Lupi 09 - Mortal Ties

He’d taken out his phone
     and was heading for the door of the office they’d borrowed from one of the local agents.
     She looked back at Carrie Ann. “How much do you think the bag weighed?”
    “Oh, not too much. Perhaps as much as two or three books?”
    “It’s curious that you would think of comparing it to objects made of paper. It did,
     in fact, hold paper.”
    “Oh?” She said that politely, as if she felt a certain social obligation to express
     interest.
    “Mmm. Ms. Rucker—”
    “Please make it Carrie Ann,” she said warmly.
    Lily bared her teeth in something not meant to be mistaken for a smile. “Carrie Ann,
     I hope you’ll search your memory carefully. Amazing as it seems, that nice old man
     was not arranging a scavenger hunt. As I said, the Bureau takes very little interest
     in such things. We do, however, really perk up and pay attention when kidnapping’s
     involved.”
    The slight widening of her eyes was Carrie Ann’s first unscripted response. She didn’t
     like that word, not at all. Whoever told her to make the drop hadn’t given her any
     hint it might be ransom money. She recovered quickly, lifting one hand to her throat
     and allowing herself to look uncertain. “Kidnapping. Oh, surely not. If one of that
     nice old man’s grandchildren was—”
    The door opened. “Lily,” Rule said. “They tried for Beth. She’s okay. Murray isn’t.
     I need to get there quick.”
    Lily shoved her chair back and fixed Rucker with a look. “Stay here.”
    One second later, she was out the door and flinging orders at the first face she saw.
     “Get me a driver and a car with a siren. Black-and-white or Bureau—whichever’s faster.
     I need the car waiting on the street by the time the elevator gets me down there.”
    “What—”
    “Do it. Now. Bergman!”
    The door at the end of the hall opened. The woman’s face creased with annoyance. “You
     yelled?”
    “They attacked my sister. One of Rule’s people is badly hurt. I’m leaving. Keep someone
     on Rucker. Use this attack to shake her loose, if you can.” She flung the last over
     her shoulder as she headed for the elevator bank, Rule beside her. “Who called you,”
     she asked him, her voice low, “if Murray’s badly hurt?”
    “Patrick.”
    “Patrick? But—”
    “I added him to Beth’s detail while you were questioning Tony. The attackers came
     at her in the stairwell of her building—four men, two from above, two from below.
     Beth is unharmed. Murray took at least one bullet in the chest. I told Patrick to
     call an ambulance. I need to be there. Murray’s not conscious now, but if he survives
     long enough for the EMTs to load him, he could wake up.”
    “Right.” Badly hurt lupi were dangerous. Murray might Change; he might see any attempt
     at help as an attack. Rule could control him. She jabbed the elevator button and thought
     about the stairs, but they were on the thirteenth floor. Rule might beat the elevator
     down, but she couldn’t. The car she’d ordered probably wouldn’t be there yet, anyway.
    Bergman caught up with them. “Is your sister all right?”
    “I think so. Four men came for her. Could have been an attempted hit or a snatch,
     but my money’s on the latter. Who sends four men to kill a single young woman?” She
     looked at Rule. “What happened to the attackers? Was Patrick able to hold on to any
     of them?”
    “Who’s Patrick?’ Bergman said.
    Rule answered Lily, not the other woman. “Two are dead. One escaped. One is alive,
     but badly injured.”
    Bergman scowled. “Sounds like one hell of a mess. Your sister didn’t repel four men
     on her own. Who’s this Patrick?”
    “One of Rule’s men.” Lily stabbed the stupid damnelevator button again and looked at Rule. “Are the locals on the scene yet?”
    He looked blank. Rule tended not to think about calling the cops.
    “Someone’s probably called it in,” Lily told Bergman as the elevator finally opened.
     “At least one shot was fired. Get in touch with the locals. Make sure they’re expecting
     me and Rule.” She and Rule stepped into the elevator.
    “Wait. What do you mean, he’s one of Rule’s men? Were you expecting something like
     this?”
    “Not like this, no.” The doors shut on Special Agent Bergman’s frustrated face. Lily
     looked at Rule. “You were, though. You sent Patrick.”
    “Belt and suspenders,” he said obscurely as the elevator started down. “Lily, the
     two