“What happened?”Phil asked, his voice weak.“My head is killing me.”
That was due to the lack of oxygen, but Micah didn’t bother to explain.“Your buddy over here was going to leave you to die.”
“Nate wouldn’t do that.”Phil’s voice was getting stronger, and that concerned him.He couldn’t afford for this guy to become a threat.
“Stay down, Phil.”He risked a quick glance at the man he’d overpowered.“Don’t make me shoot you.”
Bryn worked at getting the drywall tape unwrapped and pulled out a long piece.Then she reached down for Nate’s wrist.
“Let me go.”Nate jerked away.
Micah took a threatening step toward him.“I’ve killed dozens of people while serving my country.If you believe I won’t shoot, think again.It would be easier for me if you and Phil were both dead.”
Nate glared at him, then offered up his wrists.
“No, that’s not how we’re doing this.I want you to lie on your stomach and put your hands behind your back.”When Nate didn’t move, he barked, “Now.”
Nate reluctantly compiled, rolling onto his stomach and holding his wrists behind his back.Bryn knelt beside him, wrapping the length of drywall tape around his wrists several times.Then she looked over at him.“I’m not strong enough to rip the roll off.”
“That’s okay, I have a knife.”He turned toward Phil, who still looked dazed and confused.“It’s your turn, Phil.Stretch out on your stomach and put your hands behind your back.”
Thankfully, Phil didn’t argue.Micah assumed that his own near-death experience must have convinced him that prison was a better option.
Because prison was exactly where these two men were headed.
Micah reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocketknife, handing it to Bryn.She smiled gratefully and used it to cut the roll of tape free.Then she moved over use another length of tape to bind Phil’s wrists.
“Thanks, Bryn.”He finally lowered the weapon.It wasn’t his, and he typically didn’t like firing guns he’d never used before.He glanced over to see Bryn had taken one of the weapons off the floor, but the other gun, his personal weapon, was halfway across the room.
“Now what?”Bryn asked, when she’d finished.“Why haven’t the police arrived yet?”
“I’m not sure.”He dug his phone from his pocket and scowled when he realized there was only one bar of service.When he scrolled through the two text messages he’d tried to send to Rex, he grimaced when he saw that neither message had gone through.
Swallowing a groan, he tucked the phone back into his pocket.The concrete structure of the building must have been thick enough to interfere with the closest cell tower.He was glad he and Bryn had managed to get the upper hand here since the police backup he’d been planning on weren’t even aware of what was going down.
That meant Rex didn’t know either.And that his boss hadn’t gotten the audio file of the two men discussing his and Bryn’s fate.
“Okay, we’re going to need to drive these guys out of here.”He would have rather left them behind, but he was afraid that they’d find a way to get free and disappear before they could notify the police.“Do me a favor and grab my gun.”
Bryn nodded, tossed the roll of drywall tape aside, and crossed over to scoop up his weapon.He gratefully took it and tucked the one he’d grabbed from Nate into the back of his waistband.“Keep Phil’s gun, we’re going to want to turn both of their weapons over to the police so they can match the ballistics.”
“Where are you taking us?”Phil asked, his face pale and wan.
He sighed, thinking that he should take the time to stretch tape over their mouths.“To the closest police station.Now shut up or I’ll add more tape to keep you quiet.”
Phil darted a look at Nate and wisely didn’t say anything more.
Nate was oddly silent, although he had rolled over onto his side so that he was facing Micah.When he realized Nate was flexing his wrists and arms to get free, he brought his weapon up.“Don’t even think about it.Stand up, both of you.”
The two men looked at each other, then struggled to obey.Nate managed to use his leg muscles to rise to his feet without a problem.Phil was apparently too weak to get himself up from the floor without using his hands.
Bryn crossed over to help Phil up.Then she quickly took a few steps back in case he decided to try anything.
Micah glanced at Bryn.“Thanks.I need you to get the SUV keys from Nate’s pocket.I assume he was the driver.Then take my phone and go outside, see if you can get a signal.The texts I sent earlier to Rex didn’t go through.”
“They didn’t?”Bryn paled at that.He understood she was realizing how lucky they were to have gotten these two disarmed.“That’s weird that the texts didn’t go through.But can’t we just take them with us?”She waved a hand toward Phil and Nate.“I don’t like it here.Besides, I’m freezing.”
He nodded, the outside temperature was only in the mid-fifties, and they’d been there longer than he’d anticipated.“Okay.But we need those keys.”
