The Flight of the Silvers (Silvers #1)(160)

“On your knees, please. Hands behind your back.”

She did as he said, keeping her cool gaze fixed on David while Zack handcuffed her wrists.

“You seem to be a natural at this,” Melissa told David.

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment. I’ve chased enough killers to recognize one in the making.”

“If that’s the extent of your psychological insight, it’s no wonder we keep outsmarting you.”

Zack plucked the radio from her belt. “As much as I’m enjoying this BBC growlfest, we’re on a clock. We know you have one last agent in the back of the truck. If you care about him, you’ll tell him to come out with his hands up. We won’t hurt him. I promise.”

Melissa clenched her jaw, formulating her strategy. Howard had called for backup four minutes ago. They had at least twelve minutes before the rest of her team arrived in shifted aerovans.

“Okay, you both need to listen to me very carefully—”

“No we don’t,” David snapped. “Stop trying to stall us.”

“I’m trying to save your life, boy. You have problems you don’t even know about.”

“Yes, and I’m sure you’ll tell us all about them while your reinforcements arrive.”

“I can tell you in twenty seconds,” she insisted. “There’s a government agency called the National Integrity Commission. They operate outside the law, with virtually no oversight. Like us, they don’t enjoy the fact that you’re running around the country, causing damage and making headlines. If I don’t apprehend you soon, they’ll come after you with everything they’ve got. That’s when you end up in the Area 51, as you call it. That’s when your worst fears about the government are realized. If you come with us—”

“Time’s up.”

“If you come with us, Zack, we can avoid that. We’ll work with you, not against you. We know about Rebel and Evan and the Pelletiers. We want to stop them just as much—”

A booming gunshot cut her off, making everyone but David jump. He lowered the smoking pistol. A tiny new crater graced the asphalt, ten inches from Melissa’s leg.

David grabbed the radio and held it to Melissa’s face.

“Now you’re out of time and warnings.”

—

Hannah de-shifted, grateful to be out of the blue. Thirty-two minutes of her life had passed on the highway. Her right arm throbbed from all the vigilant gun-pointing.

Ross and Carter remained bound on their knees behind the tall rocks. They bathed Hannah in murderous glares as she reactivated her transmitter. She could hear David in her earpiece, trading curt words with a smartly accented woman.

“What did I miss?” she asked Mia.

“There’s one agent left in the back of the truck. They’re trying to get him out.”

“What do you mean ‘get him out’?”

“He could be aiming a gun at the door. We don’t know.”

“He is,” said Carter. “It’s standard procedure. But I hope your blondie boyfriend tries to get in anyway. He’ll look nicer without a head.”

Mia spun around, red-faced. “Shut up!”

“Please, honey. You’re about as scary as a teddy bear. Now your friend here, the one with the bouncers, she’s got crazy written all over her.”

Hannah shot him a dark and defiant grin, then turned her back on him.

“Yeah, that’s right, girl. Pretend you’re not scared. Just wait till I get out of here. I’ll show you a time.”

Ross bumped Carter’s shoulder, shaking his head with caution. Be quiet.

Mia followed Hannah to the road and watched the standoff at the truck. They both flinched when David fired a bullet at the ground.

“Jesus. I really hope he’s acting.”

“Maybe you should go over there,” Mia said. “See if you can help.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone with these guys.”

“They’re handcuffed. I’ll be fine.”

Hannah was never more enamored of Mia. She placed Rebel’s gun in her hand, then breathed a quick whisper through her hair. “Don’t let that * get to you. He’s just feeling emasculated. The best way to piss him off is to treat him like he doesn’t matter.”

Still high from David’s ferocious act of devotion, Mia fought a wild grin. It was the strangest time to realize what an invaluable asset she had in Hannah. The actress could serve as her sisterly guide to the opposite gender. She might even help her navigate the tricky maze of David.

“Go. Be careful.”

“Thanks. You too. Call me if they give you trouble.”

Hannah sped toward the truck. Mia looked down at the heavy weapon in her grip. Her father had taken her to the shooting range dozens of times, but she’d never fired anything this large before. Her finger was barely long enough to reach the trigger.

Behind her, Ross carefully wriggled his hands. The girl was inexperienced in shackles and had left too much room in the right loop. He’d worked it over the base of his thumb. He was nearly free.

—

Owen’s nervous footsteps echoed through the trailer. He’d only joined DP-9 for the ghost drills, and had little interest in handling criminals in their solid form. His pistol dangled in his hand so loosely that Amanda feared he’d kill someone just by dropping it.