Page 99 of Holding On to a Hero
Chapter Fifty
Brian
I thought I’d been prepared for the shooter to make a move on me. I thought I’d planned for every contingency. What I didn’t plan for was my bias. Stupid assumptions about what evil people look like. Assumptions get you killed. And get your brother’s boyfriend killed.
I’d worked later than usual to get everything cleared off my to-do list so I could focus my weekend on setting up security for Monday’s TV interview. I knew I was a potential hostage risk due to my relationship with Jason, so starting tomorrow Malcolm was coming to stay at my house as my personal protection. In the meantime we’d instituted phone check-ins every two hours. I had about thirty minutes left before I was to call him.
I was tired and, I’ll admit, distracted as the elevator opened into the parking garage under my office building. It had been a long week and I was stressed about Jason, Cole and Will being in town and more vulnerable. And I was stressed about the strain I’d put on my relationship with Jason by not telling Will that Cole’s coma was just a cover story. But, as I’d told Jason, I hadn’t known Will and hadn’t known who he might tell. I’d do the same thing again in a heartbeat. Jason would have to deal with it.
I finally went on alert when I heard the sound of metal clattering on pavement. I cautiously rounded the corner of the aisle where I’d parked my SUV and saw an older woman picking up what looked like cat food cans from the garage floor. She was trying to put them back into a canvas grocery bag but there must have been twenty cans, all spread along the aisle.
The woman didn’t seem to hear me as I walked up. She was crouched behind the car next to mine, trying to reach a can that had rolled next to one of the rear wheels.
“Hey, do you need some help?” I wasn’t thrilled about offering, but my mother would’ve had a fit if she’d found out I’d even considered avoiding it. Not to mention I couldn’t get to my SUV without walking past the woman and her cat food cans.
The woman made a startled sound and jerked out from where she’d been reaching under the car. I backed up and held my hands out. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Oh!” She put her hand to her chest. “No, it’s my fault. I didn’t see you. I should pay more attention.”
“Why don’t I help you?” I set my messenger bag down and began gathering the cans that had rolled behind my car.
“Thank you so much! That’s so nice of you.”
“It’s really not a problem. I wouldn’t want your cat to go hungry.” I leaned over to put the double handful of cans I’d gathered into the canvas bag. The pain from the stun gun in my side was a surprise.
As I cursed myself and tried to stay conscious, the woman patted my pockets to find my keys. She efficiently zip-tied my wrists – in front of me, thank fuck – and then tossed her shopping bag and my messenger bag into my SUV.
She came back with some sort of small tarp. After rolling me onto it she dragged me to the passenger side of the SUV. She leveraged me into a sitting position and then she put her shoulder under my belly and shoved me up onto the seat. Now, I’m not big like my brother, but for a woman who had to be at least in her late fifties to lift me enough to get me into the passenger seat of an SUV was impressive. I was dying to find out who she was. Well, hopefully notactuallydying.
Other than some grunts as she heaved me around, she didn’t speak. Some muscle control was starting to return but I was a long way from escaping or even just asking questions.
The woman pulled the seat belt across me and then shut the passenger door. It was the optimal time for me to escape, if only I’d had any control over my muscles. The moment was gone when she climbed into the driver’s seat. After some adjusting of the seat and mirrors, she pulled out of the parking space and calmly exited the parking garage. There were some pedestrians on the sidewalk, but it was dark and I couldn’t move to get anyone’s attention.
She drove out of downtown and we passed under Mopac. My phone rang twice but both times the woman hit the red icon on the car’s display screen to ignore the call. A couple of lights later she turned and pulled into the parking area for Redbud Isle. It was deserted at this time of night.Here we go.
My muscles were mostly my own again, so I readied myself to make a move but before I could she pulled a Glock from somewhere and pointed it at me. “You’re going to call your brother. I know they’re in town. You’re going to make an excuse to go see them tonight, and then you’re going to tell me how to get there.”
“Why would I do that? You’re just going to kill us all. If I don’t tell you, the worst you’ll do is just kill me.” I had to put up some sort of protest; it was expected. But honestly, I was ecstatic she was going to let me talk to Jason before I got there. He could be prepared and take her out before anyone got hurt.
“I don’t have any reason to kill you, your brother or Cole Washburn. All I want is William Graham. If you cooperate with me, no one else has to get hurt.” I gave a mental snort. As if. She probably had some plan to make it look like a murder/suicide and was going to frame one of us.
“Who are you anyway?” Might as well try to gather some intel.
“None of your concern. Make the call.” It had been worth a shot. So to speak.
I gave her a resigned sigh. My brother might have been the athlete in the family, but drama club had come in handy for me in my adult life. “Okay. Just don’t hurt Jason. He’s all I have.” Well, except for my mom. But, you know,acting.
She gestured with the gun. “Make the call.”
I told her which button to push on the steering wheel and then I instructed the car to call Jason’s satellite phone.
“Barney’s Barbecue, how can I help you?”Alone and not under duress.
“That’s cute, Jason. I, uh,”Under duress with one perp.“I wanted to see if I could stop by. I’ve got some stuff to go over for the interview on Monday.”
“Sure!” He sounded way too cheerful. Malcolm must have called when I didn’t make our check-in. I didn’t exactly relax, but I was even more optimistic now. “Come on by. It’ll be great to see you. I’ve really missed you.”
“Me too.” I got a little choked up at that, but the woman glared at me and waggled her gun as if to remind me to move things along. “Are all three of you home?”
