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Hailey choked and then scrambled to her feet. Was she overwhelmed by guilt and remorse for trusting those two? For inviting Dr. Karam-Thomas into this world? She had to stop doing that to herself. People took advantage of her because she had a kind and giving heart—he hoped she’d never change.
Less than a minute later, Hailey returned with several white napkins from the tables. She pressed them against the wound on his thigh. “Your leg is bleeding. How long are you going to have to hold down that button?”
“As long as it takes.” Porter loomed above them. “Good work, McVie. How long can you hold on? The bomb squad is on its way.”
“Like you said, Porter. As long as it takes.”
De Becker joined the crowd encircling Joe and Karam-Thomas’s inert form. “Damn, I didn’t even get to talk.”
Joe growled low in his throat. “This is your fault, de Becker. Why did you lie about Major Denver in the first place?”
“Money and intrigue.” De Becker straightened his hat. “Money first, I’ll admit, but I was able to draw out the terrorist group behind the bombing and behind the setup of Denver. Isn’t that worth something to you?”
“Not as much as Hailey’s life.”
She leaned forward and kissed him—dead guy and all.
Ten minutes later the ballroom had been cleared and the bomb squad arrived with explosive-sniffing dogs.
A member of the team leaned over Joe and slid a device between the doctor’s thumb and the remote to keep the trigger in place. “You can release now, buddy. Amazing job.”
Joe rolled onto his back, shook out his hand and flexed his fingers. “Why didn’t I have one of those?”
Hailey crouched beside him and waved her arm in the air. “Hey, did someone bother to call an ambulance? Joe’s been stabbed in the leg.”
“It’s nothing. He barely got me.”
Porter said, “Police and EMTs are out front. A few people got hurt in the scramble to get out of here, and they’re being treated at a triage center away from the hotel. The entire hotel is being evacuated.”
One of the German shepherds started barking furiously at the front of the ballroom.
“We got a hit. Let’s move these people out of here.”
Agent Porter and Hailey helped Joe to his feet, and he limped out of the ballroom between them. They moved toward the curved staircase that led from the lobby to the ballroom.
When Joe spotted de Becker on the top step, his blood boiled all over again. He had put everyone’s life in danger playing his stupid spy games.
A woman stepped up beside de Becker, and Joe stumbled to a halt as Hailey gasped.
“Ayala!”
“What have you done? What have you done with Nabil?” The gun she held to Marten’s head trembled in her hand.
“It’s over, Ayala.” Joe struggled forward as both Hailey and Porter held him back. “Nabil’s dead. The bomb squad has located the explosive device. Your plan failed.”
Her dark eyes flashed. “It’s not over. We have more people than you can even dream of for our cause. People you trust.”
“But not Major Denver. You lied about him. You lied about his presence at the kidnapping. Why? Why him?”
Ayala laughed. “You’re wrong. We do have Major Denver.”
De Becker took a step away from Ayala. “That’s not true. I was paid to lie about hearing Denver there and then threatened when I decided to tell the truth.”
“You don’t know anything, Marten.”
Ayala’s weapon had slipped an inch or two, and Joe nudged Porter.
“Our cause will continue with the help of people like Denver...and others.”
“What is your cause, Ayala?” Hailey reached out a hand. “I thought we shared the same cause—to help innocents affected by war.”
“Short-term casualties for a long-term goal, Hailey. You will never understand our goal.”
“Try me.” Hailey edged away from Joe toward Ayala as he made a grab for her hand.
Now was not the time for philanthropy.
“And you will never understand our commitment to it.” She cried out, “Nabil!”
Then she turned the gun on herself.
