Basement Level 5: Never Scared (14 page)

“
No!” Alexa was adamant. “Kendrick should stay here. We need him here.”

“
Ladybug.” Pop rubbed his neck. “I don’t think you understand—”

“
I understand perfectly, Daddy. Kendrick should stay here.” She kept eye contact with P him. “I actually think you should go with the kids.” When everyone stared at her, she shrugged. In the past, she would never have said something like that to her father. But with her kids at stake, she couldn’t afford to back down. “It’s not like I don’t want you here. I just think as far as resources go, you’re the best bet to go with them. You’re more than capable of handling problems, even more so than Kendrick. If we send Nicholas, we’re going to need Kendrick here in case we have computer issues. Chase can go with you.”

Alexa hated to throw Chase under the bus, but she needed Kendrick by her side. They were partners in crime. Obviously irritated, Dro turned his back on her and whispered something in Lei’s ear. He never really understood her relationship with Kendrick, and she couldn’t explain it to him.

“
You may have a point, ladybug,” Pop said after a minute. “I just don’t want to leave you here to fight this enemy alone. I feel like I should be here.”

She smiled. “I know, Daddy. I also know you won’t let anything happen to the kids—neither will Chase.”

“
Lay it on thick,” Dro said to her.

“
I don’t know what you mean,” she replied innocently. “It’s the truth. I trust both of them with the kids.”

Dro arched a brow at her. “Whatever.”

She narrowed her eyes as she assessed him then decided to table their personal disagreements for later. “Daddy? What do you think?”

“
I’ll go,” he stated. “Chase and I will take care of the family. But I want to be kept in the loop. You hear me? I want to know every move you make.”

“
Lei nodded. “Sure. No problem. Kendrick can set up a secure line so we can keep in touch.”

Chase stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Kendrick moved to follow him. After giving Alexa another hug, Pop left the room, motioning for Lei to join him.

“
You know you’re wrong,” Dro said, once they were alone.

“
Why?”

He set his mug down on the table. “You just can’t be away from Kendrick.”

“
You know it’s not like that.”

“
Do I?” he asked, his tone reeking with sarcasm.

“
Yes.”

His steely gray eyes narrowed on her. “What I know is that you just shipped the most experienced one of us out of the country? What if something goes wrong with B5 and Chase isn’t here to fix it all because you don’t want to be without Kendrick?”

“
You know we need Kendrick here,” she persisted. “There’s no other way around it. He’s willing to do more than Chase in a crisis. And you know that.”

“
Whatever.” Dro started toward the door. “You got what you wanted. All is well, huh?”

“
Dro—”

He held up his hand. “No, Alexa. Don’t even bother explaining. I already know.” Then he walked away from without another word.

CHAPTER 15

April 12, 1998, Victoria’s Secret
:

Alexa had walked around the lingerie store forever, or so it seemed. It was Dro’s birthday the next day and she wanted to get something he would like. She knew her guard, Robert, was a few feet behind her.

“
Robert?” she called, holding a particularly risqué piece of lingerie up. “I need your opinion. You think Dro would like this?”

Robert coughed, cleared his throat, and pulled at his dress shirt. “Ms. Richardson, I don’t want to give you any opinions on anything in this store. Your father is liable to kill me.”

She hummed softly as she picked through the racks. “I thought we had an understanding. You’re my guard. You accompany me everywhere I go. Can’t you just humor me? I need a second opinion. If you had a woman, and it was your birthday, would you like your woman to wear something like this?”

Alexa smirked, enjoying the uncomfortable look on the older man’s face. She knew Robert hated this detail as much as she did. And even though he was a pain in her ass, she couldn’t help but love him. The fifty-year-old guard was one of the only people her father trusted with her safety.

Every birthday, Robert would buy her a charm for her bracelet. He never had any kids, so he treated her like she was one of his own. Reluctantly, she had to admit that Dro’s assigning him to guard her was the right move. Robert would die before he let anything happen to her.

“
Well?” She tapped her foot, trying to hide her smile.

He nodded slightly. “It’s fine.”

She shifted and held the piece up to her body again before sliding it back into place on the rack. “Maybe I’ll get the other set I saw in the front of the store.”

He glanced toward the front and his eyes narrowed. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

As he walked off in the direction of the bathroom—presumably to check out something suspicious—she scanned her surroundings, but saw nothing wrong. Robert was probably just being overly cautious.

She liked shopping in the evening after the high school crowd left the mall, liked having the store to herself. Only three other people were in the store, two saleswomen and an older woman, browsing through the bra section.

Deciding on the black lace at the front of the store, she strolled over to register. Once she settled the bill, she stood by the door waiting for Robert.

Glancing around her, she noticed the store had emptied out and checked her watch. It had been twenty minutes since Robert left her. The saleswomen were preparing to close. Hurrying to the bathroom door, she knocked. “Robert!”

No answer.

She slowly turned the knob and stepped into the bathroom. “Robert?” Searching the bathroom, she saw a pool of blood on the floor near the handicapped stall.

She dropped her shopping bag on the floor, pushed the stall door open, and gasped. Robert lay on the floor, blood oozing from his neck.

She knelt down next to him. “Robert?” When he didn’t respond, she grabbed up his wrist and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but at least he was alive.

Immediately, she sprang up and locked the bathroom door. Then she hurried to the sink and yanked the paper dispenser open, grabbing a bunch of towels. Kneeling next to Robert again, she held the paper towel over the gaping neck wound.

She placed a hand on his arm and shook him. “Robert?”

He moaned quietly. “Alexa?”

She sighed, grateful he was semi-conscious. “I’m going to call someone and get you some help.”

“
No,” he groaned, pushing her away from him. “You need to get out of here

“
Stop. You need to be still, Robert. Who did this to you?”

“
They got me from behind. Didn’t see them.” He tried to push her away again, but she wouldn’t budge. “Go now. You need to leave

“
You’re losing too much blood.” She pushed the paper towels harder against his neck. “And no, I’m not leaving you here.”

“
It’s too late for me,” he murmured. “Go before they come back.”

She dug her cell phone out.
Damn! No signal.
Tossing the phone back into her purse, she wondered what to do next.

Someone jiggled the doorknob. Alexa scrambled to her feet, slid her leather jacket off, and laid it over Robert. “I’ll call someone. Hang in there.” Opening his suit jacket, she took the car keys out of the inside pocket.

The jiggling on the knob was replaced by loud knocks. There was no way of knowing who was on the other side of the door without opening it. It was either one of the saleswomen doing a bathroom check or the person who hurt Robert. She scanned the bathroom for another way out and noted a high window in the corner.
Shit!
Kicking off her shoes, she hopped on top of a sink and used the heel of her shoe as a hammer to break the glass.

She glanced back at the door then pulled herself up to the window sill. The cool April breeze hit her skin, sending a chill through her body. She peered down at the ground, said a prayer, and jumped.

“
Shit!” she hissed as she hit the ground and landed on something sharp. She took a minute to look at her foot and pulled a piece of glass from it, moaning as pain shot through her ankle. Cringing, she slid both of her four inch pumps back on.
Why didn’t I wear comfortable shoes?

She tore through her purse for her phone and yanked it out. There was a faint signal. She dialed.

“
What’s up?” Kendrick answered.

“
Kendrick,” she whispered. “I need you.”

“
What’s going on, Alexa?”

“
Robert was stabbed. I’m not sure who did it. He’s barely hanging on, though. I need you to send someone to the Victoria’s Secret on Bush.”

Kendrick cursed. “Where exactly are you?”

“
I’m in the alley behind the store.” She limped toward the car, careful not to put too much pressure on her injured foot. “I’m heading to the car.”

“
Come straight home. Hurry. I’ll send someone for Robert.”

As she neared the street, a shadowy figure turned into the alley. Alexa froze. The sun had already gone down, so she wasn’t sure if he’d noticed her. Cautiously, she slipped behind a trashcan and leaned against the wall of the store.

“
Did you see her?” a male voice asked.

“
No, I didn’t,” responded a different man. “I checked the whole store. She’s nowhere in sight.”

“
How did she slip past us?”

“
I don’t know.”

She closed her eyes and wondered how she was going to get out of this. Grabbing an empty pop bottle, she pitched it behind her. Footsteps raced toward the sound. Once they were passed her, she bolted for the street as fast as she could go. It seemed too easy, but she went with it—until she ran right into a third man, who grabbed and hauled her off her feet.

She struggled, kicking and punching him. Finally he lost his grip and dropped her. She immediately socked him in the balls. It stunned him, but not enough to disable him. He grabbed her hair as she slammed him in the knee with her good foot. His leg buckled, but his grip remained steady. She grabbed another stray bottle and bashed him in the face. Releasing her, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Another man advanced toward her and she kicked him in the chest. Yanking her knife from its hiding place, she thrust it into his neck. As a third man charged her, she pulled the knife out and plunged it into that man’s leg. Before he could retaliate, she jerked her gun from its holster and shot him.

A groan pulled her attention back to the first man, who was struggling to his feet. She slapped him across the cheek with the butt of her gun. He slumped back to the ground.

She leaned down and peered at his face. “Who the hell sent you?”

Placing her gun beneath his chin, she waited.

“
Who are you?” he croaked.

She pressed the gun harder into his skin. “
You
came after
me
. Shouldn’t you
know
who I am?”

“
His name’s Steve,” the man confessed. “He and his father paid us to grab you and bring you back to him. Please,” he begged. “I have children. I only took this job to support them. Let me go. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. He also said he may have other jobs for us that have to do with you.”

“
What types of jobs?”

The man took a deep breath. “He didn’t want a hair harmed on your head because he was going to use you as leverage against someone. He had plans for someone else too, but I didn’t catch a name. He told us he had been watching you for a long time.”

“
Thanks,” she said and patted him on the shoulder.

As she started to rise, he slid a gun from his pocket, cocking it as his hand came up. Instinctively, her finger tightened on the trigger of her own gun, the bullet going straight through his heart.

Sirens roared in the distance as she hurried to the car. She said a quick prayer for Robert, slid into the driver’s seat, and sped off into the night.

Kendrick had said to come straight home, but Alexa decided to make a quick stop on the way. Kendrick wouldn’t like it, but that couldn’t be helped.

When she reached her destination, she immediately turned off her headlights and got out of the car. Taking a deep breath, she ran up to the house and knocked on the door.

A tall lanky man answered the door. Alexa smiled. “Hi. I’m looking for Steve.”

“
Steve isn’t here. I’m the housekeeper. Is there something I can help you with?”

She beamed at him. “Thank God, you’re here. I had a study date with Steve today, and I accidentally let him walk away with my book and all my notes. Can I just go to his room and get it? I promise it won’t take long.”

She couldn’t tell if he believed her story or not, but he didn’t let her in. “How about I have Steve just call you when he gets in.”

“
Please,” she pleaded. “I really need to study. I’m trying to get into MIT next year. This test can make or break my grade this semester.”