Sarah spotted two black BMW’s parked alongside the side entrance of a sprawling brick building. Two bald men, dressed in black sport coats and standing guard near the vehicles, looked their way.

  “This should be good right here,” Stone said, nodding at the rough-looking men as they passed by.

  Renner pulled close to the dark gray, steel, roll-up door of the building next to them and killed the engine. He unlatched his seat and opened his door.

  Stone followed suit and stepped out of the passenger side. He moved around the front of the car and across the alley toward the two men. He pointed at Sarah as Renner opened the back door of the squad car.

  He reached inside and grabbed her arm.

  Sarah stayed put and didn’t move, not wanting to budge from her seat.

  “Come on. Get out, now.” Renner tightened his grip on her bicep. His fingernails bit into her skin. He reached for his collapsible baton.

  Sarah scooted across the bench seat and stepped outside of the cruiser.

  Renner pulled her away from the car and slammed the door shut. The two men looked her way as Renner escorted her toward them.

  Stone shook their hands, looked at Renner, then tilted his head at the entrance of the building. “Let’s take her inside, get paid, and get the hell out of here.”

  One of the guards hung back, staying close to the expensive sedans while the other moved around the trunk toward the entrance.

  Renner pulled Sarah to an unknown fate with Stone flanking them. She peered over her shoulder at the portly detective.

  Stone diverted his gaze, unwilling to look her in the eye. He put his hand on her back and pushed her along.

  Sport-coat pounded his fist against the dull gray door three times, then took a step back.

  The door unlocked, then creaked open.

  Leatherface emerged from the shadows of the building, then glanced her way. His scarred face contorted in a scowl as he looked her over. “Took you two long enough.”

  Sarah forced the lump lodged in her throat down. A sickening feeling tormented her gut.

  Stone stepped alongside Sarah, then said, “She’s a bit slippery, this one. You wanted her undamaged. That took a bit of work.”

  “So I’ve noticed. She’s killed a number of my men.” Leatherface stepped outside, then held the door open. “Take her inside. The boss wants to see her.”

  I killed his men? What? The statement made little sense to Sarah, seeing as she didn’t kill any of them, though, she would’ve if it meant her living or dying. Spencer dispatched the threats–a detail that Leatherface and his crew had no knowledge of from the sounds of it.

  Sport-coat took the lead, followed by Stone. Renner kept a firm hold on Sarah’s arm and trailed the men.

  Leatherface slammed the door closed behind them, severing the sun from the dark hallway. The men walking before her turned to shadowy figures.

  Lights flickered in the distance, then trained toward them. The hollow footfalls echoed in the grim silence. Each step made Sarah’s heart pound that much harder.

  “Have we not gotten confirmation yet on whether Kinnerk is alive or dead?” The loud, deep voice boomed like thunder down the passageway. “What’s taking so damn long? Either he’s dead or not. It’s not that difficult, Malone.”

  “Bryce, we’re working with our contacts in the police department and men in the area to make this happen. Given the situation with the blackout, and cell service being offline, it has complicated matters a bit,” a soft-spoken man replied. “We should know something soon, though.”

  “I don’t give two craps about blackouts or whatever caused this mess. I just want to know if that petty thug is dead or not. We’ve dismantled a portion of his network already. Cutting the head off the snake is the final blow to making my world better.” Bryce’s voice grew louder.

  The light brightened as numerous lanterns placed around the storage room came into view. Sarah spotted four men standing among the stacks of boxes and steel racks loaded with an array of canned goods and empty pizza boxes.

  The chatter among the men ceased as Sport-coat, Stone, and the others came into view.

  “Speak of the damn devil and he appears.” Bryce threw his large hands in the air. Sweat populated his bullet-shaped head and raced down the sides of his flushed, pudgy cheeks. “Maybe these two will be able to provide some answers instead of giving me excuses.”

  Stone and Renner stopped with Sarah wedged between them.

  Leatherface made a wide arch around the trio. He leaned against the wall in the small open space at the end of the steel rack with his arms folded across his chest.

  Stone cleared his throat, then pulled the collar of his button-up shirt away from his neck. “We haven’t found anything else out yet, but we’re on top of it. As soon as we have something, you’ll be the first to know.

  “Jesus Christ.” Bryce shook his head in disgust. “Guess everyone is failing me. Pathetic.”

  Stone shifted. “Don’t worry, we’ll–”

  “Don’t tell me not to worry.” Bryce sounded more like a grizzly bear foaming at the mouth than a man. “Do I need to remind you two of what’s at stake if you fail me? With a single order, I could devastate you and your families’ worlds. You best remember that.”

  Neither Renner nor Stone replied.

  Sarah quaked in her own skin from the threat, even though it hadn’t been directed at her. He spoke as if he could snap his fingers and ruin their lives without much effort.

  Bryce looked to Leatherface, then asked, “Is this her? The one Valintino commissioned.”

  Leatherface chewed on a toothpick and nodded. “Yeah. The mother of the girl Kinnerk’s man killed. We weren’t able to find her friend at the warehouse either, but we will.”

  “Make sure of that,” Bryce replied. “Have we heard from our inside man, yet? He’s late and I’m growing tired of being in this damn sweat box.”

  “You rang?” a familiar voice sounded from the shadows across the room.

  Spencer materialized from the blackness with his white ghost skull mask over his head. He glanced Sarah’s way, but acted as though he didn’t know her.

  Sarah tensed and gulped. Her heart slammed into her throat, and she struggled to catch her breath.

  “You’re late. And what’s up with the mask?” Bryce asked, pointing his thick round finger at him.

  “Anonymity,” Spencer answered.

  “Have you heard anything about Kinnerk? Valintino isn’t too thrilled with the sort of heat that’s been drummed up because of that hack, and wants us to make sure everything’s handled properly from this point on. I’m all too happy to oblige.” Bryce spoke with venomous contempt for the rival mobster.

  “Nothing yet. Either he’s dead and his crew is stalling, or he’s alive and ordered them to keep it under wraps. I’m still working it, though.” Spencer looked over at Sarah again—a quick glance that no one seemed to catch.

  “Work faster. Valintino isn’t someone you piss off. His reach is far and so are his pockets. More than mine. The last thing I need or want is to have his enforcers come after us. They have no problem torturing a man for days. That’s one of the main reasons he’s one of the big drug lords. We can’t muck this up.”

  Malone looked to Sarah. “So, she’s the one who killed our men at the docks and in that alley?”

  “Horse shit,” Bryce replied, dismissing the question as preposterous. “Look at her. Does she look like she could take out five well-armed men? I think not. I don’t care what you say, she had to have help from someone.”

  “I didn’t kill your men,” Sarah said, in response to his statement. She looked to Spencer for a second who seemed unafraid by what could come from her mouth.

  Renner tugged on her arm, signaling for her to shut her mouth.

  “I know you didn’t,” Bryce replied. “But I imagine you know who did.”

  Sarah shot Spencer another glance, his name tickling the tip of her tongue. She could oust him right there and be rid of the deviant once and for all, but the irony of her situation left her conflicted.

  The one person who tormented her was also the lesser of two evils at the moment.

  “I don’t. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t get a good look at him,” Sarah answered.

  Bryce ran his large hand over his sweaty face. “We’ll see about that. You’re not heading off to Valintino just yet. Malone, take her to the other room until we’re ready to leave.”

  Stone held up his hand, stopping Malone. “With all due respect, I’d like to handle our additional arrangement first before we let her go. We took a risk grabbing her from her home. That is outside the scope we agreed upon.”

  Malone looked to Bryce, waiting for a response.

  “Go ahead and take her. We’ll conclude our business with our associates here, so they can get back to protecting these fine streets of Boston.”

  Stone and Renner moved away from Sarah, allowing Malone to take her.

  Spencer kept an eye on her as they walked toward him. “Mind if I tag along? Let them hammer out their business?”

  Malone checked with Bryce.

  He nodded, then shooed them away.

  Spencer waited for them to pass, then walked behind Sarah. They traveled down the narrow hall, lit with lanterns placed against the base of the walls. He leaned in close and whispered into her ear. Sarah shuddered from being so close and feeling his warm breath on her skin. “Wait for my signal, and do as I say if you want to survive this.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  SARAH

  Sarah gulped, then swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. Spencer had a plan from the sounds of it, but what could it be?

  Kill them and steal her away?

  Bargain for her release, or perhaps something else she couldn’t think of right then. Either way, he sounded as though he had some sort of idea to get her out.

  Malone walked in front of her with Spencer in the back, leading Sarah through the narrow halls and up a flight of stairs.

  The discussion between Bryce and the corrupt cops on his payroll faded away, leaving only the sound of their footfalls rapping against each step as they climbed to the second floor.

  Two faint reports of gunfire sounded from the way they came.

  Sarah flinched. “What was that?”

  “Concluding business, I’d imagine,” Malone replied, unshaken by the noise. “Keep moving.” He hit the landing of the second floor and skirted past the corner of the wall. The floor creaked under their weight, adding to the eerie ambiance of the building.

  A door opened from down the hall. A shadowy figure stepped out into the hallway.

  The flickering light illuminated a portion of his stone-cold gaze and his box chin. The grip of a pistol stuck out from the top of his trousers.

  Spencer tapped her on the arm, then moved her to the side.

  The guard from down the hall reached for his piece, trying to dig it out from his trousers as quick as he could.

  Malone stopped and reached inside his sport coat.

  A single, muffled report discharged next to her head. Another followed right after.

  The guard took two rounds to the chest–center mass. His hold on the weapon fell from his hand and clattered off the floor. He stumbled back into the door jamb, then dropped to the floor.

  Malone spun on his heels, and aimed the piece he had clutched tight in his hand.

  Spencer shoved Sarah against the wall, clearing her from the line of fire. His gun barked, clipping Malone in his shoulder. The weapon dropped to his side as he groaned in pain.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Malone asked, palming the wound on his shoulder. “Bryce is going to have your head for betraying him.”

  Sarah stayed glued to the wall, shielding her head, and watching the two men battle it out.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, you won’t see it,” Spencer replied.

  Malone lifted his injured arm up, holding the pistol.

  Spencer squeezed the trigger, placing a round right between Malone’s eyes. His head snapped back and legs buckled, sending him crumbling to the floor.

  Sarah removed her arms from around her head, looking at the dead bodies on the floor.

  Spencer scanned over the room next to the dead guard, then bent down next to Malone. “You know how to fire one of these, right?”

  “Uh, yeah,” Sarah replied, a bit shaken.

  “Good. You’re going to need it.” Spencer handed her the piece, then stood up. “Don’t shoot me in the back, all right?”

  Sarah took the weapon without responding.

  Spencer walked past her, then stopped. “Stay close and follow my lead. You see anything move in the shadows, fire until you hear it hit the ground.”

  Sarah nodded and followed him down the hall toward the staircase. She looked at the back of his masked head, contemplating shooting him now and taking her chances with the men below. Sarah wasn’t a cold-blooded killer, though.

  Both of her hands clutched the grip of the weapon for dear life as she trailed Spencer down the flight of stairs. Her breathing escalated and her pulse spiked.

  A black-clad figure moved in the shadows at the bottom of the staircase. Spencer fired. The shadowy figure fell back into the wall, then down to his back side.

  Spencer stepped over the man’s lifeless body and turned the corner.

  Sarah eyed the man slumped over on his side as she passed by–checking for any sort of movement.

  “So, how exactly do you figure into all of this?” Sarah asked, curious. “I’ve gathered that you’re working both sides, but why?”

  “You, Sarah. It’s always been about you, but then again, you know how I feel about you,” Spencer replied. “But now’s not the time. If you want to live, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

  Sarah didn’t trust him, but needed him at that moment to escape.

  Gunfire rang out from down the corridor. Spencer shielded Sarah with his body, taking a round to the chest. He reeled from the blow, but didn’t go down.

  Spencer returned fire, popping off multiple shots in quick succession. The gunman from down the hall dropped to his knees, then fell flat on his face.

  A hand reached out from behind Sarah, grabbed her shoulder, then spun her around. She squeezed without thought. The bark of the pistol hammered her ears.

  “Ah,” the man moaned, then shoved her against the wall.

  Spencer pulled him off her and placed a round in his temple. The man’s body hit the floor with a dull thud. Spencer squeezed the trigger again, but the gun clicked empty. He ejected the spent magazine, retrieved a fresh one from his back pants pocket, and slapped it into the well. He cycled a round, then said, “Come on. We–”

  Sarah caught a flash of something moving from the corner of her eye. It hit Spencer in the back and tackled him to the floor.

  “I had a feeling it was you,” Leatherface said, straddling Spencer’s waist. “I told Bryce you couldn’t be trusted, but he didn’t listen. Guess he will now.” Leatherface hammered Spencer’s face with his fist, bouncing the back of his skull off of the concrete.

  Spencer grabbed his arm and rolled Leatherface to the side. The two men fought on the ground, their bodies tangled as one in the dim light.

  Sarah couldn’t tell one from the other as the men battled for the upper hand.

  Footfalls from down the hallway in the direction they came filled her ears. Panic set in.

  Spencer slammed Leatherface’s head into the wall, cracking the sheetrock.

  The crackle of gunfire boomed in the corridor.

  Sarah ducked and returned fire at the two shadowy figures rushing headlong at them.

  “Stop firing. You’ll hit the woman or me,” Leatherface said, through strained breath.

  Spencer decked him in the face, loosening Leatherface’s hold from around his throat.

  Sarah ran, seizing the chance to slip away from both threats. She brought her pistol to bear and swept the hall.

  The commotion behind Sarah grew more volcanic–the shouting and slew of threats being tossed about escalated with each passing second.

  Sarah craned her neck, looking around the wall for Bryce, his henchmen, or Stone and Renner. Her hand tightened over the grip a hair more as she entered the silent space. She tripped over a body on the floor, and hit the concrete hard.

  The pistol popped free of her hand and slid across the ground. Her hand brushed over the floor, searching for the piece.

  The light from a lantern tipped over on its side, revealing Stone’s bloody face and wide eyes staring at her.

  Sarah scooted away from the dead detective on her hands and knees. She ran into a leaning tower of boxes. They tumbled down on top of her. Lost in confusion, and scared out of her mind, Sarah shoved the weighted boxes from her body.

  A hand grabbed her arm and jerked her from the floor. Bryce’s other right-hand man who had stood next to Malone held onto her tight.

  Sarah jammed the heel of her palm into his nose, then kicked him in the groin. She grabbed what hair she could find on his head and rammed her knee into his face.

  His arms went wide as he fell back onto Stone.

  Her foot moved and hit something solid.

  Sarah dipped her chin and searched the floor. Her piece sat just to the right of her.

  Bryce’s man reached inside his coat, retrieving his sidearm from the shoulder holster. He pulled it out just as Sarah got her hands on the grip of hers.

  She turned and fired, squeezing the trigger twice without thought.

  Two rounds hammered his chest. His arm went limp, dropping the gun to the floor.

  Sarah skirted past the round table Bryce and his men stood around, heading for the hallway that led out to the alley. Bryce had vanished, gone from the building as far as she could tell.

  Another dead body laid face first on the concrete near the entrance to the dark hallway. The scant bit of light that reached the body revealed the officer’s uniform. Renner.

  The hammering of footsteps charged from the other hall. Sarah turned on her heels and looked, but couldn’t see around the blind corner. She stooped down and riffled through Renner’s pockets, frantic to find the keys to his squad car.

 

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