Chapter 10 - ELEVEN MINUTES
“Luca.”
I whispered into my earpiece.
No answer.
“Luca?”
Static.
Titan barked.
The timer dropped.
10:42.
10:41.
10:40.
I backed away.
Roman was still speaking in the ballroom.
Two hundred people.
We couldn’t scream “bomb” without causing a stampede.
I ran.
Titan beside me.
A man stepped into the hallway.
Adrian Vale.
He looked almost amused.
“You really do make everything difficult.”
I stopped.
“You tortured him.”
Vale looked at Titan.
“Necessary.”
Titan growled.
Vale held up both hands.
“No remote this time.”
“Where’s Luca?”
“Busy.”
“Is that a bomb?”
Vale smiled.
“You’re smarter than you look.”
“People keep saying insulting things like that.”
He reached inside his jacket.
I stepped back.
Titan moved in front of me.
Vale’s hand stopped.
“You think the dog will save you?”
“He already did.”
Vale’s face hardened.
“Give me Owen’s card.”
“You burned the original.”
“The backup.”
I smiled.
“You don’t know where it is.”
His expression told me I was right.
That was the only reason I was still alive.
He grabbed my arm.
Titan lunged.
Vale fired into the ceiling.
The sound deafened me.
Titan stopped because I screamed, “WAIT!”
He froze.
Vale looked impressed.
“You’ve been busy.”
I kicked him in the knee.
Not elegant.
Effective.
He stumbled.
I ran.
Titan followed.
We burst into the ballroom.
Everyone turned.
Roman saw my face.
He immediately stopped speaking.
“Eleven minutes!” I shouted.
His expression changed.
“What?”
“Service elevator. Bomb.”
The ballroom erupted.
Roman grabbed the microphone.
“Everyone remain calm.”
Nobody remained calm.
Guests surged toward the exits.
Security moved.
Some toward the guests.
Some toward Roman.
Then Roman noticed something I didn’t.
Three guards were drawing guns.
Not to protect him.
At him.
“DOWN!”
He pulled me behind the podium.
Shots tore through the stage backdrop.
Titan charged one attacker.
Roman’s loyal guards hit the other two.
Chaos exploded everywhere.
Malcolm disappeared.
Of course he did.
Roman grabbed my shoulders.
“Where is Vale?”
“Hallway.”
“Timer?”
“About nine minutes.”
His earpiece came alive.
Luca’s voice burst through.
“Roman! Do not use the main exits!”
“Why?”
“Bomb is a diversion. There are shooters outside.”
The plan.
Exactly what Owen had recorded.
Create panic.
Force Roman into the open.
Kill him.
Roman looked around.
“Underground garage.”
Luca shouted, “No! Compromised.”
Titan suddenly ran toward the kitchens.
“Titan!” Roman called.
The dog looked back.
Waited.
Then barked.
I understood.
“Follow him.”
Roman stared at me.
“Why?”
“He knows where Vale went.”
We ran.
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Behind us, the timer continued counting down.
And somewhere inside the hotel, Malcolm Calder had vanished.
