Page 151 of Smoke Screen
“Help!” she wailed, the effort shredding her vocal cords. “Someone, please! Help!”
Moving fast, she darted across, stealing a glance left, where Zeke stood squared off with the guard.
“Stop!”
Guard’s voice. Definitely not Zeke’s deeper tone.
Maddy kicked to her next gear, hauling past row five and then six. One more.
If she could draw the guard away from where they entered at row six, and then lure him to the opposite end of row seven, Phin had a shot to sneak out unnoticed.
“Stop!”
The guard again. Closer, but still at the rear of the building where they entered.
At that end, he’d see Phin taking the safe out.
“Help!” she screamed again, still moving toward the far corner of the building. “Please! Help me!”
Someone give her an Oscar. Although, with the amount of terror pounding her, she wasn’t altogether faking her fear.
“Please! He’s at this end. Help me!”
The guard. Where was he?
She kept moving. Passing row eight and glancing back. Soon, she’d run out of room.Where is he? Where is he?
“Hey!”
She skidded to a stop, her hands flying in the air.
The guard stood in front of her, smack in the middle of the space separating rows ten and eleven.
And pointing a rifle at her.
Fuming,Phin peeped from behind the cover of boxes and—shit—spotted the guard, booking it in Maddy’s direction.
When this was over, he’d murder her. The woman had broken the most important rule. The one about not going rogue.
The guard turned, disappearing from view, Phin swung the hand truck in front of him and bolted.
Zeke appeared, holding out his arms in a WTF? gesture. By the looks of him, he might beat Phin to homicide.
Phin hustled up to him. “Load this up and go. She’s totally off-script. I’m gonna kill her.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Yeah, you are. Rohan and Cruz can get us.” Phin jabbed a finger at the hand truck sitting beside them. “Get the safe out of here.”
It took barely a second for rational Zeke to strap in. At this point, Phin’s working theory of priceless jewels being stored in the safe took priority. Thus, they were balls to the wall, doing whatever it took to get the safe out, crack it open, and hopefully find their quarry.
“I hate flying blind.” Zeke grunted, grabbed the hand truck, and headed for the door just yards away. “We’ll be back for you.”
“I know. Go.”
“Help!”
Maddy again. Still at the front of the building, but closer to the far corner. Away from Phin.
