When Bailey ran back into the building, she squealed as she crashed straight into someone who grabbed her arms. She looked up and gasped as she saw Joe. His suit was torn, and she swore he had blood on his face. She staggered back, but Joe kept his grip on her. "Where the hell have you been?"
"I was just kidnapped by Clay Slater! What about you? What happened to you?"
"Kidnapped...but..."
"Yeah, he let me go,"
"He let you go?" Joe frowned as he released his grip on Bailey.
"Now your turn,"
"We had a made shooter in your office, it didn't...end very well for him," Joe said. "And I think he was very much there for you."
"What happened to me being followed,"
Joe remained quiet as he pulled his phone out. "I rushed here for a reason."
"What happened to the squad who was watching me? Joe,"
Joe did not respond for a second. "I'm going to be staying with you and Naomi, for your own safety."
Bailey took a step back. "Please tell me they're not dead. Joe?"
Joe did not answer for a moment. "No, they're not, but they are out of commission for a good long while."
"Who got to them? Was it Clay?" Bailey asked.
"You sure you want to keep being the bait? Say the word, and I will pull you to some remote island..."
"I would stay hidden for my whole life," Bailey said. "But now I don't know if you are even able to keep me safe. I was right around the corner with Clay...he took me right under your nose."
Joe did not respond as he checked his phone. "That is why I am keeping my eyes on you."
"Was anyone else hurt upstairs?"
"He didn't get much of a chance," Joe said and turned to the reception. "Let's get out of here."
"I need to check up on my boss...I want to make sure I am not fired," Bailey said.
"Really? That is what you are worried about?" Joe asked.
"Well, I hope to have a future after Silva and Clay, and if I can, I hope to stay in the one place that had become my solace. But now, because of me, not even my workspace is safe anymore..." Bailey said as she walked past him. Joe followed her.
"You do realize that it's going to be obvious if you follow me around like some puppy bodyguard?"
"Yes, but it's no secret for Silva that we are tailing you..."
"How do you know it was Silva, and not Clay?"
"We analysed Clay's tactics, even a mad man has his style, and what happened to the men...it wasn't his style,"
Bailey raised her brows but continued her journey towards the elevators.
"You sure you want to go up there? It's a bit of a crime scene," Joe said.
"I've seen worse I'm sure," Bailey said as she walked inside of the elevator. Joe joined her and they remained silent as the elevator travelled up. The moment the doors opened, Bailey had to swallow hard. There was yellow t ape surrounding the corpse of an old man on the floor. Blood pooled from his stomach, and his eyes were still wide open. But it was very clear that the man was dead. Photos were being taken left, right and center.
Bailey froze for a second, and Joe placed his arm over her shoulders and started leading her through the mess. He walked her through the towards the closed of meeting room. They placed the people there so that they could not longer witness the horror that was happening in the main office space. Joe opened the door and moved her inside.
"Mr. Mason," Bailey's boss stood up. He had a strange pair of spectacles, and often just went as boss or Mr. Halcow. He smiled at him. "Good to see our rescuer again. I wanted to ask, is there any way we can claim this from our insurance?"
"I don't see why not," Joe muttered.
Mr. Halcow's attention finally turned to Bailey.
"Good to see you're fine, you chose a hell of a time to take a lunch break, perhaps it's best we all take a day or two off...hmm? Then we can all be ready for that gala, and I want you there Bailey, employee of the year and all," Mr Halcow turned his attention to his phone.
"I don't think that is a good idea..."
"Nonsense, of course it's a good idea, I won't take no as an answer, I need to take this...can they all go home?"
"If the officers have done questioning them then, yes, they can, but perhaps after they have removed the body, I just saw the people come in to do that...so perhaps ten minutes,"
Bailey did not move. She was uncertain. It was clear that Mr. Halcow did not have a clue of her connection to the attacker. And she had not lost her job. But walking through that office made her realize that her very presence had put people in danger. If Joe had not specifically been there, then it could have ended up into a dangerous blood bath.
She frowned as she realized that the timing of Clay's kidnapping was not a coincidence, but surely he could not have timed it so well that Joe would have appeared at the same time as the attacker?
Bailey tugged the hem of Joe's jacket, causing him to frown in surprise but turn his attention towards her. She knew the chatter around her would ensure that the people were not listening, but she wanted to make sure that she had Joe's attention.
"How did you know...that your men were compromised?" Bailey asked. "I thought Silva did not keep survivors."
"He doesn't," Joe responded. "We did find the attackers...killed in a familier style."
"How on earth did he know?" Bailey asked.
"Beats me," Joe said. "Perhaps he has a form of spying on Silva that we are not aware of..."
"If he can predict Silva's every move," Bailey whispered. "Then he must have some kind of bug on him, or he just knows him that well."
"Well that would be disturbing, because if knows how to predict Silva so well, how well do you think he can predict you?" Joe asked.
That very question sent shudders down her spine. "He doesn't know me that well..."
"Doesn't he?" Joe asked as he checked his phone. "If I were you, I wouldn't keep my personal life so open for viewing online...for the whole world to see...you might not be doing it now, but you certainly were doing it before the college attack. And it just takes a couple of DM's to the right people..." Joe said. "I don't mean to say this to spook you, but it is no surprise to me that Clay perhaps knows you just as well as he knows Silva."
"If he wanted me dead, I would have been, is that what you are trying to tell me?" Bailey asked.
"I'm afraid so," Joe said. "We're in a deadly game now. I think you need to call and warn your sister..."
Bailey nodded as she pulled out the phone and checked her screen. She saw a singular message:
WHAT FUN WE WILL HAVE! XOXOXO