Page 49 of Redeeming Meg

In the distance, they could hear plenty of traffic on the roads, but here, only the sound of the car engine and their footsteps met his ears. Declan tried the next handle, another sign that read Employees Only denoted it as having once been a popular clothing store. “I don’t know who’s waiting for us inside, and I don’t want another hostage situation.”

She didn’t argue or disagree. Step by step, they made their way around loading docks and more entrances that weren’t for the public. Every single one was locked.

His hair was plastered to his head. Hers, too. He saw droplets caught in her long lashes and wished he could wipe them away. What had happened in the back of that taxi…

He had to tap down the memory or end up hard all over again. “Why do I feel like we’re being herded toward the front?”

She wiggled the next metal knob and shook her head, using her shoulder to dry her cheek. What were the odds that all of these less obvious entrances were barred to them? “Because we are?”

The place was laid out like a wheel with four spokes. While the main entrance was the biggest and had a showy arched gateway, the others simply funneled shoppers into the stores, anchoring each spoke. “Looks like we’re going to have to take our chances with a more obvious entrance,” he admitted.

“I’ll take lead.”

Of course, she would. She always did. It ate at him—her need to be in charge. To prove herself.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “But if it’s Tommy, he’ll be more likely to talk to me.”

True. If he saw Declan coming, he might run again. “I’ll hang back so I don’t spook him, but if it’s not him…”

“Who else could it be?”

As she stepped through the cracked glass doors into a shadowy lobby of what had been a department store, he followed a few steps behind. She peeled off to the right, and he did as well but kept his eyes and his gun fixed on the left. Blinking his eyes to adjust to the dim light filtering in from a mass of upper-story windows, he scanned what he could see. Most of those windows were also broken out, the squall dumping water inside. It drowned out the sound of their footsteps in the empty space.

No one jumped out from behind any displays or counters. Much like the embassy, this place looked like it had been overrun by people bent on destroying it at some point. A few items of clothing were scattered around, but most were ripped or trampled.

The place smelled of rusting metal, plastic, rotting food, and sweaty bodies. There were remnants of squatters and druggies. An escalator in the center of the anchor store had been torn up, and more graffiti decorated it.

They continued their counterclockwise path, encountering more destruction and remnants of the people who had used the place for shelter or other activities.

Eventually, they arrived at the exit into the main area of the mall. The light was dimmer, and they could hear the storm outside picking up, rain hammering on the roof high above their heads.

They moved as one, in and out of the smaller shops along the way, stepping over the refuse and wreckage that was everywhere but finding no inhabitants.

Declan thought that was good, and yet, it made this whole thing feel even more off than it already did. If Tommy wanted to talk to them, why go to such elaborate means to bring them here? Was he being followed? Had he put himself in so much danger that one of Hagar’s allies or minions was tracking him?

Or was he afraid that Flynn was?

They passed a food court and arrived at what used to be the mall’s central fountain. Declan was scanning the area behind them, making sure no one snuck up on them, when he heard Meg suck in a breath.

He pivoted at the sound, ready to fire his weapon, then froze.

Meg’s voice came out strangled. “Tessa?”

The Architect was bound and gagged, slumped against the cracked stone of the fountain. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and the other swung toward them.

Meg moved, ready to run to her, but Declan shot out an arm to stop her. “Wait.”

She froze, seeing the figures emerging from the shadows. Armed men moved with precision to surround the fountain’s base and Tessa.

Bringing up the rear, swaggering to stand in front of her, was Hagar.

A machete hung from his hand.

“That’s not possible,” Meg stammered under her breath.

“A black swan,” Dec muttered. Another surprise.

He felt rage rip through Meg. She raised her voice and shouted, “How did you escape?”

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