Page 145 of Smoke Screen
“Dude,” Phin said, “I don’t know what to tell you. I got an order right here. Take a look.”
Before leaving, Phin had loaded a clipboard with fake paperwork, adding an order to the top for the delivery of an antique armoire. Should she be concerned that the man was such an accomplished liar?
More paper shuffling. “It’s an armoire,” the guard said. “Dammit. I hate when this happens. I got nothing on my schedule for this.”
“Well, I can’t sit here all night. The order is right there. Let us drop it off and you can figure out the paper trail later.”
Yes. Excellent idea. Maddy waited an almost intolerable few seconds. And, worse, this entire experience added undue pressure on her bladder.
Her mind drifted back to summer road trips. All of them packed into the Suburban. Dad driving, her mother in the passenger seat, reminding her she should have gone potty before they left the house.
“Open up,” the guard finally said. “Let me look.”
A long sigh sounded. Probably Rohan or Cruz, but Maddy was too busy trying not to urinate in Lynette’s armoire to think too hard about it.
Her pulse slammed, the buzz from a few minutes ago turning to an all-out assault. What if he opened the armoire?
Gee, honey, how’d you get inside there?
The master schmoozer would have his work cut out for him on that one.
A sudden, clackety-clack—the metal door rolling up—lit her skin on fire. She flinched and her bladder rebelled against the movement.
Please, please, please.
Instinctively, she drew her legs in tighter, wrapping her arms around them.
So not cut out for this.
“There it is,” Phin said. “Antique armoire. Let’s get it unloaded. I have a pick-up clear across town and my deadline is tight. If I miss it, my ass is toast.”
More silence.
Could whatever angels might be in the vicinity please help a girl out? Between her bladder, the heat, and the confined space, she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to walk when she got out of this thing.
“Awright,” the guard said, “when I open the gate, pull to the first bay. I don’t know where they want this, but we’ll get it inside and the day shift guy can figure it out.”
Thank you.
Maddy blew out a hard breath and rolled her shoulders.
The truck inched forward, barely a crawl, but the still open rear door rattled against the rails when Phin hit a bump.
Whoa. Maddy’s body tipped sideways against the doors held in place by ropes that kept her from spilling out.
The truck halted again, a second later going in reverse.
Backing into the bay?
Phin had said it was just beyond the gate.
When the vehicle stopped, Maddy’s chest tightened, the pressure pushing, pushing, pushing against her ribs. Lord, she needed to get out.
Soon.
Fresh air. Room to move.
Soon.
