Page 75 of Locked Down

Everyone who was anyone was here now for the big announcement. Ryker was surprised there was no stage set up in the ballroom for the speeches. He grabbed a passing waiter.“Excuse me, where are the speeches going to take place?”

“Sir?”the young kid said confused.

“You know the toast to the birthday girl, that sort of thing.”

“Oh,”the kid said and nodded.“Those will take place by the fountain.”

“The fountain?”What was he talking about?“What fountain?”

“Over there,”the kid gestured behind him and then he took off through the crowd.

Ryker made his way to the back wall. He hadn’t really realized it because of the way the drapes hung, but the whole back wall was glass and there were doors out to a central garden. In the back corner of the garden was a fountain, and a photographer was setting equipment up next to it. No doubt Davis would stand on the fountain’s edge and make his speech. Still, it was sort of an odd place to do it.

The rest of the garden was full of waist-height planters with varying flowers and shrubs. He supposed it was set to resemble some famous garden or something. It was a riot of colors and smells and people probably loved it. There were tables along the far side where people could sit and relax. It was nice but not a space for an announcement of this caliber. What the hell was going on?

“Ryker,”Rush’s voice came through his earbud,“we’ve got nothing, and the clock is counting down.”

“Yeah. Let me check with Archer but I think we’re going to…”he paused as he watched Armstrong usher the Speaker of the House through the door.“Hang on. I’ll get back to you.”He made his way over to Armstrong who was once again hunting through the crowd. Armstrong glanced at his watch and a look of sheer panic came across his face.

Ryker made a beeline for Armstrong and caught him in the middle of the room.“Armstrong, what the hell is going on?”

“What are you talking about?”he demanded.“I don’t have time for you now.”

“Where are you taking those people?”

“What people?”Armstrong demanded.

Ryker got closer to him,“Cal Wallingford, for one.”

“Oh, Austin wanted to privately raise a glass with a few friends before the big event.”He tried to smile, but his eyes searched the crowd and sweat was visible on his forehead.

Ryker grabbed his arm and started hustling him through the room.

“What the fuck are you doing?”Armstrong tried to yank his arm free, but Ryker wasn’t having it.

“You’re coming with me. If you keep fighting, you’ll cause a scene and I know you don’t want that. But frankly, I don’t give a fuck.”He pressed on, half-dragging Armstrong across the floor. They got to the edge of the room and Ryker pushed the assistant through the door into the kitchen.

“What the hell?”Armstrong demanded.“I don’t have time for your Neanderthal shit. I need to get back out there.”He tried to move around Ryker, but Ryker blocked him.

The kitchen staff looked up at them but quickly went back to what they were doing.

“Tell me where the bomb is, or so help me, I will crush you like the bug you are.”

“Bomb? What bomb?”he asked, but his voice went up an octave and the sweat on his forehead started to run down the sides of his face.

“Where is it, Armstrong?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,”the other man said and tried to push past him. Ryker grabbed him by the arm and threw him up against a countertop, causing a bunch of pans to crash to the floor. All activity in the kitchen halted abruptly.

“What the hell?”Armstrong shrieked.

“Tell me now, or I’m going to waltz you out there and beat you to a pulp in front of the whole crowd while I tell them what you and Davis have been up to.”

“They won’t believe you,”he blurted with fear in his eyes.

“Wanna bet?”

His earbud went off.“Ryker, we’re down to twenty minutes. We need to start emptying this place out or we won’t get everyone out in time.”The urgency in Rush’s voice wasn’t lost on him.

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