Chapter 53

Stone and Dino jumped out of the Audi, ran to the gap in the shattered entrance, then peered inside.

The BMW had smashed against the back wall, collapsing a portion of the divider into the employees-only area beyond. The driver's door hung open, and a few feet from it stood the motorcycle. Neither Petry nor Phillip were present, but Stone could hear muffled voices coming from deeper in the building.

Teddy pulled up in his Porsche and hurried to join them.

"Dino, go around to the parking area in the back," Stone said. "Teddy and I will try to flush them out."

"Try not to get shot," Dino said.

"Top of my to-do list," Stone said.

Stone and Teddy crept carefully into the gallery.

The wall that concealed the entrance to the back room was teetering but still intact. Stone gestured that he would go in that direction and for Teddy to approach the hole in the wall.

Keeping low, Stone moved to the wall, then checked around the edge. The short passageway was empty. He stepped quickly into it.

"Five million right now if you let me walk away," Petry pleaded. "I can do the transfer right here."

Phillip snorted.

"How—How about ten million?" Petry said. "You can walk away and never have another worry in your life."

Stone chanced a peek into the staff-only area. Petry was cornered against one of the couches with Phillip looming over him, his gun ready at his side.

"Ten?" Phillip said. "Why not twenty?"

"Twenty? Sure, sure. Just let me use my phone and I'll make the transfer."

"What about thirty?"

"Um…okay. I—I should be able to do that. You have to understand, some of my money is tied up in—"

Phillip pointed his pistol at Petry's head. Petry yelped and cowered behind his arms.

"How much is your life worth? What about every penny you have?"

"Please don't. I'm sorry for what happened to you. It was Nico's idea. I didn't know until it had already happened."

"I'm not that stupid."

Stone was sure Phillip's patience had just about run out, so he aimed the SIG at him. "Drop the gun, Phillip."

Phillip whipped around, his pistol following his gaze.

"Barrington?" Petry said, confused.

"I said, put the gun down."

"Huh," Phillip said. "So, you're the guy all the fuss has been about."

"I'm the guy. And I'm telling you there's no need for anyone else to die."

"I would think you'd be happy. I am about to do you a favor."

"I'd be happier to see him spend the rest of his life in prison."

Phillip nodded. "I can see how that might be attractive, but it ain't going to happen. You put your gun down. I don't have any reason to kill you, but if you insist on getting in the way, I will."

From the rift in the wall, Teddy said, "That would be a mistake."

Phillip twisted toward him, surprised. "Who the—"

Before he could say anything else, Petry launched onto Phillip's back. Phillip's finger twitched and the gun went off, kicking up a spray of concrete near Teddy.

Phillip threw an elbow into Petry's face, then grabbed the man's hair, yanked him off, and shoved him to the floor.

Stone squeezed off a shot a second before Phillip pulled his own trigger. Stone's bullet hit Phillip in the chest, spinning him as he fired. Phillip's shot ricocheted off the concrete floor and smacked into the wall near Stone's head.

For a heartbeat, Phillip remained on his feet, then he dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

Petry scrambled to his feet and ran to the rear door. But when he pulled it open, he froze.

Dino was standing on the other side. "Leaving so soon, Mr. Petry?"

"And not even with a thank-you for saving his life," Stone said as he stepped into the room. "Dino, could you please escort our guest back to the couch?"

"With pleasure."

Stone moved over to Phillip and saw that there was no need to check for a pulse. The man was staring dead-eyed at the ceiling, his chest still.

"Where's Teddy?" Dino asked.

Stone looked over to the rip in the wall where Teddy had been, but he wasn't there. "Teddy?"

He hurried to the hole and saw Teddy lying unconscious on the floor surrounded by debris from the crash.

Stone stepped through and kneeled next to him. He had thought Phillip's first shot had hit the wall, not Teddy. Stone didn't see any blood or obvious wounds, however.

He gently shook him. "Teddy?"

Teddy blinked and opened his eyes. "What happened?"

"That's what I was going to ask you."

"Phillip?"

"Dead."

"How many times did you have to shoot him?"

"Once."

"See, I told you that you were getting better. And Petry?"

"Cooling it on the couch with Dino. Now it's your turn."

"The last thing I remember is Phillip's gun going off and the bullet flying past me."

"That's it?"

Teddy shrugged, then winced.

"You're hurt?"

"Back of my head."

Stone helped him into a sitting position, then checked Teddy's head, finding a bump. He looked at the floor near where Teddy had been standing and smirked. "Looks like you slipped."

He pointed at the mark on the floor that Teddy's shoe had made.

"Is that a move the CIA trained you to do, or…?"

Teddy scowled. "If you think about telling anyone, remember that I know forty-seven ways to make your death look natural."

"Noted."