Lifeline

Chapter 7

Chikage adjusted her sunglasses, glancing in the rear view mirror as she pulled into the club's back parking lot, noting the black SUV was still following her, windows tinted too dark to get a glimpse of whoever was following her. Her eyebrow rose as she threw the car in park, flipping the safety lever on her gun as she got out of the car, thankful she'd opted for the hip holster today. Flipping that switch would have been too awkward to do had her gun been on her back again. She kept her palm resting on the gun as she walked quickly toward the SUV, reaching out to yank the handle as she drew her weapon, swearing as Yanni raised his hands slowly.

"Easy," he said slowly, glancing down at the black barrel pointed evenly at his nose, her finger poised to pull the trigger.

"Scoot over," she said quickly, nodding to the passenger seat. His expression betrayed his confusion, but he complied, watching her climb into the seat he'd warmed, gun still aimed at him. The vehicle started, and she turned to stare at him for a moment, just watching him, before holstering her gun and driving away. It took him a while to finally speak.

"Where are we going?" She only glanced at him, and he quickly shut up. He swore under his breath as she pulled up next to an abandoned building a few blocks away, knowing what was coming. He sighed as she got out of the car, waiting in the middle of the alleyway until he was beside her, glancing over him before leading the way into the building. He followed her up the stairs and through a set of doors, finally plopping in a metal chair behind a long table. She opted to sit on the corner, staring down at him. "This is an interrogation room, Chikage," he said quietly, staring at his hands folded in his lap. Her eyebrow rose.

"Do you know why you're sitting in it, Yanni?" she asked. He glanced up at her quickly before looking away. "I'm taking that as a yes," she said with a small smile. "I thought you were supposed to be a good shot, man." His eyes met hers angrily. "And knowing how good of a sniper you really are makes me wonder how you could have missed by a good three hundred meters." He sighed. "You know how interrogations work, Yanni. I ask a question, and you answer." The click of the snap securing her gun in its holster drew his attention. "Try not to lie." A quick nod. "Did you know we had another primary?"

"Yes." Her eyebrow rose.

"Did you know who it was?"

"Yes."

"Look at me, Yanni," she said gently. He followed the order with a small wince, only a twitch of the cheek. "Did you miss or hit your mark?" He swallowed, his eyes breaking from hers. "Yanni," she warned, waiting until he looked at her again before repeating the question.

"I never miss, Chikage," he answered quietly, after too long a pause. She cocked her head to the side.

"So was this your own idea, or did someone change your orders?"

"Orders are orders, Chi," he said. "You and I both know we don't question a change."

"Don't test my patience," she advised. He nodded. "Who told you to shoot Riddick?" He shook his head, glancing up at her sharply as he heard her gun slide from her hip.

"Look, Dave said he was a liability and to take a shot if things started looking like they were going bad." Her eyes narrowed, the click of the hammer pulling back making him stop to swallow. "Easy, Chi," he said slowly.

"Did Dave tell you to shoot Riddick?" Yanni paused. "Yanni, did Dave tell you specifically to shoot him or to shoot if things got questionable?" Her finger twitched as Yanni ran a hand through his dark curls. "Answer the fucking question!"

"Dave will kill me if you ask him about this," he said quickly. "I'm the only person he talked to about Riddick other than that he would be there, so if you go to him and start nosing around, he'll know it was me." Her eyebrow rose. "I'm dead either way, so ask him yourself." His eyes widened as she lowered the gun to aim at his crotch. "Okay, okay!" he stammered. "Dave told me to shoot him and make it look like an accident. He said you'd assume it was them and not us, and not to worry."

"Why?"

"Jesus Christ, I don't know." She let off a shot, barely missing him. "Okay!" He was trembling now, chest heaving, sweat beading on his forehead. "He said Riddick was only there because he wanted you to leave with him and if you left the whole compound would be in danger. He said it'd be easier to take him out than to try to talk either of you out of it and he didn't want to compromise security to let you go." Chikage nodded.

"Go on," she pressed.

"That's it," he said quickly, shaking his head. Her eyebrow rose, and he sighed.

"See, Yanni, I have this odd feeling that Riddick wasn't the target." She noted the speed with which his eyes shot up to hers. "I think Dave wanted me dead, maybe even Amy, and not Riddick." She stood, scratching the side of her head with the barrel of the gun as she paced back and forth. "Forgive me, Yanni," she said with a smile, stopping to lean on the back of a chair. "I should have posed a question a different way." His brow furled. "Who told you to shoot at your own team?"

"Dave." She nodded, resuming her pacing.

"And which team member did Dave instruct you to shoot?" He paused, as did her pacing, and she sent him a glare. "Don't make me ask again, Yanni." He sighed, dropping his head into his hands, elbows resting on the table.

"He said to hit Riddick first, then you if I had a shot." She nodded, stifling a laugh as he jumped at the sound of her pulling a chair out.

"And Amy?"

"God, Chi," Yanni gasped, shaking his head. "You know I wouldn't have done this if Dave didn't scare the piss outta me."

"Answer, Yanni." He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

"Dave was going to kill Marcus and hand Amy over to Company," he finally admitted.

"And your cut would be?"

"Staying alive."

---

Riddick's forehead crinkled as he stared at the monitor. Chikage had just blown through the front door, gun in hand, and was heading toward the security room. He stared at the door until it burst open, then arched an eyebrow as he glanced over her, her chest heaving.

"Give me the gun, Chi," he said gently, holding a hand out. She stared at him for a moment, and he stood. Her hand trembled as she held it out to him, and he reached out slowly to take it from her, ejecting the magazine and the round in the chamber before setting it on the tabletop next to him. "Now close the door and talk to me."

---

"Riddick, Chikage." Marcus acknowledged each of them with a nod to accompany their name as they appeared from the patio door. He watched Chikage's eyes focus on Amy playing in the pool, and his eyebrows rose.

"We have a problem," Riddick said after a moment. Marcus nodded, lowering himself into a patio chair.

"Not here, Marcus," Chikage said quickly. Marcus glanced up at her, then Riddick, who granted him no gesture of response. "Take Amy and go to the safehouse," she instructed quietly. "The one Dave doesn't know about. We'll meet you there in three hours."

"This better be good."

"Do it, Marcus," Riddick urged quietly, adding a small nod. Chikage watched him mull it over for a moment.

"Take Andrew with you," she added. He nodded, jaw clenched, and called out to Amy. Wrapping a towel around her, he gathered her in his arms and quickly retired to his room. Chikage sighed and collapsed into the patio chair, throwing an arm over her forehead. "This is too thick for my taste, Riddick," she said weakly. He chuckled, whacking her legs lightly with the back of a hand to get her to move them so he could sit. He leaned forward, rubbing a hand over his head.

"Where's Dave right now?" Riddick asked.

"Back of the compound," she returned. "He won't know Marcus is leaving until he's already gone and at the safehouse." Riddick nodded. "You go on back to the security room," she said, standing. "I'll walk Marcus and Andrew out to the car and meet you back there." She didn't wait for him to protest, instead leaving before he could even agree. He shook his head, stifling a grunt as he stood. Damn thing was still sore.