Inside the Colby Agency, 4:30 a.m.
VICTORIA stirred. It was dark in the conference room. And so quiet. Her head hurt, but more than that her chest hurt. She, Nicole and Simon had managed to keep everyone calm and cooperative. But she wasn’t sure how much longer that strategy would work. Her entire staff was growing more nervous by the hour.
“Victoria.”
She turned her face toward Nicole’s voice. The other woman moved closer as soundlessly as possible so as not to alert the guard at the door.
“Simon and I believe we have enough manpower to overtake these guys.”
The whispered words struck sheer terror in Victoria’s heart. “No.” She shook her head to emphasize the word. “Not yet. There’s still time—”
“Simon overheard them talking,” Nicole interrupted. “The timeline has been moved up. Something is supposed to happen very soon. We can’t just keep playing dead…or we’ll all end up that way.”
More of that fear trembled through Victoria. “I’ll try a strategy I’ve been mulling over first.” When Nicole would have argued, she cut her off. “That is a direct order, Nicole. I’m trusting you and Simon to keep the others safe. They are your responsibility. Is that clear?”
Nicole heaved a frustrated breath, then nodded.
The door opened and the overhead lights beamed to life. Victoria squinted, blinked to adjust to the brightness.
The man she recognized as the bastard in charge pointed at her. “Victoria, step up here with me.”
The man shackled to the chair across the room started to struggle against his bindings. He moaned pitifully. Victoria wished she could see his face. Could help him.
“We still need water,” she told the leader of this unholy troop as she scrambled to her feet. Her numb legs tried to buckle under her. The guard rushed to steady her and escort her to his superior.
“That man—” Victoria indicated the man whose identity they didn’t know “—needs water.”
The leader grabbed her by the face and squeezed. Victoria’s staff stirred. She prayed they would be very, very still. Thankfully she heard Nicole’s soft voice urging the others to remain still and quiet.
“You have a special job this morning,” the man in charge said to Victoria.
She blinked back the sting of tears as his fingers continued to crush her face.
“You,” he went on, “have the distinct pleasure of helping me select who will die first.”
“I’ll go first.”
Victoria’s breath caught at the sound of Simon’s voice.
“Well, well,” the bastard gripping her said, “we have ourselves a hero.”
Victoria strained to see her wonderful staff—family, really—huddled together on the floor. A moan rose in her throat as Simon Ruhl pushed to his feet.
“That’s right,” Simon agreed, “that’s all you need, right? One hero?”
The man released Victoria’s face. “Maybe. Maybe not. Depends upon how long your friends take to respond to my schedule change.” He grinned at Simon. “I’m not so sure they have your best interest at heart.”
Simon cautiously moved closer to the man in charge. “Let’s step outside and give them some motivation.”
“No.” The single word wrenched from Victoria’s throat. When the leader turned back to her, she said, “I am the head of the Colby Agency. I will go first.”
Another of those nasty grins stretched across his face. “How sweet. We have two heroes.”
“You’re wrong.”
Victoria’s lungs seized as Nicole struggled to her feet. Victoria’s head was moving from side to side, but Nicole wasn’t looking at her.
“You have three heroes,” Nicole announced.
This time the bastard didn’t laugh.
As tears poured unimpeded from Victoria’s eyes, each and every member of her staff stood, one by one, and offered to die first.
The man cut a look at Victoria, that steel-gray gaze churning with hatred.
He opened his mouth but, before he could say whatever vile remark that was poised on the tip of his tongue, his cell phone rang loudly.
Without taking his eyes off her, he snatched the phone from his waist. “It’s about time,” he snapped. A long pause indicated whoever had called was speaking at length. “Excellent. Don’t be even a second late or—” his gaze shot to Victoria’s “—your beloved Victoria will be the first to die.”