“I know, Wanda,” Orion said. “It’s okay. Hugh Johnson of the DNDO probably has some training in interrogation. Not what you have, of course.”
Ah shit. They’d taken his wallet. “What do you have, Wanda?” Hugh asked. The more he found out about this nutty trio, the better. Assuming he survived this.
“Plenty,” she murmured, her voice educated and cultured. While she wore a dark sweater and jeans, her boots looked shiny and expensive. What Hugh knew about fashion could fit in an egg cup, but the woman looked like money. Odd for a prepper. “I also know that we really must get going. My understanding of the radiation radius is that we’re running out of time.” She moved to the closed roll-down door and waited.
Orion patted Hugh on the leg. “I’m sorry we can’t talk longer. I have many questions for you.”
“We can bring him with us,” Wanda said.
“No,” Yusef said, finally setting down his tablet. “I get a personal kill today. You gave me your word.”
Orion stood. “That I did. We’ll meet you at the border.” He chucked Hugh almost good-naturedly on the chin and kept on walking, easily lifting the door. Only another closed door across the hallway was visible. “Good-bye, Hugh.” He took Wanda’s arm and escorted her out of sight.
Hugh set his feet inside the legs of the chair. They’d tied his wrists to the metal but not his ankles. “Why you want me dead, Yusef?” Hugh asked, gingerly trying to see if his injured shoulder still worked at all.
Yusef stood and took off his glasses, placing them on his chair along with his tablet. “Your military causes more deaths abroad than you can know. We’re tired of it.”
“How about you and I start a dialogue right now about that?” Hugh asked, wincing as his shoulder pulled. He needed to focus through the pain and forget fear. There was only now.
“There’s not time. Your people are blowing up a nuclear power plant.” Yusef drew a knife from his back pocket. Double edged and military issued, the blade gleamed in the dim light. “Just think of the damage.”
“I am,” Hugh said softly. “You can’t really align with that moron Orion.”
“No. He’s just a means to an end. And he’s not that stupid.” Yusef took another step closer. “You should see the way his people follow him. Blindly and with total conviction.”
Hugh braced his knees. “How about you and I get out of here and go stop the bomb? Save a hundred thousand people?” And Ellie. God, he had to save Ellie. His gut churned and sweat burned into his eyes.
“No.” Yusef drew ever nearer. “Have you ever sliced another man’s jugular?”
“No,” Hugh said, tilting his head to the side. “Have you?”
Yusef just shrugged. Then he struck.
Hugh waited one second and then leaped up, turning and smashing the chair into the oncoming man. Yusef went down. Hugh leaped around and dropped, his knees slamming on either side of Yusef’s neck.
A fast twist and a balance on the chair, and Yusef’s neck snapped.
Hugh panted and staggered to his feet, letting the body drop. For years, he’d trained in hand-to-hand, just in case. “I didn’t want to kill you.” He spoke the absolute truth.
Quiet came from outside.
He looked around for anything to get the damn chair off his back. Time was running short.
He had to get to Ellie.
Chapter Thirteen
I’ve never been so scared in my entire life as when I got into that computer room and Hugh was gone. Life has changed so much, and I fear it’s just getting started.
—Dr. Eleanor Smithers, Brigade Notes
Ellie ran through the hallway and followed the blood just in time to see two men load an unconscious Hugh into a van. She tried to run after them, and Deke stopped her with an arm around her waist. “Let me go,” she yelled, her body shaking.
“Later.” The soldier forced her back inside and put her to the wall. “Eleanor. Listen to me.”
Panic heated down her body, seizing her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. “Deke. We have to get him.”
Deke’s eyes softened even as his jaw hardened. “We will. But first things first. Those guys did something, and we have to figure out what it was and then fix it. If this place goes, we’re all dead. Along with thousands upon thousands of other people.”
