Carrion (The Bren Watts Diaries #1)

Chapter 64

I needed to get out of Peter's grip, and I had no plan on finding out what Ramos had planned for me. I lost track of whether I was one or two doors down from Clemons, maybe my screams would bring him down to me, but I had Peter to deal with.

Well, time for Plan Z.

I quickly studied the room's layout. I was in some sort of reception hall of a large office. Two couches propped to the right, a rectangular coffee table stood at knee-height, bookshelves on the opposite side filled with new and old leather-bound books, a semi-circular desk that I assumed belonged to the secretary, and behind that was a glass door leading to the main office. I saw more bookshelves behind the glass, a large oak desk, a Mac computer on top, a bunch of picture frames, and one of those cute, little environmental-friendly pencil cups and file sorters. A golden Maneki-Neko cat figurine, with its arms swinging back and forth as if beckoning at me, sat next to the computer. A thin placard sat in the middle, which said: GOV. ADAM GAFFNEY.

I was in the governor's main office, but there was no sign of him; Peter and I were alone.

The next thing I looked for was weapons I could use. Aside from the ones Peter carried, I couldn't possibly wrestle it off him without him firing the first shot (with the gun the only thing I could probably grab, albeit a slim chance). The only ones nearest to me were my fist. I eyed the full-length wall mirror, and if I managed to break them, I could use the shards as a knife, but I would end up cutting my hand.

There got to be something better.

Think, Bren. Think.

Then I saw the scissors sitting at the edge of the secretary's table. If I got Peter off of me, I only had to roll over and grab it. I also saw the Kodiak bear figurine sitting on the coffee table, looking durable to render Peter incapable if I smashed it over his head. I saw the books on the shelves, some leather-bound, hardcover, a hard weapon to beat him with. There was a half-eaten noodle cup sitting on the secretary's table, a plastic fork inside it. There was also the paper trimmer, with its guillotine halfway up. I could pull that off and use it as a machete. I could use the pencils to stab him with, use the lamp as a hammer, smash the computer screen over him, maybe wrap the HDMI cord around his neck, perhaps even throw that cactus pot sitting at the far side of the room. That gotta sting.

I surveyed all the objects around me in a couple of seconds. I turned my gaze back to Peter, who had just gotten off the line with Ramos with a static click.

"Captain's on his way," he said. Peter gave a little shrug, and he changed the radio dial to another channel. "Now, for the cherry on top..."

I frowned, not knowing what he had planned. I could still feel the barrel of his pistol at my side.

"Haskell. Do you copy?" Peter called out, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Copy. What's your status?" Haskell replied a second later.

"Badger still with you?" Peter asked.

"Yes. Over."

"Stay alert. Let him know we have the intruder pinned down in 507."

"How many?"

"One."

"Is it him?"

"Copy."

A pause. I could imagine Haskell mulling the information. I kicked his ass, making him look like a total bitch in the woods, so I reckoned he also wanted payback. It seemed I had been attracting a lot of those companies lately. Perhaps, I got to start making a list of the people I pissed off. Maybe it would be good for my health.