked.
“It’s a lot to take in,” he muttered.
She stood silently nearby, unsure of what to do. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, I think I need some time to digest, thanks.”
“Okay,” Babs said, trying to sound cheerful when inside she was uncertain. She realized he’d had a massive shock, but she couldn’t help but wonder if her news was part of it. Revealing herself as a single mom was something she saved until she was serious with a man, or it would be if she had been serious with a man since becoming a mom. She’d had a string of bad first dates with no follow up. But with Darren, things had seemed to have lasting potential. And he was a perfectionist, always looking for the flaw. Would he consider the fact that she had a child a flaw? If so, it was better to get it out of the way up front. As much as she knew that in her head, her heart still felt anxious.
It was a relief when Maggie returned. “Babs, Ridge needs you. Darren, this is going to take a while. Jane’s coming to pick you up.”
Darren glanced up at Babs. “Jane?”
“Is who she seems to be,” Babs assured him.
He nodded, the vague expression still on his face.
“It’s probably best if you take my key and go on home to wait for us. The hotel is a crime scene now; things are going to get crazy. You’ll be more comfortable at home, I think,” Maggie continued.
“Do you want me to go all the way home, back to California?” he asked.
“Of course not. We’re going to do Christmas as planned.” She gave him an encouraging smile and squeezed his hand. “I just think you’ll be more comfortable out of the line of fire, so to speak. We’ll get this wrapped up as soon as we can and be home. I’ll call you when it’s over.”
“Okay.” He stood. He and Babs looked at each other. They had things to say to each other, but now wasn’t the time. “I’ll talk to you later.”
She nodded and turned to follow Maggie, wondering if she would ever see him again. And, if so, would the magic be gone?