Page 121 of Rescued Duty

“I’ve got them here.” She dropped the duffel bag on the table and wrapped her arms around the man’s neck. “I’ve missed you.” Pulling him close she gave him a lingering kiss.

“Me too.” He kissed her back. “But everything is in place now. So let’s see what you brought.”

She opened the duffel to show him.

“Good.” The man reached in and grabbed a smaller bag out of the duffel. “And your brother? He was able to finish his work?”

“Of course. The devices are here.” She unzipped a different pocket. “He showed me how to set them.”

So much for the theory that Emma wasn’t involved with Vincent’s agenda.

Penny tried to move closer and get a better look, but there was no cover. She used her phone to get a couple of pictures. However, she couldn’t see one distinguishing feature of Emma’s boyfriend in the dark. The hooded sweatshirt he wore kept his face shadowed.

“And you’re sure he won’t?—”

Emma huffed. “He’s not going to rat us out. My brother understands how important this is. Now, can we get out of here? I want to see the new?—”

“Boss, we’re set.” The thin guy from out front jogged over from a door on the wall across from Penny. It must’ve been an office of some sort. “We need to go.”

Boss handed the duffel with the hidden device to his cohort. “You know where to put it.” The man snatched the bag and ran up the metal stairs in the back of the warehouse while Emma and her guy headed straight toward Penny and the alley door.

Penny quickly moved to the back of the pile of pallets. If she opened the door now, they’d see her. As soon as they left she could follow and find out who?—

“What do you think you’re doing?” A dark and ominous voice sounded behind her. But it was the click of the safety being switched off that immediately put Penny on edge.

Cold metal pressed into the back of her head. “Drop the gun now.”

“Who’s there?” Boss Man asked.

Penny tensed her grip on the gun. She could make a move and take out the guy behind her, but the boss pulled out a gun of his own. If he came closer, maybe she could ID him, but it was still too dark.

She needed more time. She tried a little chuckle. “I was lost, I was just looking for?—”

“I said drop it. I have no problem putting a bullet in you,” the man behind her said.

And from the hardness in his voice, Penny didn’t doubt it.

“Al, get outta here. I’ll take care of her.” The man spoke to Emma’s boyfriend.

“Stick to the plan. Let the blast take care of her and get out.” He led Emma out of the warehouse.

Clearly Emma was no innocent bystander. That girl was in this up to her eyeballs and apparently didn’t care about leaving a fellow female to the mercy of whoever had a gun to her head.

Penny was on her own. “Look, I was just trying to find?—”

“This is your last chance. Put. Down. The. Gun.”

She slowly lowered her gun to the ground. The pressure of the man’s weapon against her skull didn’t give her a choice. Before she could stand up, he yanked her arms behind her and dragged her toward the back. He had to be tall. And big.

Penny was no lightweight, but his grip had no give to it whatsoever. She fought, pulling away from him, but her shoulders screamed as they were trapped against his chest.

Trapped. Again. With no one to rely on for a rescue but herself. No surprise there. If she believed like she did when she was a little girl, she might’ve prayed. But that never changed anything.

Buck up, Pen.

Penny tried throwing her head back, driving it into what she hoped was his nose or another soft body part. Nope. His chin was as hard as her head.

He shook her and squeezed tighter. “You’re feisty, I’ll give you that. But this will not end well for you.”

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