Page 50 of The Ghost

I exhaled in frustration. There was no winning this argument. I was never going to agree to his terms, and he was too far gone to see reason. The only thing left to do was put an end to his crime spree.

“Mr. Ashcroft,” I began, feeling like I owed him an explanation before running him through. “I appreciate everything you did for me back when I was a kid.”

“I didn’t do anything for you,” he corrected, still hell bent on winning me over. “What I did was invite you into the New Dawn, and you refused. But there’s still time to right that wrong.”

“I don’t consider myself wrong,” I argued, feeling like I had stepped into an alternate dimension to have a conversation that didn’t make any sense. “What you are doing is wrong.”

“People need crisis in their lives. That manifests itself in war and violence, but it doesn’t have to. We can put a stop to everything that’s malfunctioning and start fresh. Don’t you see? I’m the only one who can save the world.”

“By starting a nuclear holocaust?” I demanded, trying to make him see reason. Maybe if I could convince him to abandon his crazy plot, I wouldn’t have to kill him. “What you’re trying to do isn’t the answer.”

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” Mr. Ashcroft said, pulling a thumb-sized device out of his pocket. It made me think of the real one that was hidden in my pocket, a key in its own right. But Mr. Ashcroft’s object wasn’t alive and never had been. It was a detonator, designed to blow half of the planet to smithereens.

“No,” I said, taking a step back. “Please don’t do it.”

“Come with me,” Mr. Ashcroft insisted. “We can rule together once the dust settles.”

“I’m not that kind of person,” I said, glancing at the door. There was no way out for him. I had him cornered, and he knew it. Regardless of how crazy he was, at least he could understand that I was standing between him and the entrance. I hoped that wouldn’t convince him to pull the trigger before I had a chance to talk him down. I wished he had spent a little bit more time training me in hostage negotiation tactics. That was one course that we hadn’t taken back at the Ashcroft estate.

“You see, I have the whole thing planned out,” Mr. Ashcroft said, walking slowly around the computer desks. If he was worried, he didn’t let on. As far as I could tell, he was perfectly composed, ready to do whatever it took to accomplish his dire goals. “If you won’t stand with me, then I have to assume that you’re against me.”

“Why do we have to be against each other?” I asked frantically. “Why can’t we just set the bombs down and have a rational discussion?”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Mr. Ashcroft replied, shaking his head. “Dark Sparrow is attacking as we speak.”

I glanced around, looking for the warning light that was feeding him that important bit of information. I didn’t see anything that would indicate that my friends had arrived. But then, I spotted a monitor halfway across the room. It clearly showed the front entrance with a line of Dark Sparrow troops surging through the doors.

I felt relief wash over me. Theo was here. All I had to do was stop Mr. Ashcroft from pulling the trigger and go find him. He would help me sort out all the conflicting emotions that were raging after I’d finally done away with Ryan. And if I had to kill my foster father to stop the apocalypse, then Theo would help me deal with that too.

I couldn’t wait to see him, but I realized that I couldn’t just leave Mr. Ashcroft alone. With his finger on the detonator, he could do untold damage before anyone else would be able to reach him. No, I was the last, best chance for humanity. I had to stay.

“Mr. Ashcroft,” I tried. “If you have a list of demands, I’m sure that Lukas would be willing to hear you out. The CIA and MI6 are here as well. We can all talk and find a better way forward.”

“I’m sorry, child,” Mr. Ashcroft announced, nodding toward the doorway.

I turned just in time to see a dozen New Dawn troops surge in. The surrounded me, turning their backs on the army that was infiltrating their base. I couldn’t take all of them at once. But I was going to try.

I reached for the gun, shooting one guy in the hip before another leaped onto my back. Throwing him off, I held the weapon out to fire it again, but someone dragged my arm down. The gun discharged harmlessly onto the floor, and the next moment, I felt it slip from my fingers. If I wasn’t careful, I would be taken prisoner again, and there was no guarantee that I would be able to fight my way out.

I stomped down hard on someone’s foot, tossing an enemy fighter into one of his friends. Both men toppled to the floor, leaving me with an opening. I leapt up onto a desk and sailed to the other side, putting the furniture between me and the advancing army. But that same desk that protected me also protected Mr. Ashcroft. He slipped out of the room, taking the doomsday device with him.

I narrowed my eyes, focused on the task at hand. Reaching for the only object available to me, I launched a chair at my attackers. They split down the middle, and the chair crashed into the wall. Taking advantage of the distraction, I vaulted back over the desk, kicking one guy directly in the nose.

He folded, grabbing his face as the blood trickled down. I reached for his weapon, relieving him of it before anyone could stop me. In quick succession, I fired around the room, ducking for cover as an answering volley sped my way.

The computers smoked and spit sparks into the air. An alarm went off, and the sprinkler system engaged. I was forced to battle in the rain, my shoes squeaking on the tile every time I landed a kick.

The enemy crowded in. They were sure they would come out ahead, since I was only one woman and they were men. It was due to Mr. Ashcroft’s diligent training that I was able to subdue all of them.

I went into the zone, punching, kicking, and shooting when I had the chance. I didn’t even notice as one fell right after the other, until they were all on the ground, moaning and clutching their wounds.

I set the old gun on the desk, not knowing how many bullets were left, and picked up a new one off one of the fallen soldiers. Then I leapfrogged over their bodies to the door, where the alarm sounded even louder.

Breaking out into the hallway, the alarm was so loud, I had trouble thinking. It felt like a weight bearing down on me, splitting my eardrums and making me crazy. I wanted to press my palms to my ears, but I couldn’t do that. If anyone caught me in that position, I would be as good as dead.

I turned around and shot the control panel, hoping that would silence the alarm. It did the trick; the shrieking died to barely a whisper. I shook my head to clear it, feeling a little bit off kilter. I had to focus to remember my mission: find Mr. Ashcroft before it was too late.

I had no idea where he’d gone, but from the chaos that descended over his fortress, I could guess. He was planning an escape. And with any luck, he would hold off on pushing the detonator until he was clear of the building. That gave me a bit of time, but not much.