He got to his feet and buttoned his jacket, staring her down all the while, silently daring her to put up a fight.
Fortunately, she seemed to get the message, eventually giving in with a curt nod. The two of them stepped out of the booth and into the hallway, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, a blaring alarm sounded.
Red light orbs dropped from opening ceiling panels, flashing wildly as they zipped up and down the space, some flying up the stairs, others making their way down. The alarm continued to shrill, only disrupted by pounding footsteps as guards swarmed from below, all heading up to the next level.
“What’s going on?” Claudio demanded, clutching his tablet to his chest.
“That’s the fire alarm,” Michelle said. “Please, make your way outside.”
“Your people just went upstairs,” Oberon pointed out, a sick feeling twisting his gut. He took a threatening step closerto her, done with this whole masquerade, but was forced back when a blaster went off and a bullet landed in the ground less than a foot away from him.
They all turned to watch as a bleeding Trick practically tumbled down the steps, blaster clutched tightly in his left hand. The only thing that kept him from falling flat on his face was the man at his side, currently helping to hold him up.
“What happened?” Michelle sounded genuinely concerned when she saw how pale Trick was.
The man had several open wounds, his clothing practically stained red.
His shirt and pants were wet.
When they stopped at the landing, Oberon caught a glimpse of the remains of what appeared to be an icicle protruding from Trick’s left upper thigh.
“Take the gun,” Trick urged, shoving the weapon into the man’s hand before his head lolled and he lost consciousness.
Both the man and Michelle yelped in surprise, and she rushed forward, catching him beneath the chin to press her fingers to his pulse point.
“Get him to safety!” She snatched the blaster from the man’s hand and turned back to Oberon, all pretense gone as she aimed at his chest.
“What about you?” the man asked, but he was already pulling Trick around the stairs and down the opposite end of the hall.
“Go, Jose!” Michelle jolted when an explosion went off above them, followed by a swell of heat.
“The hybrid ambushed us,” Jose called, getting further away with each passing second, though he struggled to pull the hefty weight in his arms. “Trick managed to trap him. The fire was an accident but—”
Michelle’s laughter cut him off, and he didn’t wait around to finish his sentence.
Jose used his back to shove open the exit doors and then both he and Trick disappeared from sight.
Oberon bit his tongue, tempted to send Claudio after them, but unable to dismiss the weapon still pointed their way. Hopefully, the White Frost members they had planted around the streets outside had also been alerted to this disturbance and would catch them before they could make their escape.
“I thought you might have something up your sleeve,” Michelle said through her giggles, “but this is rich, even for you, Mr. King.”
“This place is surrounded,” Oberon told her, only for her to laugh even harder.
“Reinforcements are already on their way,” she replied, “not that you need to worry about that. You’ll be dead by then.”
The tripped alarm must automatically alert the rest of her soldiers. Out of her many properties, the most important were this auction house and the compound, because that was where the product was kept and where business was conducted. Her private residence, the estate, would fall last on the list when her livelihood was under direct attack.
Meaning any remaining personnel she’d left there to guard the place would no doubt be on their way here.
Giving Koah’s spy the perfect opportunity to sneak onto the fourth level and look for the hidden Rebirth vials.
Causing a distraction large enough to catch Michelle’s attention had been a part of the plan. But the smoke currently trickling from the top floor…that had decidedly not been. What if Jose’s parting words were true?
Had Fenrir been caught?
Oberon took a step forward, only for pain to explode in his right shoulder as he was shot. He stumbled, Claudio helpingto steady him as the Mistress of the Wardrobe cackled like the total bitch she was.
“Seems like you weren’t being entirely truthful with me, Mr. King,” she drawled. “But I do have to thank you for bringing my stolen product back. Too bad he’s sofaulty.”