Page 90 of The Agent
“You shot me,” Dobs said in a tone of disbelief.
“Move and I’ll shoot you again, except this time I’ll aim for a more essential body part.” Tully’s voice was closer. Natalie lifted her head to see him pulling something out of his back pocket with his left hand while his right held the pistol steady.
“Nat, are you okay?” he asked, his voice tight.
She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She nodded as she worked some saliva into her mouth. “Yes,” she croaked.
“Would you tie Van Houten’s hands behind his back with these?” He held up something that looked like large zip ties.
“You can’t tie me up. I’m bleeding,” Van Houten whined.
Natalie pushed off the desk and started toward Tully. He shook his head. “I’ll toss them to you.”
“Okay.” She held out her hands, not entirely sure she would be able to catch anything at this point, but Tully threw them right into her palms so all she had to do was close her fingers around them.
Natalie turned to find Dobs slouched in a chair, his hand pressed to his upper arm with blood seeping through his fingers, his shirtsleeve stained red. His eyes were wide and his mouth slack as though he couldn’t believe what was happening. Still, she found herself reluctant to get near him again.
“Stand up, Van Houten!” Tully barked. “Step away from the chair and put your hands behind your back.”
Dobs stayed in the chair. “I’ll bleed to death, you fucking asshole,” he said.
“We should be so lucky,” Tully ground out, his gun never wavering. “Get up!”
“I’ll stand up after she calls an ambulance.” Dobs jerked his head toward Natalie.
Natalie looked at Tully and flinched. His lips were drawn back from his teeth in a snarl like a wolf’s. “You have one more chance to do as I say, or I will pistol-whip you unconscious without a qualm.” His voice made granite seem soft.
Dobs stared at Tully for a few seconds before he clambered to his feet. “I’m going to sue you for assault with a deadly weapon.”
“Your hands behind your back,” Tully said. “And if you make a single movement that evenhintsat threatening Natalie, I will shoot you in the other arm.”
Dobs slowly bent his arms behind his back. Natalie grimaced as she wound the restraint around his bloodstained wrists. Then she cringed away from him, sliding behind the desk.
“Good job, Nat,” Tully said. “Okay, Van Houten, back in the chair.”
Dobs sat down gingerly, his face screwed up in pain as he jarred his injured arm. “If you’re going to make me sit down, at least tie my hands in front of me.”
“Shut up!” Tully snapped. “Nat, you should sit down too. You look pale.” Tully’s voice had a hitch of anguish in it.
“Are we waiting for someone?” Natalie asked, sitting down in the desk chair when Tully still didn’t move.
“Backup’s on the way,” Tully said tersely.
Dobs stared at Tully, hatred blazing in his pale eyes as the red stain on his shirtsleeve grew.
“Shouldn’t we put pressure on his wound?” Natalie couldn’t stop herself from asking, even though she didn’t want to go near him.
“He won’t die of it, which is a damn shame,” Tully said.
Natalie began to tremble now that she had no reason to hold herself together. Tears pooled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks uncontrolled. She brushed them away with the back of her hands, but Tully saw them and his mouth twisted. “Nat, it’s okay. I just need to make sure the outside guards are under control before we walk out of here. But wewillwalk out of here. I promise you that.”
“Tully.” Leland’s voice sounded like it was coming from Tully’s vest. “The police are here. They’re rounding up the outer guards. I’m on my way to you with Chief Borland.”
“You coming in the front?”
“Yup, right now,” Leland said.
“Take a right under the grand staircase. Down the hall, third door on the left,” Tully directed.
