Ambush

Chapter 92

Alex had made it as far as the lobby without anyone questioning her. She even said hello to the pretty blond receptionist behind a tall counter. Then she heard the sound coming from the hallway to the business offices. Someone was pounding something hard. Her guess was that it was Detective Michael Bennett knocking down the door.

That gave her an idea. One last chance to salvage something from this miserable day. She eased forward as though she were headed toward the front door, then ducked behind a thick decorative column a few feet from the exit.

She was out of sight when she heard Bennett say to the young woman behind the counter, “NYPD. Did anyone come through the lobby?”

That’s when Alex leaned around the column with her pistol up and fired quickly. Too quickly. The bullet missed Bennett and struck the unsuspecting receptionist in the face. Alex couldn’t see exactly what had happened, but she knew she had killed an innocent woman. Shit.

The idea made her angry at Bennett. He had forced this. He wouldn’t let her just get away. She had to kill him. Now.

When she leaned around the column again, she saw Bennett tumble out of the way and roll behind the counter. He yelled to her to surrender, and she used his voice to approximate his position so she would know where to shoot.

After a couple of her shots missed, he returned fire.

They were in a stalemate, but she was the one who had to move. She had to get away. She wanted so desperately to end this contract and kill Bennett, but she had to consider all her options.

If she sprinted for the exit, she’d be away from cover, and it would take time to open the glass door. That would give Bennett time and a clear shot. She had no doubt he’d take it.

She leaned back against the column and looked out at the East River. No one was racing from that direction to help the detective. She could see a park and open sidewalks. That was where she needed to be. Out in the open. At least making an attempt to get away so she could head back to Colombia as soon as possible. She could picture her girls squeezing her when she came back to the ranch.

She raised the pistol and fired three rounds into the wide glass window. She knew the sound of the gunshots would keep Bennett behind cover. This was not safety glass. It was more decorative and cracked uniformly between the three bullet holes.

She stood up and risked it all by throwing her body against the crack in the window.

She braced for a brutal impact, not knowing what the shattered glass might do to her skin. But it gave way, and she tumbled onto the sidewalk, virtually unharmed.

Alex considered running to the river, but then it might be easy to cut her off. She decided to stay on the studio property and come out in a place where no one expected her. She wasted no time jumping to her feet and racing along the sidewalk that led to the other side of the building.

She didn’t see Bennett in pursuit, so she kept her remaining bullet in case she ran into other trouble.