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Without answering, Minji exited the store and approached the bike. The air was so thick, it was difficult to see. It was probably foolish for her to feel betrayed when Alec was right. They had to take risks to save the world, but she didn’t know if she could risk her own daughter. The creature the experiment had brought into the world was inside Ava. It could hurt her, kill her. Minji wasn’t certain she could sacrifice her own daughter to save the world.
Settling onto the bike, she waited for Alec. It took a little longer for him to exit the store.
“Did you really hurt your leg in the war, Alec?”
“No, I didn’t hurt it. Someone else hurt my leg by riddling it with bullets. Doctors saved the limb, but it’s not easy to get around sometimes.” The clipped words and weary look said it all. He was upset with her, too.
“You need to tell me the whole truth, Alec. This isn’t just about you fulfilling your duty. This is about my children, my husband, and the entire world. You need me to finish this and I need you to tell me the truth. As you have pointed out, I’m not stupid.”
“You don’t have the clearance to know it all,” Alec answered, but his argument held no real weight.
“My immunity says I have clearance.”
Drawing a deep breath through his nose, Alec squared his shoulders. The seconds ticked away as he exhaled, lifted his eyes toward the horizon, and obviously considered what he should or shouldn’t say. “Okay. Fine. You have a point. Hell, this may all be a moot point if we don’t find the second team. The truth is, the doorway they opened didn’t close all the way when the entity came through. That was the other big problem. It’s partially open. Just a sliver.”
Minji stared at Alec incredulously. “So that explains why it’s so cold.”
“Maybe.”
“No, I’m certain that’s why. That other world is leaking into ours through this sliver of an open door.” Pressing fingertips reddened by the icy air against her temples, Minji forced herself to focus. “So we have to close the door, too.”
“Yes, I was told to close the door and detonate an explosive beneath the facility to kill the entity.”
“An explosive?” Abruptly lightheaded, Minji closed her eyes in an attempt to steady the wobbling world around her.
“It’s a contingency that’s probably been in place for years since the area was used for other types of top secret experiments.”
“We’re talking nuclear bomb, aren’t we?” Minji’s insides were melting into mush.
Alec gave her a brisk nod. “We close the door, set the timer, and leave. We’ll have time to clear the area.”
“But all the people heading toward the epicenter...”
“How many people have already died, Minji? Right now there are people all over the world walking to their deaths across deserts, into bodies of water, off mountains. All over the world people are on the verge of dying from dehydration, the elements, even predators. The clock is ticking.”
“Then get on the damn motorcycle already,” Minji ordered. “The wind is changing direction, which means we probably don’t have much time. Treasure Island was burning yesterday. That might be bad news for The Venetian.”
“Then I hope our luck holds out.” Alec carefully maneuvered onto the back of the bike.
Minji restarted the motorcycle and turned it around. This time, she drove a little faster through the obstacle course of demolished vehicles, bodies, and debris. Up the boulevard, flames licked at the sides of buildings and consumed decorative foliage.
Las Vegas was burning.
Chapter 26
Treasure Island was a smoldering ruin. One side had collapsed, giving it an apocalyptic dollhouse effect. In the fake harbor the land-bound pirate ship was a burning wreckage and the palm trees were lit up like torches along the boulevard. Further down the strip, many of the resorts were in various stages of disintegration. Flames lashed along the edges of broken windows as black smoke spewed into the already congested winds. Decorative foliage along the edges of the boulevard were bonfires spewing ash and cinders into the air. Much to Minji’s relief, The Venetian appeared unscathed, although it appeared that parts of The Palazzo were burning. The wind had shifted to the northeast in the early morning, but the air was an acrid soup.
“We need to make this fast,” she said to Alec as the motorcycle rumbled along the drive to the rescue station erected outside The Venetian entrance. “The Palazzo is on fire.”
“I agree.”
The unmarked black vehicles appeared ominous against the backdrop of the partially erected tents and the luxury resort. Now that Minji wasn’t in the first stages of shock and trapped in the throes of the event, she promptly perceived that all the dead scattered along the drive were wearing white. It amazed her that she’d missed the connection the day before. She’d been so desperate to save her family that simple detail hadn’t registered.
Parking the bike so it faced the boulevard, she flexed her nearly frozen fingers and wished she’d grabbed some gloves from the store.
Alec coughed in the pungent atmosphere, then steadied himself by clutching her shoulder as he slid off the bike. “Where was Dr. McCoy?”
“That tent near the ambulance. I’ll show you.” Kicking her leg over the bike, she dismount
