Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Pretty sure none have made it by us. Ghost's leaving a pile of bodies around the staircase, like the killing machine that he is, but when they slip past and sensibly enough stay away from him, Tex and I clean house.
But now that I've taken down the big fucker, there's a gap, and the worry’s eating at me. "I'm gonna check on Jessica. She's not answering."
"You both go," yells Ghost as he buries his knife in the throat of one of the guards and pushes the body back down the stairs. "I got this."
"You sure?" asks Tex, trying to aim past Ghost, but not taking the risk that he'll miss. "We can—"
"Go! I'll be fine. Find her!"
Fuck, I don't like leaving him alone. He can take care of himself but he isn’t invulnerable. "Be back ASAP."
"Just make sure she's safe!" Ghost's gun thunders.
"C'mon." I wave for Tex to follow as we race into the reception area… which is fucking empty. Goddamn it. "Where did she go?"
Past the reception, there's a hallway filled with large, dark windows interspersed with office-ey doors. Bigger than I expected. Fuck, was someone here? Did they get her? Or did she try to do something on her own? Just like her, trying to help somehow.
If she's gotten herself in trouble, I'm gonna be fucking pissed before we make up with a good post battle fuck.
We move down the hallway, guns drawn. The windows into these rooms are so fucking tinted, I can't see through them. Dark, all of them. I try the first door. It opens, but the room's empty. Someone's office, but we're not here to look for tax evasion. Where the fuck is Jessica?
Tex tries the next door. It's locked. I try the one after. Locked too. "This is bullshit."
"We break 'em all down?" He gets his gun out again, aiming it at the lock.
"Fuck, no, there's gotta be a better way. If she's in trouble, we're wasting time breaking into every single office here. What if she’s not even here, and Ghost's still out there, murdering people? Even he gets tired."
"Get back!" The yell is muted, but it's definitely female and I'm willing to bet top fucking dollar that it's Jessica.
"Where was that?"
Tex points. "This way. Come on."
"I’m not your fucking punching bag anymore!" Definitely Jessica, and definitely behind that next door. It's fancier than the rest, and the gold name plate on it with the silver filigree reads, "Victor Kane". Fuck.
I rattle the door handle, but of course it's fucking locked. I hammer the door with my fist. "I dunno what the fuck's going on in there, but if you don't fucking open up, we're gonna bust the door down, and it'll go a hell of a lot worse for you if you do."
"Riot!" Jessica yells. "It's Victor!"
Fuck.
"Step aside," Tex says and I move. A moment later, his gun goes off twice, right into the lock. Both bullets bury themselves in the wall only inches from my fucking head. Jesus, what's that shit made of?
"Stop shooting before you kill both of us. It's bulletproof."
"The window?"
"No way. He wouldn't be sitting pretty in there if he wasn't safe." The question's just how the fuck we get him to open up.
Ideally, before Jessica's hurt.
37
JESSICA
Riot’s outside, but how can I help him in?
"It's hard to get peace and quiet in here, isn't it?" Victor looks completely unbothered. "That's fine. I don't give a fuck. They can't get through, no matter how hard they try. Still…" He returns to his desk to push a button. It starts blinking red. "Just so my men know where to find them. I’m tempted to deal with you here while they can listen on the other side of the door, but I’m learning they can be much more annoying than anticipated." He opens one of the doors that lead deeper into his office suite. "Now come on."
"No." I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. The farther away from the guys he manages to get me, the harder it's going to be for them to find me. I need to stay here for as long as I can while they figure out a way through.
"No?" He laughs cruelly. "Those bastards really have brainwashed you into thinking that you've got any kind of standing in this whatsoever. You're a tool Jessica. Rat girl. I know what my men call you, hiding in the shadows and eating my scraps. You're just a tool, and I'm not going to be talked back to by one. Now come here."
"Make me." And I give him the finger.
Maybe it's stupid. Probably it's just going to get me into even more trouble, but it feels good, especially when his eyebrows twitch. I love that I'm getting to him.
"I always knew you were stupid, but never how much." He sticks his gun in his pocket, stalking closer.