Shadow Tyrants (Oregon Files 13)

—

Natalie Taylor was fuming as she attached her belt to the rope that had been lowered to the balcony. She’d been planning this strike for weeks at Carlton’s direction, ever since he began suspecting Mallik of betrayal, and it had gone off without a hitch until that guest in the turquoise gown attacked her. She had to be some kind of undercover security operative.

Her nemesis wasn’t giving up, even now. Taylor saw her leap to her feet and run toward the balcony. But it was too late. The rope began to pull Taylor up.

As she rose toward the roof, she looked down to see the woman below watching her escape. Taylor returned her icy gaze with a sneer.

When she got to the top of the building, the ex-soldier who had hoisted her up pulled her onto the roof. She detached herself from the portable winch, and they got into the chopper. It took off before anyone could reach the roof to stop them.

She was glad she didn’t have her phone. Telling Xavier Carlton that the mission failed wasn’t something she was looking forward to.

* * *

—

Eddie and Linc emerged from the bathroom hallway to find moaning survivors and a devastated ballroom.

MacD and Raven were on the balcony.

“Are you two all right?” Eddie said.

MacD nodded. “This party got a little out of hand.”

“We’re fine,” Raven said in a disgusted tone. “But the Jhootha Island woman got away. I just saw her escape helicopter take off.”

“Then let’s get out of here before the cops arrive and make us answer difficult questions.”

To avoid the crowd of guests exiting by the main stairway, they accessed the kitchen door leading to the stairs next to the service elevator.

Police cars, ambulances, and fire engines were already pulling up to the high-rise. Tiny wouldn’t be able to get their ride anywhere near the building. They put on the guise of terrified guests and ran past the emergency vehicles. They found the Porsche SUV idling at the side of the road on the next block.

“Everyone good?” Tiny asked as they got in.

“No casualties,” Eddie said.

“Your timing is perfect. There’s Hali.”

Hali’s limo came to a stop next to them. He got out and walked around to the Porsche.

The rear window of the limo rolled down.

“We’re not to the party yet, you idiot,” Kiara Jain said. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Hali pointed at Raven, who was sitting by the open door of the Porsche.

“Apparently, I picked up the wrong Kiara,” he said. “And I like this one better.” He got in the SUV.

Tiny drove off, leaving the actress gaping at the sight of her receding doppelgänger.

* * *

—

Mallik seethed as he retreated to his office with Torkan.

“Why were those guards unconscious?” he demanded about the men they had stepped over in the stairwell. “And how did Taylor get into my house?”

“I will find out,” Torkan said. “The two men we passed must have helped her. But I don’t understand why the woman impersonating Kiara Jain was fighting her.”