Page 42 of Deadly Threat
He held out a hand. “Ready? Don’t hesitate to use it if you need to.”
She slid her hand into his, lowering her goggles before accepting the weapon. “I’m more than ready.”
Now familiar with the path, he hustled her to the lab.
Eighteen
Mia wasn’t a runner and their trek seemed like an obstacle course. Her legs had trouble keeping up with Malachi’s, although she admired his athleticism. She tripped once, nearly losing the stun stick, the night vision goggles messing with her depth perception. Malachi didn’t say a word, simply helped her stand and pushed on.
They had entered a deserted building that smelled like garbage and made her gag when they heard a commotion coming from the direction of the lab. “Go!” Malachi pointed toward a set of metal stairs leading up to the second floor.
Adrenaline offering a burst of speed, she took them two at a time. He followed and urged her to a lookout position at a dusty, broken window.
Bats descended from perches above, causing Mia to nearly scream as tiny wings flapped near her head. She waved the stun gun to fend them off and felt Malachi grip her wrist, holding the weapon at bay. It was only then that she realized she’d nearly clobbered him with her knee-jerk reaction.
He tugged her gently in front of him, pointing out the hole of the busted glass. She caught the soft chatter of radios, and instinctively turned her ear toward them, holding her breath to listen.
The SWAT team moved like nocturnal creatures, flowing into the building quickly in a long chain. Malachi silently indicated several stationed outside as well, and another chain entering at the rear.
Her stomach tensed, seeing the loading dock and the dirty panel truck, dirty and bluish-white in the moonlight. Something in the recesses of her memory twinged. “Do you think Damon was bringing me here to kill me that night?”
Malachi’s breath was warm on her neck. “What?”
Anxiety cramped inside her chest. Her breathing grew shaky and she knew it wasn’t from the effects of hurrying through the woods. “When he was caught. Sam said we were only a few miles from here.” Her teeth chattered, and her limbs trembled. “He was going to kill me and cremate my body or toss it in the landfill, wasn’t he?”
Malachi’s arms went around her. “You’re safe now.”
It wasn’t confirmation, and yet it was. She truly had been close to death that night.
Staring at the lab, she wondered if she’d been inside it, like Sam had suggested. Did it have a holding cell? Was Amber in there now?
She closed her eyes and forced her breathing to slow. Reliving old memories or speculating about what might have happened did no one any good. Being here for Amber, if she needed her, would.
Minutes felt like hours as they watched. Voices floated to them as the SWAT team members called out.
“What’s taking so long?” she asked. “Do you think they found her?”
Malachi’s chest, with its layers and pockets filled with various items, heaved on a tight sigh. “We’d know if they had encountered anyone, especially Amber. King and Lopez—Horvat—would not leave her unguarded.”
He’d told her it would be a long shot, and he’d been right. “What about the other sites? Maybe we should try them?”
“I haven’t heard anything yet, and we’d know if they’d found something. Sam would call.”
“You told Caleb you thought we’d been misled—did you mean by her? Why would she do that?”
“To keep you safe. It’s no surprise you’d demand to be here when the unit went in. They wanted to keep us both out of the way.”
Several men returned outside, and numerous radio discussions took place. They fanned out and began a sweep of the terrain.
Malachi tugged her from the window, drawing out binoculars. “I’m sorry, but it looks like this was a bust.”
Renewed anger and frustration boiled under her skin. “How did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That they didn’t really think she was here?”
He glanced through the lenses, keeping an eye on those who might come their direction. Then he lowered them and a slice of moonlight danced across his face, making his blue irises turn icy. “Did you see any of the Taskforce here?”
