The Promise (The 'Burg #5)(189)
The good news was that he didn’t seem agitated anymore, but he did seem on guard, which was understandable.
The afternoon dragged no matter how much I tried to throw myself into work. I just wanted that day done. I wanted to go home and wait with Benny until we heard the rest of it was done. And then I wanted to get on with a life filled with promise without anything f**king it up.
I took in a deep breath and considered shutting down early just so I could get out of there without delay.
This was when my phone rang.
It was Benny.
“Hey, honey. We’re in the home—”
“Do not leave your desk.”
My back went straight at his tone and my eyes went out my windows to Bierman’s office.
He wasn’t there.
“I’m ten minutes away,” Ben told me. “I’ll come in and get you at your office.”
“What’s happening?” I whispered.
“Stark’s team is there,” Ben replied immediately, and I felt my heart stutter. “But they’re occupied, seein’ as two thugs in ski masks just cornered Furlock in a bathroom on the third floor and are haulin’ his ass down the stairwell toward an SUV that’s waitin’ at the back utility entrance.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed and started doing a scan of the floor.
“Stark’s team has neutralized the driver,” Ben went on.
Heath at his desk.
“They’ve also called the cops who are en route,” Ben kept going.
Sandy at hers.
“But they don’t want you to move.”
Lloyd at his. Kathleen at hers. Jennie at hers.
“Keep an eye on your crew,” he finished.
The eye I was supposed to keep on my crew hit Tandy’s desk.
She wasn’t there.
My blood turned to ice.
“Tandy,” I whispered.
“What?” Ben asked.
“Tandy’s not at her desk.”
“Fuck,” he muttered. “Stark’s busy, but I’ll call. He’s got eyes everywhere. If somethin’ was goin’ down with her, he’d be on it. Stay at your desk.”
I looked again through the floor.
No Tandy anywhere.
“Benny—”
“Do not…leave…your desk, tesorina.”
I started deep-breathing. “Furlock is gonna be okay?”
“You think Stark would let anything happen to him?”
No.
I did not.
“I’m almost there, baby. Then we’re out of there and safe.”
I stared at Tandy’s empty desk, saying, “Okay.”
“Don’t move, Frankie.”
He so knew me because I so wanted to move, search for Tandy, make sure she was okay.
I visualized rooting myself to the chair, even as I itched to jump out of it, and said, “I won’t, Benny.”
“Keep it together, babe. Love you.”
“Love you too, honey.”
He disconnected.
I deep-breathed and went about shutting down for the night.
In this time, Tandy didn’t come back.
At the end of this time, my phone rang again.
It was Benny.
“Ben,” I whispered as greeting.
“Stay where you are. I’ll be there.”
He’d already told me that.
Why was he again telling me that?
“Benny—”
“Promise me you will not move, Frankie.”
Shit.
Something was going down.
And Stark was occupied.
They needed Benny.
“Ben—”
“Promise me.”
“Is it Tandy?”
“Promise me.”
“Benny!” I snapped.
“I need you to promise me.”
Oh God.
God!
“I promise, Benny.”
“Good, baby. Be there soon.”
“Be careful, Benny.”
“I will.”
“Be very careful, Benny.”
“I will, honey. Gotta go now.”
He sounded normal, if impatient. Almost businesslike.
Oh God.
“Love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too. See you soon.”
“Yeah.”
He disconnected.
I looked to Bierman’s empty office.
Then to Tandy’s empty desk.
Then I looked to my phone and called Sal.
He picked up in one ring. “We’re on it, amata.”
Oh God.
On what?
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Gotta go, Francesca,” he said as answer.
“Sal!” I snapped.
He disconnected.
I shot out of my chair.
Don’t move, Frankie.
Tandy sometimes went to the bathroom to freshen up before leaving work because she was going out to get a drink.
I knew that night she wasn’t going out to get a drink.
I couldn’t see her purse because she put it in a locked drawer. She wouldn’t leave for the day without telling me. Especially not early. But never.
I wanted to run to the bathroom and check it to see if Tandy was there.