Page 59 of The Veteran
With my left hand, I used my phone to find directions to Sophie’s Coffee House. It was a long walk, but I didn’t want to risk getting a taxi. When I passed a restaurant with outdoor tables, I snatched a couple of napkins and balled them in my hand. Someone bumped into me and I jolted in shock. Every loud sound made me flinch, and adrenaline had amped up my senses so much that I felt like I was high on something.
By the time I reached the coffee house, I was longing to sit down. I scanned the collection of small metal tables out front, my curiosity piqued when I saw Mick sitting behind one of them. He was early. But I had no complaints about his choice of seating because it would make for an easier getaway if needed.
“Hey,” I said as I approached.
He raised his eyes and I cursed inwardly. His pupils were pinpricks, and based on the sheen of sweat on his forehead, I had to wonder whether he actually had anything useful to tell me or if he’d just gotten high and become paranoid.
“You came.” He sounded taken aback.
“I said I would.” I drew a chair out with my left hand and was about to sit when something cold and metallic pressed against the small of my back.
“Keep walking,” a male voice murmured near my ear. “Don’t scream or do anything stupid.”
Black spots appeared in my vision and I stumbled.
“No funny business,” the man hissed, jabbing what felt like a gun harder into my back. “Walk.”
“I’m sorry,” Mick mouthed.
He’d sold me out. I couldn’t believe it. He’d been my dad’s best friend.
How could he?
I tried to open my heart to forgiveness. To understand why he might have done it. For money? Drugs? But all I felt was a bitter betrayal.
As the man guided me away from Mick, my thoughts whirled. What should I do? Based on the way nobody had reacted, I had to assume he’d disguised his weapon. I could reach for my gun, but I’d never be fast enough. I subtly patted my pocket, my stomach dropping as I realized the mace was no longer there. It must have fallen out at some point.
I heard a car door being opened and noticed the sedan parked one car ahead. The guy who’d opened the door turned and dread settled in my stomach as I recognized him. Richard Getty. Which must mean it was Johnathan Baker who had a gun to my back. A firm hand landed on my upper arm and directed me toward the open car door. My opportunity to escape was rapidly dwindling. In a moment of desperation, I reached for the gun tucked beneath my sweater and swung it backward, feeling it crack into something solid.
“Fuck!” Baker’s voice was laced with pain and the gun disappeared from my back. I lurched sideways, determined to break free, but Getty lunged at me and we wrestled. Raised voices around us suggested that others were finally noticing what was happening. If I could only hold out for a few more seconds…
Something struck one of my knees and my leg gave out. I was roughly shoved into the back seat of the car and the door slammed in my face. I grabbed the handle but the door wouldn’t open. Getty flopped onto the passenger seat and leveled a gun at my head.
“That,” he spat, “was very stupid. Now, sit down and shut up or I’ll decide we don’t need you and put a bullet through your thick skull.”
Baker leaped into the driver’s seat and we screeched away from the curb. I nodded meekly. There wasn’t much else I could do. I just had to hope Kade had seen my note and was already on his way.
KADE
“How the hell did this happen?” I demanded, thrusting the note into Grant’s hand. “Didn’t you see her leave?”
He shrugged helplessly. “No one has come or gone through the door and according to Vic, she didn’t leave via the building’s main exit either.”
I cursed. She must have done a spiderman out the window. I’d be impressed if I weren’t so goddamn terrified she’d get herself hurt. “Did he check the ground?”
Grant patted my arm. “She didn’t fall. He’s cleared the perimeter. It’s possible she’s still inside the building, but it seems more likely to me that she’s already on her way to the coffee house.”
“Shit.” I dragged my fingers through the scruff on my chin. “How did she slip past us? And why?”
Grant cleared his throat. Based on his expression, I knew he was wondering how come I hadn’t noticed Sage making an escape through the window. But damn, even though I’d realized something was off with her, I’d never have guessed what she had planned. Perhaps I was still too tired to be thinking clearly, or just too close to her to see what someone else might have. I bit my tongue. If Lyle had been in the apartment, as Sean had suggested, this never would have happened. I shouldn’t have been so damned determined to do everything myself.
“We need to get to that coffee house,” I said.
My phone pinged. It was Mom. I didn’t read the text. Finding Sage was more urgent than anything else. I pressed my lips together. The fool woman must have known how dangerous it was to go off on her own. Why had she done it?
Grant spoke into his phone. “Vic is bringing the car around front.”
“Good.” I hurriedly packed my weapons, grabbed a bulletproof vest, and snatched the keys off the counter. I locked the apartment behind us and we ran to the elevator, which seemed to take fucking forever to arrive. When we reached the ground floor, Vic was double-parked outside. We got in and he pulled away before we’d even had time to shut the doors properly.