Agent Rogue: Espionage

Chapter 14

I had one job: to guard the vault. The fact that I couldn't even manage to do that—

          Stop it. If I had stayed, Scotty could have been more hurt, and Collins... Collins may not have made it out of the building at all.

          It didn't matter now. Not when the skin beneath the torso of my dress grew sticky with sweat and the toes crammed into the heels I wore stung as my feet smacked against the ground. I almost fell when I turned the junction to reach the vault, and caught the stunned expression of a suited member of staff for the Fleur D'or.

          He followed my swift glimpse towards the case at his side and clutched it tighter.

          I raised my gun. "Hand it over. I'm not asking."

          He angled the case around the back of his leg with a scowl.

          "Is all that money really worth your life?"

          The fact that he pondered the question as he faced down the barrel of a gun did not sit right within me. No amount of money was worth the cost of a human life.

          He flinched at the sound of his final chance as I unlocked the safety of the gun.
"I could... I could lose my job for this."
"What about your life?" I narrowed my eyes in a cold, pressuring stare. "What is that worth?"

          With an anxious gulp, he surrendered the aluminium case.

          Gun still pointed, I crouched down and swiftly checked the contents, not bothering to count the seemingly-endless stacks of notes, every single one of them a resource Marcus was now depleted of.

          Almost. Not quite yet. Not until we escaped with Sienna.

          I buckled the case shut and stood up straight. "I appreciate your cooperation."
"Does that mean I—" He glanced behind me as if to check for any companions. "Can I go?"
I lowered my weapon and stepped aside. "Of course. Go on."

          He looked to me for extra confirmation, which I gave with a flick of my brows, and scurried down the corridor, aiming for the exit—

          Then collapsed to the floor when the handle of my gun thumped him over the back of the head. It was too much of a risk to let him leave freely, but killing him was an extreme measure. He was not a servant of Marcus or Sienna, but an average man willing to do his job. Even if it was for an underground gambler.

          "Sorry." I stepped over the unconscious body and headed towards the stairs.

          "I have the case," I told the boys through the earpiece. "I'll make my way out before anyone catches on."
"Collins has gone to get one of the cars," Scotty explained. "He should meet you out the front."
I hushed my voice when I emerged into the lobby. "What about you?"
"I'm watching for Davis and Barnes for as long as I can. There aren't many cameras around the suites. I haven't spotted pretty-boy for a while."
I sighed. Trying to ignore the dread, I pressed, "And Davis?"
"Him and Sienna are talking... And he's headed for the ballroom with her. This could be Davis's cue that he has her."
"Get out of there," I ordered him.
"But Barnes—"
"He'll be here. Get yourself out before Sienna spots you."
"Aye aye."

          The earpiece crackled when he signed off for the few minutes it would take to meet me outside the building. I didn't want to risk distracting Derek in his battle with Veronica, but I had to check...

          "Derek, you there?"
Nothing.
"Derek, did you get all that?"

          Silence. I stared at the door to the suites – the one I had entered with Derek before; the last place I saw him.