Wilson's blast hit her in midair, just as her arms snatched the child.
"You'll die! And suffer and sicken and stumble your way through what pathetic lives you have. I would have made men gods. Remember who ended it, remember who damned you to mortality. Initiate failsafe!"
He rose, his face alive with a mad fervor. When he aimed at Eve, she fired even as Roarke slammed through the doors. Wilson went down between their blasts.
Fresh alarms shrilled, and a passionless computerized voice began to drone.
Warning, warning, fail-safe has been initiated. You have ten minutes to safely evacuate these facilities. Warning, warning, these facilities will self-terminate in ten minutes.
"Perfect. Can you stop it?" she demanded of Roarke. He scooped up a small device beside Wilson's body. "This is just a trigger. Single mode. I'd need to find the source before I could begin to
override."
“Can’t
Eve rushed to where Deena lay on the floor, still holding the screaming baby. "We'll get you out."
"Get her out. Get the children out. Can't override. Multiple sources and levels. Not enough time. Please get them out. I'm already gone."
"Police and medical assistance is on the way." Eve glanced back toward Roarke. "I hear them coming. Kids in the adjoining rooms. Get them out."
"Take her, please take her." Deena struggled to pass the baby to Eve.
She fumbled to hitch the infant under one arm. And saw Deena was right. She was gone. Where her clothes had been singed by the blast, burned skin was exposed, some to the bone. Blood was already seeping out of her ears, her mouth. She'd never make it out the doors.
"Diana, and the little one?"
"Safe." Eve looked at Roarke for confirmation. "They got out."
"Give them to Avril." Deena clamped a hand on Eve's arm. "Please. Please, God, give them to Avril, let them go. Deathbed confession. I'm giving you a deathbed confession."
"No time. Roarke."
She pushed the baby at him. "Get those kids out. Now."
Warning, warning, all personnel must evacuate. This facility will self-destruct in eight minutes.
"I killed them all. Avril knew nothing about it. I killed Wilfred Icove, Sr. Wilfred Icove, Jr. Evelyn Samuels. I intended ... Oh God!"
"Save it. You're right, you're gone. I can't help you." She heard children crying, screaming, feet pounding, and kept her eyes on Deena's face. "We'll get everyone out."
"Gestation." Deena gritted her teeth, hissed against the pain. "If you take them out of the tanks, unhook the tanks, tamper . . . they'll die. They can't..." Blood slid out of her eyes like tears. "They can't be saved. I was going to do what Wilson did, knowing that. But I couldn't. You have to leave them, save the rest. Please let them go. Avril. .. She'll take care of them. She-"
"Are there any others, in this facility?"
"No. I pray no. Just care-droids this time of night. Wilson .. . Wilson must've shut them down. Killed Icove replicas. Son of a bitch. I'm going to die where I was born. I guess that's okay. Tell Diana. Well, she'll know. The little one ..."
"Darby. Her name's Darby."
"Darby." She smiled even as her eyes began to film over.
Her hand slid off Eve's arm.
Warning, warning, this facility will self-destruct in seven minutes. All personnel must evacuate immediately.
"Eve, the nurseries are cleared out. The response team's taking the children up. We have to move. Now."
Eve got to her feet, turned. She saw Roarke still had the infant. "The Gestation area. She said it couldn't be tampered with or they'd die. Prove her wrong."