“Twenty, maybe thirty minutes,” he says, before walking off.

“Hopefully this will be over soon,” Miles says.

My jaw shifts.

As they walk away to go talk to a group of officers, I stare at the bank and catch the shadow of the man inside moving past the door and a couple seconds later he passes by again. The man inside is obviously agitated and that emotion is only going to get stronger when he sees the SWAT team pull up. And not knowing what condition Willow is in, only that she has not been allowed to speak to anyone to confirm she is okay is sitting wrong in my gut.

Glancing around I check to see if anyone has eyes on me. No one does. Everyone is preoccupied. Walking around to the opposite side of my Jeep I open the back door then press a button that releases the bottom of the seat and shove it up. Taking my key out of my pocket I unlock the black box that runs the length of the seat and then look inside. It takes me just a second to decide on my M9, and to tuck it into the back of my jeans. Pulling my shirt over it, I grab my key set and slam the door. I do a scan of the parking lot then dart across the pavement to the bank and jog down the side of the building. If there is a front door, there is a back one and if his attention is on the parking lot where all the action is happening, he won’t be expecting me.

I stop at the next corner and look around the side of the building, then jog to where the door is. Taking my key kit out, I pull out the pieces I’ll need and squat down so I’m eye to eye with the handle.

Hearing footsteps, my head shoots up and I see Nico come around the corner with his gun in hand.

“You got a gun?” he asks low, once he’s close.

I stand. “What do you think?” The lock clicks open, and I meet his gaze. After a single look, he takes the handle, turns it, then peeks inside. When he jerks his head to the side, I move to the opposite side of the door, then slip inside and he follows. There are no lights on back here, so the two of us move slowly through the dark toward a strip of light coming from under a door. Listening close, I try to hear something, but I can’t make out a single sound. When Nico taps my shoulder, I step to the side, and he slowly turns the handle then pulls the door in toward us.

“It’s clear.” He meets my gaze. “I’m going out first, and stopping at the first door on the left, follow me after ten.”

I lift my chin then watch him open the door and disappear out it. At the count of ten, I leave my position and swing into the kitchen opposite of where he is now squatting. Then, the two of us work our way up the hall. When the lobby comes into view, Nico places his back to the wall, and I clear the doorway and duck into an open office. Just as I’m about to move again I notice a stocking covered foot peeking out from the edge of the desk in the middle of the room. I get down and with my heart pounding I move around the back of the desk swallowing bile when I find Willow covered in blood. My hands shake and my throat gets tight as I reach out my hand and search for her pulse. Feeling the steady beat of her heart under my fingers, relief swamps me. Then she gasps and her eyes fly open. Covering her mouth with my hand when she starts to scream, I press my mouth to her ear.