Page 113 of Spy With Me
“Huisman,” Kala shouted. “Let’s see who wins this time,asshole.”
Huisman actually scrambled back. He looked over to the tablehe’d set the bombs on. “This is far from over.”
Huisman raced through the doors.
Zach tried to get to him, to pull him back. The doors lockedand then a signal began, a clanging sound that told anyone listening to it thatthe world was going to explode.
He turned and got his hands on the handle, but it waslocked.
“Damn it.” Kala rushed up. “Did that fucker get away? Youwere supposed to stop him.”
“With what hands?” It looked like she and Big Tag had takenout a good deal of Huisman’s security team. “Where did the rest of them go? Hehad at least twenty guys.”
“They ran.” Big Tag was in all white, the arctic version offatigues. The combat uniform looked good on him. Kala’s vibrant hair contrastedwith the white of her uniform. She’d pulled off her balaclava when she movedthrough the bay. Likely because she wanted Huisman to know she was there. “It’swhat happens when you hire mercenaries. Come here, Zach.”
Big Tag pulled a knife and quickly sawed through the zipties.
“We have to get through that door. Devi’s back there, and Ithink she might have a gun.” He moved to the nearest downed soldier and pulledthe key card off him. “Shit. Huisman started a timer for the bomb. It’s goingto explode and kill everyone in here who isn’t protected.”
“We don’t know we’re protected.” Cooper ran up, holding anextra semi and offering it to his brother. “The intel Parker gave us said therewere significant changes to the anthrax they took from Dare’s father’s lab.Huisman has been experimenting. I know we don’t care about the soldiers, butthere are workers from town in here. Cleaners and cooks. They don’t know whatgoes on here.”
Tristan stood at the table with the bomb. He had hisgreatest weapon with him. While Tris was deadly with a gun, he was a hackinggod. He pulled his laptop from the pack on his back. “I can already tell youit’s on a timer. It’s set for forty-five minutes, which I suppose is whatHuisman thought it would take to get out of here and find the right spot overKathmandu. This is complex. I might need Lou.”
Big Tag touched his ear. “TJ, are you in position?”
Zach wasn’t waiting. They could handle the bomb. He neededto get to Devi. His girl was out there, and she was fighting. He had to giveher the best chance for survival, and that meant having every security assholein the place chasing him instead of her.
He slapped the key card to the door and started to pushthrough.
Tried to push through.
“Damn it. He’s shut the key cards down,” Zach shouted back.“I can’t get out of here, and Devi can’t get in. She’s got to know we wouldhave to enter the facility from the landing bays. She’ll be making her wayhere.”
Unless all that chaos wasn’t about Devi and his momescaping. Unless all that gunfire had already taken her out.
He couldn’t think like that. He threw his shoulder againstthe doors, trying to force them open.
“Hey.” Cooper was suddenly beside him. “You can’t let thepanic take over. She needs you calm. She needs the soldier right now.”
“Comms are down.” Big Tag’s face was set in harsh lines.
“I can get the doors open. Everything but the inner roomsHuisman uses are on the same system. It’s not complex,” Tris explained. Hemoved to the doors and had the key card reader open in seconds. He plugged hislaptop in.
“I think you should be working on the bomb,” Big Tag said.“Even a simple system will take time.”
Tristan hissed. “Damn it. I have to unlock them one by one.And I’m getting some kind of code. Huisman enacted a protocol. I think he mighthave a fail-safe in place.”
“I assure you Lou is working on it. I don’t have to talk tothem to know that Lou won’t let us down,” Big Tag reassured them. “Tris, getthis one open and then you’re on the bomb. I’m going in with Zach. Cooper…”
Cooper nodded. “I’m going to fly it out and have Tristandisarm it in the air. We can’t let it detonate here. It’s almost certain to getdown to the village below. I’ll find a spot to minimize the chance ofavalanche.”
His brother was going to fly the bomb out? They were at theupmost range of thehelo. “You can’t risk it. Youjust got married. I know I’m not the pilot you are…”
“Eww. Don’t do that.” Kala frowned his way. “No grossself-sacrificing stuff. And he did get married, which is why I’m going withhim. So is Tris. He’s good under pressure.”
The doors clicked, proving her point.
Tristan unplugged his laptop. “You’re on your own. HopefullyLou’s figured it out. It’s simple but death by a thousand cuts since I’m prettysure she’ll have to open the doors one by one. They’ll be worried about gettingKenzie to Parker first. Be careful. If we don’t die, we’ll come back and pickyou up.”
