Show Of Force. Elle James

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       Chapter Two

      Riley waited for Charlie to enter a stall before she extracted the small plastic packet containing the pill from the bra of her gown. She pulled the clip from her hair and set it on the counter in front of her. Once she administered the poison, she’d set off the small explosion and make her exit in the confusion.

      She hadn’t counted on Mack being there and so attentive. Her gut clenched, and she closed her eyes, mustering the strength she needed to do what she had to in order to save her brother’s life. Toby was only six years old. He deserved the chance to live to a ripe old age. Charlie was in her sixties. She’d lived, loved and traveled the world.

      And saved your life by offering the services of Declan’s Defenders. She didn’t deserve to die any more than Toby. But her death would be much less painful than what her handler would do to Toby if Riley didn’t complete the mission.

      With her eyes closed, Riley could see Toby’s face the last time she’d visited him in the Virginia countryside. He’d been so happy to see her and sad when she’d had to leave. Margaret, the nanny, had smiled and held him like he was her own. The woman was like a grandmother to both Riley and Toby. Riley had known the woman her entire life.

      Riley hated leaving but knew she had to go back to her job at Quest Aerospace Alliance that Monday or she’d be missed. Throughout her life, her parents had warned her she would be called on to perform for her mother country one day. The tasks were yet to be determined. She’d assumed spying of some sort. Not assassination, though she’d been trained with a variety of weapons and in both defensive and offensive maneuvers.

      Within hours of leaving the country house, Riley was back at her apartment with her roommate, Grace Lawrence. In the middle of the night, she’d received the text. Knowing she couldn’t confide in her roommate, she’d kept the text to herself and lain awake the remainder of the night until morning. Then she’d had to act as if nothing were the matter. She’d contacted the nanny, who had just woken up and discovered Toby missing.

      Thankfully, Margaret, who’d been her nanny when she was a little girl, hadn’t been harmed in the abduction. But Toby was gone. Explaining to Margaret that she couldn’t call the police had been difficult. But she’d calmed Margaret and prayed she’d have the strength to hold off calling the authorities when Riley wanted to do the same.

      If she had called the cops, what would she have told them? Hi, I’m a Russian spy. I don’t want to be, but I’m tasked with assassinating a wealthy widow in order to save my brother.

      She’d be locked up faster than she could say seriously.

      And Toby would be absorbed into the Russian spy machine, tortured and brainwashed until he didn’t know right from wrong.

      Sweet heaven, she had to go through with the assassination. She couldn’t abandon Toby to Russian machinations.

      A hand touched her arm, making Riley jump.

      “Riley, honey, what’s wrong?” Mrs. Halverson stood behind her, wearing a silver gown that complemented her silver hair. The slim woman still appeared beautiful despite the lines and wrinkles on her face. And the frown she wore was soft and worried. About her.

      Riley stared into her clear blue eyes for a very long moment, the tiny plastic bag burning her hand. All she had to do was open it, shove the pill into the older woman’s mouth, and it would all be over.

      Her hand shook. Trembling started at her knees and rippled all the way up her back. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Toby. I just can’t.”

      The tiny plastic bag dropped from her nerveless fingers and drifted to the floor.

      Mrs. Halverson bent to retrieve it.

      “No!” Riley tried to grab the bag from the woman, but Charlie held it out of her reach.

      “What is this?” the widow asked.

      “Nothing. I was just going to flush it down the toilet.” She reached for the bag. “Please. Let me have it.”

      “Is it a drug?” Charlie’s gaze captured hers. “Are you taking drugs?”

      “No. Of course not,” Riley answered automatically.

      “Then why do you have it?”

      Tears filled Riley’s eyes and trickled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

      “For what, my dear?” Charlie pulled Riley into her arms and held her.

      “Why did you have to be so nice?” Riley muttered between sobs. “This wouldn’t have been so hard if you weren’t so good to me.”

      “What wouldn’t be so hard?” Charlie held Riley at arm’s length and stared into her eyes. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Perhaps I can help.”

      “Oh, it’s no use,” Riley shook her head, more tears falling down her face. “The only way you can help is for you to die.”

      Mrs. Halverson’s eyebrows rose on her forehead. “Sweetie, whatever do you mean?”

      “The only way to save my brother is for me to assassinate you.” Riley nodded toward the plastic bag. “The pill is poison. One touch on your tongue and you’d be dead in seconds.”

      Charlie’s eyes widened, and she held the plastic bag up in front of her. “You wanted to assassinate me? Why? Did I do something to make you mad?”

      “Oh, Mrs. Halverson, no. You did everything to help me.”

      Her forehead wrinkled. “Then why would you want to kill me?”

      “They’re making me. They have my brother, Toby. If I don’t kill you, there’s no telling what they’ll do to Toby. I’ll never see him again. They could kill him, or worse.”

      “What could be worse?” Mrs. Halverson asked. Then her eyes rounded. “Torture?”

      Riley nodded. “And brainwashing. I can’t let that happen. He deserves a better life. He’s just a child...only six years old.”

      “Oh dear.” Charlie stared at the little bag, shaking her head. “Whatever can you do?”

      “Nothing. I can do nothing. My brother will disappear, and I’ll never see him again. He’ll think I’ve abandoned him. They’ll tell him I never loved him. They’ll make him a weapon to use against others in the future.” Riley broke away from Mrs. Halverson. “I can’t let that happen.”

      “There’s nothing else СКАЧАТЬ