Page 33 of Second Chance Savior

The assailant collapsed. My breaths came quick and shallow.River and Torres both herded me further into the small lobby. The lights were on but dimmed.

“Who the hell are you?” Torres had turned sideways, gaze darting from the glass doors to River and back again.

“The guy who just saved your ass.”

“He’s a friend we can trust,” I interrupted. “River, there’s another agent bringing a car. Rainey. He should be here any moment.”

Somewhere nearby, tires squealed. There was a loud crash of metal. More gunshots.

“I think Agent Rainey’s having trouble, just like we’re about to.” River lifted his chin. “Incoming.”

More shapes emerged, this time on the parking lot side of the building. Someone kicked at the lobby door. The glass webbed with cracks. I flinched and grabbed River’s arm.

The door held, probably locked from the inside, but it wouldn’t for long.

“I’ll hold them off and wait for backup!” Torres shouted. “Lieutenant Governor, get to safety and notify the police of your location. I’ll catch up to you!”

“Okay.”

“Go!”

River was already tugging me down a hallway. We ran, my boots thudding against carpet. Office doors flew past.

More gunfire erupted in the lobby. Glass shattered. I cursed, wanting to look back, but I didn’t. I just prayed Agents Torres and Rainey were all right. And Brynn…the others at the fundraiser…

This wasmadness.

“In here.” River tried an office door, seemingly at random. It was locked, so he slammed his heel into the wood. It splintered and popped open. We went inside. It was dark except for the light from outside bleeding through the blinds.

River didn’t turn on the overheads. He lifted his jacket and slid his weapon into a concealed holster. The metal glinted as it disappeared. I stared at it.

I’d seen him kill two men like it was nothing. He’d barely broken a sweat. I’d known that River had probably killed people, but to see it…

“Your phone,” he said.

“What?”

“Your cell phone. Do you have it?”

“Yeah. Both of them.” I held up my clutch. “One personal, one for work.”

He went to the blinds. Didn’t touch them, but peered through the cracks. “Put them both in airplane mode. Then turn them off.”

I nodded, doing as he’d said. Phones were too easy to track.

If River could hack my devices, who else could?

My personal cell was already off because I’d powered it down earlier. I had to wake it up to switch to airplane mode. Two more missed calls from Jud. And texts. The man had picked a strange night to get back in touch. In the back of my mind, I wondered if there could be some connection. But no, that made no sense. Either way, I didn’t have a shred of patience to spare for Jud Hale.

“What are you doing?” River snapped.

“I’m trying to do what you said! Jeez.” I finished powering my personal cell off. Then the work one. “What now?”

“I need to make sure this side of the building isn’t being watched. This is our exit route.”

“You say that like you planned it in advance.”

“I did.”

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