Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(98)

Tears streaming down his face, Floyd doubled over. He threw up and stumbled out of the room. Gabe placed a hand on his shoulder and met Floyd’s tortured gaze.

The boy swiped at his wet cheeks. “Why don’t I feel better?” he asked in a small voice.

“Come on,” Gabe said, knowing nothing would help but time.

In the hallway, the gas had dissipated; the teenagers started to revive.

“Let’s clear this room fast and go after Ashley,” he said to Deb.

Seth’s voice interrupted on the comm line. “Just found the bomb. We have three minutes to get out.”

“We have twenty kids. We can’t make it,” Deb shouted.

Zach’s voice came through. “The tunnel is almost directly above you. One flight.”

Gabe grabbed Floyd. “An escape tunnel? You know it?”

“Niko told me.”

“Two minutes.”




Thirty seconds and they were up the stairs. Floyd entered a code and they scrambled into the tunnel. Lights lit automatically.

Deb half dragged a couple of kids with her. Gabe followed up at the rear.

Another thirty seconds and they neared the end of the tunnel. He raced to the ladder and scooted past the kids. He and Deb looked up. A lock.

“Damn it. How do we open it?” she asked.

The dial turned and the hatch slammed open. Jazz looked down at them from the surface. “Come on!” she yelled.

One by one, Gabe and Deb shoved the kids out of the tunnel. Finally Deb scampered up. He followed.

They stumbled only a dozen feet when an explosion rocked the earth. Gabe shoved Deb to the ground. The high-tech weapon didn’t work like any other. The explosion didn’t burst out, it imploded.

Black smoke poured around them, along with an intensive heat that rendered the building—and everything inside it—ash.

The comm device in his ear squealed nonstop and he tore the ruined earpiece out just as Deb did the same with hers.

Gabe blinked through the soot. There was nothing left unscathed in the building. No one within the blast zone could have survived.

His back burned and he staggered to his feet.

“Your jacket’s smoking,” Deb shouted.

He jerked it off, threw it to the ground, then stomped out the blaze. Panting, he looked down at her.

She met his gaze but then turned in the direction of the compound and let out a low cry. Black soot billowed from the shattered concrete slabs, half of which now filled the decimated basement. The smell of the gas still permeated the air.

Deb sank to the ground. “Oh, dear God. Ashley, I’m sorry.” Deb bent her head to her knees and rocked back and forth, back and forth. “I failed her.”

Gabe bit back a curse.

“No!” He knelt beside Deb and wrapped her in his arms.

Deep shudders of agony shook her body and she clung to him. “I didn’t save her. We were so close.”

Gabe rocked her in his arms and let her cry, uncertain what to do or say.

He squinted through the smoke. Where were his brothers? God, had he killed them, too?

Jazz rose slowly, tears in her own eyes. “I can’t see Luke,” she said.

Then, Gabe caught sight of Luke racing to Jazz through the black swirls.

Figures began to coalesce. Nick and Paretti showed next, coughing, stumbling through the chaos. Finally Zach held up his hand in tired acknowledgment.

Where was Seth? Whitney? Gabe’s heart thundered as long moments passed.

Deb lifted her lashes. “What have we done?”

Gabe couldn’t speak. He kissed her hair, his own grief splintering and shattering all the light and warmth inside him.

Then, through the smoke another figure stumbled toward them.

Seth? Whitney?

A familiar face took shape then coughed.

“Gasmerati!”

At Gabe’s shout Deb shot to her feet.

“Where is my sister, you son of a bitch?”

In slow motion, Jeff Gasmerati aimed his weapon.

Gabe raced forward. His leg gave out, costing him a half step. In that moment the gun fired.

Deb flew back into Gabe’s arms and a second shot rang out.

Gasmerati’s head exploded.

Gabe sank to the sand, Deb cradled in his arms. Blood pooled at her shoulder. She looked up at him.

“Ashley?” she whispered, blinking, as if trying to focus on him. “It was her?”

“No,” he said softly. “Don’t talk. I’ve got you.” God, how had this happened? He hadn’t protected her.

Not only her, but Ashley as well. He stripped off his shirt and pressed the material against her shoulder.

“Who’s that?” Luke shouted.

Someone was running toward the helipad, dragging a figure behind him. Gasmerati’s partner, Petrov.

“Petrov. Stop him!” Gabe shouted.

A helicopter zoomed in from the east, its sleek, black shape like something out of a sci-fi movie. Maybe someone Seth had called in?

Petrov fired. The chopper stopped on a dime, then rotated in the air, following the Russian.

A barrage of bullets peppered him. He fell dead. The small figure at his side dropped to the ground. Gabe squinted. Could it be?

An RPG took out Gasmerati’s chopper, blowing it to bits, then the chopper disappeared into the sky.