She wasn’t surprised when he stepped into the open several feet in front of her, his back to the steel gate.
Outside, she noted flashing lights and heard police chatter. Good to help her keep this guy pinned but bad if anyone exited through the elevator to get to their car. She didn’t want him to be able to take a hostage or feel too pressured.
And she sure as hell hoped he didn’t have a weapon. In hindsight, she should have left his capture to the police. But Jane couldn’t have just let him go.
“Jane Cannon. I’m flattered.”
She blinked, not having expected he’d know her name. “You should be.”
He grinned. Square jaw, somewhat thin face, but she needed to see his cheekbones, his nose, the shape of his eyes and face. Caucasian male and what else?
“Who are you?”
“You call me Code Blue, don’t you?”
“You are eerily well-informed.”
He laughed, his voice moderately pitched, not too high or too deep. A siren blared behind him before turning off. “We don’t have much time to talk.”
“Why are you killing medical personnel?”
“That’s the right question.” He paused, tucking his hands in his pockets.
Wary, she watched him, again wishing she had her service weapon but oddly glad she didn’t. She had a feeling he wouldn’t have talked if she’d been waving around her gun.
“The corruption. It’s all around us.” He took a step in her direction. “They were supposed to help, but they didn’t.”
“What did they do?” she asked, her voice calm. Deliberately, she kept her shoulders slack, her body easy yet ready to move if needed.
He seemed the same, and they watched each other, looking for vulnerabilities.
“You’ll see. You’ll learn. Hopefully, not the hard way like I did. I only ever wanted to help, to heal. And then I saw what they really do. Conspiracies and cover-ups. Everyone thinks we’re crazy, but I’ve seen the guilty go free. And now they have to pay.”
“So the people you’ve killed? They were all guilty?”
He sighed. “Symbols, Jane. They’re symbols of a corrupt power. And they’re just the beginning.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone the world needs to stop the rot from spreading. I’m just a humble messenger.”
The words sounded rehearsed.
She cocked her head. “No. That’s not you. That’s someone else. Tell me the truth. I’m listening.”
“Get this thing open,” a cop yelled from outside, too loud to be ignored.
“I’m sorry. We’re out of time.”
To her surprise, Code Blue ran at her.
Most people would have frozen in surprise, acted too late to do anything.
Not Jane. Being thrown by larger, heavier, stronger opponents over the years had taught her to adapt quickly.
She rolled to the ground and hit him in the knees. He tripped over her. Before he could get to his feet and escape, she twisted and wrapped him in a bear hug, her arm against his throat, her ankles locked around his lower body. She trapped her wrist to tighten the arm bar against his neck, holding tight.
“Easy. I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, meaning it. She wanted answers, because she sensed his involvement in something larger than just killing medical personnel.
