Were her eyes, playing tricks on her? Was thelight beginning to fade?
She dialed Bryan’s number right away, but hedid not pick up. She decided to text him instead, before her phonedied completely.
Hey, Bryan. The tour ended forty-fiveminutes earlier. I decided to check out the sixth floor. What amistake. My phone’s about to die. I’m on my way back now.
She put her phone on Airplane Mode toconserve her battery power.
She knew she was still a short distance awayfrom the elevators and hurried her steps. She was anxious to getback to the office. She heard scampering noises, coming from thevents overhead and knew it had to be rodents. She shuddered andfear, for some reason, started to prickle at her brain. She couldfeel her heart beating harder against her chest, as beads ofperspiration dotted her upper lip.
This was such a stupid idea, shechastised herself quietly.
Her phone let off a tone, signaling it wasshutting down due to low voltage. She huffed loudly, shaking herhead with annoyance, as she shoved it inside her shoulder bag.Bryan would never let her forget this. She knew she was late now,and he was probably getting worried. She rounded the corner andyelped out loud, startled by the person standing in front ofher.
It was the lanky, young man from the tour,who had been acting strangely. But, what struck the most fear inher heart, was the figure of the man, who just turned thecorner.
She knew she wouldn’t be returning to theoffice, as she gazed upon the face of her attacker outside Bryan’soffice a few weeks ago.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“We meet again,” he cackled, as thoughmightily pleased with himself.
He took a step closer.
She took three steps back.
A chill ran through her, as her eyes dartedabout the room. There was no avenue of escape. The last thing sheneeded to do, was turn around and run, back into that maze ofcorridors and locked doorways. She knew she just had to be close tothe elevators. She thought about the revolver tucked safely away atthe bottom of her shoulder bag. By the time she dug it out though,they’d be on her, and fast.
Jessica knew it was smarter not to give awaythe fact she was concealing and hoped they wouldn’t attempt to takeher bag away from her. She kept her hands at her side, even thoughshe wanted to cradle the bag protectively.
“It’s obvious you want something, so, what isit?” She replied dryly.
The tall, lanky kid beside the villainouslout looked nervous as hell. If she was a betting woman, she’dguess he was no older than twenty-years old. His eyes darted aboutand he shuffled nervously. He was either coerced into being there,or threatened within an inch of his life, based on the visiblebruises she noticed coloring his cheeks and wrists.
She had to keep her wits about her, if shewanted to survive. It was something she had experience at doing.This time, she was smarter and better trained at defending herself.She looked the lanky boy up and down.
I can take him.She surmised withconfidence.
She looked back at the filthy lump at thekid’s side and knew, if she kicked him forcibly in the gut, he’dhit the ground hard gasping for breath.
The fat lard surprised her then, reaching hisright hand around behind him.
Damn!Her mind screamed, as she lookeddown the barrel of a 357 being pointed straight at her chest.
She hadn’t expected that, at all. It changedthe dynamics, but she wasn’t about to let the fear tapping at herinsides, get the best of her. She still had the element of surpriseon her side … well, two elements, actually. She too had a gun, andshe could whip their asses.
He smiled slowly at her cockiness and rubbedhis jawline, heavy with a few days’ growth.
“You’re gonna be my … my tool of persuasion,missy.”
“And, why would I want to do that?”
He waved the revolver like a flag andremarked smartly.
“Because this fucking gun speaks for me.”
“Sy! Damn it, man. You never said –“
