Page 45 of King

Iwon’t…

“Where’s Natalia?Her grandfather?”

Fogarty nods.“They’re safe.We got them out before we blew the door.Let’s get you treated and out of here.”

I stand and follow him out of the office, while several FBI agents arrive to process the place.

Outside the building is a waiting ambulance, and Fogarty takes me there so an EMT can patch up my wound.

“You’ll need stitches,” the man says, eyeing my injury.“Won’t take long.”

“I’ll take him,” Fogarty says, and as much as I want to go to see Natalia and Gramps to make sure they’re okay, I give in and allow Fogarty to take me to the closest ER.

For the moment, compliance is necessary.

Natalia’s safe, and that’s all I really care about.

ChapterTwenty

Natalia

It all happens so fast.

One moment, I’m walking down the stairs to leave the building, and the next, the door opens and in run several FBI Special Agents in SWAT gear.The man escorting us is taken down, and the Special Agents grab Gramps and me and practically drag us out of the room and down the stairs.

Before they have us out of the building, I hear a loud bang and know they’re breaching the inner office.For a moment, I’m afraid Harrison will be hurt, but I can say and do nothing.They take Gramps to the ER to be checked, and the Special Agent who transports me to the FBI HQ tells me that Harrison is safe and on his way to the ER for minor wound stitching.

“Are you sure he’s okay?”

The Special Agent nods and waves his hand.“A superficial wound.”

I try to relax and watch the streets of Brooklyn pass by on the way back to Manhattan, but my nerves are still all on edge.

We arrive at the FBI HQ, and an agent escorts me inside through a rear entrance.Before I know it, I’m sitting in a small room, waiting for news of the operation.My nerves are all on edge.Beside me is a door, and across from me is a mirror.I know there’s a viewing room on the other side, and someone, some FBI Special Agent, is watching me.

I exhale and try to calm myself down.Gramps is safe and was taken to a nearby ER to be checked over, simply because of his age.I’m fine, just anxious about Harrison.

I exhale heavily and lean back in my chair.

Harrison’s safe.

That’s what I’m told as I sit and wait, a bottle of water in front of me.

Harrison’s safe…

A Special Agentcomes in and sits down in front of me, a file in hand.He asks me if I’m feeling okay to talk, and I nod, wanting to get whatever this is over as fast as possible so Harrison and I can be reunited, and I can see Gramps and make sure he’s okay.

For the next hour, we talk about everything, and it seems like they’re just confirming what I’ve already told both McDonald and Fogarty about my involvement with Harrison and my own family.

Finally, the Agent closes his file and gives me a perfunctory smile.“That’s everything, Mrs.O’Connor.You can go.”

“I can go?Where’s Harrison?”

The Agent stands and opens the door.“You’ll have to ask Special Agent Fogarty about that.”

I leave the room, following the Agent down the hall, and we pass a door.Inside, I see Fogarty and stop.Across from his desk is Harrison, and he has a bandage on his cheek.

I go inside, not caring what anyone thinks.