They passed the hall they were supposed to use to exit the building. Where the hell was Sydney taking them? They had exactly thirty minutes to reach the airfield and get back on the plane.
Right as they turned into the dining hall, Winter felt Sydney touch his sleeve. “No,” she gasped out.
He glanced wildly around, looking for the source of her reaction.
His eyes went to where President Rosen was still seated. That was when the feeling of triumph vanished from Winter’s chest.
As he looked, he saw the president suddenly freeze, as if he’d seen something.
Beside Winter, Tems jerked forward, as if to make a move.
But it was too late. At that moment, there was a sharp, unmistakablepop.
The president flinched. Winter saw crimson stain the man’s jacket. Screams went up near him.
Then President Rosen collapsed, red blossoming on his chest.
19Enemies on All Sides
Sydney knew something wasn’t right the instant the CIA agents tackled Seah to the floor. She could feel the hairs prickling on the back of her neck.
He was supposed to have taken the hall to the right,she thought. The intel they’d been given was that Seah’s escape route was the building’s side entrance, where his car was waiting.
But right before the agents tackled him, he had turned abruptly to escape out the main entrance. There were no cars out the main entrance—the only people allowed there were security guards. He would have run headfirst into an onslaught of police.
Why would he do that?
Sydney had stared at the man on the floor as handcuffs went on him, a frown on her face.Unless he wasn’t operating alone,she thought. Someone else was here.
“What is it?” Winter had asked her.
“Something’s not right,” she’d replied.
But she couldn’t articulate it in the moment. She was just trying to figure out why Seah had changed his route, why when he lay on the floor, his eyes had turned wildly to the main entrance, as if expecting someone out there to intervene and help him.
The sixth sense in Sydney’s mind had tingled so violently that she’d turned back in the direction of the dining hall. Had rushed there with Winter on her heels.
And then—had seen the president go down, had seen him collapse as the people around him jumped to their feet, screaming. Over by their own table, Gavi had darted upright and cupped her hands around her mouth in horror.
Had he been killed? Sydney had caught a glimpse of the president’s hand over his chest, blood streaking his skin, seen his eyes roll up as security swarmed over him. It was enough of a glance to sink her heart.
Enough for her to see that the shot was fatal. That the man was dead.
Sydney faced Winter and Tems. “Go,” she said harshly, then nodded at Winter. “You need to get Gavi out of here.”
Winter was already moving. She caught the slightest hint of him nodding at her over his shoulder before he rushed off to Gavi, pulling her arm as she stood frozen by the sight and guiding her along with the stream of panicking guests toward the front entrance.
Tems was already turning back, his expression stricken. Within the minute, the entire building would be locked down—and they would be trapped. Security guards were already rushing past them as they flooded into the dining hall, while others at the front entrance had scattered across the front courtyard to search for anyone who might be connected.
Sydney’s mind whirled as they ran. There was no question that the man was supposed to be behind it, that he was meant to be the one to carry out the assassination. They had thwarted that attempt. But Seah had clearly been working with others, and someone else at the party had fired a shot at Rosen.
But there was no time for Sydney to untangle it any further, nothing they could do for the president now. They had to get out and find Niall.
Tems reached the end of the hall first before he halted and started doubling back.
“Try the east wing,” he said breathlessly. “They’ve already locked this one down.”
They turned without hesitation and followed him. All around them were startled guests, many trying to find a way to escape the mystery shooter—but security at every exit blocked their steps. As they rushed past, Sydney could hear snatches of other languages as the guards apologized to various heads of state and politicians, telling them no one could enter or leave the property right now. Those guests, in turn, shouted heatedly at the guards, some pushing against their raised rifles.
