"Move and you die," he whispered into one diamond-studded ear.
The youngster froze, yet his entire body trembled. Where in hell had Kazdan got this one from — kindergarten? "Is the lady police officer upstairs? Nod if the answer is yes."
The teenager swallowed convulsively and nodded.
"Is Kazdan upstairs?"
Another nod.
"How many other people? One nod per person."
Five nods. Not good odds. He was fast, but he wasn't a fool. He pressed the audio switch back on. "Byrne, the PM arrived yet?"
"Just now."
"Herd him into the Security Center. I don't care how or why, but get everyone else out. I'm coming in with a prisoner."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Maybe." And maybe it was just plain suicide. Still, if Kazdan was already in the control tower, they had no other choice. He was obviously disguised, if the sharpshooters on the roof couldn't see him. Someone had to go in. "I'll explain when I get there. We'll need some duct tape, knives, a few Kevlar suits, a Holcroft laser or two, and a few packets of blood."
"Nice shopping list. I'll see what I can do."
Gabriel nudged the teenager. "I'm about to take my hand from your mouth. Make any sort of noise and you're dead. Okay?"
The kid nodded again. Gabriel pushed him down the rest of the stairs, and then he urged him into a run at the bottom. He had a horrible feeling time was running out. He had to get upstairs, before it was too late — for Sam, more than anyone else.
* * * *
Sam came to slowly. Something warm and sticky pasted her shirt to her chest, pulling at her skin when she shifted. Her shoulder burned, a deep-set ache that pounded through her body, churning her stomach into knots."Shame to waste all that blood," Jack commented, amusement evident in his soft tone. "But I really haven't the time for a snack right now."
She opened her eyes. She was lying on her side on the control tower floor, her back resting against a metal panel. Jack stood to her right, arms crossed, leaning casually against a well-lit radar screen. Two men stood near the elevator, and another two guarded either end of the half-circle window. All five were wearing State ID's. Courtesy of the soon to be dead Wetherton, or some other high placed clone, no doubt.
The real tower staff lay in a heap near the bathroom door. Her gaze skated over them quickly, and she grimaced. By the look of the woman lying nearest to her, Jack had already indulged in a little snack or two.
She eased upright. The fire in her shoulder became a pyre, and she hissed. Sweat broke out across her brow, and warm moisture began to trickle down the inside of her shirt. Gingerly, she cradled her right arm in her left and glared up at her partner.
Jack laughed softly. "You should have joined me, Sam. It would have been a whole lot easier."
She snorted softly. "I'd rather mate with a crocodile."
"Now that conjures up some interesting images." He studied her for a moment, eyes dilated and blood hungry. "How did you escape the cell?"
She smiled sweetly. "I opened the door."
His gaze narrowed. "How? I removed the key-coder from your boot."
"So you did. Maybe I'm magic."
He snorted softly. "Not yet, you're not."
And what was that supposed to mean? Just what had those tests revealed about her?
Jack glanced at his watch, then at the two men at either end of the windows. As one, they made their way across to the stairwell doorway. His gaze returned to her. "Where's Stern?"
"Around." Where, she had no idea. Hopefully, he or someone else had realized she was in trouble by now and was doing something about it. "You'll never succeed, Jack. The whole place is under tight security."
His smile was almost serene. "Of which we're a part."