Page 88 of Chasing Justice

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He was guessing that the man was an associate of Svetlana Egorov’s. Probably one of her hit men who liked the dirty work. He was pretty certain that Svetlana was the one outside starting a standoff with the Rays. He’d been on the lookout for her for a while when the DEA let him know she might be in the area.

Wayne peered around the room, looking for something sharp. Having his arms behind his back made everything more difficult. In his younger years, Wayne might have been able to contort himself and get his hands back in front, but he wasn’t that flexible anymore.

Seeing nothing obvious to cut through the binding, Wayne finally noticed an empty beer bottle sitting on a shelf above the safe. If he could find something to stand on, he might be able to knock the bottle off and break it. Staring around the room, he spotted a bucket in the corner. Wayne kicked it over and then rolled the bucket over to the counter. Using his feet, he managed to tip the bucket up so he could stand on it.

Wayne stepped up, wobbling a bit. His balance wasn’t great and not having his hands free only made things harder. He steadied himself and then slowly turned around so his back was to the shelf with the bottle. His fingers grazed the smooth glass a couple times and, just as frustration was setting in, Wayne managed to move the bottle. It teetered on the shelf edge and, after what seemed like an eternity, fell to the floor. The satisfying sound of glass breaking made him smile.

Wayne stepped back off the bucket, crouched down and managed to grab a sharp piece. It took him a few minutes, but he eventually sliced through the rope. He shook his arms, relieved to be free.

He stooped over Cody and felt for a pulse. There was still a faint one, but he needed medical attention soon. Wayne rummaged around the room trying to find a medical kit or anything that would help with Cody’s wounds. He didn’t want to move him since Cody had said he couldn’t feel his limbs.

Wayne found a blanket stuffed back in the corner and some rags to help stop the bleeding. They were dirty, but at this point, that was the least of Cody’s worries. It was the best he could do. He covered Cody with a blanket. The young man was pale and unresponsive.

Wayne double-checked the door handle, but it was locked, with no way to unlock it from the inside. He had to figure a way out of the room—for his sake and Cody’s.

Cody groaned. At least he was still alive. For now. If he lived, what life was left for him? He’d be going to prison for his role in all this—a life wasted, rotting in a cell. Wayne felt sorry for the young man.

The storm outside must have stalled out over the mountains. Lightning lit up the room and thunder rolled down the valley. Rain pelted the metal roof creating a deafening roar.

Wayne went over to the safe. The keys lay on the counter next to it. There were about twenty keys total, but he didn’t care—he’d try each one until the safe opened. If he could get in the safe, he could get a gun. If he had a gun, he could get out of this place. After the next flash of lightning, he could shoot the door open when the thunder echoed. With any luck that would hide the sound of the gunshot.

What was Maya doing right now? Was she scared? Looking for him? God, he missed her. He would get out of here if nothing else than to tell her how much he loved her. He didn’t care if that was the last thing he did.

One of the keys finally slid in and the lock turned. Wayne saw several different types of pistols in the back. He grabbed a Glock 23 .40 caliber and ejected the magazine to check it.

It’s full.Thirteen rounds. I’ll need every round.

He racked the slide and heard the click as a bullet loaded into the chamber.

Outside the wind picked up as the rain cascaded down. He had to wait for the right moment to pull the trigger and then hope to hell that no one heard the shot.

A flash of lightning lit up the room again. Wayne started counting to see when the thunder would crash. He got to five and heard thunder echo through the hills. The lightning was close.

He waited for the next flash, counted to five, and discharged the weapon, shooting the lock. The timing was perfect as the shot coincided with the clap of thunder.

Wayne slowly opened the door and stayed behind it for cover. He started clearing the hall, methodically making sure no one was hiding. The building appeared to be empty. He continued on through the compound. No one was around.

He took cover behind the final door.

Then he took a deep breath, pulled it open, and stepped outside.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Maya and Juniper found a good tree to stop and slip behind. Putting Juniper on a down-stay, Maya scanned the hillside for movement. She had a good vantage point to view Jenna sneaking away.

Maya didn’t see Jenna at first, but then a flash of motion in the trees caught her eye. Jenna was wearing a light-colored shirt and it stood out in the darkness from the storm. Maya guessed that Jenna was following a game trail that went up the mountainside. On the other side of the mountain there was a trail that would eventually lead into the national forest and out to a parking area. If Jenna were smart, and Maya knew she was, she would have a car stashed there to get away.

She and Juniper would need to cover a lot of ground to catch up, and when they went downhill they would lose sight of Jenna. That didn’t matter, though. Juniper would be able to find Jenna’s scent and track her.

Maya allowed slack in the tracking leash and together she and Juniper took off into the woods. They went off the trail on a more direct route across the mountainside, Juniper loping ahead of her. Jenna’s path cut toward their route.

We’ll catch her.

Reaching the area Maya last saw Jenna, she cast Juniper out. “Track. Go find her. Let’s go get her.”

Juniper kept her nose to the ground, taking in the odors around her and following the trail. Jenna’s scent was fresh since no one else had been in the area.

Jenna.Find her and I’ll find Pops. Come on, Juniper. You’re working like a champ. Jenna doesn’t have a chance of escaping with you in pursuit.