With one smooth motion, Carmen reached out and picked up her phone, tapping out a text using one hand. She hit Send and said a silent prayer that it would get to Zane in time.
Zane had just finished clearing all of the interior rooms when his phone vibrated. He cursed as he realized he had forgotten to check in when he arrived on the second floor. He opened the screen, expecting to see that Carmen was simply asking for verification, and then frowned at what came up: R security team arrived and parked in front of us. Assume it is backup and others are in building or on their way in. Get out. CP. Zane typed out a quick response and also sent a text to Brett before putting the phone back in his pocket. Where now? Realizing he might be able to pick something up on the video feed, he hurried back to the hall he had first walked down when he came out of the elevator. He slipped into the security room. A quick look at the CCTV feeds made his heart pound faster — three men were inside the elevator car and on their way up. Each carried a semi-automatic rifle, and all three were pulling something out of their coats. Unable to see what it was, Zane leaned closer to the screen and then froze. The men were putting on gas masks.
As if on cue, Zane heard a faint hissing sound that seemed to be coming from the vents right above his head. Something was being pumped through the HVAC system on that floor.
Brilliant, he thought. Zane knew he had to use the stairs, which were right next to the elevator, but as soon as he stepped out of the security room, he heard a chime indicating the elevator had just arrived. As the door slowly slid open, he rushed down the hall, turned right, and then found a room on the far end. Upon entering, he went immediately over to the window and tried to open it, only to learn that it had been permanently sealed. He also noted that the glass appeared to be the double-paned variety that was used for security, so it wouldn’t do any good to try to kick though it or shoot it. Not to mention that would draw the Renaissance team directly to his position.
Realizing there was nothing to be gained at the window, Zane returned to the door. He examined it closely and saw that it couldn’t be locked, so he pulled it mostly shut, leaving a crack through which to point his gun.
Zane knew that the men were out of the elevator because he could hear the soft sound of footsteps, muffled slightly by the hissing that continued to come from the vents. He also heard the occasional creak as they pushed open doors, indicating they were professionals who were clearing one room at a time.
Zane soon began to feel light-headed. Whatever they were pumping through the ductwork was beginning to have its intended effect. Figuring the air was a little cleaner close to the floor, he got down on one knee.
Feeling more stable, he watched the hallway through the crack in the door. A few seconds later, he saw what he’d been waiting for. The edge of a gas mask appeared at the corner. The mask gave the man the appearance of a grotesque alien. The man paused, perhaps listening, and it gave Zane the break he was looking for.
Raising his gun, Zane pointed it at the tiny portion of the mask that was visible. He doubted he’d be able to hit the man’s face at that angle, but his hope was to render him vulnerable to the gas by taking out the mask. In the chaos that would ensue, Zane might be able to rush forward, finish him off, and then make for the stairs.
Locking in on the shiny piece of plastic, Zane squeezed the trigger. There was a suppressed spit, followed by a loud grunt as the man fell to the ground. Apparently, the bullet had found its mark.
The operative stood up, ready to sprint for the corner, but then swooned and fell backwards. The room was spinning more powerfully than before, and he realized that he was only a few seconds away from passing out.
In the vague recesses of his brain, the operative remembered an important piece of information, a part of his training that dealt with what you should do when faced with potential capture. It was a task of last resort, but it was one he knew he needed to complete.
His world growing more and more fuzzy with each passing second, the operative used the last of his strength to pull out his phone with his left hand. He then lifted his Glock with his right hand and aimed it at the portion of the phone that he knew contained the SIM card.
His strength almost completely gone, Zane clenched his jaw and pulled the trigger. The phone was immediately blasted out of his hand, the various parts scattering across the carpet.
As everything turned to black, the operative thought about how pleased the Oracle would be that he had followed protocol.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Renaissance backup team was exiting the Mercedes SUV at the precise moment Carmen received Zane’s reply via text. She reached up and turned the key just enough to activate power inside the Renault.
“Roll your window down halfway,” Carmen instructed Amanda.
“Why?”
“Just do it. I’m getting ready to step out of the car, and I want your window down in case something happens and I need to give you instruction.” Carmen watched the men move down the sidewalk in formation.
“What are you going to do?”
“Follow them at a distance. Hopefully Zane made it out.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
Carmen could see the fear in the girl’s eyes, but she also realized she needed to find out if Zane needed help. The Renaissance thugs were heavily armed, which might make things difficult, even for someone with as much skill as Zane. As long as Amanda stayed in the car, she would be fine. The action would be blocks away.
“For now, I just need you to stay here,” she said. Amanda didn’t respond, so Carmen asked, “Understood?”
Amanda nodded but still seemed concerned.
“If I’m not back in thirty minutes, take the car and get out of here.” Carmen jingled the keys that were still in the ignition. “You have Brett’s number, so call him when you leave, and he’ll tell you what to do.”
Carmen got out of the car and closed the door softly. She moved to the street side of the car and ran after the Renaissance team in a stooped position. She was thankful that it was a relatively deserted area, because her crouched posture would have surely drawn unwanted attention.
When she reached the SUV, Carmen took two pictures of the license plate. She’d send them to Brett via text later.
After tucking her phone back in her pocket, she continued her pursuit of the Renaissance team. A minute later, she made a mistake that ended all hope of helping Zane: as she ran in a stooped position with her eyes still firmly locked onto the men up ahead, she failed to see a bottle sticking out from underneath a sedan. Her foot caught it squarely, causing it to clang loudly out into the street.
As soon as she realized what she’d done, she stopped and crouched behind the vehicle. But it was too late. The two Renaissance goons in the rear turned around and saw her before she dropped out of view.
While the men began to crouch and spread out into formation, Carmen cursed herself for having been so careless. How could she not have seen the bottle? She had no choice but to retreat. Zane was a professional and could take care of himself. Her priority right now needed to be keeping Amanda safe.
Hoping the men might not know how many people they were up against, Carmen fired several shots in their direction. Much to her satisfaction, the men hunkered down behind one of the cars without returning fire. Making use of the cover her shots had provided, the Italian sprinted back to the Renault. When she arrived, Amanda was still in the back seat, bent over and trying to hide.