“The guys are headed for the door. I have to go so I can pay attention.”
“No, no, no. Don’t do this. Sam, what are you thinking about?”
“I need you to do something for me when those men get in there,” she said.
“Anything. What is it?”
“Count their heads. Double count them. Triple count them again and again. Then send me the number via text message.”
“No calling?” I asked.
“No calling. Text message. Number only. Got it?’
“Got it,” I said.
The line went dead as my front door opened. I heard heavy boots knocking against my marble floor as the men started up the staircase. I felt the hair on the back of my neck standing on end as I picked up the gun. I moved myself to the other end of the room, so no one could maneuver themselves behind me. I moved away from the window like Sam had instructed me earlier. I placed the gun behind my body and shielded it with my relaxed form.
Then, I watched as the knob on my office door began to turn.
Chapter 22
Sam
I SAW THEM COMING UP the driveway as my head began to bob with their numbers. I hung up my phone before I made my way back to John, counting their bodies again. We were seated in the forest that blanketed the side of Derek’s driveway. I wanted to count the heads of the men going up to the meeting with John, double-checking my numbers.
Fuck. This wasn’t good.
“Sam, get over here and count now,” John said.
I shoved my cell phone into my pocket an
d raced to where he was standing.
“I know. I did,” I said.
“Count again. This is serious,” he said.
My eyes darted along the men walking up the driveway. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as I counted them again. I counted and recounted, making sure I had the number right. But every time I counted them, I got the same number.
Fourteen.
There were fourteen men heading up to the house.
“On the count of three,” I said. “One, two...”
“Fourteen,” John and I said together.
“Shit. Who the fuck is missing?” I asked.
“The new guy. Reggie.”
“New guy? There’s a fucking new guy, John?”
“I just hired him on today. Remember the guy with the hives?”
“Ah, the one allergic to the pesticides. What happened? You never gave me an update on him.”
“Still in the hospital. I needed to employ someone to take his place.”