Chapter 26

 

The fire escape was dark. Only the dim glow from a few overhead lights supplied any vision to Emma at all. She leaped down the concrete steps in twos, just like when she was eight years old, using the railing to support her. Emma descended the staircase as it looped around and around and around. She wasn’t sure if Jacqueline was down here. The woman could have found a place to hide, like on top of one of the massive air-conditioning units on the roof. Emma could kick herself. Why didn’t she think of that earlier? That was probably where Jacqueline was.

Emma slowed her pace. How many flights of stairs did she—

A gunshot ricocheted off the railing.

Emma tripped on a step and fell forward, rolling across the landing and smacking into the door. Pain shot up her back and arm. Emma checked herself for a wound, but couldn’t find anything. At least she knew where Jacqueline was. But that woman had a gun and Emma didn’t.

A clatter echoed below her, signaling Jacqueline was on the move again.

Emma picked up her sore body and ran down the next flight of stairs.

Reaching the landing of the eighty-first floor, Emma noticed the door closing. Its hinges must be sticky because it took its sweet time closing. She opened the door and stepped onto an office floor. The place should be quiet because it was Sunday. But Emma noticed about a dozen people pacing around in another glass-walled meeting room like the one they were in earlier. All these office workers were dressed casually, but still had their laptops and files all over the large table. Emma guessed they were Raymond Food employees who had already moved into their new offices.

Thanks to her fall, Emma limped down the wide hallway, with her head on a swivel, trying to find any sign of Jacqueline.

“We were just talking about you, Miss Boyay,” a man announced. “Our department would love to have a sit-down to see how we can help AgEurope improve their market share. How long are you in town?”

Emma stopped. Her eyes followed the voice to a man standing near the bathrooms. He’d spoken to a disheveled woman who didn’t want to be there. Jacqueline.

Emma limped toward her.

Jacqueline glued on a smile. “Sounds like a great idea, Donald. But Mr. Raymond needs me back in Europe Tuesday.”

The woman tried to leave, but the male executive followed.

“That’s a shame. Say, what are you doing right now?” He motioned towards the conference room. “Today I had to drag in my staff to meet a deadline. But we can change gears and show you some concepts we’ve been working on.”

“Wish I had the time.”

The encounter gave Emma enough time to reach Jacqueline. But now she wondered what to do. Should Emma throw a karate strike right in front of all these people? Spies were supposed to be discreet, right?

Jacqueline noticed Emma. The two stared each other down, both waiting to see what the other would do.

The executive stared at Emma too. “Well, this is a surprise. Miss Rothchild? You might not remember me, but we met at the opening gala Friday night.”

Emma didn’t remember. “Of course, I remember you. Donald…?”

“Hendricks. Raymond Foods vice president of marketing.” Donald balked. “Oh, I didn’t realize you’re giving Miss Rothchild a tour of the new building. No wonder you’re busy, Miss Boyay.”

Jacqueline smiled. “I hope you understand.”

“No need to explain.”

Jacqueline grabbed Emma’s arm and forced her to stand in front of her. Emma was about to twist around when she felt an object poking her back.

Emma reasoned it must be her gun.

Donald the executive withdrew into the meeting room, leaving Emma and Jacqueline alone.

Jacqueline pressed the muzzle of the gun into her back. “Walk to the elevator.”

Emma bit her lip and did as she was told.

“Push the down button.”

Emma complied. The doors of the elevator slid open.

“Move.”

Emma stepped inside the large box. Jacqueline forced her to face the back wall at gunpoint while fishing for something inside her own coat pocket. Jacqueline came up with a key and inserted it into a hole near one row of floor buttons. She turned it and pressed the lobby button. The elevator doors closed.

“Executive key. Bypasses all the other floors,” Jacqueline said. “You and I don’t need any more visitors.” The woman relaxed slightly, but kept the gun pointed at Emma’s back. “For a daddy’s little rich girl, you have remarkably thick skin. I would say The Authority has trained you well.”

Emma didn’t answer.

“Your friends are quite impressive. Most likely they’ve captured Mr. Raymond by now. Oh well. I’ll have to leave without him.”

“What will you do with me?” Emma asked, trying to sound confident, but her voice wavered.

“Kill you. Eventually. But you might have information in that blond-headed brain of yours that could be of interest to my superiors. The location of your headquarters. Lists of operatives. The real names of your friends. Or we could use you as bait to lure them into a trap and kill them. So many options.”

“I won’t tell you anything.”

“We hire the best in the world. Men who invented the art of torture. I’m afraid you’ll coo like a dove, Emma.”

A sense of dread settled in Emma’s stomach. A new hopelessness that told her this was it. The idea of being tortured didn’t sit well with Emma. Or the idea of being left alone in a room with some sick man who enjoyed doing awful things to girls. If Emma had a choice, she would rather kill herself.

Emma took in a deep breath.

Or she would rather risk getting killed.

Emma pressed her palms against the cold back wall of the elevator and pushed off. She spun around and shoved Jacqueline into the opposite corner, holding the woman’s arms down to prevent her from using the gun. Emma held the woman there with all her might. But Jacqueline was strong too. She managed to peel herself off the wall.

Both women strained against the other.

Each trying to gain the advantage.

Jacqueline managed to shove Emma off with her leg, causing the girl to fall to the floor. Jacqueline then aimed the gun. “I changed my mind. You’re far too dangerous to be left alive.”

A fury overtook Emma, that survival instinct that turned nice girls into animals. Emma launched her leg upward into Jacqueline’s arm, smacking it against the elevator doors. The gun fired, splitting their eardrums. Next, Emma struck Jacqueline’s shin with her heel. The woman went down with a thud.

Emma scrambled to her feet and noticed the gun had dropped to the floor.

“You little bitch.” Jacqueline pushed against the opposite wall, using it to pull herself back up. The woman stopped when Emma pointed the gun at her.

Emma touched the cold, metal trigger and secured the weapon with both her hands. Jacqueline was so close; there was no way Emma would miss. She didn’t have to be an expert about guns to know that.

Jacqueline slid back down to the floor and flashed a crazy smile, the type of smile that made normal people nervous. “Do you have what it takes to kill, Emma?”

“Don’t try me.”

“I’m not so sure. You could have shot my operative in the forest. But you hesitated.”

Emma paused. “You were the assassin with the crossbow?”

“Asset Twenty-One was weak-minded. He became sloppy and unreliable. Twice he failed to kill you. Venomous doesn’t accept failure well. Besides, the man was going to turn, wasn’t he? We couldn’t allow that.”

“Did you give the order to kill my father?”

That sick smile returned to Jacqueline’s face and Emma wanted to blast it off.

“Ah, yes. Revenge. You might kill to revenge your father. I understand you better now. You didn’t partner with The Authority to save the world or to be a good public citizen. You wanted blood.” Jacqueline observed her for a moment. “We have more in common than I thought. Venomous could use a smart girl like you. Would you consider switching sides?”

“Answer my question.”

“You know the answer…must I say it?”

Emma tightened her grip on the weapon. She could feel the power coming from it, seducing her into pulling the trigger.

Jacqueline glared and lowered her chin. “Our venom flows through the veins of the animal. Its death is certain.”

Emma paused. What the hell did Jacqueline mean by that?

“Time is ticking. What’s the verdict?”

“Stop talking.”

An unbalanced laughter bubbled up from the woman. “Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.”

The elevator dinged. The door opened, unleashing sunlight into the box. Jacqueline crawled towards the light. Emma followed her with the gun, but couldn’t pull the trigger. Something was stopping her and she didn’t know what.

Outside the elevator, Jacqueline noticed something out of Emma’s vision. The woman turned hysterical. “Oh my God. Please don’t kill me! She’s crazy! That young woman is crazy!” Jacqueline stumbled to her feet. “Help me! She’s crazy.”

Emma lowered the gun.

“Hey!” A lobby guard appeared, saw Emma’s gun and reached for his holster.

Emma retreated back into the elevator and pressed a button for a higher floor. She hid behind the panel as the elevator doors shut. The gears and the sounds of the elevator dominated Emma’s hearing as it went back up. Emma backed up against the rear wall and let gravity take her down to the floor. And that was where she wept.