Memory Zero (Spook Squad 1)

Jack walked to the elevator, followed by the two men who’d been stationed near the door. Gabriel sat down beside Sam, close enough that their shoulders brushed. His gaze was both calculating and concerned when it met hers. “How’s the shoulder?”

“Sore.”

“You’ve lost a little blood.”

He was making small talk, she realized, probably trying to put their guard at ease. If he’d willingly walked into a trap, he obviously had a plan to get them out. She hoped. “But a hell of a lot less than the tower folk.”

His gaze went to the pile of bodies. His fingers clenched and unclenched. “We’ve got a hungry vampire in our midst.”

“So it would seem.”

He nudged her, catching her attention again. He looked over his shoulder, down toward his back, then back to her. She nodded minutely.

Keeping a careful eye on both Jack and their guard, she slipped her hand behind his back, stopping only when the guard glanced at her. She feigned interest in what Jack was doing. A soft hum came from the elevator shaft; Flint was on his way up. The guard looked away.

Wriggling her fingers under Gabriel’s shirt, she slipped her palm across the smooth warmth of his skin until she touched something cold and metallic.

Her gaze met his, and his smile was grim. Slowly, carefully, she pulled the duct tape away and slid the parcel down to the floor. Holcroft lasers, loosely joined by tape.

His hand joined hers behind his back. His fingers ran warmth across her skin, briefly caressing, leaving her fingers tingling as he grasped one of the lasers. His gaze met hers and then flickered to the guard. She wrapped her hand around the second laser and carefully pulled. The tape tore loose, and she coughed to cover the sound. But the cough became a groan of pain as fire burned down her right side. For an instant, the whole room spun. She leaned her head back against the panel and took several deep breaths.

Gabriel’s hand touched hers again. She released the laser, wrapping her fingers in his, drawing strength from the comfort of his touch. It was odd, really, that a man she barely knew could offer her such solace. Especially when she’d never found that sort of comfort in a man’s touch.

When the pain began to ebb again, she squeezed his hand lightly and let go. “I’m okay,” she said, opening her eyes.

His hazel eyes were full of concern. “You need a doctor.”

“I need an ending.”

Understanding flickered through his eyes. “Wait,” he said softly, holding up four fingers.

“We wait and the PM dies.”

“No.” There was certainty in his voice.

She glanced at the clock. Six minutes to four. She clenched the Holcroft laser and waited. A minute later, an explosion ripped across the silence.

“About time,” Jack muttered. “Battle stations, boys.”

The wristcoms buzzed to life. “Stern, Redfern, there’s been an explosion in the kitchen. Batten down the tower and keep the PM under wraps until we give the okay.”

Jack picked up the wristcom. “Bringing up the second launch screen.”

He pressed a button. Motors hummed and a metal screen began to ease upward, covering the windows. Light flared overhead as the room became darker.

“Let the game begin.” Jack’s voice was flat and cold. “Positions, boys.”

The two men stepped back, weapons raised and ready. Jack stood in the middle of the room, facing the elevator, gun armed and held by his side.

“Your plan won’t work,” Gabriel said into the silence. “No bomb ever destroys all the evidence. They’ll run autopsies on the remains, cell tests. They’ll discover the truth.”

Despite the casualness of his voice, Sam sensed an underlying urgency in his words. He didn’t want the PM shot any more than she did, so why was he talking rather than acting?

Jack’s smile was almost bitter. “I’m not a fool, Stern. There won’t be anything left for them to autopsy.”

“All it’ll take is one piece of skull showing a laser burn, and your plan will come undone.”

“Tell me, Stern, have they found any pieces of Hanrahan for you to identify? No? How tragic.” Jack’s voice was cold, mocking. “The bomb we’re using is bigger than the car bomb that destroyed the SIU. Even so, we’re not taking chances. They won’t find any skull fragments bearing laser burns, believe me.”