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The green lightning flashed and there came a sound of explosions, a roar of explosions and a brighter light still.
The debris stream stopped.
Astrid climbed up again, hauling Little Pete with her.
Someone ran toward her from the street. He stopped, panting, staring, a frightened animal at bay.
“Caine,” Astrid spat.
He did not speak. She could see that he was hurt. In pain. His face was streaked with sweat and dirt. He stared at her like he was seeing a ghost.
A dangerous light dawned in his clouded eyes.
“Perfect,” he whispered.
Astrid felt herself lifted off her feet. She clung desperately to Little Pete, but he slipped from her hands, escaped her clawing fingers, and fell to the floor.
“Come out and play, brother,” Caine shouted. “I have a friend of yours.”
Astrid floated, powerless, helpless, and Caine strode behind her, using her as a shield. Out through the church front, out onto the steps, looking out on a nightmare scene of mad dogs and raging battles.
Sam was there at the bottom of the steps. He was bloodied and bruised, and one arm hung limp.
“Come on, Sam, burn me now,” Caine shrieked. “Come on, brother, show me what you’ve got.”
“Hiding behind a girl, Caine?” Sam asked.
“You think you can taunt me?” Caine said. “All that matters is winning. So save it.”
“I’ll kill you, Caine.”
“No. No you won’t. Not without killing your girlfriend.”
“We’re both going to blink out of here in about a minute, Caine. It’s over for both of us,” Sam said.
“Maybe for you, Sam. Not for me. I know the way. I know the way to stay.” He laughed in wild triumph.
Astrid said, “Sam, you have to do it. Destroy him.”
Diana was mounting the stairs.
“Yeah, Sam, destroy me,” Caine mocked. “You have the power. Just burn a hole right through her and you’ll get me, too.”
Diana said, “Caine, put her down. Be a man, for once.”
“Put her down, Caine,” Sam said. “It’s the end. Fifteen and out. I don’t know what it is, but it may be death, and you don’t want to die with more blood on your hands.”
Caine laughed mirthlessly. “You know nothing about me. You didn’t grow up not knowing who you were. You didn’t have to create yourself out of your own imagination, out of your own will.”
“I grew up with no father at all,” Sam said. “And no explanation. And no truth. Same as you.”
Caine glanced at his watch. “I think time is up for you, Sam. You go first, remember? And here’s what I want you to know before you go: I’m going to survive, Sam. I’m going to be here still. Me and your lovely Astrid and all of the FAYZ. All of it mine.”
Diana said, “Sam, the way you beat the poof is—”
Caine rounded on her, raised his hand, and blasted her in mid-sentence. She flew through the air, somersaulted backward and landed across the street on the grass of the plaza.
The effort had distracted Caine. He dropped Astrid.
