captive – they want me alive and will do anything to prevent you from killing me. Take me about thirty feet from them, with the gun pointed at my head. Then, flip it out and point it towards Dmitri Ivanov, the tallest one towards the middle. He’s the only one who’s going to know what it is, and he will run. When the rest try to follow suit, you have to shoot them.” I tell him, swaying.
“Okay.” He gulped, and I knew he was uncomfortable with useless murder.
“You have to prove something by doing this. Whether you shoot them or not is your deal breaker: if you do, you prove your loyalty to me, and if you don’t, I know you’re against me and I will instruct Rowan to kill you on the spot.” I told him sullenly.
After three painful staircases, we were at the bottom, ready to open the door.
“Are you okay?” I asked Salah.
He nodded.
“Put on a good show. Rowan! Play along, all right?”
He nodded.
“Act like you’re trying to get Salah to let me go.”
He nods, and Salah pulls out another knife from my back, holding it level with Rowan’s neck.
“Go outside. Now.”
Salah held me to his chest and dragged me outside, the gun at my head. I allowed real terror to sink into my eyes as I scanned the scene. Looking directly into Dmitri’s cold brown eyes, I saw him assess the situation and realization cross his features.
“C’mon, boy,” he beckoned to Salah, “give her to us. There’s twenty of us and one of you – we will win, and you will die.”
“Never!” Salah yelled, “I’ll kill her first! Now back up or I’ll shoot.”
“Listen Captain,” A man said, addressing Dmitri, “our supervisor told us to bring her back alive. She told me her brother was expendable.”
“Of course.” Dmitri replied, “But I wonder what she’ll think if we bring back yet another Salah to her company,” He chuckled.
“My father? What do you know of my father?” Salah yelled, forgetting himself.
“Your father? I know that he was killed by the very girl you’re holding.” Dmitri replied quietly.
Salah feigned shock expertly. This was, of course, common knowledge to the entire universe.
“You’re lying!” Salah jabbed the gun out in their direction, frightening the men who did not know what it was.
“Boys, stay calm,” Dmitri informed them, “if he knows what’s good for him, he won’t shoot. I assume you know what that is, little boy, and you know what’ll happen if you shoot it.”
“Back the hell off!” Salah commanded, and some of them stammered backwards. “Who are you working for?” Salah yelled again.
“Her identity is a secret even to me.” Ivanov lied flawlessly, but I could tell with him. We had met quite a few times in the past – thirty seven times in the past six years if my memory isn't failing me. And my memory is never wrong.
“Tell me!” I burst suddenly, wavering in Salah’s arms. He pressed the gun to my head, but I saw his finger was nowhere near the trigger, “Is it Zenda ?” I spat the word with malice.
They were shocked, and I had my answer.
In the chaos of the police gathering their bearings, Salah sidestepped slowly about thirty feet, until he was parallel with the man at the edge of the force.
“Are we far enough?” He whispered to me.
I nodded and he pointed the gun at them.
Dmitri, more quick-witted than I thought, lunged backwards and pulled out his own Rizer, one about ten times the size of mine.
I heard Rowan curse, then run, as Salah pressed his finger onto the trigger.
“Run!” I screamed, and I did my best to help as he dragged me towards where Rowan was standing fifty feet from us already. I looked back and saw the explosion.
Electric blue light was escaping towards the police force at a mile per second, but it all happened in slow motion. The light cracked and popped, shooting out blinding beams of light. The air was suddenly hot as the ball of blue flame hurtled towards its target, taking out everything. And, at the
“Okay.” He gulped, and I knew he was uncomfortable with useless murder.
“You have to prove something by doing this. Whether you shoot them or not is your deal breaker: if you do, you prove your loyalty to me, and if you don’t, I know you’re against me and I will instruct Rowan to kill you on the spot.” I told him sullenly.
After three painful staircases, we were at the bottom, ready to open the door.
“Are you okay?” I asked Salah.
He nodded.
“Put on a good show. Rowan! Play along, all right?”
He nodded.
“Act like you’re trying to get Salah to let me go.”
He nods, and Salah pulls out another knife from my back, holding it level with Rowan’s neck.
“Go outside. Now.”
Salah held me to his chest and dragged me outside, the gun at my head. I allowed real terror to sink into my eyes as I scanned the scene. Looking directly into Dmitri’s cold brown eyes, I saw him assess the situation and realization cross his features.
“C’mon, boy,” he beckoned to Salah, “give her to us. There’s twenty of us and one of you – we will win, and you will die.”
“Never!” Salah yelled, “I’ll kill her first! Now back up or I’ll shoot.”
“Listen Captain,” A man said, addressing Dmitri, “our supervisor told us to bring her back alive. She told me her brother was expendable.”
“Of course.” Dmitri replied, “But I wonder what she’ll think if we bring back yet another Salah to her company,” He chuckled.
“My father? What do you know of my father?” Salah yelled, forgetting himself.
“Your father? I know that he was killed by the very girl you’re holding.” Dmitri replied quietly.
Salah feigned shock expertly. This was, of course, common knowledge to the entire universe.
“You’re lying!” Salah jabbed the gun out in their direction, frightening the men who did not know what it was.
“Boys, stay calm,” Dmitri informed them, “if he knows what’s good for him, he won’t shoot. I assume you know what that is, little boy, and you know what’ll happen if you shoot it.”
“Back the hell off!” Salah commanded, and some of them stammered backwards. “Who are you working for?” Salah yelled again.
“Her identity is a secret even to me.” Ivanov lied flawlessly, but I could tell with him. We had met quite a few times in the past – thirty seven times in the past six years if my memory isn't failing me. And my memory is never wrong.
“Tell me!” I burst suddenly, wavering in Salah’s arms. He pressed the gun to my head, but I saw his finger was nowhere near the trigger, “Is it Zenda ?” I spat the word with malice.
They were shocked, and I had my answer.
In the chaos of the police gathering their bearings, Salah sidestepped slowly about thirty feet, until he was parallel with the man at the edge of the force.
“Are we far enough?” He whispered to me.
I nodded and he pointed the gun at them.
Dmitri, more quick-witted than I thought, lunged backwards and pulled out his own Rizer, one about ten times the size of mine.
I heard Rowan curse, then run, as Salah pressed his finger onto the trigger.
“Run!” I screamed, and I did my best to help as he dragged me towards where Rowan was standing fifty feet from us already. I looked back and saw the explosion.
Electric blue light was escaping towards the police force at a mile per second, but it all happened in slow motion. The light cracked and popped, shooting out blinding beams of light. The air was suddenly hot as the ball of blue flame hurtled towards its target, taking out everything. And, at the
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