She tested the zip ties again. The ones around her wrists were tight enough to cut off circulation, but the tie around her left ankle had some give to it. She kicked off her sneaker and began working her bare foot, twisting and pulling despite the plastic edges cutting into her skin.
In the upstairs office, behind frosted glass, she could see shadows, at least three people. Their voices grew louder as there appeared to be some sort of argument going on, which was a good opportunity for her to try to escape while they were distracted.
Her left foot was almost free. Blood trickled down her ankle where the zip tie had torn the skin, but she kept pulling, biting back a cry of pain as the plastic finally slipped over her heel.
One foot free.
The voices upstairs grew louder. Someone's voice rose above the others. "Should just finish her now. Too risky to wait…"
Then Viktor's voice rang out loud and clear. "Enough! I give the orders. When I get to Branson, I'll send you a text. Only then will you act."
Sensing their conversation was ending and that one of the guards might be returning soon, she struggled to her feet, the chair still attached to her right leg and weighing her down. She tried to hop toward the back of the warehouse, but the chair was heavier than she'd expected, and the scraping sound it made against the concrete was too loud.
She needed a different plan. Looking around, she spotted several concrete support pillars hidden behind the shelves. If she could get the chair to one of those posts and break the leg...
She hopped forward, happy to be a little further away, even if she wasn't yet free. When she reached the pillar, she began ramming the wooden chair leg against the concrete, over and over, trying to break it. Each impact echoed through the warehouse, but she couldn't hear or see anyone from this vantage point. Maybe they'd left. Maybe the guard had gone outside. Or maybe they were about to discover what she was doing and put an end to her escape and her life.
She had no idea, but she had to keep trying.
On the fourth impact, she felt the chair leg splinter. Three more hits and it cracked completely, freeing her right foot.
Now she had to get her arms free. The zip ties around her wrists were still secure, but with both feet free and the chair broken, she was able to slip her arms over the back of the chair, her shoulders screaming in protest, but finally, she was away from the chair. Her hands were still tied behind her back, but she could run.
As she started toward the back of the warehouse, she heard a shout. Someone had realized she was gone.
She looked around for cover. The shelving units were too exposed, but there was a cluster of equipment and pallets near the far wall that might hide her.
She moved as quietly as she could, staying low and using the shadows between the overhead lights. Her bare feet made almost no sound on the concrete, but every breath seemed impossibly loud.
She'd just reached the pallets when she heard another man yell, "Viktor said to forget her. They're here. It's time."
His footsteps moved away, and she let out a breath in relief, which was short-lived. If Matt was here and the warehouse was wired to explode, she had to warn him. She emerged from her hiding place and ran toward the back of the building. There was a rolling door by what appeared to be a loading dock. It was thirty yards away and probably locked, but it was her only way out, as any guards would probably be in front. She ran for her life, praying she would be fast enough…
ChapterTwenty-Six
Matt met Julia just outside the warehouse parking lot. There were no cars in the lot, but lights were visible from one of the windows.
Julia Harper got out of her car. She was in her fifties, a tall woman with brown hair and eyes that were tense and worried. "Drew Sanderson left fifteen minutes ago. Viktor departed five minutes ago, and two men just drove out of the parking lot."
"Haley?" he demanded.
"Haven't seen her leave. I think she's still in there."
"We're going in," he decided. They were all wearing protective gear, weapons at the ready. "Jason and I will take the front. Andi, you and Nick take the back."
"Be careful," Julia warned. "I can't think why they'd leave her alone, unless they've wired the building. If you try to breach, this could go badly."
"Understood." They needed to be careful, but careful was the last thing he wanted to be. He wanted to rush inside and get to Haley before she was hurt, but Julia was right. The building could be a trap, a way to take out the entire team. "No one goes inside until we check for explosives."
As they entered the parking lot, they split apart. They hadn't taken more than ten steps toward the building when the explosion hit, sending them all flying as debris rained down upon them.
Heart pounding, ears ringing, he stumbled to his feet, horror running through him as he realized the entire warehouse was engulfed in flames. "No," he shouted. "Haley!"
He heard Jason call him back, telling him there could be more explosions to come, but he didn't care. If he could still save her, he had to try.
He ran toward the back of the building, which wasn't as heavily ablaze as the front. A huge portion of the wall had broken apart, and he plunged into the smoke-filled building. The heat was intense, and he could barely see three feet in front of him. The air was thick with smoke and chemical fumes from whatever had been stored in the warehouse.
He looked over his shoulder, shocked to see Jason right behind him.
