“How many people can each one hold?” Kurt asked.
“Eight. Nine at most,” Marchetti said.
“Dump out everything you don’t need,” Kurt said. “See if you can lighten the loads.”
Marchetti went to supervise. Paul and Gamay went with him. Leilani stepped over to Zarrina, who was standing against the edge of the helipad with Jinn.
“So you pretended to be me,” she said.
“I wouldn’t get too close,” Kurt warned.
“You’re a weak little woman,” Zarrina said. “That was the hardest part to play.”
Kurt grabbed Leilani as she went to slap Zarrina, pulling her away a safe distance.
“She’s baiting you,” Kurt said. “Go help the others.”
Leilani pouted but did as he asked.
“It’s too bad you didn’t try more to comfort me,” Zarrina said. “You might have enjoyed it.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Kurt said.
Beside her, Jinn fumed.
Tautog greeted the last of his men and shepherded them toward the hangar. “What about the prisoners?” one of them asked.
Kurt looked at the sadistic leader. “What’s it going to be, Jinn? Are you going to leave your men to be eaten alive?”
“Whether they live or die means nothing to me,” he said. “But perhaps you’d like to go get them since you care for them so much.”
“No,” Kurt said, “I’m not sending anyone down for them.”
“Then you are as ruthless as me.”
Kurt glared at Jinn. The man disgusted him. But Kurt wouldn’t risk one good person for the lives of those down below.
“This is what’s going to happen,” Kurt said. “We’re going to get on those airships and fly away and you’re going to be left behind to die in a manner you justly deserve. Your power play does nothing but murder your own men and take the two of you with them in a slow-motion suicide.”
He took the laptop, placed it on the rough surface of the helipad and shoved it toward Jinn.
Jinn stared at it but did nothing more.
Zarrina seemed nervous. She bit her lip, hesitated and then spoke. “Type in the code,” she said to Jinn.
Behind them the first two airships were ready, their pods inflated to full volume, their fans powering up. The third was right behind them.
“What’s the word?” Kurt asked Marchetti without turning.
“If we deploy the air anchors and get up to speed before we go off the edge, I think we can carry eleven,” Marchetti said. “I think.”
“Put twelve on each.”
“But I’m not sure—”
Kurt silenced him with a glance and looked Marchetti in the eye. “I’m going to need your help,” he said, handing him one of the small radios. “Now, what’s the word?”
“Twelve,” Marchetti said. “We can do twelve … I hope.”