Colby Agency: Colby Justice Part 15

"Put him on the floor," Victoria ordered the terrorist, "and resume CPR."

As soon as her order had been followed, her attention s.h.i.+fted to the street beyond the small parking area outside the wall of gla.s.s.

Her heart leaped with joy and relief as she watched her son rus.h.i.+ng toward where she waited. Simon was right next to him. And Lucas...Tears spilled down Victoria's bruised cheeks. Her beloved husband was right behind the others.

Police and emergency lights throbbed through the darkness.

Help was almost here.

Her attention s.h.i.+fted to Gordon and the man attempting to keep his heart beating. She hoped it wasn't too late.

Jim reached the doors first.

Victoria bolted forward, still keeping an eye on the enemy hovering over Gordon. She pressed the release, allowing Jim to open the door.

He swept Victoria into his arms. She was vaguely aware that Simon had knelt next to Gordon.

"You're safe now," Jim murmured.

Lucas was suddenly huddled with them, his arms replacing Jim's around her. She sagged against his familiar and comforting chest.

Thank G.o.d, thank G.o.d.

Victoria's chest squeezed with fear. She drew back, her gaze colliding with her husband's. "Penny and Ben are still somewhere in the building." Fear tightened like a noose around her heart. "So is Pederson, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d in charge."

"Ian and Tallant are taking the stairwells," Lucas a.s.sured her. "Kendra is coming in through the bas.e.m.e.nt. We'll find them."

Victoria prayed it wouldn't be too late.

"Ma'am," a new voice said, "you need to come with me."

Victoria shook off the daze of exhaustion and fear. Emergency medical personnel and police were pouring into the lobby. She nodded to the paramedic who'd spoken and Lucas escorted her to an ambulance waiting nearby.

The headache she'd forgotten was suddenly throbbing in her skull, threatening to explode into a million screaming pieces of agony. Her body ached...and she was so, so tired.

As she reached the open doors of the ambulance she glanced back. Paramedics were working with Gordon.

Don't die, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You have a h.e.l.l of a lot to answer for. We all do.

Second floor "YOU'RE CERTAIN this is where they came," Ben asked his colleague at the temporary command center as he moved from one office to the next and found nothing.

"Pederson and Alexander took the elevator to the second floor," Rocky explained. "A few minutes later she disappeared from the scan. Pederson took the elevator back to the fourth floor, went to the conference room and then he disappeared."

Then Ben understood.

He ran to the ladies' room. Hardin was gone.

Ben's suit was gone. A full suit of the black SWAT-type clothing the enemy had worn lay on the floor.

Pederson was wearing the suit that would prevent him from showing up on the scan. That was the reason for the stop back by the fourth-floor conference room. He'd needed the headgear Ben had left in his abandoned pack.

Alexander's had been in the offices down the hall on the second floor where Cates had forced her to strip, suit, backpack and all.

"Pederson's wearing the suit," Ben informed Rocky. "That's why neither is showing up on the scan now. Somebody check on Clark-Pederson may have executed him just for the sport of it."

"Michaels, Todd, Tallant and Jim are leading a search through the building with a.s.sistance from the police," Rocky advised. "Still no sign of Alexander or Pederson."

Ben knew where they would be and pa.s.sed his plan onto Rocky. He ignored the caution urged by his colleague and entered the return duct just as orders were shouted along the corridors of the floor. As Rocky said, the building was being searched from the ground up.

But they wouldn't find Pederson and Alexander.

They were headed for the bas.e.m.e.nt-and escape-through the ventilation system. Kendra Todd had entered the building through the bas.e.m.e.nt, but she'd likely already pa.s.sed through before Alexander and Pederson reached that level.

Ben moved more quickly. Though Alexander's a.s.sistance had been required to climb up the steep angles without making unnecessary sound, going down wasn't a problem. He wasn't concerned about the noise he would make dropping past one ninety degree angle after the other. He wanted Pederson to know he was coming.

No way was he letting that b.a.s.t.a.r.d get out of this building with Alexander.

In record time, Ben reached the bas.e.m.e.nt level. He stilled a few feet from the exit point. If Pederson was waiting to blow a hole in him, Ben didn't want to give him that satisfaction by acting rash.

He closed his eyes, blocked the sound of blood roaring in his ears and listened.

A crash echoed in the silence.

The sound of metal spilling across the concrete floor followed.

Ben opened his eyes. Pederson was shoving items out of the way, searching for the exit to the next building. It wouldn't take him long to find it.

Still, a smile slid across Ben's lips. Desperation had set in.

"GO." PEDERSON SHOVED Penny toward the access hole Steele had made for their entrance from the adjoining building.

No way was she letting this b.a.s.t.a.r.d get her outside. As soon as he didn't need her anymore. He would shoot her and take off.

She twisted her body, blocking the opening rather than pa.s.sing through it.

The muzzle rammed into her face. "Go now or I'll blow your brains all over the wall."

"Okay, okay." She took a breath. Put her hands up. "Just get that thing out of my face."

"You make a run for it on the other side and I'll put a hole through that lovely back of yours."

Penny nodded her understanding. She turned and thrust her upper body through the opening. Moving forward just enough to allow Pederson to stick his head inside, she braced her hands on the concrete floor of the neighboring bas.e.m.e.nt...then she kicked backward with all her strength. Her foot connected with his face.

He howled.

She launched forward, rolled to her right.

A bullet pinged against the floor. Too close.

She rolled some more.

A grunt echoed through the opening.

What she could see of Pederson abruptly disappeared.

What the h.e.l.l?

The grunts and thumps of a struggle echoed through the opening.

She smiled. Steele had caught up with them.

Moving cautiously, she crawled back to the opening and spotted Pederson's weapon on the floor just on the other side.

She moved back into the hole...observed the two men rolling on the floor.

Scrambling fast, she s.n.a.t.c.hed up the weapon and pushed to her feet.

"On your feet," she shouted, clutching the weapon in both hands.

The men froze, Steele on top. He glanced over his shoulder, saw the weapon in her hand, then proceeded to beat the h.e.l.l out of Pederson.

She couldn't deny enjoying those final blows.

Eventually Steele got up, dragged the b.a.s.t.a.r.d to his feet. Pederson's face was a b.l.o.o.d.y pulp.

"You done?" she asked her new partner.

"Not quite." Steele executed an upper cut that knocked out Pederson's lights. "Now I'm done." He staggered over to Penny and wrapped his arms around her. "d.a.m.n, I was worried about you."

Penny hugged him hard. "Ditto."

Voices echoed from the top of the stairs.

"The cavalry's here," Steele said, his voice weary and relieved at the same time as he pulled back enough to watch the rush of cops led by Ian Michaels down the steps.

"I guess that means we're done."

Steele brushed back a wisp of hair that had escaped the headgear. "No way. We're only getting started."

Despite the activity going on all around them, he kissed her. It had been a long time in coming...and it was worth every minute of the wait.

Chapter Twenty.

Mercy General Hospital, 8:30 p.m.

Victoria held her breath as yet another X-ray was completed. The pain she'd suffered indicated fractured or bruised ribs. She had a mild contusion. No concussion, thankfully. Mainly she was just grateful the nightmare was over.

Gordon was in intensive care. He had, indeed, suffered a heart attack. The prognosis was guarded but optimistic.

Thorp and his minions, except for one who was dead, were in custody. As was Clark.

Gordon had refused to give any sort of statement when the doctors allowed a detective to question him briefly. He wasn't talking to anyone until he had an attorney present. His former a.s.sistant, Mia Dawson, with Slade Convoy at her side, had provided detectives with the full details of what she had long suspected and what she knew with complete certainty. Thorp and his men were suspected of District Attorney Ashton Flannery's murder as well. The poor man had been found murdered in his bas.e.m.e.nt by Convoy and Mia during this insane ordeal.

Gordon's head of security, Terrell, was nowhere to be found. The mistress who had been with Gordon when he was taken from his home, insisted Terrell had gotten loose and left her in that closet. She was unharmed other than being shaken and furious.

Nicole Reed-Michaels had located the savings and loan VP. He was being questioned by the police as well. His two accomplices had been captured by Kendra Todd as they attempted to flee the back of the building just before all h.e.l.l broke loose inside.

The Colby Agency had a lot to answer for with the police. There was no question about that. But the two lives lost during this ordeal were not on their conscience. Victoria was thankful for that.

"All rightie, Mrs. Colby-Camp," the technician announced. "That's all the pictures we need."

"Thank you."

The technician a.s.sisted Victoria down from the table and back into the wheelchair. Victoria hated that part, but the hospital staff insisted.

In the corridor outside the radiology suite Lucas waited for her. He took Victoria's hand as soon as the tech wheeled her out the door. His smile made Victoria's heart swell.

"We'll get the images to E.R. right away," the tech said, before hurrying back to take the next patient from the waiting area.

"So." Lucas moved behind the chair and started to roll it forward. "When they've cleared and released you, how does breakfast-instead of dinner-sound?"

Victoria craned her neck so she could look back at him. "Wonderful. Where did you have in mind?" She only then realized how hungry she was. When had she last eaten? Night before last?

Lucas paused at the elevator, pushed the call b.u.t.ton and said, "Home."

He winked and she understood exactly what he had in mind. Lucas Camp could make an omelet to die for. But it was the dessert to follow that made her warm from head to toe, despite her numerous aches and pains.

When they reached the exam room she'd been a.s.signed in the E.R., Jim was waiting next to the door. He, too, looked tired and disheveled and just as handsome as ever.

Victoria smiled. "You should go home, Jim." He'd spent the past several hours ensuring all was under control. The head of building security had arrived to personally oversee that everything was set back to rights at the home of the Colby Agency. Jim had taken charge and sorted out the questions with the police and worked out as many of the issues as possible right up front. He'd kept Lucas informed at every step so that Victoria wouldn't worry during this necessary medical attention.

Jim had done an amazing job.

Her son shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere until I know you're all right." He opened the door to her room, allowing Lucas to push her inside.

Victoria checked to see that her hospital gown was properly closed as she got to her feet. "You know this whole business is utterly humiliating. I can walk perfectly well."

"That's what they all say," Jim muttered good-naturedly as he a.s.sisted her up onto the exam table while Lucas parked the wheelchair in the corridor outside the room.

"We need to talk," Jim said to her, his expression so grave a jolt of fear startled her.

"Okay." She turned to Lucas, hoping he wouldn't mind giving them a moment.