Page 43 of The Flame of Carson (Blackout Security Inc. #3)

Stacey paused, took a slow breath. She felt Gage squeeze her hand.

“Anderson drug me out of the house and threw me in the trunk of his car. Luckily, he didn’t see me grab my work cell from the table where the MP’s had told me to put it.

As he drove off, I found it a little strange that he didn’t at least try to tie my hands. ”

“Wait, Anderson didn’t bind you? He just drug you out?” Ethan interrupted.

“I know, I know. Why didn’t I fight back right? Probably because once I got over my shock at seeing Gage knocked out and turned to kick his ass, Anderson had his gun pointed right in my face. I wasn’t willing to risk making a move. As close as he was, one wrong move on my part and I would be dead.”

“Tony was able to track you then the signal dropped.” Ethan said.

“That probably happened when I got the phone out of the trunk.

Moments later, after Anderson had started driving, I started feeling around the trunk and found a small screwdriver.

I managed to get the screen off the phone.

I then used the screwdriver to pry the taillight out of the hole and tossed the rest of the phone out.

I was hoping he would get pulled over for a busted taillight or something.

“Anyway, when we got to that building, Anderson opened the trunk, and he was furious. He saw the taillight was pulled inside. He gripped my hair and yanked me out, keeping the gun pressed into my side. The screen was tucked into the waistband of my jeans, and I could feel it was luckily still intact. Anderson pulled me upstairs, still holding my hair. We got to the platform where he was set up. He shoved me into the chair and faster than I anticipated, he tied me up to the chair.”

Gage flexed his free hand, fighting to keep the hand that held Stacey’s relaxed.

Hearing that Anderson had roughly handled her like that, made him want to kill the man with his bare hands.

He tried to tune himself back into the conversation.

Hearing what had happened in that building, between the time Anderson had reached out to him and the time it took for him and Blackout to arrive there.

“After Anderson turned off the camera, he called someone. He called him his brother and said that it had started. He had me and that he had studied me over the last two years, and how he wasn’t taking chances.

He also said he would call when it was finished.

Anderson hung up. I baited him by asking if he thought he could beat Gage.

Anderson said he could, and I would watch as Gage died in front of me.

He also said if he was feeling generous, he would kill me too.

Otherwise, I was going to live knowing Gage died because of me.

“I told him to untie me, and we would see about that. He turned away from me and then he slapped me. I was surprised and the chair and I hit the floor. He yanked me back up, glared at me then went over to his computers. He didn’t pay any attention to me until Gage got there and tripped the alarm.

I couldn’t see what he was typing, and he didn’t say a damned word.

Just sat there typing and looking up the screens. ”

McCandles looked up from the legal pad he had been writing on. He did not look at Stacey, but at Gage. That was when Stacey looked over too. His face was a mask of rage. She knew he was furious that Anderson had slapped her. She reached over and laid her other hand on their joined one.

“Carson, walk us through what happened once you entered the building.” McCandles ordered.

“Yes Sir. I arrived at about 20:30 hours.” Gage began.

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A nderson paced his cell. He was furious.

At himself. At Blackout. More especially at Carson and Stacey for ruining his and his brother’s well-laid plans.

Oh, he was going to make sure they paid.

He would make sure that Carson watched as he killed his whore and then he would send that bastard to hell after her.

Anderson stopped his pacing at the sound of the jingling keys at the door.

Sneering, he moved to the far corner and watched the MP walking in, followed by another who was carrying a tray.

“This cell won’t hold me.” Anderson gritted.

“Keep telling yourself that Anderson.” One of the MP’s retorted.

Anderson growled in anger as the two MP’s silently turned and walked out again, locking the door behind them.

Anderson would only admit to himself that he was surprised that his guards were Marine MP’s and not the FBI, as he predicted.

Pushing off the concrete wall, he walked to the tray that was sitting on the cot.

Sitting down, he reached out for the bag of chips.

The second he opened the bag, a beeping began.

Frowning, Anderson looking into the bag, his eyes widened in shock at realizing what he was looking at.

“No. No!” Anderson roared.

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G age had just finished telling what happened at the building with Anderson when two things happened at once.

A large explosion ripped the air, as the whole building trembled.

Gage had Stacey in his arms and covering her beneath him on the floor in seconds.

About ten seconds after the explosion, alarms started blaring.

Outside the conference room, Gage could hear people yelling out in a mixture of orders and panic.

The door burst open, causing Gage to look up.

“Everyone okay?” an agent demanded.

Gage helped Stacey stand as the others got to their feet as well. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know you sir. We need to evacuate while the bomb and crime techs determine what happened.” The agent answered.

“Gage?” Stacey questioned, a mixture of concern and fear in her eyes and her voice trembling like a frightened child’s.

Gage now remembered what she told him about her three fears.

Cursing, he just scooped her into his arms and lead the way out of the room.

They were on the tenth floor of a twenty-floor building.

Cradling her head against his shoulder, he just whispered soothingly to her as he and the others headed for the emergency stairs.

As they moved down, Gage could feel Stacey trembling almost violently in his arms, her hands fisting in his shirt.

When he, Ethan, Jimmy, Cain and McCandles reached the main floor lobby, they were met by Tony and Elias, as well as thick smoke.

“Is Stacey all right?” Tony asked, coughing against the smoke.

“Let’s get outside.” Was all Gage could manage and rushed to the doors.

He moved through the people and smoke pouring from the building and went straight to the concrete flower bed around the flags.

The same concrete flower beds that he had sat on when he had his panic attack.

Sitting down, he held Stacey a little tighter.

“Shh It’s all right baby. We’re out of the building now.

You’re safe, I’ve got you now. Just relax for me babe. ”

Over the top of her head, Gage looked up and met the concerned eyes of both Ethan and Tony.

He wanted to explain, but it was not his place.

He would not betray Stacey. She had told him that he was only one of five people who knew her fear of high-rise fires.

Tearing his eyes from his guys, he looked toward the building.

Smoke was still wafting from the doors, as the last of the people emerged.

A rock formed in the pit of his stomach.

“Where’s Anderson? Please tell me he wasn’t in this building?” Gage asked, almost pleading as he looked at Jimmy, Cain and McCandles. Their looks told him all he need to know. “Damn it! You better get someone...”

“Major McCandles!”

McCandles turned as two soot covered MPs rushed over, coughing. “Where’s Anderson?”

“He’s...dead Sir.”

“He’s what?” McCandles queried. “How did that happen Corporal Richards? He was supposed to have no visitors!”

“He didn’t Sir. Holland and I took in his lunch tray.

Not five minutes after we left and locked the door again, there was an explosion.

I was knocked off my feet and Holland was thrown into the wall.

I managed to get to my feet and saw that the cell Anderson was in was nothing but flames.

I got close enough to look in. Sir, someone, somehow, got a bomb in there.

I know Anderson is dead because a foot from where the door used to be was half of the man’s leg.

” Richards reported, then doubled over in a coughing fit.