Decoding Darkness

by Marissa Farrar

  I stared in shocked horror. I had killed a man. Taken his life. Something inside me changed at that moment. I’d been pushed to prove what I was made of, and I’d shown I could kill when needed.

  Suddenly something hit me from behind, pitching me forward. I still had the gun, but it spun uselessly from my fingers, skidding across the flat roof. I bucked and wriggled, trying to get the weight of the person on top of me—Hollan, I assumed—to shift.

  The guys were all still surrounding the building. They were exposed and vulnerable out there. Yes, I’d taken one man down, but there were others, and they wouldn’t go down without a fight. I needed for them to get in here, and seeing Stewart fall like that had given me an idea. I wasn’t sure I’d pull it off, however. Hollan would be even more paranoid around me now. I’d already pushed my luck too many times. He must not have his handcuffs on him, like he did in the field, or I figured I’d already be restrained.

  “Darcy?” I heard my name called, distant, and it sounded like Clay. My heart swelled with emotion. I wanted to be back with them so badly it hurt. Did they know I’d been the one to kill Stewart? I hoped they’d figure it out, so they could see I was fighting with them as well, and not being some little princess sitting around waiting to get rescued. As well as that, I was able to tell them I knew where Hollan was keeping the memory stick, even if I didn’t yet know the exact location. I just needed to figure out how the hell to get them inside the building.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hollan’s weight lifted off me, but I wasn’t going to go along sweetly. I allowed him to try to pull me up, but I kept my knees folded, so it was impossible for him to drag me to my feet. I was at groin height—something I wasn’t exactly happy about. I’d already taken his gun, and now I sought something else. Knowing the guys needed to get into the building, and seeing Stewart go off the edge like that, had put an idea in my head.

  I’d watched how we’d gotten into the building when we’d first arrived. Hollan had used a fob against a keypad, which he wore attached to his belt. I needed to go on the offensive, keep fighting, and get my hands on that fob.

  Shouts came from below. “Darcy?” Kingsley’s deep voice this time.

  “You okay, Darc?” came Alex’s call.

  They must be keeping themselves pressed up against the building to prevent Bryson, who was currently peering over the edge of the roof, his gun pointed downward, from shooting at them. I was surprised none of them had tried to shoot him yet, but maybe they were worried about trying something in case they hit me instead. Or maybe stepping away from the shelter of the building in order to take a shot would put them at more risk than was worth taking.

  I couldn’t answer them to let them know I was still alive. I was concentrating on one thing, sneaking a sideways glance to Hollan’s belt as he continued to try to force me to stand. By remaining on my knees, he was hunched over, his head close to mine. The key fob flashed at me from beneath the bottom of his jacket.

  With a roar, I suddenly shot to my feet. The top of my head smashed into his nose, and he gave a matching snarl, releasing me to clutch his hands to his face. His nose poured blood, and the tears caused by me hitting his nose so hard blinded him to my actions. I darted forward. With his hands at his face, his belt was exposed. I moved quickly, reaching in to snatch the fob off the leather.

  Too late, he realized what was happening.

  “Stop her!”

  Bryson spun toward me, aiming his gun. Would he shoot me now? He’d watched me kill his friend. I saw him hesitate. Would his hatred, or possibly even fear of me, be stronger than his fear of Hollan if he killed the one person who had the information Hollan wanted?

  The hesitation was enough. I’d never been much of a thrower, but I did my best over-arm and launched the fob in the direction I’d heard the guys’ voices coming from. “It’s the key!” I yelled.

  “Fuck!”

  That was Hollan’s voice. He’d realized what I’d done.

  “Get downstairs,” he yelled to Bryson. “They’ll be coming through the front.”

  Fierce elation powered through me. I’d done it. The guys were getting in here, and I could stop fighting and hand everything over to them. They’d take down Hollan, and I’d be able to tell them where I thought the memory stick was kept.

  Seeing I was dealt with, Bryson lowered his weapon and ran for the stairs. I assumed he’d be heading to the front of the building to join his comrades in attempting to keep Isaac and the others from getting inside.

  Something cold jabbed against the back of my neck. My heart struck up a whole new rhythm, beating so hard I could feel it hitting my ribcage.

  “You busted my damned nose, you fucking bitch. You really are your father’s daughter.”

  His words were muffled by his swollen nose and the blood most likely pouring down the back of his throat, but I knew it was Hollan. I knew something else as well, much to my dismay. I’d been so focused on getting the fob and throwing it to the guys, I’d forgotten about the gun I’d dropped. Hollan’s gun. The one he’d reclaimed and was now pressing into the back of my neck.

  Shit.

  I froze, praying Isaac and the others would find their way up here soon. I heard the rumble of the shutters coming up, followed by instant gunfire, each crack making me flinch. It was the two guys Hollan had sent to the back of the building. The guy with the black glasses, who didn’t look as though he was capable of fighting his way out of a paper bag, might have also joined them if he’d managed to put his hands on a weapon. Was Otto with them, too? Did he know the identity of the men attacking and their reasons for being here?

  I hoped none of the bullets fired had hit any of the guys. I couldn’t bear the thought of one of them dying. A piece of my heart would die with them.

  The muzzle jammed harder against my flesh, and I knew I’d find a ringed bruise there if I lived long enough for it to form. “You have no idea how much I want to shoot you right now,” Hollan snarled. “I’ve never known a little bitch to cause so much trouble.”

  I tried to remain calm, though my hands trembled. I wanted to tell him I’d never tell him the code to the memory stick, no matter what I’d made him believe earlier, but I managed to clamp my lips around my words. Letting my mouth run away with me now might well be signing my death warrant.

  I just hoped the guys would deal with Hollan before he finally decided to kill me.

  He gave me a shove from behind. “Move.”

  He was going to use me as both a shield and a threat, to prevent the guys from killing him. It didn’t matter. Even if he made his getaway, we’d still know where he was keeping the memory stick, and then we’d just have to track him down later. I knew I sounded far too confident for a girl who had the muzzle of a gun pressed into the back of her neck, but I had faith in the others.

  More gunfire came from below. Hollan shoved me forward again. I was frightened of what I’d find down there. Would Isaac have made it to the stairs yet? Or were they being held back by the other two men whose names I hadn’t even learned?

  We made our way down the stairs, Hollan pushing me from behind, seemingly not caring if I tripped and slid down the rest of the steps. The door at the bottom remained standing open, and I wondered what I would find on the other side. My heart galloped, my eyes widening with every gunshot.

  He pushed me out of the door and into the corridor beyond, making sure that if any bullets were headed this way, it would be me they’d hit first. But the corridor was empty. More gunfire sounded from farther away, back toward the entrance.

  “Move,” Hollan said, giving me another push. I knew which way we were heading, though I didn’t know what his thinking was behind it. Were we going back toward the metal room where the memory stick had been kept, or was he bypassing that altogether, and hoping to reach the rear exit?

  But no, he wasn’t going for the exit. Hollan turned down the smaller corridor on the left, and we were faced with the heavy metal door ahead of us that led
to the vault-like room. It seemed to me that even though he was under attack, getting hold of the memory stick was still the most important thing to him.

  A shout came from behind us. “Hollan, freeze!”

  He spun, holding me in front of him like a human shield. I held back a sob of relief as I found myself face to face with the men who’d come here to save me. None of the guys looked hurt, and that was the most important thing. Isaac led the way, standing a fraction ahead of the others. His shoulders were back, his chin lifted. Even after a gunfight, he still appeared unruffled, barely a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his gray suit. Lorcan was right behind him, leather jacket in place, not appearing to be struggling with his shoulder. Kingsley’s broad frame was at the back, Alex beside him, both of them of a similar height, Kingsley, dark and broad, and Alex, fair and slender. My heart tripped as I locked eyes with Clay’s stormy gray gaze, and he held me in his focus, silently telling me how he was going to get me out of this. That we’d all be together again.

  My eyes filled with tears, but still my gaze darted behind them. “There are other men here!” I tried to warn them. “Be careful!”

  Alex shook his head. “It’s okay. They’re dead.”

  “All of them? The Swedish blond guy as well?”

  Isaac frowned. “No, we didn’t see anyone matching that description.”

  I was just relieved they were all right. Had Otto run, or had he already left before all of this started? I didn’t blame him if he had. This had never really been his fight.

  Isaac focused his attention on Hollan. “Hand the girl over, and we’ll consider letting you live. There’s no way out of this, Hollan. Most of your men are dead. The ones who aren’t ran. This is over now.”

  Behind me, I felt the movement as Hollan shook his head. “No. I’m the one holding all the cards here. You need to turn the fuck around and walk away.”

  Kingsley growled. “Not happening.”

  Hollan moved closer to me, his body pressing into my back. The gun jabbed so hard against my neck that I winced in pain.

  “Stop that, asshole,” Clay demanded. “You’re hurting her.”

  “Oh, I can do a lot worse.”

  I wished there was something more I could do, a way of helping the guys out. But I’d pushed Hollan so far, he was on the end of a very tight string that could snap any moment. If it did, I worried it would result in a bullet severing my spinal cord and punching through my throat. That wasn’t an injury I’d come back from. Having a gun that could do that kind of damage had a way of focusing the mind to the very spot where the metal touched flesh. I was finding it hard to think of anything except what it would feel like if that gun went off.

  “You need to let me walk out of here, or I will kill her, I swear I will.”

  I wanted to believe he wouldn’t, as he still hadn’t gotten the information he wanted out of me, but a man could only be pushed so far, and I’d done a lot of pushing over the past twenty-four hours. He might still want the code, but there was a chance his desire to see me dead would overcome that.

  “You’re not going to kill her.” Lorcan’s dark hazel eyes narrowed at him.

  “You want to take that risk?”

  Hollan grabbed hold of my wrist and yanked, forcing me to take a step back, away from the guys. The metal room where I believed Hollan was keeping the memory stick was directly behind us. I remembered its metal walls and door, how I’d thought to myself that it would be impenetrable.

  “Shoot him,” I pleaded with the guys. “I know where the memory stick is. We can get hold of it ourselves. We don’t need him.”

  “We can’t take the risk, Darcy. He could blow your fucking head off.”

  Yeah, I’m aware of that, I managed to resist saying.

  They were putting my life above the importance of getting the memory stick back. I didn’t think Devlin would be too happy about that.

  Hollan gave me another jab with the gun. “You think you’re going to win because there are more of you? Don’t you think I’d be prepared for this kind of situation? Don’t you think I’d have backup coming? I’ve just got to wait it out.”

  “We’re not going to stand here pointing guns at each other until your backup shows up,” Isaac said.

  Hollan laughed. “No, of course not. I have a better idea.” He reached out to where the code lock for the door was, and hit a button right above it. I couldn’t see the smile on his face, but I heard it in his tone. “I’ll let them deal with you first.”

  Something above our heads began to whirr. I glanced up. What looked like a shiny, silver, metal screen or wall was descending from the ceiling. My heart lurched. That thing would come down and shut us off from the guys. We’d be locked inside here until the backup showed up and took care of the guys. In the meantime, I’d still be Hollan’s prisoner. When I’d first seen Isaac and the others, I’d thought my ordeal was over, but now it occurred to me that this might only be the start.

  Wild-eyed, I shook my head with the tiniest of movements, still terrified of the gun pressed into the back of my skull. Maybe it would be better if he did shoot me. I’d rather be dead than stuck with Hollan.

  I stared between the guys’ faces, seeing their understanding of what was happening, their indecision about how to react. The silver wall was low now, almost halfway.

  “No!” The cry came from Clay.

  He sprang toward me, skidding sideways, feet first, beneath the descending wall. His feet caught Hollan’s ankles, taking them out from under him. I tensed, waiting for the gun to blast a hole through my throat. Miraculously, it didn’t, and Hollan swung the weapon. I was certain he was about to shoot Clay, but instead the gun collided with Clay’s skull with a sickening crack. Because of the way Clay had come in, sliding beneath the wall, he’d automatically been lower than Hollan, giving Hollan the perfect striking angle. Clay was knocked sideways, but he threw himself back at Hollan, his shoulder connecting with Hollan’s gut. The two men grappled, and I discovered I was free.

  “Darcy, go!” Clay’s shout to me, muffled. Blood streamed down the side of his head as he fought Hollan. I reached for him, but he shoved me, sending me spinning toward the still lowering wall.

  The guys’ hands grappled at me, fingers wrapping around my ankles and wrists. Then they were pulling me under, toward them. I managed to glance in horror back to where I’d left Clay and Hollan. Hollan lifted his weapon again, and brought it down on the back of Clay’s head. The crack was even more horrifying than the first, and right before the wall finally hit the ground, Clay’s legs slumped beneath him, and he collapsed to the floor.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “No!” I cried, banging my fists against the metal wall that had appeared between us. The wall felt completely solid, as though it had always been there, and the room and men beyond had only been a figment of my imagination.

  “Do something!” I spun to face Isaac. “Shoot a hole in it. There must be a way to get him out of there.”

  Isaac moved to the metal slab and ran his fingers down the edges where the metal met the wall, then kicked out at the bottom near the floor. He looked over his shoulder at me and shook his head. “It’s like you’d find in a safe room. It’ll be bulletproof. We’re not getting in there.”

  “No!” I cried again, my throat tight and painful with unshed tears. I went to the wall and yelled against the metal. “We won’t give up on you, Clay. We won’t, I swear. You hear that, Hollan, you son of a bitch? We can wait you out, you know. What do you have in there to survive? We can beat you on this, I swear it.” My rant left my throat feeling as though I’d swallowed glass.

  Would Hollan kill Clay now? No, I hoped he’d keep him alive as a way to get me back. At that moment, I’d have happily given myself over in return for Clay. I never wanted this to happen. Clay had given himself up for me—had risked his life—and now he was the one in trouble. It didn’t seem fair on any scale of the word.

  I battered my fists against the metal, not ev
en caring about my injured hand and the pain that sent splinters of glass piercing up through my hand and arm. No physical pain could ever match the emotional pain I felt at the thought of Hollan killing Clay. Clay was bigger than Hollan, and younger, but the way Hollan had hit the gun against Clay’s head, and the way Clay had dropped like a mannequin, poured dread into my soul like liquid concrete.

  A hand on my arm stopped me. I looked to find Kingsley right there, and I folded myself into his big body. His arms wrapped around me, and I breathed in the spicy scent of him, the familiarity calming me. Though it broke my heart to think of Clay, having the other four here with me again made me want to cry with relief. Kingsley dropped a kiss to the top of my head and squeezed me tight. Another hand touched on my shoulder, and I glanced over to see Lorcan gazing down at me in concern, his lips pressed together.

  They couldn’t tell me they were happy to have me back, not when Clay had been taken prisoner by Hollan, but I could see in their eyes that they cared. That they’d missed me.

  “We have to get out of here,” Isaac said. “You heard Hollan. He’ll be calling for backup, if he hasn’t already. We’ll be surrounded and forced to fight our way out. We need to leave before they arrive.”

  “But what about Clay?” I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving without him. There must be something else we were able to do.

  A gun lay on the floor beside the guys’ feet. Clay’s gun.

  I motioned to the discarded weapon. “Why didn’t he take it with him? He could have shot Hollan and gotten out of there.”

  Isaac shook his head. “He wouldn’t want to risk a shooting match, not with you in such close proximity. He knew if he fired, Hollan would fire back.”

  “But how was he going to defend himself? How did he plan on getting back out?”

  The reason dawned on me and my jaw dropped.

  “He didn’t, did he? He was just planning on getting me released. He never thought about what would need to happen for him to get out of there safely as well.”