Driven

by Rebecca Zanetti

Pain ripped down to her ribs and she shot up, hitting his chin with the top of her head. Then she grabbed for the gun. He fired several times, and crystal shattered. He fired again, and Opal screamed before the window was blown out. Nari swung wildly, hitting him in the wrist.

  The gun flew across the room and smashed into the wall. He tried to snag her again, lifting her off the ground.

  “Get out of here,” Nari ordered Opal, kicking him in the knee so he’d drop her. She landed hard and kept her body between the attacker and the administrator. “You have to go. Now.”

  The man grabbed Nari’s neck and lifted her, throwing her hard to the floor. Pain burst through her shoulder. Then he reached for her. “You’re coming with me,” he rasped, his voice hoarse. It was the same man who’d tried to take her before—she could tell by his size and the way he moved.

  Opal rushed by her, swinging the crystal vase from the table. Blood poured from her arm, soaking her cream jacket. “You shot me, you asshole,” she hissed, hitting him in the side.

  The man swiped the vase out of her hand and swung for her head.

  Opal ducked and punched him in the groin. At the same moment Nari kicked his knee from flat on her back, turning him toward the wall. Then she jumped up and kicked him beneath the chin. His head flew back and he fell against the wall.

  “Help!” Nari screamed as loudly as she could. Where was the security detail?

  The man turned toward the window and Nari rushed in front of him to stop him.

  Opal clutched her arm and dropped to her knees. “Nari?” Her voice sounded faint and her eyes widened in alarm. Then she pitched sideways.

  Nari hesitated.

  The man grabbed her again and pulled her toward the window. Nari executed a side kick and then broke his hold by twisting and letting gravity pull her down.

  “We’re not done,” he rasped.

  Running footsteps sounded along the hallway. The attacker swore and ran past her, diving through the broken window.

  Nari rushed toward Opal and dropped to her knees, yanking off her jacket. “Hold on.” She pressed her jacket to the wound and the fabric was instantly soaked. “You’re losing too much blood.”

  The door burst open and two men she didn’t recognize stood there. “Get an ambulance. Immediately,” she ordered, reaching under her shirt and ripping off her bra. She took the material and wound it around the top of Opal’s arm, trying to stem the blood.

  Opal was deathly pale but held perfectly still. “Call DHS,” she whispered. “My phone is in my purse—speed dial number nine. Code word Rough Rock.”

  Oh, yeah. Nari leapt for Opal’s purse and pulled out the phone, her hands slippery with blood. She speed-dialed nine, and somebody picked up without saying anything. “Rough Rock,” she said, urgently.

  “Received,” a male voice responded, clicking off.

  “You’ll be okay,” Nari said, panic sweeping her at the amount of blood coating the floor. Had the shooter hit an artery? No. The woman wouldn’t still be conscious in that case. “Just hold on.”

  Sirens sounded, and suddenly the entire building was overrun with armed agents in suits. Opal faded in and out, coming to with her lips turning an alarming blue. “Status?” she asked one of the three agents flanking them as the paramedics arrived.

  One man, bigger than the other two, stepped forward. His voice was low and his eyes alert. “The security detail is down, ma’am. They’re out but not dead, and we’ll transport them to the hospital right after you. We’re quietly shutting down the area to find the shooter and confiscating all CCTV in the area. We will find this man, ma’am. You have my word.”

  Nari felt sick. She gulped down bile as her adrenaline ebbed.

  Opal nodded. “We have to put a lid on this.”

  “Yes, ma’am. No worries there.” The agent motioned behind Nari, and the paramedics rolled in the stretcher.

  “Can I go with her?” Nari asked, removing her hands from the bloody bra to let the paramedics take over.

  Opal groaned when they lifted her onto the gurney. “Yes. Please accompany me,” she gasped, blood dotting her lip, her smile wan. “This was a heck of an exit interview.”

  “I know.” Nari scooted out of the way and allowed the head agent to help her up.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, releasing her arm.

  She nodded. “I’m fine.” Then she gave a quick description of the shooter, although he’d worn a mask. “I think it was the same guy who attacked me at my home, but I can’t guarantee it. He was the same size and moved similarly.” When Opal held out a hand Nari took it and ran along the hallway to the back of the ambulance beside the stretcher.

  “Nari?” Opal whispered once the doors had been shut.

  Nari leaned down, putting her ear to Opal’s mouth. “Yes?”

  “When you can do so discreetly please call your father and let him know what has happened,” Opal whispered.

  Nari nodded, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. “I’m so sorry about this.” She leaned back and held Opal’s hand while the EMT went to work on the wound. “It’s my fault.” Who would’ve thought the guy who’d attacked her would be so brazen as to try to take her while she was with the HDD administrator? Maybe he didn’t even know who Opal was. But Lassiter would know. Had it been he?

  Opal faded, her eyelids closing.

  Nari tightened her grip. “Opal? Hold on. Please.”

  * * *

  Angus stormed out of the police headquarters, more pissed off than he’d ever been before. Night had started to fall, and with the darkness came the rain. Hard, cold, biting rain. “Why couldn’t I get hold of Nari?” He’d been lucky Tate had allowed him a second call, and that Raider had picked up.

  “Get in the vehicle.” Raider Tanaka waited by his Jeep at the curb, arms crossed and black eyes searching. Apparently he didn’t mind getting wet; his thick, black hair looked drenched. “I’ve scouted the area and haven’t detected any threats to you.” He motioned Angus into the vehicle. “Let’s move, though.”

  Angus opened the passenger side door and jumped inside, dropping the bag holding his belongings. His temper wanted to be let loose, but he held back. Not only was there another dead woman, but now he’d wasted almost an entire day being charged, arrested, and then bailed out.

  Raider slid behind the wheel.

  “Thank you,” Angus said. “I can’t imagine what kind of favors you had to call in to get me out today.”

  Raider drove away from the curb. “The entire team called in favors. We even contacted Millie at some spa to have her contact a couple of her friends for help. The end result is the same—you’re out for now. Any word on your lawyer?”

  “No,” Angus said. “And I haven’t been able to call anybody else. Who picked up Nari?” He wanted her safe and locked down until he got out of this mess.

  Raider drove through traffic, his hands capable on the wheel. “I need you to take a couple of deep breaths. Nari is fine. Now breathe.”

  Angus stilled. All the thoughts rioting through his brain stopped cold. “Where is Nari?”

  Raider took a sharp left, keeping an eye on the rearview mirror. “She’s visiting Opal Clemonte in the hospital.”

  “What happened to the administrator?” Angus asked, watching the traffic stream by outside and looking for any threats.

  “She was shot by a man who was trying to kidnap Nari. This happened in a public place—well, in a private club, actually.” Raider switched lanes, glancing at his side mirror.

  Angus grabbed his arm, fire lancing through him. “The same guy who tried to take her before? Was it Lassiter?”

  “She fought back and the administrator was shot,” Raider said evenly. “Nari is fine right now. She’s at the hospital, surrounded by a multitude of armed HDD agents.”

  “Take me to the hospital,” Angus said, his heart speeding up as adrenaline flooded his system.

  Raider nodded. “That’s where I’m driving.” He switched lanes again. �
��She’s at the one on the east side, not the one where your lawyer is.”

  Angus ran his hand down his worn jeans. Even people on his periphery were getting hurt now. “I don’t think Lassiter has ever shot anybody before.”

  Raider glanced at him before retuning his focus to the road. “No, but most people don’t fight as well as Nari. He might’ve used a gun with his hostages before; it would make sense, he managed to take so many. But this would be a first, right? Going into a place with so many other people was an incredible risk.”

  Angus tried to work with the profile in his head and not freak out that Lassiter had been so close to Nari. Again. “Yeah. For him to take a risk like that, he’s upping the stakes.” Even so, it was out of character for the prolific serial killer. “We have the team pretty much locked down—perhaps that was his only option?”

  Raider took another left to the small hospital on the other side of the city. “We’re not going to get in to see her, you know.”

  Angus paused. “You can’t be here with me.”

  Raider snorted. “I bailed you out, Force. That’s on record, and if DHS wants to fire me because of our association, it’s going to happen whether or not I walk into the hospital with you.” He jumped out of his Jeep.

  Angus stepped into the rain, hit again by the loyalty of his team. What would his life be like if he left town and never worked with any of them again? He owed them all, and not only for recent events. Knowing them and leading them had probably saved his sanity as well as his life. “Are you happy with DHS?”

  “It’s only been a few days.” Raider ducked his head against the rain and hurried toward the entrance. “But I miss the team already, if that’s what you mean. We were odd, but we got things done.” He reached an overhang and paused, shaking out his hair. “Brigid really misses everyone. She doesn’t like the new computer room or the other techs, and they don’t allow dogs or kittens in the offices.”

  Brigid had enjoyed working with Roscoe snoozing on her feet and Kat curled up on her keyboard. “I wish I could think of something,” Angus said, eyeing the several agents milling around the waiting room.

  Raider opened the door. “Well, if these agents beat the shit out of us, we can sue and maybe retire on a beach somewhere.”

  Angus walked inside as if he owned the place. All heads turned to him, and he ignored the stares, striding toward the receptionist, who was watching them all with wide blue eyes. She had to be around twenty years old and she kept fiddling with her pen. “Can I help you?” she whispered.

  “Yes. I’d like to see Nari Zhang and Opal Clemonte,” he said, smiling at her.

  Her gaze lifted to his left. “Um, I—”

  “No way are you getting past me, Force,” Vaughn Ealy said, extricating himself from the pack of agents and leading with his chest. “This is your fault and we all know it. I suggest, strongly, that you get the hell out of here while you can still walk.”

  Angus turned. “Listen, you piece of shit. You’ve caused more problems for Nari and the administrator than any shooter ever could. Tell me, do any of your buddies here know about your plan to get your ex on your team just to mess with her head?”

  Vaughn barreled toward him.

  Angus braced himself, more than ready for a fight. Itching for one, actually. Vaughn hit him first, and Angus turned, throwing him into a wall. Then Vaughn turned and charged again.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Nari sat on the hard orange chair next to the hospital bed while Opal slept quietly after surgery, the beeps of the machines oddly comforting. The administrator lay in the bed, one arm out and connected to a saline solution. Bandages covered the upper part of her other arm. Even in a hospital bed, she had presence.

  “Hello? Opal?” Nari’s father hurried into the room, his suit jacket over one arm. Panic sizzled in his dark eyes. “Opal?”

  Nari relaxed back into the chair. She’d called Quan; he’d been on assignment in Texas. He’d asked her to stay with Opal until he could arrive from the airport. “She came through surgery fine, and they gave her a healthy dose of painkillers. She was shot in the arm and the surgeons had to extract the bullet.”

  Quan moved closer to the bed, looking down. He reached out and patted Opal’s hand. “She’s going to be all right?”

  “Yes,” Nari said. “The bullet nicked an artery, but we got the bleeding under control and the surgery was smooth.” She was so tired it was difficult to keep her eyes open, but she tried, so she could give Quan all the details. “Opal should be released tomorrow, and if she’s feeling all right, she can return to work whenever she wants. The bullet didn’t do much damage.”

  Quan whirled on her, his black eyes sparking. “Didn’t do much damage? Are you kidding? The administrator of a secretive governmental branch was shot in a private club. The damage might be irreparable.”

  Nari stiffened, waking right up. “We called it in, and the HDD descended. The word is out that a public official, one who works in Homeland Security in computer research, was shot by an angry ex-lover. The cover story is good, and all the local news outlets have already run with it.” It was both impressive and frightening how quickly HDD had put out the false story.

  “You had better hope so,” Quan snapped. “I haven’t worked my entire life to build this career only to have you ruin it by sleeping around with the wrong men.”

  Oh, he did not. Nari rose, standing nearly eye to eye with him. “Wait a minute, Father. You’re the one who doesn’t seem to be able to keep it in his pants.”

  Quan’s nostrils flared. “My choices don’t adversely impact other people.”

  The hurt, after all this time, was surprising. She took the emotional blow and settled herself. “Really? What about forcing me to work with a jerk who just wanted to get me out of the HDD? Or is that what you want, too? I’d say that was an adverse result.” Didn’t she mean anything to him? “By the way, the shooter was after me when Opal got injured. Any concern, father of the year?”

  He inhaled sharply, faltering for the first time ever. “I’m glad you are unharmed.”

  “Do you even care about her?” Nari gestured to the woman on the bed. “Or is she all about your career, too?”

  “I’d like to know the answer to that question as well,” Opal said sleepily.

  “Opal.” Nari’s father moved to her and took her hand, concern darkening his features. “I’m so sorry you were harmed. How are you feeling?”

  Nari focused on the woman in the bed. “Hi, Opal. The doctor said you did great in surgery and that they took out the bullet. Your arm will be fine, even though you have some stitches and might need to take it easy for a little while.”

  “I don’t take it easy.” Opal smiled, looking from Nari to Quan and back. “It seems I missed something here. Quan? Are you being a dick to your daughter?”

  Nari coughed out a laugh. “Yes.”

  Quan shook his head. “It’s Angus Force’s fault you’re in this bed, Opal.”

  Opal rolled her eyes. “It’s the fault of the crazy bastard who charged into our nice lunch and shot me. Did you even ask how she’s doing?”

  Quan looked at Nari, thoughts scattering across his face. “No. I’m sorry. How are you?”

  Nari’s mouth nearly dropped open. Maybe Opal was a good influence on her emotionally distant father. Did she care any longer? She wasn’t sure. “I’m fine. Opal was pretty tough, hitting the guy with a vase.” Even though Nari had told the administrator to run, she’d stayed and fought after being shot.

  Opal cleared her throat. “I’m getting drowsy again. Before I fall asleep, I want to make you the offer I’d planned to at lunch, Nari.”

  Nari paused. “What offer?”

  Opal coughed. “You quit because your feelings were hurt, but you’re good at your job. I’m creating a position for a psychologist who will answer to the chief of staff regarding the mental health of the agents under me. All of them. I want to concentrate on their overall well-being. In addition, t
his person will be consulted on a myriad of cases. You have all the attributes I want in the ideal candidate.” She trailed off toward the end. “Think about it, and we’ll talk when I can keep my eyes open.” She fell asleep.

  Nari gaped. That sounded like a dream job. Her dream job. Well, she’d still be with the HDD and under Quan on the organizational chart, and she wouldn’t get to work with Angus or Roscoe. But those days were gone.

  Quan released Opal’s hand. “You’re my daughter and I do care about you, but you’re a liability. Do not take this job.”

  A shadow crossed the doorway. “You are such a dick,” Angus Force said, storming inside. His shirt and several of his belt loops were torn, and blood dripped from a cut on his bottom lip. His knuckles also looked swollen. He took one look at Nari. “You okay?”

  She settled. For the first time that day the world centered itself. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. “Yes.” Then she barreled into his warm body, burying her face in his hard chest.

  * * *

  Angus took the impact of her small body, tucking an arm around her. He glared at Quan. “Could you be any more of an asshole?”

  Quan glared right back. “My daughter wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for you.”

  Yeah, that was probably true. It didn’t give the jackass the right to hurt her feelings like this. Angus held her more tightly and smoothed her hair away from her face. “Is the administrator all right?” he whispered, running his gaze over Nari’s face to make sure she was healthy and in one piece.

  Nari nodded. “Bullet to the upper arm, easily extracted, should go home tomorrow.” Her voice was thick with emotion and her dark eyes looked tired. “Why are you all bloody?”

  He smiled and held back a wince as his lip protested. “Vaughn and a couple of his buddies tried to stop me from getting to you.”

  Her face turned pink. “You went through a bunch of HDD agents to get to me?” Her voice hushed, and she looked at him the way nobody in his entire life had looked at him. As if he could do anything. As if he was her hero. His body heated, and he wanted more than anything to hold that look forever. To actually be a hero, which he’d never come close to.