Page 68 of Sinner's Salvation

He threw the piece of metal into Ledger’s face. “She is anNYPD Detective.”

Ledger’s triumphant expression didn’t waiver.

“You shot a cop, you stupid fuck. In front of witnesses, while spouting insane bullshit.”

The elevator dinged. A couple of paramedics with a gurney and two men in cheap suits and wearing NYPD badges came out.

The first responders went straight for Nika, and the policemen followed them more slowly. Until they saw who was on the floor, bleeding.

“NYPD,” one of them said as they both pulled their guns. “What happed to her?”

The detectives looked around, their gazes snagging on the various law enforcement people standing around, most of them had their guns out.

Their gazes snagged on Baz, his rucked up shirt, and his enraged face.

Anna saw the moment on their faces, as they realized Baz was confronting the man who shot their team member. Both of them moved to flank Baz slightly behind and to the right and left of him.

“This could get messy,” Evan said, getting to his feet. “Baz is a laid back, patient guy...until he isn’t.”

“He won’t hurt anyone,” Anna said, completely confident in that statement.

“Every man has his breaking point,” Evan said. “If she dies, he might reach his.”

“He reached his a long time ago, and he’s still punishing himself for what he did then. Anger will never rule him again, but—” she said, with a sigh. “If he should decide that the safety of others outweighs the crime of murder, he will destroy whoever is threatening that safety.”

“Yeah,” Evan drawled. “That sounds like Baz. His own safety he doesn’t care about. Other people’s, however, he’ll go to the ends of the Earth to protect them.”

The FBI agents had Ledger face down on the floor now and were putting handcuffs on him.

They pulled him upright by his arms.

Baz was in his face as soon as he was vertical. “Look,” Baz ordered, pointing at the growing pool of blood on the floor. “Look what you did.” He grabbed Ledger by the back of his neck and dragged him a couple of steps closer so the agent could see just how much blood was on the floor.

“If she dies,” Baz snarled at him. “I willripyour lying tongue out of your mouth.”

“Well,” Anna said, with a wince. “Perhaps hurting is back on the table. I don’t think he’ll kill anyone, though.”

Evan crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to go in there and knock some sense into all those people.”

“I feel the same, but if we show ourselves, the whole situation will become even more complicated than it is.”

Baz shoved Ledger away from him, then shook his hands like he was trying to launch any stray Ledger molecules that might be left behind off his skin. “Get this asshole out of here,” he shouted at the FBI agents.

The elevator dinged again, but the two police detectives blocked Anna’s line of sight.

“We still have questions for Agent Stettler,” one of Homeland Security agents said. “A bomb was detonated at the Fort Hamilton base. We’re trying to ascertain who did it, how they did it, and if there’s a possibility more high value assets might be targeted.”

Three tall men with buzz cuts and in Army camo uniforms surfaced out of the chaos. After a look around, the one in the middle said something too softly for the microphone to pick up.

One man went back to the elevator and leaned against the wall to one side of the door. The other wandered over to see what the paramedics were doing. The one in the middle was now staring at Baz.

“How is he supposed to know?” Baz growled. “Ledger kidnapped him and a diplomat from Slovenia, then shot both of them.” He pointed at Ledger. “It seems to me like the FBI have caught the guy responsible for this clusterfuck.”

The soldier watching Baz marched over to him. “Bazyli Breznik?”

Baz turned, a snarl on his face and anger in his fists. Recognition slapped his face, and he rocked back on his feet. “Aaron Marek?”

The soldier put out his hand, and Baz shook it without hesitation.

---