Inside she found C4, blasting caps, detonation cord, and timers. Enough to drop the crane clean into the ocean.
Beside it, a metal shelf held emergency equipment. She grabbed a canvas tactical pack—the kind used for evacuation kits. She held it up. Heavy-duty. Big enough. She opened the demo locker and started packing.
When she finally zipped it up, it was heavy, forty pounds maybe, but she could manage.
She would get it to Wyatt.
If this is the last stupid thing I ever do, kissing Wyatt was worth it.
Footsteps.
Max’s voice came sharp and low. “Someone’s coming.”
Jen looked up. A young guard rounded the corner—surprised, hand already moving toward his radio.
Max didn’t wait. He lunged from his position by the door and tackled the man before he could transmit. They thudded as one into the wall.
The guard was bigger and fresher. Max’s shoulder left a thick smear of red on the wall as they grappled.
The guard snaked an arm around Max’s throat. Max gasped, his face burning red as his fingers scrabbled at the stocky arm cutting off his air supply.
Fuck.
The M4 was slung across her back—too big, awkward.
On the wall, a red fire extinguisher. Jen wrenched it free of its moorings and swung.
The fire extinguisher connected with a dull, wet sound. The guard released Max and crumpled.
Jen stalled. Fire extinguisher still raised. Hands locked around it.
Max moaned.
Was the guard dead? His chest was motionless.
God. I killed a man with a fire extinguisher.
Then the sound hit her.
Wet.
Her stomach lurched. She dropped the extinguisher and stumbled backward, just making it to the wall before retching, bile burning up her throat.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes with her sleeve.
The guard’s chest rose with a wheeze.
Thank fuck. He’s alive.
The strength ran out of her knees. She bent forward and sucked air into her constricted lungs.
He’s alive.
A hand slapped between her shoulder blades. “Hell of a swing, Chief.”
She wiped her damp hands on her thighs, then waved him off. “We need to hide him. Buy us some time.”
She grabbed the man’s arms and pulled.Jesus. He moved maybe an inch—like dead-lifting a waterlogged corpse.
