“Roger that,” Maverick replied.
“Do it now,” Maverick said to Gunner.
“I hate doing this.”
“Trust me, I hate it more.”
Gunner placed one hand on Maverick’s back, the other on his arm while Maverick inhaled. “On three. One…two.” Gunner jolted his shoulder back into place.
Excruciating pain exploded through him. “Christ, that’s a bitch.” He rubbed his arm. “Thank you, brother.”
Together, they ran inside. Pandemonium filled the lobby. Three of the large windows in the building’s front lobby had cracked, but none had shattered. Had that glass blown out, attendees would have been peppered by flying shards and casualties would have been high.
Gunner bolted to retrieve his execs while Maverick strode toward Ella and her two vice presidents. “Are you injured?”
All three shook their heads, though they appeared to be in shock. He located the other two and ushered all five toward the rear of the building. Once outside, he hurried them to his SUV. Then, he contacted his crew.
Trevon had loaded up his five and was ready to roll. Gunner was fifteen seconds out. But Penelope was nowhere in sight.
“Penelope, talk to me,” Maverick said.
“One of mine has fainted,” she replied. “I’m sending four outside to you.”
“You need help?” Maverick asked.
“I’ve got her,” Penelope replied. “I’m headed down the stairwell.”
When the four employees rushed outside, Maverick escorted them to Penelope’s SUV and helped them inside. Breathing hard, Penelope set the woman into the vehicle and Maverick checked her pulse.
“Slow and steady,” Maverick said. “What’s her name?”
“Glenda,” replied one of the others.
“Glenda, can you hear me?” Maverick asked.
The woman’s eyes fluttered open. Though she looked dazed, she recognized her coworkers.
“How are you feeling?” Penelope asked her.
“I think I’m okay.”
“We’ll have you checked out by a paramedic once we’re at the safe sight,” Maverick said. Hurrying back to his vehicle, Maverick spoke into his comm. “Everyone ready?”
After receiving three affirmatives from his team, he jumped into the driver’s seat of his SUV. “Let’s roll.”
On the drive back to ThunderStrike, he phoned his office manager. “Code red. Seven minutes out.”
“Ambulance?”
“Affirmative.”
As they drove the route back to ThunderStrike, Maverick checked in with his teammates again. Status reports indicated everyone was shaken up, but no one reported any injuries.
He called his office manager again. “Fifteen seconds out.”
“Gate is opening.”
Each of the vehicles whizzed into the parking lot and the shaky Qualitation execs were escorted into ThunderStrike’s safe room.
