Shattered Lies (Web of Lies #3)(61)

“Take it and we all die right now, but in another twenty-five seconds we’ll all die anyway.” Locke gave a bloody, toothy smile of victory as he looked at Dalton to his right.

“I don’t think so, Locke.”

Locke’s head spun to the left as Jason stabbed a knife into Locke’s wrist, slicing through the soft tissue it came in contact with. Blood sprayed across Valeria’s legs and the fob dropped to the ground. Grant grabbed it as Locke stared in shock at his mutilated hand and up to Jason’s cold face.

“Wolski, you bastard. It’s too late. You’re a dead man.”

“Get the fuck out! Fifteen seconds!” Crew shouted as he pulled his helicopter up and started to fly out of the blast zone.

“I’ve been a dead man since your group killed my wife. But I’ll be damned if I let you take another person to hell with you.” Jason pulled the gun from his holster and fired.

“Run!” Valeria yelled as Locke stared back at them with open eyes and a trickle of blood running from the bullet hole in the center of his forehead.

Grant grabbed Val’s hand and Dalton was already taking off after Lizzy, but Valeria turned at the last minute and saw Jason grab the bomb. “JASON! NO!”

“Eight, seven, six,” Dalton was counting down as they ran. Grant tugged her to follow and the last thing Valeria saw was Jason stuffing the bomb in a thick cement flower planter.

“Three, two—” Grant flung Val forward around the corner of the building across the street and covered her body with his as the earth shook. Windows cracked as heat and debris filled the air. Then silence. The only thing she could hear was the ringing in her ears.

Valeria looked around, seeing Dalton and Lizzy farther up the street from them turn and look at the exchange. Val felt Grant flip her over. His mouth was moving, but she didn’t hear anything except for the ringing.

Valeria looked over Grant’s shoulder at the exchange. She couldn’t see it through the smoke and dust. It had to still be standing or Mollia Domini would have won, regardless of Locke’s death, because if the exchange went down, the markets would be completely wiped out. There would be no more trading, no more stock market, it would be even worse than the 1929 crash. And in today’s global economy, if any of the bombs succeeded, then there would be a ripple effect and every market around the world would suffer.

“Val!” Off in the distance, a whisper of her name drew her attention. It was Grant, right next to her, yelling her name.

“I can barely hear you,” Valeria yelled.

“Are you hurt?” Grant screamed, even though it still sounded like a slightly louder whisper.

Valeria shook her head, but then it came back to her. “Jason!”





25





Birch looked at Tate and Humphrey. It was ten o’clock. The phones began to ring off the hook. It had happened.

“Mr. President,” Jessica said quietly from the door to the Oval Office. “Director Kirby is on the phone for you.”

Birch picked up the phone with dread. Was his team safe? Did they stop the explosion? “Yes?”

“There was an explosion at the New York Stock Exchange.”

“Damage?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m on my way up there, and the New York office is calling me in a couple minutes when they arrive on site. We got the call through 9-1-1. There were reports of two Secret Service agents on site. Would you know anything about that?” Kirby asked.

“I do. They’re my men. Secure the area. I’m on my way to the site.”

Director Kirby paused for a moment. “Are you sure about that?”

“Only terrorism would cause an explosion at such a location. I’m determined to show them the US won’t back down. We’ll meet there, and I want all the intelligence you have on this.”

“Yes, sir.”

Birch hung up and looked over at Humphrey. “Did you get hold of them?”

Humphrey shook his head as Tate covered her gasp with her hand. Tate looked down at her phone. “Governor Orson Benning is calling in the New York National Guard and has just declared martial law. He’s sending private security to all major targets including water and electric.”

“Get my helicopter and get Orson on the phone,” Birch yelled as Humphrey called in Marine One.

“It’s ringing,” Jessica called out as Birch grabbed his secure line.

“This is President Stratton, get me Orson now,” he demanded of Orson’s secretary in a stone-cold voice as Tate rose.

“I have to get to the press room. Any comments?”

Birch shook his head. “Tell people to remain calm, and I’ll address the country as soon as I know something concrete.”

“Let me know the second you hear from our team.” Tate tried to be strong. She was strong. She’d proven it. But the thought of her friends dying was crushing.



* * *



“Someone answer the fucking phone,” Alex cursed as he paced the hotel room. He was trying to contact his friends while Roxie was talking to Fire Dragon and Dark Surfer.

“There were reported explosions in each location, but nothing yet on where those explosions took place,” Roxie called out as Alex hung up on Lizzy’s voicemail.