Free Broken Storm Part One by May C. West Page A

security logs to prove that
Keiko had been snooping outside of Chase’s office.
    Chase had left him to it.
    Because the longer the afternoon had drawn on, the
more the guilt had surged.
    He couldn't just leave Keiko alone, because he knew
if he did, the Sect wouldn't.
    So he'd crammed himself into his car and driven
around to her house.
    No one had answered, and swearing to himself, Chase
had gotten back in.
    He knew where she worked, as his secretary had
already pulled up every snippet of information she could get on the woman, but Keiko
was not at work either.
    Driving around the city, at a loss of what to do,
Chase berated himself more and more.
    Because maybe Keiko was right. When she'd stormed
into his office, she’d snapped at him that just because he was rich, he
couldn't get away with everything he wanted. Maybe the possibility of finding
out information about Aiko had gone to his head, and maybe Chase had forgotten
that real people were involved in this. It wasn't just some personal game, some
personal race to victory.
    Swearing again, he circled around the park. Not
because he hoped to see her there, but because the roads around that area were
the quickest route back onto the highway. She might have gone to visit her
grandmother or maybe she'd gone back to her parents. He already had the right
addresses.
    At that thought, Chase winced.
    He really was creepy, wasn't he? He really was
using his wealth and position to do things any decent person wouldn't.
    But he was committed now, and he had to find her,
before they did.
    Then providence had smiled.
    He’d been behind a car when it had roughly turned
towards the curb, parking with a screech.
    Shaking his head at the bad driving, he’d pulled
around them to move on.
    Then he'd seen her. Keiko. As he’d driven past, he’d
seen her expression snap to white. Then she’d pushed across the street rather
hurriedly, and made her way down the nearest alley.
    Chase had gone to turn in to follow, but the damn lane
was one-way, so he’d looped around, speeding as he did, heart racing, mind
ablaze.
    Did he recognize that car? The one that had parked so
hastily on the curb.
    Did he recognized the thick-necked man who had
piled out of it?
    Chase finally pulled into the alley, speeding up it
and then slamming on his breaks when he saw her, the car jolting at the violent
move.
    His heart in his throat, he flung open his door.
'Get in,’ he called to her.
    She hesitated.
    She did not run over to him.
    And that was when the man caught up to her.
    He wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling off
her feet. She let out the beginning of a screech, but he slammed one of his
massive hands over her mouth, and it was cut short.
    She struggled against his grip, kicking out with
her legs, but the guy was huge.
    Chase ran from his car, barely having the time to
yank up the park break, lest it roll away.
    He launched himself at the guy, but whoever he was,
he was quick on his feet, and he darted back, pulling an arm out, dropping it
to his jacket, and then grabbing out a gun.
    'Don't you dare,’ he said as he pointed it at
Chase.
    He pulled his hand from Keiko's mouth to readjusted
his grip, and she began to scream again, but the guy rammed his gun against the
side of her head hissing at her to shut up or he would shoot.
    Her face crumpled down in shock and disbelief,
tears starting to streak down her cheeks.
    Chase slowly brought his hands up.
    He’d been in his fair share of confrontations with
the Sect. If indeed, that was who this guy belonged to.
    Usually they weren’t this desperate. Violent, yes,
but secretive. If they wanted Keiko, they could have stolen into her apartment
in the middle of the night and kidnapped her in quiet. For them to Chase her
down in the street in the middle of the day, and risk having the police called,
meant they were desperate. Unusually desperate.
    Keiko kept on whimpering, softly, her arms shaking,
more tears falling down her cheeks.
    'I could just