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“Good. You can help me.” She sucked in air and blew it out, still not entirely comfortable with admitting weakness. “I don’t really know how to do it, but I know we need to.” She clenched her abdominals and sat up. “Liam told me to trust God. He probably meant no matter what, not just…what we were talking about.”
Olivia’s brows rose. “And what would that be, dear?”
The woman was the picture of innocence. Given she was also the mom of three boys, she was probably far wiser than that. “I’m sure you can guess.”
Olivia reached over and patted Roxie’s knee. “Don’t agree too easily. Make him work for it.”
Roxie stared at her.
Destiny snorted, then clapped her bound hands over her mouth. “How are we going to get out of here?”
Roxie turned around far enough to see the back of the door. No handle on this side. “Have they said anything to you?”
“No.” Olivia sounded small. Scared.
Roxie held her hand. “Destiny?” When her friend laid her hand on the bundle of Roxie and Olivia’s, Roxie said, “Someone start us off praying. I’ll learn as we go.”
She closed her eyes and listened, absorbing the cadence of the words. They spoke with ease. A warmth and familiarity in their prayers that said it came natural now, like conversation with a loved one. As Olivia prayed, Destiny leaned forward and touched her shoulder with Roxie’s, so they sat there in a kind of hug. Roxie leaned her head down onto her friend’s, soaking up the nearness. Knowing God had made it so none of them were alone in this.
Help us.
She’d started to fall asleep sitting up when the door opened. It wasn’t graceful or athletic, but she scrambled around. She didn’t get up, just sat in front of the other two, tucking them behind her.
The first cop pointed at her. “That one.”
Two men she would not want to meet in a dark alley grabbed her elbows and hauled her to her feet. She didn’t look back at the others. She tuned out their cries and pleading.Help us, Lord.She had nothing else. No way out. No weapons. No backup. No team. No gear. No help. So much for the tracker and the plan.
Now it was just God.
If God was powerful enough to make the world, to come back from the dead, and to exchange all that was inside her for the peace she felt right now, then He could be all that in this situation as well. Everything she needed.
The two men walked her down the hall. Her hands had started to go numb. Not a good sign. At least her legs didn’t give out. No need to find out how it would feel to be dragged—or whatever they would do to get her moving.
One guy said something to the other in Russian. Obolensky’s men, though she hadn’t seen Raphi himself.
They walked her all the way to the lobby where a lone man stood waiting.
When he turned, she couldn’t hold back the gasp at seeing him here. They were giving her to him.Mark.“Hello, Brad.” The words cracked, sounding hollow to her.
He grinned. “I guess you figured it out.”
She swallowed back the vomit.
Brad addressed the two men next, “Tell Raphi he’s clear. He doesn’t owe me anymore.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
The first shot came from Gage’s gun. SWAT had the front and Vanguard had the other doors covered. Glass shattered, spraying the tile lobby of the Hurstwhile Center. Shots came at them from inside, and they fanned out to take shelter.
Liam bent a knee and held his rifle up. He squeezed off two shots, everything in him coalescing. Usually, all thought fled from his mind and instinct took over. This time, he kept hold of a single thought:God, lead us.
No way would he go into this without the cover of God’s help through prayer. He could accomplish a whole lot on his own, but even Jesus said He could do nothing without the Father—so why discount God’s help? He was still figuring out where his skill ended and God’s work began, but he wouldn’t take a step without a prayer on his lips tonight.
“Going,” Jasper called out. A second later, he started moving. Blake did the same to his right, about six feet away. Firing as they moved.
Liam covered them, emerging from where he crouched and heading inside, along with the others.
Gage was pinned down behind the lobby desk.
