WHEN KATIE STEPPED OFF THE ELEVATOR and onto the eighth floor a large hand immediately pressed against her shoulder. Her immediate reaction was to rip it off, but when she looked up into the eyes of the broad-shouldered man with the serious expression she thought better of it.
“Come with me,” he said in a clipped British accent.
“Why?”
The man’s grip tightened on her shoulder. At the same time another man in a suit joined them, even larger and more powerful-looking than the first. He flashed a badge so fast that Katie couldn’t see what it said.
“We have some questions for you,” the second man said.
“Good, because I’ve got some questions for you.”
The pair bracketed her as they strode down the hall. A door opened and Katie was ushered into a small room and told to sit. She remained standing, arms crossed and a defiant look on her face. One of the men sighed.
“We’ll be back in a minute.”
Sixty seconds later they returned with another man, older, bald, and wearing a rumpled suit that needed a good cleaning.
He sat down and motioned Katie to do the same. “You want something to drink?”
“No,” she said as she sat down across from him. “What I want is to see Shaw.”
Frank sat back and studied her. “You mind my asking how you know him?”
“Yes, I do mind.”
He nodded at one of his men, who ripped Katie’s purse out of her hand. She clutched at it, but the other man held her back. Her wallet and passport were plucked out and given to Frank.
He perused them for a minute. “Katie James, name rings a bell. Reporter, right? You doing some kind of story on Shaw?”
“No, he’s a friend.”
“That’s funny, because I happen to know all of Shaw’s friends and you’re not one of them.”
“I’m a recent friend. And can I see your badge or credentials? I want to get my facts right for the exposé I’ll do on you if you don’t let me the hell out of here!”
“How recent?” asked Frank calmly.
She hesitated. “Edinburgh.”
“He never mentioned it.” Frank studied her passport more closely. “So you flew all the way over from New York to see your recent friend? Why?”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Why are you here?” Frank said again.
“Is he alive or dead!”
“Alive, barely. Now answer my question.”
“I called him yesterday. A woman answered. She said he was in the hospital, that he was in surgery. So I came.”
“I see. And why did you call him?”
“Do I get another question answered?”
“Why did you call him?”
Katie glanced nervously around the room. The two other men stared impassively back at her. “Because I heard about The Phoenix Group.”