Page 3 of Centurion

“Man, I don’t like Con, but I like that one even less,” Joseph agreed.

“I have six people in that general area. Two more just took off their masks. The lighting is terrible, but I’m running the faces,” Jewell said as Ronnie and Con headed toward the area.

“I’m sorry about her,” Ronnie said to Con as they both deposited the untouched champagne onto an empty tray from a passing waiter.

“It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.” Con shrugged off the comment. “They’re moving.” He turned her, his arm still around her waist so she could see.

Ronnie asked, “Jewell, are you getting this?”

“I am,” Jewell confirmed.

The power went out as the men approached a couple in the corner. “Shit.” Ronnie grabbed Con’s arm. Gunshots rang out. She jerked Con down as she talked among the screams and sounds of breaking glasses. “Shots fired.” Con covered her with his big body, which was a pain in the ass. The gun fired again. Four shots so far.

“Centurion, do not engage,” Archangel said.

“Too many people,” she agreed and elbowed Con. “Move, I have to get up.”

He didn’t move. She pushed on him. “Are you hurt?”

“No, and it’s too damn dark for you to do anything. Wait for the lights to come back on,” Con growled.

“He’s right. Fuck, I hate it when he’s right,” Joseph agreed.

A single gunshot sent the crowd into screams and hysteria. “That was an assassination,” Joseph said.

“It was,” Ronnie agreed. The sound of the crowd screaming again swelled. She elbowed Con again, which forced a grunt from the guy. She said, “Seriously, get off me.”

Con moved, and she stood up. His hand found the small of her back. He was right. There were no windows, and even the generator-enabled emergency exit lights were dark. She couldn’t see shit. Wait … there. “Con, to your right, do you see that?”

Was she imagining it? No, there were dots.

“Blue dots on the floor.”

“An escape route,” Ronnie said as she stepped forward, damn near falling when she stepped on a person. “Jewell, can you do something about the power?”

“Working it. Damn it. Hold on.” The sound of Jewell heaving in her ear made Ronnie gag a bit.

“Sorry. I’m back.” Jewell’s voice sounded horrid.

“Button?” Joseph’s voice was the softest Ronnie had ever heard it.

“I’m okay,” Jewell croaked. Con grabbed Ronnie’s waist just as the lights came on. “That wasn’t me!” Jewell exclaimed.

It didn’t matter who it was. Ronnie leaped over the terrified people on the floor, and she and Conner sprinted, not in the direction of the gunfire but in the direction the blue dots had been leading.

“That’s what the guy following him was doing,” Conner said as they sprinted toward the exit. His theory made sense. Any hope of getting to the exit the shooters used was immediately futile. Escape was on the mind of every one of the six hundred people in attendance. A wave of humanity sprinted toward the same exit they were aiming at.

“Damn. We’re not going to get to them,” Ronnie said as people pushed and shoved in a terrified crush to get out of the facility.

Conner pulled her into a small alcove area, shielding her from the shoving of the crowd. “CCS, what happened in that corner?”

“Working it.” That was Zane’s voice. Jewell’s husband was a constant by her side. She could hear Jewell in the background, and the woman did not sound like she was well at all.

“Access the cameras on the outside of the building,” Con said. “Get into the traffic cameras. Check the most direct route to the airport first. All license plates need to be run. Probably a rental car. Cross-reference against all agencies’ databases for currently leased vehicles.” He seemed to be running the op through his mind.

Ronnie heard Jewell get sick again and looked up at Con. “Jewell’s sick. She’s puking like a fountain.”

“A picture I didn’t need,” Joseph replied snidely.

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