The library queen

Chapter 2 Extraction

Don gagged, letting out a raw, painful cough that cracked the silence. He hacked into his uniform sleeve, his flashlight beam shaking wildly over the shattered glass. The burning chemical fumes were suffocating. He choked, spat onto the floorboards, and forced himself to stand.

Behind the oversized books, Renn shifted his weight against the brick wall. His left arm was still locked around Maya’s waist like an iron band. He slowly raised his right hand, the long black silencer pointing dead at Don’s chest through the gap, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Maya didn't scream. Instead, she slammed her back hard into Renn’s chest, leaning all her weight into his sternum. Hold, her body commanded. Don't shoot, you psycho.

Renn didn't pull the trigger, his dark eyes tracking the white light outside.

Don took another step, boots crunching on glass. "Maya!" he croaked, his voice wrecked. "This is a crime scene now. Vandalism. Show yourself!"

The white light brushed the very edge of their dark gap. Maya turned her head, her lips brushing against the sharp, cold line of Renn’s jaw.

Suddenly, a loud blast of radio static exploded from Don’s duty belt, shattering the tension.

"Unit 4-Bravo. Joseph. Report."

It was Commissioner Addison. The volume was turned up so loud it echoed through the empty hall.

Don snatched his shoulder mic. "Joseph here. Investigating a heavy disturbance at the central library. History section."

"Forget the damn library!" Addison barked through the static. "We got a full-scale riot breaking out on 4th and Pike! Gangs are smashing every storefront in sight! I need every available unit on the perimeter right now!"

Don stared down the dark aisle, hesitating. "Sir, I got shattered glass and some heavy chemical spills here. I think there’s an intruder."

"I don't care if the place is on fire, Detective!" Addison snapped. "I got two patrol cars burning as we speak! Get your ass to that intersection right now! That’s a direct order!"

Don swore under his breath, letting go of the mic. "Copy that. En route."

He lowered the flashlight, looking around the dark room one last time. "Maya!" he yelled. "I gotta fly! Lock the doors behind me, and call dispatch if you see anyone!"

He turned on his heel and booked it toward the lobby, his heavy boots fading across the marble floor until the front doors slammed shut with a heavy thud.

The library went completely dead quiet again. The acid fumes drifted up toward the high rafters.

Maya let out a long breath and stepped forward, violently pulling away from Renn.

Renn stepped out of the narrow gap, lowering his gun. He calmly adjusted the lapel of his tailored jacket, looking completely unbothered. "Your boy follows orders."

"He works for a guy who needs votes, you arrogant bastard," Maya muttered, walking over to the broken glass. "Politicians care about burning cars on the news, not quiet libraries. The maintenance stairs are clear. Get out of my face."

Renn didn't move. He looked down at the dead guy, then slowly turned his eyes to Maya. "You're a cool customer."

"I just want my archives empty. Go."

"You really think I'm just gonna walk away?"

"We're even. I got you out of a federal lockdown."

Renn slowly raised the gun again, leveling the black muzzle straight at her chest. The metal caught the dim light.

Maya froze, but fear didn't take over. Her eyes turned into pure fire as she locked onto his dead stare. "You're changing the deal, don't be an idiot."

"I'm keeping myself safe."

"I just saved your life, you ungrateful prick."

"Yeah. You proved you're way too smart to be left wandering around."

"So you're gonna kill me?"

"A dead librarian brings a hundred cops back here tomorrow morning," Renn said, his voice terrifyingly smooth as he stepped closer, his boots making absolutely no sound. "They'd start asking questions I don't want to answer."

"Then drop the gun. You’re making a bigger mess for yourself."

"I need an insurance policy," Renn said, stopping just a foot away from her. "You just lied to a cop without blinking, you're a liability if you stay here."

"I'm a civilian! This is my turf!"

"You're a witness," Renn corrected. "You're coming out the back door with me."

"No way. My life is here."

"Your life belongs to me now. Get in the car."

"This is kidnapping."

"And if I tell you to go to hell?" she sneered.

"Then you end up on the floor."

"You just said a dead body brings the cops, boss. Is that how you run your business? Forgetting your own logic?" she countered, her voice dropping into a lethal, steady rhythm.

"My family owns a chemical plant down by the river," Renn whispered, a cruel smirk touching his lips. "We dissolve the evidence, and your cop friend finds an empty library tomorrow. No body, no case."

Maya looked at the red exit sign glowing in the dark, then locked eyes with her future hostage.

"You're breathing a lot easier now."

"Because I'm not dead, psycho."

"Not yet," Renn said, stepping directly into her space. He reached out a gloved hand. "Phone. Hand it over."

"Go to hell. I need it for work."

"Give it to me, Maya. Don't make me take it."

She glared at him, yanked the phone from her pocket, and dropped it into his palm. Renn didn't even look at it. He tossed it onto the floor and slammed his heavy heel straight down. CRUNCH.

The screen shattered into a million tiny, glowing splinters.

"That's city property, you asshole!"

"Now it’s a pile of junk nobody can track," Renn said, kicking the pieces away. "You're welcome."

"Owen’s gonna call me at midnight!" she hissed, her anger flaring right past the panic. "If I don't answer, he’s gonna lose his mind!"

Renn raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell is Owen? Your boyfriend?"

"My brother! He’s twenty, he’s got a severe heart condition, and I pay his medical bills!" Maya’s voice dropped into a lethal, steady rhythm. "If I miss his check-in, he panics and calls Don Joseph. Then your cop friend comes back with a SWAT team. You ready for that heat, boss?"

Renn’s eyes narrowed, caught off guard by her aggression. "Don't worry about it. My tech guy handles the network. We'll clone your signal."

"I did my part! I got you past the cop!" Maya dug her heels into the wood, refusing to budge. "We’re done here. The deal is over."

"You know my face. You know what I did. You think I’m just gonna let you walk?"

"I swear to God, I won't say a word!"

"Everybody talks when the feds start squeezing," Renn said, grabbing her upper arm like an iron handcuff. "Your friend Don will be back tomorrow asking a million questions. You'll break in five minutes."

"You shoved a loaded gun into my spine and I didn't blink, you ungrateful prick! You think a little questioning is gonna make me c***k?"

Renn leaned in, his breath brushing her face. "That was adrenaline, sweetheart. Tomorrow you'll start thinking, and when people start thinking, they get terrified."

"You don't know a damn thing about me."

"I know enough," Renn growled, dragging her down the aisle.

They passed the dead courier, blood pooling dark on the floorboards. Maya stepped over his boots without looking down. Renn shoved her through the metal fire door, the push-bar groaning loudly as the freezing night wind slapped her face.

A massive, blacked-out armored sedan was idling in the dark alley. Victor Lang stood by the back door, his face looking like it was carved out of granite. He pulled the door open.

Maya glanced toward the streetlamps at the intersection. Fifty yards away. If she bolted right now...

Renn slammed the cold suppressor right into her ribs. "Victor catches you in five seconds. A bullet catches you in one. Don't be stupid."

Maya locked eyes with him, a cold smile touching her lips. "You're a clinical psychopath, you know that? Is this how you run your business? Forcing librarians into cars?"

"I'm a realist," Renn said, unbothered. "Get in."

Maya slid onto the back seat. Renn slid in right next to her, and Victor slammed the door shut. The automatic locks clicked.

"Where are you taking me?" Maya demanded, watching the library disappear in the rearview mirror.

"My place."

"The docks?"

"The compound. We need to use that brain of yours," Renn said, leaning back against the seat. "You didn't panic. You faked out a homicide detective, and you recognized my suit fabric in a pitch-black room."

"I just pay attention to stuff! That’s my job!"

"Normal people scream. You build escape routes under pressure."

Maya looked out the tinted window, her mind racing, calculating the board. "Chloe’s gonna show up at eight AM. She’s my coworker."

"And?"

"She’s gonna find the broken glass! She’s gonna smell the acid and call the station!"

"My cleanup crew is already inside that library," Renn said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "By dawn, the body’s gone. The floorboards are replaced. The smell is washed out. It’ll look like nobody was ever there."

"She knows my schedule! She’s nosy as hell, she’ll start asking around!"

"We handle nosy people.My people is texting her from your cloned number right now. You had a family emergency, you took off for a sudden vacation. End of story."

Maya felt a wave of cold hit her stomach, "You’re completely erasing my life."

"I’m keeping you alive," Renn corrected.

The sedan swung hard left onto a private road, tires crunching loudly over the gravel driveway of a massive stone fortress.

Victor slammed the car into park and opened her door. Maya stepped out onto the wet pavement.

An older guy in a pristine vest was standing on the front steps. "Welcome back, Mr. Savier."

Renn said, tossing his wet gloves to him. "She’s staying with us for a while."

"I have my own apartment," Maya snapped, trying to pull away from his grip.

"Your apartment is a death trap," Renn whispered in her ear.

Maya looked back at Victor, then at Sam, who gave her a soft, polite nod.

"Please come inside, Miss. The night wind is terrible out here."

Maya bit her lip, turned around, and marched up the grand stone steps. Renn was right on her heels, his shadow stretching out over her.