The caterer passes me a quick look and I freeze in place. But I don't stay frozen for long because I remember that I have never actually met her face-to-face. When I hired her, I only talked to her over the phone using a fake identity.
She won't be up here for long. Her job is to simply drop off appetizers and drinks and then leave before the event starts.
Everyone helping set up the event understood that it was a private affair. So there will be nobody on the roof or in the entire building who shouldn't be here. The only people that will still be in the building when the bomb goes off are the people who are being targeted.
I've gone to great measures to ensure that there is no collateral damage. Although there's a sinking feeling in my gut that either Zach or I could become the collateral damage I fought so hard to avoid.
Zach understood the risk just as I did too.
He steps towards the caterer, a woman in her mid-thirties with dark chocolate hair and blue eyes. He sets the dolly upright and leans against it. "I was told to drop off this beer over here, underneath the tent."
"Oh, I didn't realize." She purses her lips and frowns. “So I assume you will need a table to set up the beer?"
"Yes, I'm so sorry." I reach out my hand to shake hers and cock my head sideways. "Did Emma not tell you?"
"I'm afraid that she didn't. But it's not a problem." She glances around her surroundings. There are three tables underneath the tent forming an L shape. She points to the table nearest the stage and says, "Here, you can use this table.”
"Thank you." I force a smile. "It's kind of strange, don't you think, that we are all being asked to leave?"
She shrugs and smiles a warm smile. I can tell she's a good person and for the first time, I start to think about how this could affect her. Even though she will be long gone before the explosion, I can't help but feel bad. For the rest of her life, she will remember that she was almost here on this fateful day.
"This is my job. I do what I'm asked by the client." She drops her head low and chuckles with bright eyes. "And to be honest, it's a well-paying job so I wasn't going to turn it down. So I'm going to go pick up my kids from cheerleading practice and then come pick up my equipment when the event is over."
Little does she know, she won’t be picking up anything. When she returns, there will be quite the scene. Ambulances, fire trucks, police, and most likely the FBI. When and if she returns, she will be met with a confusing scene of chaos.
And she won't know it, at least right away, but the world will be a safer world when she comes to pick up her stuff that will be burned to the ground, nothing left but rubble and bones of the men left behind.
I continue talking to her as a means to distract her while Zach picks up the first box and steps over to the table. He does the same with the next box. And then with the two boxes after that, he sets them on the ground just underneath the table.
He opens the first box and begins placing bottles of beer on the table. He's playing the part well, all the while making sure to hide his face from the attendees in the background.
I glance down at the watch on my wrist and take notice that nobody important should be showing up for at least another two hours. But then why are men already starting to come out onto the rooftop, each and every one of them dressed to the nine as if they are going to a black tie event or something.
I pass a worried look to Zach who begins to unload the beer faster and then I turn back to Emma with a warm and welcoming smile to distract her once more. "So, you have kids?"
"Yeah…" When she says those words, when she confirms that she does have kids, it's like her entire world lights up. Her face certainly lights up. “They are my pride and joy. As a single mom—”
"I'm sorry to hear that." I exhale softly, feeling slightly awkward for interrupting her with an apology. "I wish I had kids of my own," I say, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. “I’m afraid that I'm almost getting past the age where that might be a viable possibility."
"You don't need to be sorry for me," she says with a light chuckle. "It was my choice to be a single mother. I don't want to get into all the details, because it’s somewhat personal, but I made a choice and I wouldn't want to have any other way."
I wasn't expecting the topic of conversation to hit me the way it does. I wasn't expecting to get lost in my own thoughts as I contemplate the idea of myself having children. It was an off-the-cuff remark, just a way for me to try and engage with her. But as those words came out of my lips, my admittance that I wanted to have children, I realized that it was the truth. I realized that I wasn’t simply engaging with this woman as a means to distract her from Zach’s nefarious deeds in the background.
It’s not something I've ever thought about. It's not something I’ve ever wanted to think about. Bringing a child up in the world that I knew was never even something that was a remote possibility. There was no way in hell, for as long as my father was alive, that I would ever subject a child to that kind of life.
I don't deny that my father give me everything I could ever need materialistically speaking. He gave me everything and then some more. All of those things though, all those earthly possessions could never quite fill the void in my heart. For better or worse though, he made me into the woman I am today. He made me into the woman that is standing here today preparing to put an end to all this. And for every time he ever said I was weak, today is going to be my reckoning. Today, I step into my own and become my own woman.
And maybe tomorrow, just maybe, that will be the day when I can seriously consider the idea of having my own children finally, because once and for all, I will have escaped my father's legacy of crime and corruption. Once and for all, I will no longer be defined by the malicious actions of my father.
Zach finishes setting up the second box of beers. He keeps one box of beer underneath the table and then lowers the last box back onto the dolly. He glances at me with a knowing wink and I know that the bomb has been set. It’s lying and waiting in the box at the corner of the roof top. He grabs the dolly to begin pushing it away from the catered tent and that's when I offer my goodbyes to the kind woman in front of me.
“It was nice meeting you," I say to her and shake her hand once more. "Maybe I'll see you around the city."
"It's a huge city." She nods. “But I'm sure I'll see you in passing at some point." She looks around at the table and then sighs. "I actually think I'm about to head out too, but it was really nice meeting you."
"Same." I offer her a wave of my hand before twisting on my feet to follow Zach.
He pushes the dolly across the rooftop. Instead of cutting towards the elevator, he makes a straight path to the opposite corner as the caterer makes her exit into the elevator.
I shield Zach’s body from view of the other guests meandering about on the rooftop. I cover him, pretending to look at the scenery of the city around us. It's not much of a scene though because it's mostly just rundown complexes, but the sun setting in the near distance is breathtaking.
When my father chose this building of all places to set up his office, he did so with knowing that he would be less visible in a place like this. And he would be less visible because there aren't as many people out here as there are downtown or in the valley.
Zach pushes the last box off the dolly and behind a large black speaker that sits in the corner. And then he twists on his feet and pushes the dolly towards me.
I collect the dolly with my hand and then begin making my way towards the elevator as inconspicuously as possible. Zack's shadow hangs over me as he follows me on my tail. I swallow nervously as I push my finger against the down button. And my body reaches a boiling degree from the nerves in my body. It's like I'm on fire as sweat trickles down my forehead.
We're almost out of the lion’s den, so to speak, but I'm not naïve. Something could still go wrong. The elevator doors part open and the two of us step calmly and coolly inside. We only turn back around when the elevator doors have
come to a close.
"Everything is going according to plan." Zach passes me a wink.
"Please don't say that,” I say to him, low and under my breath. "I'm superstitious."
"Don't be ridiculous…"
"I can't help it." I exhale sharply and cross my arms over each other. My eyes shift to the panel beside the elevator door as we slowly ascend to the ground level, one floor at a time. "It's just the way I was brought up in this world."
"Yeah, but you haven’t exactly taken after your parents." He glances down to me from above. "Remember what I said last night. Remember when I said that you can be anyone you want to be.” He shrugs with a sly grin. "So choose to not be superstitious and you won't be superstitious."
I roll my eyes just as the elevator doors open. Zach braces his hands against the handles of the dolly and begins to push it out of the elevator.
And that's when everything goes to shit…
Again.
“Well, look what we have here." Richard smiles. And I think about doing something stupid, I think about fighting back. But it's no use. In the time it would take to grab the gun that's hidden behind my back, the two armed men behind him could pull the triggers of the handguns they have aimed squarely at our heads. "You know what I see? I see two dead men walking.”
I swallow harshly, curse under my breath, and then pass Zach a severe look of discontent.
Yeah, I’m definitely superstitious…
For a good damn reason.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LOLA
Richard escorted us to a room on the first floor. And he left his two armed men behind to watch us. They're not as intimidating as the men that have been hounding us since yesterday because instead of having assault rifles, they only have handguns.
But considering they took both of our guns away from us, they are in a position of power and we are in a position of being knee-deep in bullshit.
We're outnumbered and out-armed. And though there are bombs up on the rooftop, both of them set to blow at an exact time, I now fear that we will still be in this building once the bombs goes off. And that's not a part of the plan.
It's actually the worst case scenario.
Although both Zach and I knew there were risks when we started this, it’s still not easy to stare near-certain extermination in the face. On some level, I think we are both more than ready to go down with the ship if we have to. Because at the end of the day, the removal of these men from this world will change the world for the better.
I used to think that I couldn't sacrifice myself to save the lives of others. I didn't think I had that kind of strength or commitment for the sake of good. But I know that's different now. If I have to die here today, I will at least know that I went out in a fiery blaze of glory.
Still, that doesn't change the fact that I don't want to die, and simply because it’s almost like I have something worth living for now. I have Zach, and I’m going to fight like hell to stay alive so that I can keep him.
I don’t know the names of either of the two men who stand before us in the small office we’re locked in. They're complete strangers to me, but I would imagine that they are nothing more than hired mercenaries by Richard, and in that regard, I might be able to negotiate with them. There's a common rule in the world I live in. The rule basically says that the person who has the most money has the most power. If I can outbid whatever Richard is paying these men then maybe I can convince them to work for me instead.
But I don't have a chance to bargain with the two men before the office door peels open.
Richard steps inside with a satisfied grin written all over his smug face. He holds his hands behind his back as if he's a proper gentleman as he steps between the two men and steps right in front of me and Zach.
Neither of us is bound. Our hands aren’t tied behind our backs. We are able to move freely if we want to, but if we move, we will probably receive a bullet in the head. After all, those were the orders that Richard gave to his men before he left us for a good half hour. My best guess is that in his maniacal mind, he wanted to present us with the illusion that we still have our free will, but it’s all just a game and nothing more.
Richard eyes the both of us before finally leveling his glare on me alone. “You two are supposed to be dead.”
“Should we?” I question and roll my eyes, finding the bravery from within. If I’m going to die—which is looking more and more likely at this point—then I’m not going down without a little bit of a verbal joust. “Well, we’re obviously not dead unless you’re seeing ghosts.”
“Yes, you idiot,” he scowls. “I know you’re not dead because you’re standing right in front of me.” He crosses his arms over each other and passes his gaze to Zach. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t inquisitive as to how you pulled it off.” He looks back to me with a wild grin. “I’d also be lying if I said I had time to find out.”
“You don’t have a lot of time left,” Zach grits out from behind gritted teeth, and when I look over to him, I see him clenching his hand into a fist.
Richard sees this too and simply rolls his eyes. “Are you talking about the bombs you placed on the rooftop?” He bites into his lip and laughs like a deaf hyena—if only he could hear how ridiculous he sounds. But inside, I’m realizing that it’s game over. We’ve blown our one opportunity to end this. “Those bombs have been deactivated, so whatever you were planning, it’s off. It’s time to realize that I always win.” He clicks his tongue against his cheek. “Nice try, though. I bet you two both really thought you were going to get away with it.”
Zach drops his head and laughs lowly, like he’s only laughing for himself but it’s clear that Richard can hear him. The big bad psychopath takes a measured step towards Zach and cups him at the chin, tilts his head upwards and stares right into his eyes.
“Nothing about this is funny,” he scolds him and then nods like he’s second-guessing those words he’s just said. “Well, some things are funny. For example,” he steps backwards with a sly grin, “I’m going to up back onto that rooftop and make a grand speech just before I take over Grimm Industries. And when I’m done, I’ll come back for the two of you—”
“To kill us?” I swallow a lump in my throat but try to remain firm in my resolve, try to remain standing upright as if I’m not afraid, even if the truth is that I’m very afraid.
“No,” he laughs again, this time with a roar that shakes me to my very core. “I have quite the future planned out for the two of you.” He continues to step backwards until he’s standing behind the two armed guard. “And your fate is something far worse than death. Know that and think about that, and let that always serve as a reminder to never cross me.”
He waves his hand in the air, signifying that this is goodbye.
But I can’t let him walk back out that door until I know the truth.
“Stop!” I scream at him, and he comes to a halt. He cocks his head to me with curious eyes and an inquisitive gaze. “Why did you kill my father?”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” he questions, but I think I know exactly why he killed him. I think everything is going according to his plan, but he continues anyway. “I didn’t kill your father. In fact, right up until now, I was still convinced that you or your boyfriend did it. Not that it matters much. In fact, I’m quite happy he’s dead given the current state of affairs. I’m about to ascend to one of the most powerful positions in the world and when I find out who killed him, I’ll have to send a thank you card.” He waves me off before twisting on his feet and opening the door. But before he leaves, he cranes his head over his shoulder once more and smiles at me. “You really didn’t do it?” he questions and I know with absolute certainty that he didn’t kill my father. “Hmmm…” He bites into his lip and shakes his head before shrugging. “I really thought it had to be you considering how much you hate him. When I find out who did it, maybe you can send a thank you note to the man as well?”
He cl
oses the door behind him and we’re left with the two armed men, and though I don’t see a way out of this, I’m not content to just stand here waiting for the inevitable. I try to think of a plan but my mind is going haywire as I try to come up with potential suspects in the slaying of my father.
I simply come up empty until I lock eyes with the first of the two men standing before us. The only thing that separates them from each other is one is leaner than the other with burnt hazel eyes… And I take particular notice of the way he keeps looking at me and then pretending as if he’s not.
That’s our ticket out of here… Good, old-fashioned manipulation using the weakness of the opposite sex. I’ll make him think he can touch me, make him think he can have his way with me. And the poor son of a bitch won’t even know what happened to him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ZACH
I’m steadfast in my resolve to escape this room and to finish what we started even if I know there’s no logical path out of here without taking a serious risk in being shot in the head. But that’s the name of the game when you work in the security world. Our lives are always at risk. Every day we step out onto the job, we risk our lives. Today is no different. It’s just another day at the job with the exception that I finally have something, or someone, worth fighting for.
I peek a quick glance at Lola standing beside me and notice the way she makes eye contact with the taller and leaner of the two men. My eyes shift to him and he’s torn between staring her down, undressing her with his eyes and then staring blankly ahead.
I clear my throat, trying to steal Lola’s attention but it doesn’t seem to work. My gaze bats back over to her, but she’s not interested in me right now.
She exhales a breath of air before her lips hitch into an irresistible grin and I can’t figure out what angle she’s trying to play but if she has cards up her sleeve, I’m more than willing to see how they fall before I jump into action.
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