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I darted into the passageway and found myself in a hall with multiple doors. Everything was well-lit, and there wasn’t anyone in sight in either direction.
I crept along the hallway –
“Don’t move,” someone said far behind me.
Leo.
I froze.
“Put the gun down on the ground. Slowly.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT.
“I said put the gun down, Connor. And don’t turn around.”
I slowly bent at the knees and laid the AR-15 down on the ground. I could hear footsteps walking towards me stealthily.
I still had a .45, though, buckled to my hip –
“The handgun, too. With your left hand. Sloooowly.”
Damn it.
I talked as I unbuckled the clasp. “Tell me one thing – did Miranda get to you before I hired you, or after?”
Leo laughed. I could still hear him advancing. “Way before. She paid me a hundred grand just to go interview for your lousy gig, and fifty times that once I got it. Put the gun down sloooowly, Connor.”
I set the .45 down gently on the ground. “What about Juan?”
“Way too fucking trusting. He never saw it coming.”
“You could have done the same to me – why didn’t you?”
“Because she wants you alive, dickhead.”
“Miranda?” I asked.
“Of course. Who else?”
“I was wondering if Eve was in on it, too,” I said bitterly.
“Doubt it,” Leo answered. He must have been ten feet behind me now, from the sound of his footsteps. “Wouldn’t know, though – I threw my microphone overboard so the bitch couldn’t hear what I was doing.”
“Connor – don’t react,”said a woman’s voice in my ear.
Eve.
“Even if your chick is in on it,” Leo continued, “it doesn’t matter – I got you now. Let’s go, rich boy. Start walkin’.”
As he talked, Eve whispered in my ear. “I’ve got the correct video feeds now – I know what’s going on. There’s going to be an explosion in five seconds. Take advantage of it. Three – two – one – ”
BOOM.
The entire ship shook and tilted violently to one side.
“What the fuck – ?!” Leo shouted.
But I was already diving to the ground.
I grabbed the handgun, rolled, and came up in a shooting position facing the reverse direction, just like Johnny had taught me a thousand times back in the dojo.
Leo was still off-balance, his rifle in the air as he tried to keep his footing.
BLAM BLAM BLAM.
Two of my shots hit him in the chest, and he went down.
