Free Internal Threat by Ben Sussman Page B

floor with a clang.
    “Let’s go,” Tom said again.
    Matt nodded, listening for any words from John but not getting any. He put an arm around Luke and stepped forward. He crossed the room, passing in front of Tom who lowered the gun to his side.
    “I can totally explain,” Matt lied when he was near him.
    “So you said.” Tom gestured towards the elevators as the trio crossed the floor. Passing through the main security gate, Tom pulled it shut behind him, his eyes never leaving Matt’s.
    “At least put the gun away,” Matt pleaded. “You’re scaring my kid.”
    “Can’t. It’s procedure,” the security guard replied. “Now, when we get downstairs-”
    Luke screamed as the window behind them mushroomed inwards.
    Half a second later, Tom’s face was sheared off in a cloud of red.
    On instinct, Matt grabbed his son and threw their bodies down the ground. “Stay down!” he shouted in the boy’s ear.
    Another bullet whipped through the hole in the window, landing in Tom’s already collapsing body.
    Luke was sobbing into Matt’s shoulder, quaking with fear.
    “You’re fine,” Matt tried soothing him. “I’m here, Luke. You’re safe.” He was practically screaming the words, his ears still suffering from the concussive blast of gunfire.
    Matt did not know anymore if he was telling his son the truth, but at the moment he had something else to worry about.
    With a ding, the other elevator had announced its arrival.

Thirteen
    A shley’s foot had been doing a nervous tap dance as the numbers climbed on the elevator screen. As she approached the top floor, her cover story was formulating inside her head.
    “I just came to check up on a client’s cage,” she imagined herself telling a frowning Weatherly. “And what are
you
doing here by the way?” She knew he would probably see through her lie instantly but she was willing to take the chance. There was no way she was going to lose another client to her competitor. Or miss the chance to gloat about TekStar, come to think of it.
    Her train of thought dissipated as her ears caught a muffled popping sound.
    What the hell was that?
    It came again, much louder this time, accompanied with screams.
    As the two doors parted in front of her, Ashley suddenly found that she was screaming, too.
    Matt tensed as the elevator doors scrolled open, ready for one of the killer’s partners to put a bullet in his skull.
    He could hardly contain his consternation, however, when he instead looked upon the form of Ashley Kane. Her face was frozen in a mask of shock and horror, instantly spotting Tom’s body bleeding out on to the white tiles of the floor. Without even realizing it, her left foot was inching forward to take her out of the elevator car.
    “Stay back!” Matt shouted at her.
    Her eyes snapped up to meet his.
    “What the hell did you do?” she yelled at him.
    “It wasn’t me! Just stay in there if you want to live!”
    Ashley paused, then gave a small nod and slipped into the back corner of the elevator.
    Matt turned his attention back to his son, who was lying beneath him. He adjusted slightly so Luke could move. Before allowing him to rise up, he listened out for any further gunfire. After a moment, he convinced himself that no more was coming and pulled Luke to a crawling position. His boy was hyperventilating, body wracked with shakes.
    “Luke, listen to me,” Matt said softly. “I want you to make your way over to the elevator. Stay low but do it quick. Do you understand me?”
Luke nodded and managed to slow his breathing. On all fours, he scuttled to the elevator where Ashley had reached out her arm to help him in. Even though she was a stranger, he went to her immediately, Matt noticed. She held him protectively against her chest. “It’s okay,” Matt heard Ashley say to him and was instantly grateful for her actions.
    The killer’s voice appeared in Matt’s ear. “I was very clear with my instructions,” John said.
    “You son of a