AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The door beeped as Chad entered the code. Roger and Ramone both spun to look. Hope threw her knife as hard as she could at Ramone. It stuck in his arm. He cried out in surprise and whirled back to them. Faith slung the steaming vegetables into Ramone’s face. He screamed louder, scraping burning hot and greasy vegetables off his face, the knife still protruding from his arm.
Chad was in the doorway, larger than life. He was the answer to prayer and hope and faith. He was her miracle.
His pistol was aimed straight at Ramone. He fired, and a sonic boom shook the entire room. Ramone’s head slammed into the countertop, blood from a head wound covering the counter. He crashed off his bar stool and to the hardwood floor. A pathetic heap of wasted evil.
Faith cried out but held her frying pan up like a weapon. Hope stared at her sister, pride swelling in her heart. Gratitude to heaven was there as well. Faith hadn’t been shot by Ramone.
But still, there was—
Chad turned his gun on Roger.
Roger didn’t pull out a gun. He dropped his phone, held up the black bag in front of his chest and yelled, “You shoot me, you kill all of us!”
Chad didn’t shoot. He eyed Roger. “What makes you so confident the bomb won’t just kill you?”
“It’s not a bomb.” Roger straightened proudly. “The toxin in this bag will kill all of us if it’s released. A high-grade biological weapon designed to filter to every nook and cranny of the castle, kill the entire royal family, their guards, and staff.” He aimed a confident smile her way. “Not a sleeping agent. Apologies for any confusion.” He focused back on Chad. “A bullet into my chest will hit at least one of the capsules and release the poison. We’ll all die … miserably.”
Faith was frozen with horror. A high-grade biological weapon? She hadn’t fully believed he’d only drug the royals, but still … Her stomach heaved imagining what he’d tried to trick her into doing.
What now? Would Chad have to let him go? Roger could take that poison. What would he do with it? He’d find another way to get it into the castle and the heating system. He’d probably force Hope or Faith to go with him. Fear made her legs weak and her hands shake.
Uneasy seconds ticked by as Chad and Roger studied each other. A wicked grin grew on Roger’s face. He knew he would win.
“Let me go with you,” Hope called out, praying she could sacrifice herself. This was heaven’s answer. There was hope. Hope that Chad and Faith could survive and somehow she’d stop Roger from hurting the royals. She was strong and brave. She could fight him. She’d probably die, but it would be a worthwhile sacrifice.
“No, Hope,” Chad commanded. He was regal and brave. She had no idea how he was planning to take out Roger without hurting all of them. He turned back to Roger and said conversationally, “Toxins. Brilliant, actually. Much smarter than any of William’s schemes. What is it? Ricin? Anthrax?”
“Thank you, but I’ll keep that a secret. Bombs have repeatedly failed to take out the royal family so I worked and planned with a terrorist cell to procure this.” He puffed up like a proud peacock. “You’re right. I will prove to Naomi I’m smarter than William ever was, and we will finally be together and rule Augustine.” He glanced at his son and his face twisted as Ramone was obviously dead and wouldn’t be ruling with him. He focused back on Chad. “Now you are going to fly all of us to the castle.”
“No.” Chad shook his head, confident as ever.
“You dare say no to me?” Roger asked. “I’ll kill the woman you love.”
Hope edged closer to Faith, determined to step in front of her or knock her to the floor. She had to at least protect her sister.
Chad only smiled. Hope’s heart was racing out of control, and Chad was smiling.
Could she possibly hope that he had a plan? That he knew what he was doing? But if those toxins were hit, they’d all die.
“You know the brilliant thing about the toxins, and you holding them in front of your chest?” Chad dipped his chin to Roger.
“Yes?”
“I never aim for the chest.” Chad pulled the trigger.
Before Roger could even jerk the bag upward, the bullet drilled him in the forehead.
Hope looked away but heard him crash backwards to the wood floor. He hadn’t even fallen on the toxins.
“Yes!” Faith cheered, sounding as happy and innocent as ever.
“Hope?” Chad asked, keeping his gun aimed at Roger and rushing toward him, even though it was obviously not necessary to aim a gun at either of these two dead men. “Are you both all right?”
“Yes, I …” She feared she was going to be sick. “Faith?”
Faith nodded. “That was awful they died, but they were awful people.”
Hope could not believe how well her whimsical sister was handling this. She risked another glance and saw Chad now checking Ramone for a pulse. Again, probably unnecessary, but she appreciated his training and diligence. Especially his training. He’d saved them. He’d shot both men in the head and not given them any chance to retaliate or hurt Faith.
