Will Zane get here in time?
Or is this it?
God, please grant me strength. I know You have a plan, even if I can’t see it. But, God, I’m so scared. If this is it, if my time has come, I understand, but please don’t let anyone else die.
The man Zane called Martin hauls me toward the door and pulls it open. Bright sunlight assaults my eyes, and I squint in an attempt to figure out where we are. Wind whips at my hair, and he pushes me forward. I stumble out, barely managing to right myself before falling forward.
“Steady feet, Tessa. You don’t want to fall while you’re wearing that.” His tone is light, happy, and it reminds me all too well of my dad whenever he’d been about to do something terrible.
It’s not anger that truly scares me anymore.
But this cool, detached attitude in the face of such evil? That’s terrifying.
“Don’t even think about running,” he says, then shows me a black remote in his hand. “You make a single move that I don’t approve and I’ll blow it now. I’ve started over before, and I have no problem doing it again. There will be another chance to get this right. Another six months. A year. Five. One way or another, what must be done will be done.”
I lower a hand near the clip on the side. Could I get it off fast enough?
“If you think about unclipping that, you should know it’s pressure sensitive. You undo that and it’s going to go off.”
My heart sinks as all hope vanishes.
Lord, please be with me. I don’t want to be alone.
“Brenda is missing out, but I’ll make sure she hears all about it.” He shoves me forward, guiding me around a vent pipe. My stomach turns into a pit when I see what’s waiting for me on the other side. A thin, makeshift bridge that will take me over to the adjoining building…if I can move across it, four stories up.
Wind whips at my hair and dries the tears as they fall from my eyes.
“Your job is simple, Tessa. Walk across that bridge, and take the stairs down one floor. Then, it’ll all be over. You can do that, right? It’s so simple.” He reaches up and rips the duct tape from my mouth. “You won’t feel a thing.”
Pain shoots through my face. “You’re insane.”
“No, sweetheart. I’m a visionary.”
“Who’s over there? Who are you trying to hurt?” Stall, Tessa. Stall.
“Do you really think I’m an idiot?” he questions. “Zane won’t get here in time, if that’s what you’re thinking. And even if he does, my guys will terminate him before he so much as reaches for the door handle.” He laughs. “He won’t be here to save the day. Not this time.”
“I wouldn’t count on that.” That wonderful, familiar, masculine voice is music to my ears. Martin turns, taking me with him. Zane, dressed in some sort of black tactical uniform, is standing just behind him, his gun aimed straight at Martin.
“Kill me and we all go boom,” Martin says, holding up the remote with one hand and banding the other around my waist, pressing me against his chest. “Take a step and we all go boom.”
“You okay, Tessa?” Zane asks, but he doesn’t take his gaze off Martin.
“I’m okay,” I reply, voice quivering. “Garrison?—”
“Don’t worry about him right now, okay?” Zane says softly.
The ache in my heart spreads. Did he not make it?
“She won’t have much of anything to worry about soon.” Martin takes a step back, then freezes in place.
“I wouldn’t move any farther if I were you.” Weston’s voice is familiar and a major relief.
And when I see Sawyer and Ryker both come into view behind Zane? Tears begin to flow. They’re alive. They’re okay.
Thank You, Lord.
The relief is so overwhelming I nearly sink to my knees. Would have if it weren’t for Martin’s hand gripping the back of my neck.
