Page 94 of Spy With Me
Interpol. Fuck. “I’ll talk to them. I’ll talk my way out ofit.”
“Oh, I’m afraid I won’t allow that to happen, Captain Reed,”Huisman said. “I’m going to have you murdered while you’re in custody. One ofthe Interpol officers is a member of my organization. We like to recruit theauthorities. Which one do you think it is? Won’t this be a fun game?”
Huisman was an asshole. He touched his ear. “What do youwant?”
“Well, I want the bombmaker, but it appears that CIAoperative is going to take her from me,” Huisman admitted. “It’s all right. Ihave a backup plan. I hoped this would go easy.” He laughed. “Who am I fooling?We both know I hoped it would all go to hell. More exciting that way. Here’show this goes. I’m going to set this place on fire and see who comes out alive.If I can’t have the bombmaker, I’ll take the next best thing. I think LouisaWard already knows how to make the bombs, and if she doesn’t, well I havesomeone new to experiment on.”
Henry was hustling Nell and his mom away.
Cooper gripped his elbow, turning from the group of menobviously looking for them. “I know you’re panicking. I can hear him, too, andsomehow the fucker can hear us.”
“Of course I can,” Huisman said. “But if you get rid of theunits, you won’t hear what I have in store for your women. You know you wouldbe much better at this job if you treated women as they should be treated.Disposable. Only useful for a few biological needs.”
Cooper pulled his comm out and tossed it on the groundbefore stepping on it. “I need you to get to the next platform. There’s anon-pedestrian platform between six and seven. It’s used to turn trains around.It’ll take you outside. From there make your way back to the safe house. I’llhandle things here.”
“He’s going after Lou.” Zach forced himself to go cold.Calm. Panic would cause more trouble than he could handle. “And if he knowswe’re here, than he likely knows where the safe house is. He said he wouldcheck in on Kala himself.”
Cooper’s jaw tightened. “Big Tag will go for Lou and Tash.Henry’s getting your mom and Nell out. TJ is probably already on his way up. Ineed you to get the fuck out of here before they realize where you are. I knowBig Tag can get you out, but it will be too late if what that fucker said istrue.”
“Everything I say is true,” Huisman promised. “Why would Ilie when the truth is so much more fun? Your safe house isn’t safe, but thennowhere is safe for you, is it, Captain Reed? Mother loved her comfort morethan her own son. She protected Cooper but left you as a target. Do you wonderabout that?”
He started to pull the comm out of his ear.
“Tell Benjamin I appreciate the distraction.” Huismansounded positively chipper. “You know the best weapon is the one we plantourselves. He was my best friend. That kind of loyalty never dies. Of coursesending him millions of dollars helps.”
Shit. Parker was part of this? Or Huisman was lying to throwhim off. It didn’t matter right now. What did matter was the fact thatsomething was happening at the safe house. “He’s going after Kala.”
“Go,” his brother commanded. “Contact me when you’re safe.We’ll take care of Devi.” Cooper glanced down at his cell and started to dial.“Fucker couldn’t jam the cell phones. Hey, babe…”
“That is cheating,” Huisman said in his ear. “Well, I wantedto play hard ball anyway. Good luck, Captain Reed. I think you’ll find yourmother is about to be reunited with your father.”
“Ray’s here. He’s going after Mom.” Zach was about to pullhis pistol and race after Henry…or race back to Devi. Fuck. He needed to get toDevi.
A dark instinct crept up Zach’s spine. They had picked apublic place because they didn’t believe Huisman wanted to start his war yet.What if he was ready and they’d unknowingly walked onto his battlefield?
“Yeah, you need to…” Cooper began.
And the world exploded. The back car of the train on tracksevenblewsky high, sending shrapnel into the domedceiling and lighting a flash fire.
There was another explosion, this one seemingly underground,and then people were everywhere. Running. Screaming. Trying to save loved ones.
“Look at them, Zachary,” Huisman purred in his ear. “Rats.They’re all rats, running from the flames. They aren’t worthy of saving. Theyneed a king to rule them all. You’re a smart man. No one has ever helped you.Your family weighed you down. The government didn’t help when you were hungry.Think about yourself this time. Bring me your mother or Louisa Ward and I’llmake it so you never worry about money again. You should do it. Benjamin did.”
“Tell me where you are and I’ll bring her to you,” Zachlied. He stood in the center of this localized apocalypse, the world fallingapart around him. If he could get to Huisman…
“Oh, never mind. I don’t need you now,” Huisman said. “Youshould check on that CIA operative. He doesn’t seem to have liked your father’spresent. Although his wife seems to be good with first aid. Tell Louisa if Idon’t get what I need out of your mother, I’ll come back for her. And tellBenjamin I said hi. And don’t worry about Devi. I’ll take care of her for you.”
His blood threatened to run cold.
He turned and saw his brother up ahead, kneeling on theground with Henry’s wife. Both trying to save the older man. He couldn’t seewhat had happened.
“We need to go.” Tasha jogged up to him. Her previouslyperfect dress was streaked with blood. “TJ has Lou. My father will stay withHenry, but we need to get out. His orders.”
“We need to find my mother or he’s coming for Lou.” He hadto shout over the noise around him as something else blew.
“They’re gone, and we’re not finding them in this chaos. Youknow what to do,” Tasha ordered.
Report back to base.
