Chapter 11 Striker
Chapter Eleven
STRIKER
We come up the access road quiet as the grave.
Hawk's at his place, having briefed Wrench on the layout inside the Lodge. He's staying home, because of his role working undercover as a ranger at the Lodge on Prez’s orders, so can’t show his connection to the Outlaws.
Wrench turns to me. “How did you know where she was?”
“Mick called Viv after he dropped her at the bus terminal. Viv called me. I found the bus driver at the diner, after exerting a little pressure he told me about the black SUV, and I knew it had to be Rotmere.”
“Good. You ready to go?”
“Wrench?”
“Yeah.”
“If we live through tonight I'm buying you that weird beer you like for a year.”
“You’d better. Here’s the layout.”
He walks me through it. Entry through the service corridor with a code Hawk’s given us. Through the kitchen and the wine cellar. There’s an elevator up from the laundry room that’s close to the bridal suite.
“How long have we got before Rotmere security gets to us?”
"Five minutes between me setting off the smoke alarm and them figuring it out it's a false alarm and checking the cameras. Don't stall, Striker.”
“All right.”
Checking my watch, we set off on foot toward the lodge.
The keypad code works first try. Wrench is behind me, setting off the smoke alarm.
We come up through the service door and the corridor lights are still on, but the building is starting to react.
A door slams on a different floor as the alarm blares.
Wrench at my shoulder, low. “There’s a security guy behind us in the corridor, moving toward the alarm. I've got it. You go.”
As I round the corner, the guy coming around the other side is checking his phone. I slam into him, using a chokehold to get him to stay down. I cover the last stretch of corridor as quickly as I can, pulling back the bolt that locks the door of the suite and pushing the door open.
A slick looking guy is standing at the window with his back to me, on his phone. He turns at the sound of the door with the slow surprise of a man used to other people knocking.
Bethany is on the edge of the bed, her hair loose around her face. Her eyes find mine in the second the door opens and she springs off the bed like she's been waiting for it.
“Striker!”
“Princess.”
The slick guy opens his mouth in protest, but I cross the room, grabbing his right wrist and twisting hard. The phone goes one direction, his arm goes the other as he yells. I pull him off balance with my free hand at the back of his neck and run him face-first into the wall beside the bed.
He tries to get up and I put my knee on his back. I take his right hand, lay it flat on the floor, fingers spread. I put my boot on it.
“Rico Taylor?”
He turns his face to the carpet enough to look at me. Blood gushes from his nose.
Keeping my voice low, I lean down. “Bethany Crawford is my fiancée. Stay away from her and away from her brother. Any move toward either of them brings me back to this room. We're past conversations after that. Are we clear?"
“Yes.”
“Look me in the eye and say it again.”
“Yes. I understand you.” His voice is muffled.
"Good. Stay the fuck down.” I lift my boot off his hand and stand up. He stays on the floor, groaning.
Bethany’s hands are flat on the mattress on either side of her and her face is pale. I get my hand under her chin. I tilt her face up, checking her over. then kissing her. I scoop her off the bed, lift her against me, and walk us both out into the corridor.
“Princess. There's something I should have said on that mountain and I didn't. So I’m saying it now. I love you. You said something true and I sat on the answer, I'm sorry for it.”
She's crying now. “I left because you didn't say it back. And I thought…”
“I know.”
“I should have stayed. I should have talked to you instead of running.”
“You ran because I gave you a reason to. That won’t ever happen again.”
Wrench appears from around the corner. “Striker. We need to move.”
“Bethany. We're going.”
Wrench directs us down the back stairs. He covers the corridor behind us until I'm past him, then falls in behind.
Out the side door into the night, the gravel loud under my boots.
The Lodge is lit at the laundry-room end and quiet here, but the lights are coming on as people react to the alarm inside.
She presses her face harder into my throat.
“Striker?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m worried about my brother. Rico said something about Christopher's access being important to his superiors.”
“Tell me everything once we're home. Prez will want to know, too. We’ve been fighting against Rotmere for eighteen months, undercover. Now they know I’m onto them. They’re not going to lie down and take it.”
“It’s not over yet?”
“No. But you’re with me and you’re safe. They won’t ever touch you again. Now you need a hot shower and a long sleep. And then I’ll make you come as many times as you want.”
She smiles for the first time.
“It’s a deal.”