view of the onlookers below whose low murmurs faintly traveled the distance to be heard. What the heck were Khane and the man waiting for and why did the man appear nervous even with a rifle in his hands?
The boisterous sound of rotors churning was a welcomed one. The helicopter drew closer at a sideways glide, swirling hard gusts of dusty wind from the rooftop and forcing us to lean into the drafts.
Once the helicopter was set securely in place, Arjen took off first and secured the door before calling us with a wave. Once we were on the move, Tywin stepped off to where Khane and the man were standing at the roofline. The man appeared to be explaining something to Khane, all waving hands and wide eyes, the kind of firm anxiousness that indicated fear.
Arjen stood at the door while we boarded, and although a smirk was on his lips, his gaze was filled with a thousand devilish ways to make someone scream. Tywin was now standing behind the man who kept glancing back with terror in his eyes.
“Now,” Arjen said right before Tywin kicked the man in the back, sending his body over the ledge of the building, rifle and all. The rest of the survivors stared, stuck in horrified suspense, but I was sure that there was a reasonable explanation for their actions.
Khane and Tywin ran back and hopped onto the helicopter that began to lift off before they were seated and strapped in.
“Are you sure we got them all out?” Tywin questioned in a loud voice to compete with the helicopter’s strong whirls.
“Send the warning,” Arjen added.
My stomach did a little flop when we did a deep tilt and dip. Why did it appear that the people on the ground were running away from that building? They were even turning away from the splat on the ground that represented the man Tywin had kicked off the roof.
Tywin took the seat next to me; the one Arjen had made a survivor vacate. It wasn’t lost on me that Arjen had played musical chairs with the men until there were two empty seats between me and the next man. Was I reading too much into his actions or was he protecting me like I was his cousin’s woman?
Tywin took my hand between his, rubbing the back softly. He lifted it and placed a delicate kiss to the back, ignoring how dirty and grimy my hands were.
Although Khane, Arjen, and Tywin sat in different areas on the helicopter, they all turned in their seats to stare at each other from their various locations. My best guess was they were concentrating to listen to whatever was being broadcast into their earpieces.
“Are they cleared?” Arjen asked and paused for an answer.
When they all nodded, I along with the men, hung on to their every movement. It was reasonable to assume they were receiving word that the rest of their crew was in the clear and away from that building. I glanced through the helicopter window where the building was still visible.
“The pedestrians on the ground,” Khane stated. Again they paused before nodding.
“Blow it,” Tywin commanded, making me twist my neck to glimpse at his face set in such a vicious expression that it caused me to do a double take.
The collective gasp from the survivors drew my gaze away from Tywin’s face that had thankfully returned to its usual handsomeness. My eyes bucked when the top of the building started melting into the bottom.
What the…
The whole damn building was collapsing and the jarring sight explained why the men kept confirming the whereabouts of their crew, the survivors, and the pedestrians on the ground.
How had they persuaded the nosey people on the ground to back away from the building? How many of those torturing assholes who worked in that building had survived or sneaked out?
I twisted and stretched my neck as far as it could go, ogling as tons of well-structured concrete disintegrated into rubble. What kind of bomb had they used? The building hadn’t blown up, and there hadn’t been a big boom. Instead, it appeared to have dissolved into itself. I’d never seen anything like that in my life.
Once I lost sight of the building, I finally turned back around in my seat. A million questions nipped at my tongue, but the roar of the helicopter didn’t allow for a normal conversation. I leaned my head against Tywin’s sturdy shoulder when the heaviness of my captivity forced me to