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Wow. I stared at her, marveling. The woman was so far out in orbit, she was actually proud of herself.
“I’m just showing it to you to demonstrate that the bomb can’t be removed from the vehicle without detonating it. See?” She gestured at the bolts welded to the bottom of the van. “I bolted the box down, and designed the wiring just so. If you detach the box from the van, or if you pull the bomb out of the box, you will trigger it to blow instantly. Just in case you have a misplaced crisis of conscience.”
I glanced at Holly, wishing I could cover her eyes and ears. No child should be exposed to this much toxic evil. But Holly looked back at me with eyes that were all too aware. She knew exactly what was happening. No stress fog, no trauma disassociation. The kid’s mind was as clear as a bell. I almost regretted it, but I still admired her for it.
“Look at me, not her, Kat,” Nicole said sharply. “We don’t have much time, so you have to listen carefully. I have designated a very specific route for you to drive on your way to the convention center. I will be watching your progress every second of the way. We will be in constant contact with a video-call. I have a router, a phone, and your tracker, all attached to the dash, so we can watch you being a good girl and doing what you’re told, and so you can watch what’s going on with your little friend back here. Just in case you need some motivation, at any point in the process.”
“What happens to…” I stopped, my voice trailing off. I realized I didn’t want Holly to hear the answer to my question. I was afraid to hear it, too.
Too late. Nicole let out a manic titter. “What happens to your precious Holly? Oh, sweetie, that depends entirely on you. First, Holly functions as a lever to control you. And once we’ve used you up, we’ll recycle her, and she’ll be used to control her uncle. I’m afraid her life as an extortion tool won’t be much fun. Boo-hoo for her!”
“You are super mean,” Holly said coldly. “You are the worst.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Nicole crooned. “I have not even begun to be mean.”
Holly stared back at her stonily. Not giving an inch.
Nicole turned back to me. “Don’t deviate from the instructions I give you,” she said. “I need for you to be seen in that van by a series of public security cameras. Any funny stuff on the route, and your little friend will pay.”
I had no words harsh enough to express my disgust for that, at least not words I would use in front of a nine-year-old, so I swallowed down the hot lump of rage in my throat. “Ethan is going to make you pay,” I told her.
“I think not,” she said triumphantly. “He’s here right now.” She gestured to the large main building behind her. “Chained up. Helpless. Completely under our control.”
Holly let out a gasp of despair, and a black hole of misery opened up inside me, like a chasm that reached straight down to hell.
Holly’s eyes welled full of tears. “Can we see him?”
“Well, you can,” Nicole said briskly. “I want him to see you. That’s the whole point. But not her.” She jerked her chin at me. “She has a job to do. And she should get to it. Right now.”
“Can I hug her goodbye?” Holly asked.
“No. We have no time to be sentimental.” She gestured imperiously at the van. “Get in. The call is already live. I’ll direct you every step of the way.”
The look in Holly’s eyes made my heart hurt. Nicole saw the glance we exchanged, and chuckled. “Look at you,” she said. “I just knew that if we used Holly, you’d be putty in my hands. It’s because of your little sister, am I right? Watching her die? Awww. You thought you were so tough. News flash, cookie. Love makes you weak.”
I shook my head, not breaking eye contact with Holly. “No,” I said, pitching my words just for the little girl. “Love makes you strong. And it’s worth any price.”
“I’m not actually interested in your prattling bullshit, so get your ass into the van and go,” Nicole directed, her voice hardening.
“Goodbye, sweetheart.” My voice cracked. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Holly’s eyes were streaming.
I got into the van. There was a tablet clamped on to the dash, and the call was already open. I saw movement on the screen.
I turned the key in the ignition, and the image on the tablet jerked, spun, and resolved into Nicole’s smirking face, arm wrapped around Holly, hand resting menacingly over the little girl’s throat. She waved, and made a fluttering shooing gesture with her fingers.Run along, now. Be a good little terrorist. Blow up a thousand innocent people. Chop-chop!
I put the van in gear and pulled out of the building. “You see that gate, straight ahead of you?” Nicole asked. “Go out, and turn right.”
The gate was opening. I saw cars passing outside, going about their normal business, with no idea this deadly drama was taking place. I felt disoriented as I drove the van toward the gate. As if it wasn’t me driving at all, but some animated doll.
In a sense, I was. My will, hijacked. My heart, used as a weapon against me.
I had a weird moment as I pulled out, turning right onto the street as directed. Here I was, alone in a vehicle with an armed bomb, free to drive any direction I chose—if I had the stomach to pay the price. This dilemma was so fucking cruel.
“I know what you’re thinking, Kat.” Nicole’s voice, from the little speaker on the tablet. The image of her smirking face bounced as she walked. “You’re thinking, is it my civic duty to drive this bomb somewhere else, no matter the terrible cost to Holly? And of course, the answer is yes. But just look at this.” The camera’s eye shifted until it was looking at Holly, her pale face confused and frightened. Nicole’s hand whipped out, slapping the little girl so hard, she stumbled and fell.
Nicole grabbed her arm and yanked her back up, making her yelp. There was a red splotch on her cheek, but Holly’s wet eyes burned with righteous anger.
