Holdin' On for a Hero (74 page)

“Why don’t we rethink that,” the first man smirked at Ryan. “Or would you rather see your sweetie’s brains splattered all over the floor?”

Senna could see the play of emotions on Ryan’s face. He didn’t want to surrender, but she knew he would not endanger her life.

“Okay, why don’t we all just calm down,” he said and made a show of lowering his gun. “Tell your man to lower the gun, Southgate.”

Surprise made her start in her captor’s grip. Southgate was the name Ryan had used for the man who was supposed to be working for the FBI. The man Konnor claimed was an imposter.

Southgate swaggered confidently and the man holding Senna kicked the door closed behind him and marched her forward. Southgate pointed deeper into the darkness and Ryan started backing up. The man holding Senna released her but kept the gun pressed against her head as he felt along the wall. A moment later yellowish light lit the cavernous space of the building from old ceiling fixtures covered with wire.

“Make the doctor comfortable,” Southgate directed.

Senna’s captor shoved her forward. She stumbled over close to Ryan and he took her in his arms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Just stay close and do like I tell you.”

She didn’t respond but moved out of his embrace. Ryan turned to look at Southgate. “It’s over. We know all about your deception. I’m not here alone so give it up. You’ll never leave this building alive.”

Southgate laughed as if very amused. “I suppose you’re referring to the stalwart agent Sanders of the FBI and the policemen you have posted around the building? Well, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, Detective, but they’ve been taken care of.”

Before Ryan could open his mouth to reply a shout came from behind a stack of crates. “FBI, drop your weapons!”

“Kill them!” Southgate shouted.

His accomplice raised his weapon as Southgate dived for cover. “Down!” Ryan shouted and pushed Senna. She was on her way down when the first shot rang out. She hit the floor on her back and almost immediately Ryan fell on top of her. His weight drove her breath out and she felt like she was being crushed. But the pain was nothing compared to the fear. Gunfire was being exchanged and the sound was terrifying. Putting her arms over her head, she clenched her eyes closed and prayed for it to stop.

When the silence came it was almost deafening. Senna moved her arms and raised her head to look around. She could not see Southgate anywhere but the body of his accomplice was crumpled on the floor in a rapidly swelling puddle of blood.

“Ryan, get off me,” she wheezed and pushed at him. “Ryan… Ryan? Ryan!”

It took several seconds for it to dawn on her that her chest was wet and that he wasn’t moving. With a scream she began pushing at him and trying to squirm out from beneath him. Her hands were quickly covered with blood from her efforts.

“Oh, god,” she gasped. “Ryan, Ryan please, can you hear me? Oh, god, don’t be dead. Ryan?”

“Sen…”A raspy bubbling sound accompanied his whisper.

“Ryan! We have to get out of here. We have to get you to a…”

“No…time.” His voice failed and two burbling breaths came from him. “I’m…sorry. I love…I…love you.”

“Ryan, please!” She couldn’t stop the tears. “Please, you can’t do this. We have to get out of here.”

His body jerked once then a strange stillness came over him. She pushed at him, trying to lift his face up. “Ryan! Ryan, please. Don’t die. Ryan?”

“I don’t think your boyfriend can help you anymore.” Southgate stepped out from behind a brick column with a gun aimed at her.

Senna had no doubt that he was going to kill her. She pushed at Ryan’s body, trying to dislodge it. Her hand moved against something hard and it dawned on her that he had another gun, this one stuck in the waistband of his pants. Trembling with fear and exertion she wrapped her hand around it and pulled. It slipped free and she let her hand fall to the side, where Southgate could not see it.

“Now…” He walked over and put his foot against the side of Ryan’s body. “Where were we, Dr. Laserian?”

Much needed oxygen flooded her lungs as Southgate kicked Ryan’s body off her. Knowing that she would get only one chance, she raised the gun and fired.

A look of surprise came over Southgate’s face as his blood splattered the floor behind him from the exit wound of the bullet. He staggered a couple of steps then collapsed.

For a moment Senna was shocked into motionlessness by what she had done. Then she thought of Ryan. Climbing to her knees with the gun still in her hand she knelt over him. “Ryan?” She felt his neck, trying to find a pulse. “No, please,” she begged to the silence when she didn’t feel a heartbeat. “Please, please no.”

“Hold it right there!”

Senna jumped at the sound of the voice. “Drop the weapon!” Paige shouted as she moved from the doorway.

Without hesitation Senna put the gun down on the floor and stood up. “Paige, you have to call an ambulance. Ryan’s…”

“Don’t move!” Paige leveled her weapon.

Senna didn’t understand why Paige was pointing the gun at her. “We have to get help. Don’t you…”

“Shut up! You’re under arrest. Turn around and put your hands on top of your head.”

For a moment Senna just stared at her. She couldn’t believe what Paige was saying. “Do it!” Paige shouted.

Turning, Senna put her hands on top of her head. Her mind was reeling with what had happened. She barely heard what Paige was saying. Not until she felt the handcuff snap around her right wrist did it sink in. Paige was reading her her rights, charging her with Ryan’s murder, along with Southgate and the other man.

“Paige, you don’t understand,” she whirled around with the cuffs dangling from one wrist. “Ryan asked me to meet him here and that man…Southgate, he showed up and…”

“Button it up, bitch!” Paige’s gun came up level with Senna’s nose. “Or I’ll put a bullet in you now and save the taxpayers some time and money.”

“Please, just listen to me.” Senna could barely get the words out as she stared down the barrel of the gun. “I didn’t shoot Ryan. That man Southgate…”

She never got to finish. Something hit her in the shoulder and knocked her sideways. Almost simultaneously a soft “uuhhh!” came from Paige. One second later she fell face forward to the floor.

Senna looked around fearfully, not knowing what to expect next. A startled yelp issued from her lips as a figure came out of the shadows.

“Konnor!” She sprang to her feet and ran to him. “Oh god, Konnor!”

She was in his arms a moment later, crying, and trying to tell him what had happened. He pried her arms away from his neck and pushed her back to arm’s length. “We have to get out of here.”

“But we have to call the police!” she babbled. “We have to get an ambula—”

“We have to go. Now.”

“No!” She started to pull away from him. “We can’t leave. Don’t you understand? Ryan was trying to protect me and that man…that man killed him. He died trying to save me. I can’t just walk away and…”

Before she could say anymore he reached for her. In the blink of an eye she felt darkness closing in around her.

Northwest Charlotte

“You want to tell me what the fuck happened here?” Captain Prichard shouted at Paige as the paramedic was checking the lump on the back of her head.

“Senna Laserian!” She spat the name.

“Laserian?” He looked at her like the knock on the head had rattled her brains. “Are you telling me that a five-foot-three physicist is responsible for all this? In case you’re not fully in command of your faculties, Detective, let me fill you in. I’ve got a shitload of dead people here. Agent Sanders and four members of my SWAT team are all dead, still at their posts outside. Dalton in here along with Southgate or whatever the fuck his real name is and another unidentified male. And you want me to believe this is the work of one woman?”

“She wasn’t alone, sir,” Paige replied in a defiant tone.

“Then how about you tell me what army she had with her, Detective.”

“Konnor Chase.”

“Chase?” He frowned at her. “The guy who teaches self-defense at the police academy?”

“That’s the one.” She knocked the medic’s hand away as he continued to probe at the lump on her head. “And the longer we sit here with our fingers up our asses the more time they have to get away.”

Prichard gave her a hard look then turned. “I want an APB out on Doctor Senna Laserian and Konnor Chase and I want it five minutes ago. Call the Highway Patrol and fill them in. Laserian and Chase are wanted on eight counts of murder. I want them found and I want it done now! And bring in the real FBI for a change.”

Paige looked up at him as he turned toward her. “I want to be part of the team.”

“You’re in no shape, Detective. We can handle this without you. Which brings up an interesting point. You weren’t supposed to be part of this operation. What are you doing here?”

“Just trying to watch my partner’s back, sir.” She looked away as she spoke.

Prichard regarded her silently for a moment. “I want to see you in my office first thing in the morning. Until then, you’re relieved of duty.”

“But, sir!” She jumped up and started after him as he turned away.

“Officer,” he called one of the uniformed policemen over.

“Yes, sir?”

“If the medic doesn’t think Detective Landers requires any further medical attention then see to it that she gets home. Otherwise I want you to stay with her until she is released from the hospital. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“But—” Paige started to argue again.

“In the morning, Detective,” Prichard cut her off.

She glared at his back as he walked away. “I think maybe it’d be better if you sat down, Detective,” the officer assigned to her said in a solicitous tone.

“You want to know what I think?” she asked in a sexy tone, giving him a look that was intended to make his legs weak.

“Sure,” he grinned at her.

“I think,” she leaned over close to his ear and shouted, “that you should fuck off!”

With his ears ringing he watched her stalk off.

Chapter Fourteen

Senna woke with Ryan’s dying words echoing in her mind. “Ryan!” she screamed as she sat up and looked around wildly.

Konnor stood from where he sat across the room and walked to stand beside the bed. “Where are we?” She looked up at him.

“Somewhere safe.”

Anger at what he had done flared and she pushed herself off the bed. “You had no right!” she barked. “We should have stayed and called the police. What if he wasn’t…what if he was still…”

“He wasn’t.”

“How do you know?” she shot back at him.

“I checked.”

She moved around him with her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest. “It’s my fault,” she admitted in shame. “I’m responsible for his…death.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” He turned and took hold of her shoulder to turn her around.

“Is it?” She shrugged his hand away as she faced him. “If it weren’t for me he wouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

“And if he hadn’t set you up in the first place he wouldn’t have been there.”

Senna’s eyes widened and she stepped back from him. “How can you say that?” Her voice was filled with scorn at the idea he would try and blame Ryan for what had happened after Ryan had given his life to protect her.

“Easy.” He seemed untouched by her contempt. “It’s the truth. He was the one who insisted on the meeting and the meeting place. He lied to you about why he wanted to see you and where you were going. It was a set-up.”

She didn’t want to listen to him. He made sense but she didn’t want to believe that Ryan would have deliberately put her in danger. “That’s ridiculous. What could he possibly have been setting me up for?”

“You were the bait.”

“Bait?” she scoffed. “You make it sound like he was going fishing.”

“In a manner of speaking he was. He was trying to trap the man who called himself Southgate. The police figured out that he wasn’t really with the Bureau and set up a sting. You were the bait to get him there.”

“Why me?” She felt a queasy feeling begin in her stomach.

“It was you he wanted.”

“Me? Why?”

“I suppose the same reason Slater wants you. He wanted what’s in your head.”

His answer made her think of Marcus. “Where’s my purse?”

“What?”

“My purse! Where is it?”

“In the car.”

“I have to get it.” She started for the door.

“Hold on.” He took her arm and stopped her. “What’s so urgent about your purse?”

Her eyes darted away from his. Marcus was the only person she was sure of at this point, the only person she could trust without qualification. She could not tell Konnor about him. At least not yet.

“I don’t know,” she said lamely then put her hands over her face. “I don’t know anything anymore, it seems.”

Konnor pulled her to him. At first she tensed. Something about the way he had showed up earlier made her uneasy. She didn’t know what he had done to Paige, if she was even alive. And he certainly didn’t feel any sadness for what had happened to Ryan. Not to mention the fact that he had knocked her out. She was beginning to think that she didn’t know who he was at all.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her hair. “I know you cared for him and I know it hurts, but there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it.”

She looked up at him. “He died for me, Konnor. Do you know what that means?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “He loved you.”

She nodded miserably and he added softly, “So do I.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me what’s really going on.”

Konnor sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “I will explain. I promise you that. But right now I have to take care of something.”

“Like what?”

“Like making sure we can get out of the city.”

“Why shouldn’t we be able to?”

“There’s a little matter of us being wanted for eight counts of murder.”

“What?” Her voice rose almost to a squeak.

“Detective Landers gave quite a story. Seems like the two of us are responsible for taking out eight men. Even as we speak the hunt is on.”

Senna felt as if the rug had been jerked out from under her. It seemed that her life was becoming more of a nightmare with each passing moment. And Konnor was not helping. One moment she was sure he was lying to her and she could not trust him and the next she was feeling as if he were her only lifeline. She felt close to losing control and becoming hysterical or just plain crazy.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered and clung to him. “Please, don’t go.”

“I have to.” He disengaged himself from her hands. “But you won’t be alone.”

“Someone else is here? Who?”

“Someone I trust above everyone else. Someone you can trust.”

“Who?”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

She took his hand and together they left the bedroom. He led her into a small cozy den where a fire burned brightly in a stone fireplace. A man rose from a chair in front of the fire and turned to look at her. As his face came into view, time seemed to come to abrupt halt. Her throat constricted and a weak cry escaped her lips a moment before her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness.

Konnor caught her as she fell and carried her to the couch. “Senna!” He patted her face. “Can you hear me?” She didn’t respond and he looked to Shen for help. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She will be fine.” Shen didn’t seem to be concerned. “Go and take care of the tasks at hand. I will take care of her.”

“Why did she keel over like that?”

“She has suffered much trauma of late. Perhaps her mind simply needed to withdraw in order to assimilate.”

Konnor looked at him doubtfully. “Maybe I should stay with her.”

“Do you doubt my ability to safeguard her?”

“No.” Konnor felt ashamed at the reproach he heard in Shen’s voice. “Of course not.”

“Then go.”

Konnor nodded then leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead as he ran his hand down the side of her face. Then he straightened up and walked out.

Shen looked down at her and his eyes narrowed. He wondered what dreams were being played out in her mind.

Senna was in the past, in the bedroom of the villa where her father, Lucas, and her uncle, Marcus, were staying. It was late but she could not sleep. She had spent the day with her father at the site. Even thinking about it made her head hurt. Each time she had accompanied him to the site she had returned with a splitting headache. What was worse, she could not seem to form a clear picture of the site in her mind. She could describe it verbally, even write down a detailed description of it, but she could not summon a visual image and that bothered her.

She wished her father hadn’t refused to let her go with him tonight. She didn’t like being alone in the villa. Marcus was locked away in his study as usual, working, and there were no servants. She felt lonely and isolated.

Without warning the entire structure of the villa lurched violently. Her first thought was “earthquake”. It was the only explanation her mind could come up with for the shaking and the horrible noise. She ran to the window and looked outside. The night sky was blotted out by the enormous fireball that shot up from the earth.

Screaming, she ran to her bedroom door. It was locked. Pounding on it, she started screaming. “Marcus! Marcus! Can you hear me? Marcus! Let me out!”

There was no reply to her calls. After a minute she gave up and went back to the window. As she looked outside she saw figures running across the lawn. Drawing back, she looked around in fear. Her jeans and T-shirt were draped across the chair. Pulling off her gown she threw on her clothes and crammed her feet into her sneakers.

Just as she was tying the laces the sound of gunfire made her jump. It was coming from inside the house! A whimper came unbidden to her lips. Hearing the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs, she backed away from the door.

“Come on!” she heard a voice behind her.

Jumping at the sound she looked around. “Come on!” The man held out his hand to her from the window. “We have to get out of here.”

“Who are you?” She backed away.

“Come on, Mouse,” he said gently. “It’s time to run.”

His words triggered something in her mind. Suddenly she knew him. She knew she could trust him. Her father had told her she could. Aside from him and Marcus, this man was the only person she could trust. She had to do what he told her.

Putting her hand in his she let him help her out of the window and onto the ladder.

Senna moaned and thrashed around as the vision faded to be replaced by a new one, one she didn’t want to remember. But she was not strong enough to resist its pull. Whimpering and tossing around she sank into the memory.

Konnor entered the room and saw her. Immediately he went to her side. “Senna!” He slapped her gently on the face. “Wake up! Do you hear me? It’s Konnor. Wake up!”

His voice penetrated into the vision. Like a narrow beam of light in an otherwise dark vista, she clung to the sound of his voice. At last she penetrated the barrier and opened her eyes. As soon as she saw his face she threw herself into his arms. “Please hold me,” she whispered frantically. “Please.”

“It’s okay.” He smoothed her wet hair back from her face. “I’m here. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

She nodded against his shoulder and opened her eyes. She saw Shen watching silently from across the room and her entire body went rigid.

“What’s wrong?” Konnor asked at the sudden jerk.

Senna drew back and pointed at Shen. “Ask him.”

Konnor turned and looked at Shen with a confused expression. “What’s going on?”

Shen looked from him to Senna. “It has been a long time.”

Hate welled hot and venomous inside her. “Not long enough, Kitaro.”

The only reaction Shen made to her remark was a slight narrowing of his eyes. Konnor, on the other hand, looked at her like she had lost her mind. “You’re confused. This is Shen.”

Senna’s head started to swim and she grabbed Konnor’s arm to steady herself. “Why are you doing this to me?” she croaked, trying to stem the dizziness.

Shen walked over in front of the couch. “I must assume that not all of your memory has returned.”

“Enough to know that I hate you!” She pressed back against the couch to put as much distance as she could between them.

“Senna, you’re talking crazy!” Konnor intervened. “You don’t even know Shen. It’s just the shock of what you’ve been through making you—”

“No, it’s not,” she interrupted without looking at him. “I know exactly what I’m saying. His name is Kitaro and he…” She could not bring herself to admit what had happened. It was too terrible.

“Perhaps if you look closer you will see that I am not Kitaro,” Shen suggested.

Konnor stood up to make way for Shen even though Senna reached to stop him. She tried to disappear into the cushions of the couch in an attempt to move back from Shen as he perched beside her.

“Look at me,” he commanded in a soft voice.

“No.” She averted her eyes. “Not this time.”

“Senna, look at me.”

She didn’t want to but she couldn’t stop herself. It was as if his voice held some kind of power over her. Turning her head she looked into his eyes. For a brief moment she was seized with panic. All she wanted to do was run and hide. But the panic faded as recognition flared in her mind. In a burst that threatened to overwhelm her the memories returned.

“Shen?” She raised one hand hesitantly and reached out to him but retracted it before she touched him. “Is it really you or is this just another trick?”

“It is I.” He took her hand in his. “Do you remember now?”

She nodded and tears sprang from her eyes. “I thought you were…I was afraid he…”

Konnor watched in surprise as Shen gathered her in his arms and held her close while she cried. She clung to him tightly and only when the tears had stopped did she draw back and look up at him. “Why did you make me forget?”

“To protect you.”

“But you made me forget you.” Her voice broke and it took a moment for her to compose herself. “And I thought…you told me that you…” She looked over at Konnor. She had almost forgotten he was standing there.

“I did.” Shen answered her unspoken question. “That is why you had to forget. I could not bear to see you suffer with the memories of what he had done to you. It was the only way to ease your torment.”

“I loved you so much,” she whispered. “It hurts to remember.”

“Loved?” Konnor blurted and looked from one of them to the other. “Would one of you like to tell me what the hell you’re talking about?”

Shen disengaged himself from her and stood. “I will leave you alone. You have much to discuss.”

Senna wiped at her face as he left the room. Konnor remained standing, looking at her with a suspicious expression on his face. “Well?” he asked harshly.