Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Godfrey turned on her. “You betrayed me.”
Doumar backtracked another couple of steps, slowly inching toward the canal.
“Stay where you are, Doumar,” Sky said, raising her voice to be heard above the noise of the chaos and fleeing people around them. Once the protestors were far enough, she’d trigger the detonator. “For once, try to be a man instead of a coward.”
Doumar clenched his jaw.
“Now come back slowly. I want to see the expression on your face before I blow you to pieces.”
A muscle worked in Doumar’s jaw, but he obeyed.
“Sky, listen to me,” Bono said, his tone calm and soothing. “You can’t blow that bomb without killing all of us because we’re coming out.”
“You can’t,” she said, frowning. “It’ll take time to override the faulty locking mechanism.”
The slowest runners of the crowd were far enough now for her to push the button. Just as she lifted her finger, the hatch of the aircraft lifted.
She gasped.
No!
They were ruining her plan. Besides, they shouldn’t be able to get out. Yet Cain exited, followed by the rest of the team.
“Don’t move, Sky.” Bono raised his palms in a placating gesture. “They’re unarmed now. We can take them down.”
At the sight of the team, a few protestors stopped at the edge of the scene. One of them ran back and threw a burning match on the ground. The fuel caught fire. A flame leapt into the air and ran toward the aircraft.
“Lann, get a handle on the fire,” Cain said. “Clelia, put a firewall around them.”
In a flash, the heavens opened, and rain poured down, drenching the surroundings and putting out the fire.
Clelia raised a hand. Before she could call up flames, Godfrey shoved Sky, making her stumble into Doumar. The action sent them both to the ground. Sky screamed, holding the device in the air. Doumar had no choice but to buffer her fall to prevent the detonator from going off.
Lying on top of Doumar with her face turned to the side, Sky had a view of the canal. Godfrey was running for the boat.
“He’s getting away!” she said.
A wall of white flames jumped up around them just as Godfrey reached the edge of the water. From nowhere, soldiers in black uniforms appeared, firing bullets at the team, but the firewall protected them.
“Ivan,” Cain called. “Can you control Godfrey?”
“I’ve tried. Too far.”
“Go after him. Maya, go with him. Drain the canal if you must.”
Bono arrived at her side, carefully lifting her off Doumar and making her sit on the paved road. “Don’t move, beautiful. Don’t lift your finger off the button. It’s going to be all right. I’ve got you.”
Joss dragged Doumar to his feet, a gun pointed at his head, while Bono knelt next to her, inspecting the device in her hands and the jacket strapped to her body.
“It’s over,” she whispered. “I can’t hold it down forever. You need to get away.”
“Hush.”
He stroked her hair before returning his attention to the detonator.
“Sean, follow Maya and Ivan on land,” Cain said. “If Godfrey manages to get off the boat, create an earthquake or do whatever you must, but he can’t get away.”
Sean ran toward one of the SUV’s.
“I think I can cut the wire,” Bono said, his face shining with perspiration.
Cain wiped a hand over his brow. “Clelia and Lann, take care of those damn soldiers.”
“With pleasure,” Lann replied, straightening his glasses.
Cain crouched down next to her. “Can we remove the jacket?”
“No.” Bono shook his head. “It’ll blow.”
She looked up at Cain. “Godfrey got away with your chip.”
“No, he didn’t,” Bono said. “I’m going to deactivate the device. Don’t let the pressure up until I tell you.”
“No!”
He cupped her face. “Listen to me, Sky. I’m not going to let you die.”
Cain wasn’t so optimistic. Touching his earpiece, he said, “Lann, status?” He waited for a reply. “Good.” He nodded at Joss. “The coast is clear. Clelia, get everyone still hanging around behind the firewall. If the bomb goes off, the firewall will contain the explosion.”
Joss dragged Doumar away by his collar.
Cain patted Bono’s shoulder. “You’re a good soldier. I’m proud to have you as part of the team.” He gave Bono a somber look. “Just in case, any last wishes?”
“Take care of her child.”
“You’ve got it.”
Cain’s footsteps sounded on the concrete, and then he, too, was gone, leaving her and Bono alone.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He turned the device left and right, moving it with her hand. “Shh, beautiful.”
“You were prepared.”
He gave her a fleeting glance.
“You knew I was going to betray you.”
“I did,” he said solemnly.
“You knew I’d steal the chip from your watch.”
His gaze flickered to hers again. “Yes.”
“So you planted false information on it and set a trap for Godfrey.”
“Yes, again. We knew he’d use our escape plan, so we were prepared.”
“What about your government connections and all the other information he said he was stealing?”