get to it in time.”
Gryke reluctantly lay back and closed his eyes, as did Braum.
Tony turned to face Henry. “Are you ready for this?”
“Not really, but what choice do I have?”
“None,” Tony quipped. “Now get into position.”
Rushing to stand behind the door, Tony nodded to Abbie’s father. “Do it.”
Henry picked up the phone on the wall and spoke into the receiver. “I need to see Chief Master Sergeant Brandon.” A brief pause passed. “Thank you.”
“They are sending him in,” Henry whispered, moving to stand next to Gryke’s tank.
Tony’s heart pounded and not from fear. This was what he knew, what he’d been born to do. Sure, the CIA had trained him, but the thrill of danger was something he’d developed in his teens.
The door opened, and Brandon stepped inside. “You wanted to see me?”
Tony had his revolver pressed against the back of Brandon’s head before he could blink. “Hands where I can see them.”
Brandon raised his arms away from his body. “Who are you?”
“I think you know,” Tony responded, pressing the barrel harder against the guy’s skull. “Henry? Get his weapon.”
Henry stepped forward and retrieved Brandon’s gun. “I-I’m sorry, sir,” he stammered, unable to look the officer in the eye. “This was not my call.”
Tony couldn’t hide his disdain. “Doctor Sutherland is too much of a coward to do this alone. But I’m no doctor, and I’m sure as shit not a coward. Now, pick up that phone and get rid of those two officers out front.”
Brandon stiffened. “What am I supposed to tell them?”
“Send them on a fast food run, make them run laps. I don’t care what you tell them as long as you get rid of them,” Tony barked.
Brandon slowly reached for the phone hanging on the wall. “They will become suspicious.”
“Then they will die.”
Tony listened as Brandon ordered the officers to report to a man named Gilliam. His voice grew in volume, telling Tony that his orders had been questioned.
“I will meet you both there shortly,” Brandon finished before returning the receiver to the wall.
“Henry? Give the Bracadytes a set of scrubs to wear out of here.”
“I don’t think they carry any in their size,” Henry muttered, moving to a bin against the wall that housed sheets and medical supplies.
Tony took a patient breath. “Make due.”
Brandon continued to stare straight ahead. “You won’t get away with this, Vaughn.”
“You better hope I do. If I die, you die.”
Henry assisted the Bracadytes with the clothing he’d procured from one of the bins and led them toward the door. “Are you sure this will work?”
Tony wasn’t sure about anything but the need to get his ass out of here in one piece. “No, but it’s our only option.”
“You go first.” Tony nudged Brandon with the gun for emphasis. “If you make one wrong move, your brains will be all over this bunker. Understood?”
Brandon gave a quick nod. “I understand.”
“You two?” Tony shifted his gaze to the Bracadytes. “Walk behind me. Do not speak or look around. Henry will bring up the rear.”
Shielding his weapon as best he could, Tony ordered Brandon to open the door and lead them out.
The place appeared to be empty save for a couple of coffee cups and a skinny, pale-skinned man pushing a cleaning cart.
“Good evening, sir,” the man called out, addressing Brandon. “I’ll be done in here shortly. Would you like for me to clean your office tonight? My vacation starts tomorrow, so it won’t get done for a couple of weeks.”
Brandon slowed but didn’t stop. “That would be great, Lenny. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, sir.” Lenny meandered off down the hall without looking back.
Tony motioned for the Bracadytes to follow. They filed out of the lab with Henry bringing up the rear. Their eyes remained alert, but none of them spoke.
The group made it up the stairs to the exit without incident, but Tony didn’t fool himself
Gryke reluctantly lay back and closed his eyes, as did Braum.
Tony turned to face Henry. “Are you ready for this?”
“Not really, but what choice do I have?”
“None,” Tony quipped. “Now get into position.”
Rushing to stand behind the door, Tony nodded to Abbie’s father. “Do it.”
Henry picked up the phone on the wall and spoke into the receiver. “I need to see Chief Master Sergeant Brandon.” A brief pause passed. “Thank you.”
“They are sending him in,” Henry whispered, moving to stand next to Gryke’s tank.
Tony’s heart pounded and not from fear. This was what he knew, what he’d been born to do. Sure, the CIA had trained him, but the thrill of danger was something he’d developed in his teens.
The door opened, and Brandon stepped inside. “You wanted to see me?”
Tony had his revolver pressed against the back of Brandon’s head before he could blink. “Hands where I can see them.”
Brandon raised his arms away from his body. “Who are you?”
“I think you know,” Tony responded, pressing the barrel harder against the guy’s skull. “Henry? Get his weapon.”
Henry stepped forward and retrieved Brandon’s gun. “I-I’m sorry, sir,” he stammered, unable to look the officer in the eye. “This was not my call.”
Tony couldn’t hide his disdain. “Doctor Sutherland is too much of a coward to do this alone. But I’m no doctor, and I’m sure as shit not a coward. Now, pick up that phone and get rid of those two officers out front.”
Brandon stiffened. “What am I supposed to tell them?”
“Send them on a fast food run, make them run laps. I don’t care what you tell them as long as you get rid of them,” Tony barked.
Brandon slowly reached for the phone hanging on the wall. “They will become suspicious.”
“Then they will die.”
Tony listened as Brandon ordered the officers to report to a man named Gilliam. His voice grew in volume, telling Tony that his orders had been questioned.
“I will meet you both there shortly,” Brandon finished before returning the receiver to the wall.
“Henry? Give the Bracadytes a set of scrubs to wear out of here.”
“I don’t think they carry any in their size,” Henry muttered, moving to a bin against the wall that housed sheets and medical supplies.
Tony took a patient breath. “Make due.”
Brandon continued to stare straight ahead. “You won’t get away with this, Vaughn.”
“You better hope I do. If I die, you die.”
Henry assisted the Bracadytes with the clothing he’d procured from one of the bins and led them toward the door. “Are you sure this will work?”
Tony wasn’t sure about anything but the need to get his ass out of here in one piece. “No, but it’s our only option.”
“You go first.” Tony nudged Brandon with the gun for emphasis. “If you make one wrong move, your brains will be all over this bunker. Understood?”
Brandon gave a quick nod. “I understand.”
“You two?” Tony shifted his gaze to the Bracadytes. “Walk behind me. Do not speak or look around. Henry will bring up the rear.”
Shielding his weapon as best he could, Tony ordered Brandon to open the door and lead them out.
The place appeared to be empty save for a couple of coffee cups and a skinny, pale-skinned man pushing a cleaning cart.
“Good evening, sir,” the man called out, addressing Brandon. “I’ll be done in here shortly. Would you like for me to clean your office tonight? My vacation starts tomorrow, so it won’t get done for a couple of weeks.”
Brandon slowed but didn’t stop. “That would be great, Lenny. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, sir.” Lenny meandered off down the hall without looking back.
Tony motioned for the Bracadytes to follow. They filed out of the lab with Henry bringing up the rear. Their eyes remained alert, but none of them spoke.
The group made it up the stairs to the exit without incident, but Tony didn’t fool himself
Similar Books
