WATCHING (46 page)

“
Hartlett told us you seemed interested in Dr. Bellows. Did she remind you of Linda
?
”

“
That boy sees too much for his own damned good
.
”
Stephenson
’
s voice held real regret.
“
He
’
s a good kid, yet you and yours never see him. Any of my boys. They
’
re not super agents, I guess
.
”

“
Not true. They
’
re all being promoted
.
”

“
About damned time
.
”

“
Yeah. Dennis told me he finally got the funding he
’
s been asking for. Funding we needed to be able to offer promotions
.
”
Any second the power would be going down. And Georgia would be a hanging target. Vulnerable.

“
But not for me
.
”
Stephenson
’
s tone flattened. Was he actually hurt because he wasn
’
t being promoted?

“
Pittsburg was lateral on paper. But it was a strong assignment. You
’
d fit well there. And...your son Evan
wa
s being transferred there at the beginning of next month. Dennis pulled some strings. This how you planned to repay him
?
”

“
None of that matters now
.
”

“
Yes, it does. Put the gun down, give Georgia back to me and her father. Back to her son. We
’
ll keep this just between us. You
r
son won
’
t have to know
.
”

“
Too late for that. There will be trouble for
...
”
Stephenson
’
s hand tightened on Georgia
’
s waist.
“
For what I did to Linda...the medical examiner, I mean
.
”

“
She was alive when I found her. She
’
s being treated now
.
”

Georgia let out a sobbing breath, shivered.
“
Thank God
.
”

“
I never wanted to hurt her. Never. I didn
’
t mean to burn her pictures, either. Know they must have meant a lot to her
.
”
Stephenson seemed to shrink into himself for a minute. He straightened, and his hand firmed around the gun.

“
They did. They were her husband and his brother
.
”

“
How did she lose him
?
”
Stephenson
’
s demeanor changed when they spoke of Dr. Bellows. Sexual fascination mixed with guilt and protectiveness and apology.

Another shadow passed behind Stephenson and Georgia. Closer this time.

Hell nodded at Georgia, wordlessly telling her to keep Stephenson
’
s attention. She blinked, deliberately. She knew something was about to go down.
“
Yes. We were going to the mall to pick out baby furniture. Jules was pregnant. We were in her car, her husband and Bryan and Matthew were in Bryan
’
s car, right in front of us. A drunk driver hit them head on
.
”

“
That had to be horrible for her, didn
’
t it, Roger
?
”

“
It would have
, being a doctor, and all
; poor
little
mouse
.
”

“
It was
.
”
Georgia bit back a sob, drawing Stephenson
’
s attention more fully. Hell knew the man couldn
’
t help himself. It was about
Dr. Bellows
, and
information about her
was like a magnet for him. Georgia continued as the shadow behind Stephenson moved closer
still
.
“
We couldn
’
t help them at all. Her husband died instantly. I was engaged to his brother. He didn
’
t die right away. I got to say goodbye. To make a promise to take care of his little boy. But Jules, she couldn
’
t help either of them. That hurt her so much
.
”

“
She
’
d have tried
,
”
Stephenson admitted, his tone soft and almost reverent.
“
She tried to help me after the fire. You said she was pregnant, she have a kid somewhere
?
”

“
No. She lost the baby
days
after her husband
’
s funeral
,
”
Hell said, fighting a sense of rising panic. If they didn
’
t get Georgia out of the way soon, she
’
d be between all of the men when the lights went down. There would be no way to protect her if Stephenson started shooting.
Not in the dark. She was literally a hanging target.
“
She
’
s lost so much, don
’
t you think? Georgia and her son are the only family she has left. What do you think it will do to her to lose her best friend and one of the last connections to her husband? She
’
s an orphan as well. Georgia is it. I know you
’
re a compassionate man—I
’
ve always admired the way you are with the victims. Don
’
t make the doctor into more of a victim than she already has been
.
”

“
Dammit, I didn
’
t mean to fuckin
’
hurt her at all!
”
Stephenson
’
s shout reverberated off the cement walls.

Hell shouted himself.
“
But you did. This, will hurt her—when she regains consciousness! Do you want that
?
”

He took another step forward as Stephenson stepped closer to Georgia.

“
What about your son? What will he think about this? What will you tell him
?
”

“
None of that matters now
.
”
Stephenson was still shouting, but to Hell that was a good sign. It meant the man
’
s attention wasn
’
t as fully on Georgia as it had been.
“
Not after what
’
s happened. What I
’
ve done. To the mouse
.
”

“
Dr. Bellows will recover, Roger. We found her in time. Although you did hurt her
.
”
Hell could just see the shadow that was Agent Lorcan as he climbed the piping just behind the furnace. The man hadn
’
t made a sound. He was in place. As soon as the lights went down, Lorcan would cut the rope holding Georgia, and she
’
d fall to the ground, giving Hellbrook or her father a clear shot.

“
I never wanted to hurt her. Never wanted to hurt the little mouse
.
”
Stephenson
’
s breath shuddered out. His hand clenched on his gun. He looked down at it, for only a moment. Then back up at Hellbrook.

“
Roger, we all know that
.
”
Hell stepped toward him, wanting to keep him moving forward. Away from Georgia.

“
Tell her I
’
m sorry
.
”
He let his hand drop from Georgia. He stepped closer to Hell
.
He raised the gun to
his own head.

“
Roger, don
’
t
!
Don
’
t do this to your son. Think of Evan
.
”
The last thing Hell wanted him to do was commit suicide. If he pulled the trigger at the angle he held the gun, Georgia
would still
be in the line of fire.

“
I am
.
”
Stephen started to pull the trigger just as the room went dark. Hell
dove
toward Stephenson.

Both men went down in a tangle of limbs.

Chapter
57

****

Georgia knew when the lights went down that they
’
d have only a few moments until the backup generators kicked in. It was a fail-safe method she knew was designed to ensure the Bureau wasn
’
t in a total blackout in times of any possible disaster or a terrorist attack. They
’
d had something similar at Ana
’
s previous post in Chicago, and the other woman had told her about it. They had one hundred and eighty seconds before the lights returned. Georgia didn
’
t intend to still be hanging there like a proverbial sacrificial virgin while the knight and the bad guy fought around her.

And she for damned sure wasn
’
t going to be between Hell and Stephenson when the lights came back on. Because Hell would not take a chance shooting if he thought she was between them.

She began swinging back and forth in earnest, hoping the friction against the rough steel pipe would stretch the silk rope from her window drapes enough that she could slip one hand free. She was almost there. Once one hand was free she
’
d drop to the ground and roll her ass out of the way. When the lights came back on she
’
d be ready to help Hell however she could.

***

The backup lights came back on as a warm male hand wrapped around Georgia
’
s wrist. She
almost
screamed at the touch. It came from above her, from the pipes themselves.

She
stared
into the intense green eyes of Agent Lorcan. Thank God, one of the good guys. Hell and Stephenson fought wildly a yard from where she still hung.

“
Hurry, Lorcan!
”
Georgia shouted as Stephenson
’
s shoulder rammed into her back. Hell was clearly keeping the upper hand, but both men fought with intense desperation.

Lorcan
’
s knife sliced through the rope, sending Georgia toppling to the floor just as Stephenson stood.

Georgia landed a foot from him.

Stephenson grabbed her and jerked her to her feet, pulling her body flush against his chest.
“
Stop, Hellbrook, or I
’
ll kill her right in front of you!
”

Hell froze.
“
Don
’
t do this,
Roger
!
”

Georgia felt his arm tighten around her neck until she thought he
’
d strangle her long before he could shoot her. She coughed, drawing Stephenson
’
s gaze.

“
I
’
m sorry, princess
.
”
Stephenson raised his gun hand, the barrel brushing through her hair. She felt the metal against her skin. It continued to slide up and away from her head. Away from her and toward Stephenson
’
s own head.

“
No!
”
Georgia pulled away from him, but he held her by the
top of her dress
. The silk material ripped as she moved.

A hard male body tackled her seconds before a shot rang out over her and Hell shouted her name.

Georgia lay beneath the man, struggling to catch her breath as the room exploded with action all around her.