Page 76 of Locked Down

He touched his earbud.“Five minutes.”He lost his grip on Armstrong, and the man was making a beeline through the kitchen to an exit in the back. Ryker gave chase and caught him with his hand on the exit door. He spun the man around and pinned him up against the wall.“Last chance. Where is the damn bomb? I’m gonna tell the cops that you were a part of this and that makes you culpable for anyone who dies. That’s years in prison. Your career is over. The only question now is if you get to live or if you die because if you don’t tell me I will drag you out to the ballroom and hold you there with me until the fucking thing goes off!”he snarled.

Armstrong looked around wildly.“Austin?—”

“Davis can’t save you now. He’s left you to hold the bag. Can’t you see that? Who dealt with McGinnis? Who made all the arrangements for Langille to wait in the attic?”Ryker hadn’t known for certain that Armstrong had been in charge of all that, so it stood to reason he was behind sneaking the would-be assassin in. Davis was way too clever to make himself that vulnerable.

All the blood left Armstrong’s face. Ryker had guessed correctly.“Now you’re getting the picture. You’re so screwed. Your only hope is that I take pity on you. Where the hell is the bomb?”

“The fountain,”he blurted.“Behind the fountain.”

Ryker tapped his earbud.“It’s behind the fountain. Repeat. The bomb is behind the fountain.”

“What’s supposed to happen?”Ryker ground out.

“Vic is supposed to go there for pictures now. It will take her a bit. He left instructions for Vic to get some shots and then, for Vic and Marilee to get some shots. Austin is going to have drinks with some friends in the other room and then…”his voice died.

“And then?”Ryker leaned on Armstrong’s chest.

“And then the bomb is supposed to go off killing, Vic and Marilee and anyone in a twenty-foot radius.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. The wall is glass, you moron. That will shatter into a million little shards and anyone in the ballroom will be lucky to make it out uninjured, let alone alive.”Panic gripped his chest.

Armstrong’s eyes bulged.“I didn’t think…I didn’t know.”

Ryker sucker-punched Armstrong on the jaw. His head snapped back and hit the wall snapping forward again. He was out cold. Ryker dropped him, letting him hit the floor. Armstrong was lucky Ryker hadn’t throat-punched him and killed him. The only thing holding him back was he might be needed as a witness against Davis.

He ran through the kitchen and out into the ballroom. Logan was at one set of doors, ushering people through to the emergency exits. Cash, Rush, and Drake were at other doors guiding people out as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Vic was walking toward the fountain with Marilee beside her. Ryker pushed through the crowd toward them. It took him precious seconds to get there. Finally, he burst through the crowd and out into the garden area.“Vic,”he called. She turned.“Come with me now!”She blinked and frowned. He ran toward her.“You have to leave now.”

“Why? I thought…”her voice died.“You haven’t found it?”

We don’t have time for this.He drew a calming breath.“We have and it’s behind that fountain. Get the hell away from here. Now, Vic.”

She turned to look.“Marilee,”she called but the other woman was engrossed in speaking with the photographer.

Gage started around the fountain.“I’m going to have to get you to leave. We’re having issues and we need to clear the area.”

Marilee started at him.“I will not. This is where we are doing the pictures. You need to get out of the way.”

Ryker’s heart slammed agonizingly against his ribcage.“Vic, please leave. Please,”he begged her. He wouldn’t survive if she got hurt.“Please,”he begged one more time.

She turned back to him. Fear in her eyes.“I…I can’t leave without Marilee.”

Gage grabbed Marilee’s arm.“I’m sorry, ma’am, you’ll have to evacuate like everyone else.”

“What?”she demanded, and she looked around as if suddenly realizing the ballroom was emptying out.

“Marilee! We have to go,”Vic pleaded. She reached a hand toward her, but the older woman seemed frozen.

Ryker knew they had no more than five minutes by this point.“Vic,”he said grabbing her hand.“Go, just go. I promise I’ll get Marilee, just, for God’s sake, please go.”He started pulling her but she fought him.“Vic, please don’t fight me,”he begged. Panic gripped him.“I need you to go. I love you. You need to get out of here.”

She stared at him.“I?—”

Archer sprinted through the garden with a large man on his heels.“Dragan,”Gage called.“You any good with bombs?”

The large man grinned as he came to a stop by the fountain.“I guess we’re gonna find out.”

“Bombs?”Marilee shrieked. The photographer who’d been standing there watching the drama unfold took off at a dead run.

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