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I took another careful step, then another, trying not to look at the yawning gulf below me. The wind was plucking at my suit jacket and tugging at my hair so hard it hurt. One gust in the right direction and I’d be gone.
Another step. And now I was at the end. I swallowed, then finally looked down at the grid of streets and the glowing, red-and-white snakes of traffic far below.
“MOM!” bellowed Cody, hysterical. “MOM!”
Please, God, don’t let him be watching.
“Good,” said Radoslava. “Now jump.”
69
JD
I watched from the top of the elevator as Radoslava led Lorna up onto the roof terrace. I was breaking inside. I’m going to lose her. She was about to be ripped away from me, just as Jillian and Max were. Only this time, it was worse. This time, I had to watch it happen and there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it. If I stormed in there alone, Radoslava would kill Cody and I’d lose both of them.
My breathing shuddered as I watched Lorna walk out along the support beam. Please. My hands gripped the roof of the elevator so hard the edges cut into my palms. Please, God—
God didn’t answer.
But Cal did. “JD, I still don’t have a shot on Radoslava,” he said. “But I think I can hit one of the claymore mines on the north-east stairwell and set it off.”
I drew in a breath of hope and spoke fast. “Kian! Bradan! Get clear of the stairwell! Gabriel, Colton, get over there! Cal, you take that shot the second they’re clear. As soon as the mines are gone, everyone move!”
My eyes were glued to Lorna. She was right at the end of the support strut, now, about to jump.
“We’re clear!” said Kian.
The sharp crack of a rifle shot. Three sharp, hard, detonations pounded my ears, so close together they were almost one, as one mine set off the others. The entrance to the north-east stairwell disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. Then there was a second, bigger explosion that belched out orange flame and thick, black smoke. Some of the diesel barrels must have been hit when the mines went off. Burning fuel spilled across the rooftop.
Everyone; the two soldiers, Radoslava, even Lorna, turned to look. And now, at last, I had a chance.
I surged up from under the tarpaulin and jumped down, then started running towards the restaurant. Meanwhile, the two soldiers cautiously approached the stairwell. They were expecting to find bodies. Instead, four big guys with guns came charging out of the smoke at them, forcing them back.
The burning diesel was spreading out into a lake, setting fire to more fuel drums. As I ran into the restaurant, I could hear drums starting to explode outside.
I sprinted straight up the steps and up to the roof terrace. Radoslava had her back to me, looking down to where her soldiers were fighting the team. Lorna was out at the very end of the support beam, trying to keep her balance as the wind howled around her.
I put my head down and charged, slamming into Radoslava. We went crashing to the ground together and she lost her grip on Cody. “Cody! Run downstairs!” I yelled. Smart kid that he was, he didn’t ask any questions, just ran down the stairs into the restaurant.
As I tussled with Radoslava, one of her soldiers fell, hit by a shot from Gabriel. Then the other one was taken down by a shot from Cal. Now it was only Radoslava left and I had her pinned down. “It’s okay!” I yelled to Lorna. “Cody’s safe, come in!”
Lorna carefully turned around to start back along the beam. But at that second, a gust of wind pushed her sideways and she fell.
70
LORNA
My heels skidded sickeningly on the smooth metal and I dropped. The beam whacked into my stomach, knocking all the air out of me, and for a second I hung there, draped over it like a wet sack of cement. Then I started to slither off, sliding faster and faster, clawing at the metal but not finding any grip.
Just as I lost contact completely, a big, warm hand closed around my wrist. I looked up into prairie-blue eyes. JD had thrown himself full-length on the beam and had me safely in his grip. “Gotcha,” he panted.
I just hung there gasping, tremors of relief rolling down my body. I made the mistake of glancing down at what was beneath my dangling feet and went dizzy.
“Hold on,” said JD. He shuffled along the beam, getting himself in position to haul me up.
Then someone came into my view behind him. Radoslava was up, and drawing a handgun. She stalked towards us. “JD!” I screamed.
He looked back over his shoulder and I saw his body tense. But there was nothing he could do to defend himself, not while he was holding me.
