Page 96 of Silent Comrade
Red hadn’t detected the threat.
He listened. Muffled sound. This evening’santidote impaired his extrasensory hearing. He rolled hisshoulders. The antidote also reduced his strength close tonon-enhanced levels.
Without the virus, he might not have thegoods to keep her alive.
At another clatter he dragged her into themen’s bathroom and pushed open the door of a stall.
“Lock the door. Stand on the seat,” hehissed as sweat rolled down his temple. He shook his head to loosencontrol and try something—anything—to get the viralboost back. Of course it didn’t happen. He couldn’t eventriangulate position of that sound.
The idea that he couldn’t do his job scaredthe hell out of him. He punched in a text to Rodeo, silenced thephone, and shoved it in a back pocket. He pulled out the Sig.
Britt’s wide eyes were the last he saw ofher as he backed away. He clicked off the bathroom light andexited. Even without his heightened hearing, he knew his steps wereall but silent. At the end of the wide hallway another squeak drewhis attention. A heavy footstep.
Rodeo should be close by now. Good, becauseRed needed backup. Or a witness.
He sped down the hall, ignoring the art andportraits hanging in displays on the walls. The dim fluorescentlight gave a flat, whitish-purple cast to everything in themidnight hour.
Another sound came from right around thecorner.
As Red raised the gun and prepared to go onthe offense, his friend’s drawl drifted down the hall.
“Nice evening, isn’t it?” Rodeo asked.
“Well, yes.” A male voice, higher pitched.Younger?
“Hawks gonna make the playoffs thisseason?”
A snort. “I wish. They stink this year.”
“I hear you. Maybe they’ll get some gooddraft picks. Better luck next season.” A few smacks of skin on skinfollowed by a snap. “Take it easy. Have a great night, bro.”
“You too.”
Red relaxed his grip, held the gun behindhim, and peered around the corner. Custodian. The young man,walking away from Rodeo, dropped the mop handle and the loudclatter rattled back to Red. Mop handle. Red hadn’t been able totell.
Damn it. Red’s nerves were shot, his viruswas useless right now, and he couldn’t save his own life, much lessBritt’s.
Two dark eyebrows shot up as Rodeo’sgleaming grin brightened his mug. “Howsit?”
“Eh.”
“That’s what I thought.” Rodeo approachedRed, his casual stride belied by the tight set of his shoulders andhis ever-assessing eyes. “Britt?”
Thumbing over his shoulder, Red said, “She’sback there.”
“Alone?”
“There was a loud noise this way.” Theywalked quickly down the long hall. “What the hell do you want? Ican’t be everywhere at once.”
Hands up, Rodeo snorted. “Defensive much?”He wiggled a hip. “Not criticizing, only motivating.”
“Damn it. I know.”
“Mission getting to you?”
“Something like that.”
“Mission target getting to you?”
