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37
Annie
Joseph tried to run back out of the room. Going for help? Getting away from the most assured retaliation if his boss got free?
"Uh, uh," I said, shaking my head. That let the tip of the blade sink just under the surface of Bevington's skin. A drop of blood beaded up and slid down. It looked like it came from his eye. The blade was that close. "You need to come in, hands up and off your weapons, kick the door closed, or I'll blind your boss." Right before I slit his throat. But since then I'd have no more bargaining chips and security might actually be less trapped in their jobs and more really well paid, they might end up looking for revenge on anyone who took away their meal ticket, I didn't add that.
They came in, hands up, and the one who wasn't Joseph kicked the door shut. Bevington was starting to shake. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. This is a really sharp knife. You blink the wrong way, you're going to lose an eye."
That just made him shake harder. I smiled on the inside where it didn't show. How many years had this thing been playing unwinnable games just like this with girls who had no way out?
"Lettie, can you help yourself to their guns and kind of take a feel around for anything else we might find – useful." Or troubling. Whichever. I didn't think she'd like doing it but I didn't want to take a chance while making the tradeoff of knife and Bevington and besides, if it came down to it, I thought I really could plunge the knife into his eye.
But Lettie surprised me again. She had zero problem disarming both guards, keeping her eyes on them as she backed away with each weapon to deposit them on the far side of the room, on my right side where Bevington wasn't. She piled them on the seat of a matching armchair to the one in which Bevington shook. She had equally little problem feeling up the guards and searching them for other weapons. She found a Taser, pepper spray, and a small baton. If there was more, we missed it.
I gestured at the one who wasn't Joseph. Almost asked his name. Didn't. "You guys have handcuffs?" Lettie hadn't produced any.
They both stared at me mulishly like they'd just forgotten English. Whatever. I was starting to try and figure out where to put them while we got the other girls. Taking the three of them with me was too big a risk. Killing them was too murdery. They were unarmed. Not that I wanted them to do so, but they'd have to try something before I shot either one.
Even Joseph.
I wasn't sure about Bevington. The burn on my ass gave a pang as if in agreement.
"Is it light yet?" I asked Lettie and she opened the windows and a sort of dark sunlight crept in. It was early morning, just barely past dawn, the time when the sun lights the sky but hasn't yet climbed into it.
"So you've got us," Joseph said. "What now?" He lowered his arms, which I didn't like, but ordering him to put them up again wouldn't take and I'd rather deal with what I didn't like than look weak. Looking weak put ideas in people's heads about exploiting that weakness.
"We're all going outside," I said, making it up as I went along. "Get up, asshole." I gave Bevington another jab, this one in the cheek. Blood rolled down and he hissed. To his credit, that was all he did, and when he got up, he didn't play the old man card. He got up as smoothly as he ever had. Next second he made a lunge for his right, going for the weapons.
I lashed out with the knife, catching him across the biceps. It was a nasty cut, instantly starting to stain his robe crimson, but it was Lettie who took him down. She moved like she knew what she was doing. She moved like she was grabbing for a gun herself, but instead she brought her fist up in an inelegant but excellent upper cut.
She caught Bevington under the jaw and toppled him backward. He didn't go out, but he didn't get up from where he sprawled, either, toppled back into the chair I'd just gotten him out of. Both security reacted, one running for the open window, the other for the door.
But I had a gun now, not just a knife.
And so did Lettie.
"Open that door and you're dead," I said and thought, Please, Joseph. Go for it.
I was an excellent shot.
He didn't. He stopped and turned back, glanced at his partner, appealed to me, pointing at Bevington. "At least let us see he's all right." As if I were endangering the man's health. As if he himself hadn't just tried to run out on Bevington. He actually started to move toward the asshole, as if I had okayed it.
"I don't care if he's all right or not. Kind of the way none of you cared if I was. Get the fuck back." I motioned with the gun.
He hesitated, looking at the gun. I think he was checking the safety, and the way I held it. Checking to see if I knew what I was doing.
I must have convinced him.
He backed off.
I took the key to the deadbolt out of Bevington's pocket and unlocked the front door but left it closed. I didn't want anything to attract outside security until we were ready.
In the front entry, I made both guards and Bevington lay face down, hands behind their heads, and was glad to see at least here was something it was difficult for Bevington to do. His arms shook with the strain as if I'd put him in a stress position.
I didn't relent. I let him shake.
"Go get the others," I told Lettie. It was no time to pretend I wasn't in charge or to try and be polite or diplomatic or feminine. I said go and she went.
