Page 71 of Protected from Malice
Reaching into my pocket with my free hand, I yank out my phone.
Before I can look at the screen, Indy barks, “Not one of our alarms. Not in here or the other suite.”
I glance at the flashing light on the wall. “It’s the hotel alarm. We need?—”
In unison, Webb, Indy, and my phones ring at once. It’s the ringtone we all picked so we’d know if someone on the team was calling or texting.
Webb answers first. As he listens, Indy hurries to the console table and snatches up his gun. He turns back to me. “Where’s yours? I’ll get it. Stay with Eden.”
“Beneath the TV.” I’ve been keeping it down there when I’m spending time with Eden, not wanting her to face the constant reminder of why she’s here. It was unavoidable when it was just the two of us at the first hotel, but with backup, and all the alarms, it didn’t seem necessary to carry it with me.
Now I’m wondering if I fucked up again.
Indy hands me my gun, then checks his own, making sure it’s loaded. He knows damn well it is, but if there’s a threat out there? There’s no way we aren’t double, fuck, triple checking.
Webb pulls his weapon from his belt holster and holds it at low ready. After another few seconds, he says into the phone, “Roger. We’re moving out.”
Pocketing his phone, he looks between Indy and me. “That was Tyler. Confirmed, it’s not an alarm—” He raises his voice to be heard over the droning blare of sound. “Not in our suites,” he continues. And not in the hallway.”
“What is it?” I snap as I hustle Eden towards the door.
“Smoke in the east elevator,” Webb replies briskly. “Tyler saw it on the camera. It’s thick. He can’t tell what it’s coming from. But Ace said the detector closest to it picked up traces of explosives in the air.”
“Fuck,” Indy grits out. “A fucking bomb?”
Eden shivers against me. “Did someone find me here? Plant a bomb to—” Her voice breaks. She presses her face into my arm.
Fuck.
She was supposed to be safe here.
But I don’t have time for guilt. Not now. “We need to get out. Head to the RV.”
Our rendezvous point—which we hoped we wouldn’t need to use—is near a storage shed at the back of the hotel. Which means we need to take the west stairwell down to the first floor, then head through the restaurant kitchen to the rear parking lot.
“Webb, take point,” Indy says. He looks at me. “Protect Eden. I’ll have your six.”
As we hurry from the suite, Eden stays right by my side. She looks terrified. And I hate it.
“We’ll be okay,” I tell her, leaning my head close to hers so she can hear me. “It’s going to be fine. We’ve got you.”
Her eyes meet mine; her trust a visible thing. “I know you do, Rafe. I trust you.”
Ah, fuck.
I can’t let her down. I can’t.
It was a false alarm.
It was a damn false alarm.
I’m glad it was. Obviously.
No one was hurt.
After an hour huddled together in the shed, we were cleared to come back in. Tyler talked with the police and fire department and convinced them to share all the details, and he checked all the security cameras in the hotel, just to be sure.
It’s safe. The hotel wasn’t breached by an enemy.
