Blindsided (21 page)

Tapping the sides of the mug, she contemplated her options: Trick Matt—the security guard into whose hands Willis had handed her—into leaving her for a minute, rendering Matt unconscious, or waiting for Willis to come back and rendering
him
unconscious. Though the last was somewhat appealing, she didn’t really want to do that. Nor did she want to injure Matt. Poor guy thought he was doing his job.

“You don’t have to stay, Matt.” She managed the words with the kind of a lackadaisical boredom that suggested she wasn’t going to be worrying her pretty head over anything but the day-to-day grind. “I’m all set now.”

“Willis told me to stay with you until he got back.” Matt’s voice resounded with a firm “I don’t think so, sweetheart” from across the room. Matt, like all the studio’s security personnel, had been hand-picked by Willis. And like all the other personnel he was competent, loyal—to Willis—and sharp as any tack in the box. Of course Matt would realize she was trying to maneuver him, but given her alternatives…

She waved his objection away. “There’s no need for you to stay on to babysit me.”

“Willis said it will be my job if I leave you alone,” Matt responded with a reasonable calm Aria, herself, didn’t feel.

She pursed her lips, feeling the muscles in her face tighten. “Willis works for
me
, just as
you
work for
me
. My orders take precedence over Willis’, and I’m telling you to go ahead and head home. You’ve worked a long night already.”

Matt drew in an audible breath and shifted; his heels clicking together as tension, lying in wait until that moment, sprang up and crackled in the air. “I’m truly sorry, Miss Idyllis, but I can’t do that.”

With an exaggerated huff, she stood and went to the shelves on the side of the room, flipping through the stacks of storage containers as if searching for something. Truth was, she wasn’t even registering the Braille labels under her fingers.

Matt didn’t move from his position by the door, but she could feel his eyes on her, tracking her movements, measuring her intent. She shifted down two shelves, moving further away from Matt toward the corner of the room. Her fingers rested on the large tome, caressing the worn binding. Flip it open, press her palm to the pad, and she could be through the hidden panel, into the maze of halls behind the conference rooms, and out of the building before Matt could do anything about it. Of course, Willis would’ve thought of that. He probably paid every security personnel from the third shift to stay on so he could have someone posted at every possible exit point of the building. And she didn’t doubt that all of them would have standing orders to detain her.

Distrustful old bastard. Sure he was right to be suspicious of her in this case, but still…

Sit down, Aria. Settle in. You’re making your guard dog nervous.

Grabbing a couple of nearby containers, she settled back into her chair and flipped the lid open, riffling through the contents. The chips turned out to be the recordings of a popular group that had peaked and crashed over a dozen years ago, but Matt couldn’t know that.
 

Reaching over she took a sip of the cooling coffee, dreading what she’d find. Grandma Saccharine didn’t disappoint.

“Ugh.” She made a suitably disgusted face. “Too much sugar. I’m not sure I’m going to last out the week until Becky gets back. If I can’t get my caffeine fix soon…”
 
She let the thought trail off, leaving Matt to wonder. Since he was a third shift employee, she honestly couldn’t remember if Matt had been around a year or so ago when the “coffee incident” had occurred, but regardless, he would’ve heard stories.

Coffee, like so many other natural products these days, was a luxury item. After the destruction of the South American ecosystem, coffee could now only be grown in a select few regions of the world and the worldwide demand far outweighed production. To further complicate the issue, Aria had a distinct preference for the smaller, pea-size beans grown on the island of Kauai. A while ago, the seemingly stable volcano on the island went through a series of small eruptions for the first time in over 500,000 years. The resulting devastation had a most disastrous effect on her morning staple, and if the stories were to be taken as truth, this series of events had an equally grievous effect on Aria’s normally even-tempered personality.
 

It quickly came to be known that if Aria wasn’t happy, ain’t nobody was going to be happy. For three weeks, until a different supplier had been found, people had scattered like the forest critters facing a wildfire whenever she appeared in the studio halls.
 

Now all she had to do was hope Matt had been present for some of the supposed meltdowns she’d had, or at least heard enough terrible tales to be concerned.

She took another sip, grimaced, then with a great show of controlled calm—and an even greater number of mumbled swear words—set the cup back down with exacting care upon the coaster.
 

She drummed her fingers on the wood surface, as if considering. After a couple minutes she lifted her head, fixing an expression on her face that she hoped was sheepish chagrin. “Don’t suppose you like coffee with your sugar?”

Matt shifted warily. “Not especially, no.”

Figures. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Don’t suppose I could pay you to drink this crap then?”

“It can’t be that bad.” His tone said spoiled, but there was a definite hint of nervousness beneath the words.
 

She judiciously rubbed her temples—watch out Matty, headache coming on—and heaved a heartfelt sigh. “You have no idea.”
 

She dropped her hands, closing her eyes as if searching for a hidden smidgen of inner calm. “Matt, I will pay you twice your weekly salary if you’ll step outside,” the coffee station was right outside the door, “and grab yourself, i.e. me, a cup of black coffee from under the Good Witch of the West’s nose. We can ditch this,” with a distasteful sneer of her lips, she waved her hand at the mug, “crap later whenever she goes on her break.”

“Sorry. Can’t do that.”

“Why not?” She let indignation rise in her voice.

“Willis said you weren’t to leave the room and that I was to stick to you like a dead fly on a hover grill unless…” he hesitated.
 

“Unless what?” Aria prompted.

He didn’t answer. The uncomfortable moment drew out. Anxiety drifted across the room, tickling her senses. Damn. What exactly had Willis threatened Matt with?
 
Not just the loss of a job, she could combat that.
Probably bodily harm.
Willis still got a real kick out of watching his chosen prey squirm as he described his ingenious torture methods.
 

“Unless what?” she asked again through gritted teeth.

Matt cleared his throat. “Let’s just say he promised an equally intimate relationship with the company’s stretch HumV2B’s grill.”

Aria jumped up and started pacing. When he got back she was going to tell Willis just what she was going to do to
him
. And then she was going to
show
him.

Matt’s ear-com crackled, startling both of them. She stopped her pacing, straining to hear the second half of the conversation.

“What’s wrong base?” Matt asked.

Base. That meant a problem at the main entrance.

Anchored firmly in Matt’s ear, she didn’t catch much, just something about “troops” then “federal agent.”
 
Her first thought was Teigan or Garret, but quickly dismissed it. The front guard had said troops, plural. Teigan wouldn’t have come with anyone but Garret…unless Teigan had betrayed her.

“Shit.” Matt did not sound happy, and in this case, if Matt wasn’t happy…“They’re coming in.”
 

A firm hand grabbed her arm, dragging her across the room—toward the hidden panel door. How did he know?
 
Willis
.

Matt let her go. A second later the door clicked open. Despite the situation, an admiring smile curved her lips. Cunning fox. No wonder Matt hadn’t been willing to leave her alone in the room, he’d known about the hidden door the whole time.
 

The ball bearings ground as Matt slid the panel open. A waft of stale air soured her nose and mouth. Definitely not on the regular cleaning maids route.
 

Matt was behind her, hands on her shoulder blades as he tried to push her through. Of course, now that she had the opportunity to go through the door, she had no desire to. Instinct told her she wouldn’t get far. And if she ran, not only would it seal her fate as a criminal but someone here, like Matt, might get hurt.

She twisted around, placing her hands on his chest. “No Matt.”

“Miss Aria, there’s no time.” His voice was firm, no hint of annoyance or anger, simply determination. Didn’t matter, she was determined as well.

A rapid pounding sounded on the outer door. Go grandma! Guess there was some steel under all the soft, powdery sugar. It appeared Mrs. Benz was refusing to use her codes to open the door for the feds.

“Go,” Matt hissed as he tried to spin her around and through the door.

She shook her head. “They want me, Matt.”
 

“Which is why Willis told me to get you out this way. If something like this happened, I was to get you into this passage and give you enough time to get out,” he said with another push to her back.

The definite twinge of frustration mixed with concern touched her. She didn’t even know Matt, and he was willing to take on the government to protect her—and he’d do it with nothing but a security stunner. Willis sure knew how to pick his men, which made it more imperative that no one got in trouble because of her.

She dug her heels in, shaking her head. “You think they don’t have the entire building covered? I won’t get out without a fight and I couldn’t live with myself if someone in my charge got hurt because of me.”

“Open up, Miss Idyliss, we just want to talk.” The disembodied voice came across the com system, settling like an icy cage around the room. Not Teigan. The vast relief she felt was wrong. That voice alone should scare the shit out of her. She knew without a doubt that she didn’t want to meet its owner.
 

Yet, she would.

Reaching out, she wiped her hand across the previously hidden controls. The panel slid shut and she closed the book. “Tell Willis thank you, for everything.”

The room, normally a dim mix of shadows to her damaged eyes, went pitch black for a few second, before the lights flickered back on. They’d managed to override the system. The door to her office scrapped open, inch by precious inch.
 

Matt shoved her behind him. The slide and click of his stunner being drawn and armed, shocked her immobile. He didn’t actually think to take on federal troops with that stunner did he? She laid a hand on his arm, gently requesting him to lower it. He shifted, trying to jerk her off.

“Freeze, United States Military! Drop your weapon.” The last was directed at Matt. She could tell. First off, she had no weapon and second, Matt’s arm had tensed and steadied under her own—ready to fire.

“Matt, don’t,” she pleaded. She could take the weapon from him anytime she wanted to, but then they might open fire on her.

“What is going on?” Matt demanded, his focus intent on the interlopers.

“We need to take Miss Idyliss in for questioning.” The same voice that’d come over the com. She searched for something in that voice, anything—resignation, fear, anger—it could have been a droid for all she knew. “Take that away from him.”

“Stay back!” Matt snapped. “You have no right to detain Miss Idyliss.”

“Aiding and abetting. Remove him from the equation.”

“No!” Aria jumped forward, hand outstretched as she forced her way between the threat and Matt. Matt immediately tried to push her behind him again. Not that it mattered anymore, she may have been blind, but she could feel the swing of attention toward her. There was no doubt in her mind every gun, except Matt’s pitiful little stunner, was pointed at her.
They must know who and what I am.
 

Her stomach did a pitch dive for the basement. Only three people besides Bryon knew she was a Viadal. Willis, Teigan, and Garret. Willis would never betray her, that left Garret or…
 
Pain exploded in her chest. Yes-man Agent, just doing his job.
So this is what betrayal feels like.
 

“Put down your weapon and step away from Miss Idyllis.” One of the soldiers commanded.

Still sick from Teigan’s treachery, she forced herself to engage in the present crisis. What mattered now was protecting those she loved—Willis—and the innocent men and women who worked for her. “It’s ok, Matt. I’ll go with them and answer their questions.”

“Miss Aria—”

“Just do it, Matt, Please.”

Matt expelled a breath before he shifted, crouching to put his weapon on the floor. Silence. Would they cuff her before dragging her away? Or would she be allowed some dignity.

“Eliminate the threat,” the voice commanded.

Huh? What threat?

Phft. A sharp sting hit her in the right shoulder, followed quickly by two more—phft, phft—sharp stabs of pain; one in her chest, the other her arm, numbness exploding from their centers. She gasped. They were shooting at her?
Oh, wait. I’m the threat.