Elliot (Guardian Defenders #10)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

E lliot pressed his arms and legs against the wall and inched his way up past the door opening. As the elevator came to a stop, he held himself aloft of the floor, straining to keep himself pinned.

“Hey, who called the elevator?” a voice asked from outside the open door. The man stepped in, and Elliot dropped on top of him. Elliot grabbed the man’s shirt and slammed a right hook into his face. He went lax immediately. Out.

Elliot slammed back against the wall, out of sight of the door. He peeked around the corner and spun out of the death box as soon as he saw the way was clear. On the way out, he pushed the down arrow. No one was getting off the floor that way. He drew his weapon and moved forward.

A bull rush from the side sent him and his gun sliding on the concrete. He spun to avoid a kick to the head and was on his feet, squared up against the guy. A knife swung at him, and he hopped back, just missing being sliced through the midsection. Elliot found his footing and watched as the man jabbed again. He avoided the slash and slapped the guy’s arm, pushing him away.

Fury laced the man’s face, and he whipped the knife backward. Elliot moved and slapped the man’s face as he spun. A rage-filled scream echoed down the hallway. The man came at him again, but Elliot countered, pushing the man past him, spinning, and drawing his gun. “Get on your knees.”

To his credit, the man contemplated his fate for about two seconds, then rushed toward Elliot. Elliot parried the thrust, spun, and used the butt of the gun to knock the man into next week. The oaf went down, and Elliot walked over him. “Two down, not out,” Elliot whispered.

“Got it,” Con answered. “I tapped into a weather camera from on top of the building next door. I can see Maya and the woman. Head east.”

“Which way’s fucking east?” Elliot was in the center of the building and couldn’t tell which way was up at the moment.

“Toward the building with the black reflective glass.”

Elliot did a three-sixty look for black glass. There was none in sight; hell, there was only cement. That was when he saw the man rounding the corner. Elliot lifted his weapon, and the man stopped, lifting his hands high into the air.

“I’m NYPD undercover, dude. I’m not getting killed for these pieces of shit.” Reaching up, he pulled out a handcuff attached to his hand, then walked two feet and turned to hug a cement beam. He snapped the other cuff tight. “The blonde has a piece of meat with her and the other woman, too. The meat is an oaf. He’ll rush you. He’s strong, and if he gets his hands on you, he’ll kill you.”

“Don’t count on it,” Elliot said as he walked up and checked the cuffs to make sure they were secure. “Con, you get that?”

“Yep. Advising Guardian. The elevator is down now, and they’ll be heading up.”

“Dude, you got some James Bond shit going on? Who are you talking to?”

Elliot looked at the cop and lifted an eyebrow. “Which way?”

“Straight back the way I came. Take a right at the end of the walkway.” Elliot jogged down the hall, his weapon at the ready. He turned right and saw the hired meat the cop was talking about. At least six-foot-ten inches tall and a good four hundred pounds of bulk. The guy smiled and headed in his direction. Elliot didn’t hesitate. He started running toward the lumbering mountain. He leaped into the air and hit the man dead center in his chest with both feet. Falling to the concrete, he quickly rolled to his feet. The mountain wasn’t as fast. As he rolled onto his knees, Elliot doubled up both fists with his automatic still in his hand and axed the man in the face.

Once he was down, Elliot bolted toward the black glass building he could now see. “Shit, hurry up, Elliot,” Con hissed. Elliot pounded down the hall and turned the corner, skittering to a stop.

“I didn’t think you’d make it this far.” Jessica held a knife to Maya’s throat.

Maya’s head felt like someone was driving a spike through her brain. Her ears rang, and her vision was blurry. She wanted to throw up, which was compounded by the gag in her mouth pushing her tongue back, making her want to gag. She was slung over someone’s shoulder. The blood pounding through her veins was akin to sledgehammers driving wedges in her skull. Suddenly, she was dumped onto the floor. The jarring movement was the lightning rod that caused her to retch, but thankfully, nothing in her stomach wanted to come up. She swallowed as best as she could, and her stomach bile burned her throat on the way back down.

“Go back and make sure no one interrupts me.” Jessica’s voice was near her, and she could see the woman through her blurry vision. She gasped and cried out when Jessica pulled her hands up. Tied behind her like they were, the pressure on her shoulders was incredibly painful.

“Stand up. Get your legs under you, or I’m going to separate your shoulders,” Jessica hissed. Maya tried. She got her knees under her and tried to stand. She fell the first time, and Jessica kicked her in the ribs. “Get up!”

Maya moved and pulled her knees under her; that time, she made it to her feet. Jessica pulled her over to the edge of the building. The wind whipped Maya’s hair into her eyes.

“Time to say goodbye, you bitch. I hate you. I hate what you did to Dillon. This building was his. Did you know that? He had investors. He had a vision. He had everything until you stole it from him.”

Dillon? How did Jessica know Dillon? Maya blinked slowly, trying to understand the rant. She hadn’t stolen anything.

Jessica stared at her. “Oh, look, the powerful and mighty Maya Callahan is crying. I’m going to cut off this gag. It would look funny if you committed suicide with a gag in your mouth, wouldn’t it?”

Jessica drew the gun out of her pocket and pointed it at Maya as she bent and picked up the knife Maya hadn’t realized she’d dropped. The knife in Jessica’s hand came up and burrowed under the cloth, slicing through Maya’s cheek as she severed the fabric.

Jessica lifted Maya’s tied hands with the hand holding the knife and propelled her forward toward the edge of the building. Maya resisted as much as she could against the pain and the leverage of her bound hands behind her back. “Why? God, why are you doing this? You don’t want to do this, Jessica.”

Jessica laughed. “Oh, I do want to do this. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.” She lifted Maya’s hands again. Maya fought until her shoulders screamed. Forced to move, she inched forward until she was looking over the edge of the building. Suddenly, Jessica stopped lifting her arms and spun her around. The sudden movement made her dizzy, and she retched again. The knife went against her throat and lifted her up.

“I didn’t think you’d make it this far.”

Maya looked stupidly at Jessica and then in the direction the woman was looking. She cried out when she saw Elliot standing at the end of the hall. He’d found her. Dear God, he’d found her! Her knees went weak, but the knife under her chin kept her on her feet.

Elliot walked forward.

“Stop, or she’s dead.”

Elliot took a couple more steps before stopping. “Let her go.”

“Put your hands in the air,” Jessica countered.

“No.” Elliot took two more steps.

“Stop!” Jessica lifted the knife, and Maya gasped at the feel of the blade against her skin. Why wasn’t she threatening Elliot with the gun? Maya blinked, trying to make her brain work. Where was it? She leaned back, and Jessica shoved the barrel in her back.

Elliot stopped about five feet from them. “Let her go, or you won’t see tomorrow.”

“She has a gun.” Maya tried to stand upright, but she was so dizzy. She felt Jessica jerk her closer to the edge of the building.

Maya blinked and saw Elliot’s gun. She felt Jessica move and elbowed her hard. The explosion of noise muffled her gasp. Jessica slammed into her, and Maya fell backward. She saw Jessica fall past her. The momentum of her fall slammed her into the building. Her vision tunneled, but not before she saw Jessica’s body on the ground. The roar of a thousand waves rushed over her, and she blacked out.