Page 52 of Lady of Darkness
“I’m going to place this inside of you,” I tell her, moving the round remote control to her opening. “You’re going to press the button when we tell you to, and then you will have thirty seconds to get out of the building.”
“What building?” she asks, once I move it up inside of her and secure it. She doesn’t even flinch.
“The restaurant. Are you ready to play?”
She nods. “Yes.”
I kiss her temple. “Good. Let’s do this. For once and for all.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Harlow
Once we arrive in London,our car takes us to a nondescript parking garage. There’s a large black van waiting for us, and I follow the guys out of the Escalade and into the van. I gasp when I look around. There are several computers and screens, flashing buttons, and a switchboard of electronics on one wall. Theo says hello to the man setting everything up, whose name is Monty.
I swear, Theo knows everyone.
They explained what’s going to happen tonight, and how they’re going to make it seem as real as possible.
Of course, Theo’s guys have already scoped the restaurant out, and it’s crawling with Acadian members. He set up explosives all over the building. One trigger will ignite them all, and it should kill everyone inside.
Of course, being central London, it will ultimately be disguised as a faulty gas line.
They counted thirty-six total members here tonight. The last remnants of the organization. They’re utilizing every single member to make this deal. We already know they want me, so when they propose peace in exchange for me, I’m supposed to throw a fit–cry, scream, yell my head off to make it seem realistic. I need to act surprised, betrayed, and then the guys will leave–presuming things go according to plan. There’s no doubt in our minds that they’ll check me for weapons, which I won’t have, and then drag me to the back. They will want to secure me inside their vehicle as soon as possible. I will then pretend to get sick–Alaric will ensure he doses me with something that will make me vomit.
After using the bathroom, I’m supposed to press the button, and then escape through the small trap door that already exists in the bathroom stall furthest from the door.
It’s complicated, but also easy.
I just have to make them believe the guys sold me out.
I have to act distraught.
So distraught that I get sick.
“I’ll be listening to every word,” Monty says. “We’ll be able to see you and hear you. Once you press the button, Harlow, we will count to thirty and detonate. Make sure you’re out of the building.”
I nod.
“If anything goes awry,” Theo says to me, holding my face in his hands, “we will go in there with guns. But that’s our backup plan. Stick with the explosives. It ensures we eliminate every single Acadian member. I have set the bombs up to maximize casualties. The building will implode and kill everyone who wasn’t peppered with the initial blast.”
I nod, swallowing my nerves as he releases me.
Monty hands the four guys four gold rings. “These are charged and ready to go. It will vibrate just before detonation, okay?”
The rings all have skulls with crowns on them. He turns and hands me a smaller version of theirs–with diamonds outlining the skull and crown. Different, more feminine… but still powerful as fuck.
“These have hidden cameras as well as microphones,” Monty explains. “We can see and hear you. He reaches into one of the metal drawers and pulls out a small metal device that looks like a tiny toothpick. “This is your tracker, Harlow.”
I look at Theo. “A tracker?”
Theo nods. “We all have them. I still kick myself that you didn’t have yours inserted before Acadia kidnapped you.”
“Right arm, please,” Monty says. Grimacing, he holds out a large needle. “The tracker goes in here, and I insert it just under your skin.”
“Okay. Like my birth control implant.”
Monty nods, and I wince as he rolls my sleeve up, swipes my skin with an antibiotic wipe, and places the tracker. It barely bleeds, and in thirty seconds, I’m done.
