Whistling, he walked briskly toward the garage where his rental was parked. He really detested that Callendine had given the order for them to leave, and he even considered pretending there was a problem with his car so he could see the building go up. It didn’t seem very fair to plan it all out and then not get to see the actual results. He hoped there was plenty of footage of the bed-and-breakfast burning to the ground as well. If they were lucky, they’d score plenty of victims there too.
As he entered the parking garage, he paused to look around. There was a group of people gathered around someone on the ground. He avoided them and went straight to the stairway leading to the next story where his SUV was parked. It had tinted windows because he didn’t give a fuck if he wasn’t supposed to have them. He should be able to have them. He sauntered toward the vehicle when he heard a soft sigh behind him.
He spun around. It was the woman from the peace convention center, the one with the shoe that had needing tying. She had red hair and dark eyes. She smiled at him. “You dropped this. You walk so fast, I couldn’t catch up with you.” She handed him his wallet.
There was a moment he thought he felt a small sensation as he took the wallet when her fingers brushed his palm, but then she was giving him a sweet smile and walking away.
“Wait. Thanks. That was unexpected.” It was. She looked like one of those idiots, but she didn’t act like one.
“No problem,” she said without turning around. “It’s a gorgeous day. I think the beach is calling.”
He wished he could go to the beach and he was glad she was heading that way instead of back with the sheep. He unlocked the door to the SUV and grabbed the door handle. He missed. It was weird. His hand just fell off. He stared at it, trying to make out the actual grip. He was seeing double. Pain began to shoot from his palm up his arm and it was excruciating. He found he couldn’t move his arm, almost as if it was paralyzed.
He tried to turn his head, looking for help, but his neck wouldn’t turn. His lungs felt as if they were burning but he couldn’t drag in air. He found himself slumping helplessly against the vehicle and then folding in on himself and landing hard on cement half under the car. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. Pain engulfed him from head to toe and he had no idea what was happening to him. Then his world just went black.
He’s gone, Amaryllis said.
Something in her voice bothered him. Malichai should have been elated. That was Callendine’s entire team. What’s wrong, Amaryllis?
Callendine is here, in the parking garage. I thought he would be closer to the building, but he’s up high, on the third floor, overseeing everything from above. He watched all of his men come to the garage, but they never left. He saw me approach Treadway with his wallet and he’s on his way to investigate. My guess is, he’s going to deploy the fail-safe. Get everyone out if you can, Malichai.
He wasn’t with her. His leg was stretched out, being babied, while she was on the top floor of a parking garage with a man who would shoot her the moment he saw his dead soldier. The GhostWalker teams not busy removing the bomb threats and the SEAL teams immediately began to remove the masses of people as fast but as safely as they possibly could.
Everyone was coming out of the building fast, running. Trying to get away from it. He kept his eyes on the screens, but his mind was with Amaryllis.
Baby, listen to me. He’ll shoot first and ask questions later. Meaning, he’ll shoot you where it will cause the most pain but not kill you. You can’t let him see you. Can you get out of there?
He’s at the SUV, crouched beside Treadway, examining him while he’s talking into his phone. I’m certain he’s trying to blow that building. Get those people out. You have to get them out. He’s looking around and he’s trying to raise the others. I can hear him calling them.
She was going after him. Malichai knew she was. She wasn’t going to let Callendine go. Because he was so completely terrified he was going to lose Amaryllis, that she didn’t realize just how ruthless a man she was dealing with, he nearly missed the woman walking out of the building so smugly. Beside her were Tania and Tommy Leven. They were holding hands. Once outside, they separated.
His breath caught in his throat. Shit. Shit. It’s Major Salsberry. She’s the fail-safe. She armed a seventh bomb. Get them out of there. Bellisia, Shylah, if either of you are close, she’s going out the front entrance right now, to the north, heading away from the parking garage. If you can, one of you get to Amaryllis at the top of the garage, she’s hunting Callendine. Tania and Tommy Leven headed toward the parking garage. They’re together.
He was already up and knocking open the van doors. There was no one else. Every single bomb expert was otherwise occupied or on the other side of the building. His brothers. His team. The women. All those innocent people the teams were desperately trying to evacuate without a stampede that would kill everyone. He knew the cost even as he jumped to the ground. He would lose his leg. He had to make that choice. There was no choice. No real other choice, not for a man like him. It might be his worst nightmare, but he couldn’t stay in the van and watch those innocent people die.
The moment he landed on his feet, even though he tried to protect his injured leg, Malichai felt the pain rush up from his calf to his thigh like a freight train. Bile rose, but he shoved it down, along with the blackness that edged his vision. He ran, shoving people out of his way, shouting at them to move fast, to get away from the building. He managed to make it inside without mowing anyone down.
Instincts had him turning toward the main support to his right, the main beam they’d all worried about. Ezekiel had already defused the bomb. Salsberry had looked so smug as she’d come out of the convention center, her face portraying her contempt and distaste for the people she was about to kill. She was definitely Callendine’s devoted fail-safe. She would have died for him. This wasn’t done for money or even because she believed so deeply in the cause, she’d done it for Callendine.
He found the newly planted bomb unerringly and his heart nearly stopped as he flung himself beside it. Shit, shit. This is bad. Get these people out. Zeke, she’s hooked the bombs together. I’m looking it over and she’s rewired them both— He broke off to study the wiring, refusing to look at the minutes counting down so fast. There was so little time and she’d done that deliberately, giving herself just enough time to walk away.
I’m on my way.
That was Zeke, and Malichai wanted him gone. Get out of here. All of you get out of here. Get these people out. God. God. There were so many. Too many. He could hear children crying. People screaming. The sounds of chaos. The SEAL teams speaking calmly, trying to bring order into a situation of pure madness.
He had to breathe. He had to get beyond the waves of sickness the excruciating pain in his leg sent up to his brain. He knew the bone was broken. Maybe even shattered into a million pieces, but what did it matter if all these people died? He had to be able to disarm this bomb fast. He’d always been good at this. One of the best. If he could get beyond his own personal discomfort, block the pain and just focus . . .
Shylah was still on the other side of the building to aid the teams removing people through the back exits. Bellisia had stayed just in front to help get the people to leave as fast but as orderly as possible. She was small and she knew few would listen to her, but if she could help in any way, she was determined to do so. Ezekiel and Joe bridged the other GhostWalker team members telepathically, setting up the communication so they all knew what was going on simultaneously.