Page 68 of Captive Lies

The sign for the self-storage came up and our Suburbans turned into the facility. I wasn’t surprised that Orlov had a keycard to the place. He probably had several units here himself. The SUVs slowed to a crawl, I heard the driver communicating with the other cars, looking for signs of an ambush or if there were any suspicious vehicles around, but so far Orlov had gotten the all-clear. After a couple of right and left turns, my heart leapt to my throat as I spotted myfriend.

He was standing nonchalantly against one of the units. Liam was wearing a white tee with a Kevlar vest and khaki military cargos. I was sure he was armed, but no apparent weapon was in sight. Orlov stiffened beside me as he and Stefan gripped theirguns.

“Marco has a lot of balls,” Orlovmuttered.

“You should’ve stayed at the mansion, boss, and let me handle this,” Stefansaid.

“The men are restless. They need to see that I’m not merely a figurehead,” he replied. Translation: Orlov was having trouble maintaining the loyalty of hismen.

Our now two-vehicle convoy stopped a few feet from Liam and both turned off theengines.

“I’m not opening the gate until I see Blaire,” Liam called out without moving amuscle.

“I have her. You stay in the car,” Stefan toldOrlov.

Stefan opened the door and pulled me from the vehicle. A flash of fury crossed Liam’s face, but he quickly maskedit.

“You shouldn’t have hurt her,” my friend saidsoftly.

I cut my head to the side and brought it back center. Liam tensed. It was our signal that all was not what itseemed.

“Open the gate,” Stefanordered.

“Before I do,” Liam said conversationally. “I’d like to point out that there’s a grenade launcher aimed straight at your vehicle. Orlov’s sideactually.”

“You’re bluffing,” Stefan replied. “We’ll all bedead.”

“If you’re going to kill me, why would itmatter?”

“You don’t want Paulina todie.”

“If I’m dead, you think I’ll leave her alive for you motherfuckers to torture?” Liam looked at me. “Would you want to live, Blaire, if these assholes killme?”

I shook my head. Liam was a crafty mind manipulator. Kudos to him. There was nothing scarier than someone with nothing tolose.

Orlov slammed out of the vehicle with a gun pointed at Liam. “Open the motherfucking gate!” he shouted. His men in the other vehicles exited as well with guns drawn. Including the drivers, it was ten againstone.

Liam wasnuts.

“Now, is this a fair fight?” Liam asked. To his credit, he brought out a card and swiped the slot beside a keypad. The device prompted for a code and my friend punched it in. He bent forward and shoved the gate up. Orlov’s men fidgeted from side-to-side with their eyes darting around thearea.

When the gate fully opened, the lights came on automatically. Orlov stepped in with one of his men, while the other one kept his gun trained onLiam.

Stefan’s grip tightened aroundme.

Boxes were shovedaround.

“What the hell is this?” Orlovroared.

“Now!” Liamshouted.

I stomped Stefan’s foot and shoved my head up to his chin. Gunfire erupted amidst another gate rolling up. Stefan grunted, his arms slackening around me as I surged toward Liam who tossed me a gun. I caught the weapon and fell on my back, unloading the cartridges at Orlov’s goons advancing on us. They were trying to get to their boss who had taken refuge in the first storageunit.

A couple of the ROC men fell as Liam grabbed my collar and dragged me to an open storage unit where two men in military gear coveredus.

Who arethey?

“Shooting from the left. Not friendlies,” one of the guysmuttered.

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