Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
They made it through the fairly utilitarian outer office to the more private part of the space. If she was right, the door to the left led to the lab. There was a green light blinking above. Why the hell wasn’t it locked? Huisman’s office was on the other side. It didn’t have the same elaborate security setup the lab had. This felt like a trap.
“I don’t know you at all, sweetheart. I don’t even know your real name. The only thing I know is that you’ll do anything for your country, including turning over a weapon of mass destruction when you would be better off destroying the formula.” He strode down the hallway. “And don’t even talk to me about our countries. Let’s see which one is known for being involved in every war it can send its troops into, and which one is known for maple syrup and delicious donuts.”
She followed him. “We have excellent donuts, too. And maple syrup. Have you never been to Vermont? Name me one thing Canada has that America doesn’t. Face facts. You’re nothing but America North, buddy.”
He chuckled, but it wasn’t an amused sound. “You know what we have that you don’t, baby? It’s called common sense. Sweet, sane common sense. Which is precisely why you’re not stealing this formula.”
Ben stopped at the doorway to the office, and something about how still he went had her getting the SIG ready.
Then she realized she didn’t need it. Not for Huisman.
“Is he dead?” Kenzie walked in and stared at the body on the floor. Yep. That was Dr. Emmanuel Huisman, and he had a bullet hole in his left temple.
Ben kicked the revolver away from the doctor’s hand, but he didn’t touch the body.
“He must have decided to kill himself rather than face the Agency.” Her dad was going to be so upset. He’d wanted to murder that asshole in very medieval ways.
“Maybe he knew he was facing CFI.”
Canadian Foreign Intelligence. It was an offshoot of CSIS.
Were they comparing dicks? It wasn’t how she thought he would use his dick on her. “You’ve been around for five years, buddy. You’re not known for being particularly ferocious when it comes to dealing with prisoners. You do tend to give them donuts and hope they like you enough to talk.”
Where was the Ben she knew better than her own heart? Why could she hear her sister vomiting even though she’d only said the words in her mind and Kala wasn’t even here?
Huisman was dead. They should be celebrating, but Ben seemed shut down. As though that wasn’t truly the outcome he wanted.
Ben stared at the desk in front of them, avoiding looking at Huisman. This was obviously the man’s private office. The rest of the place was Spartan, with only utilitarian features, but this was luxurious. She counted three separate laptops and a desktop she would need to figure out how to download. She would take the laptops with her.
Would he fight her over them or agree to come back to her hotel so they could share the intel? A couple of minutes before she’d had a scene in her head. She and Ben entwined on that big bed, naked and sated and talking about all the intel they were finding.
Ben stood by a monitor and held up a sad sticky note.
Play Me
That was a terrible idea. Huisman liked games, and the only way to win was to ignore them all.
“I don’t think we should go down that rabbit hole. Let’s get into the lab and get out of here. If he wanted to monologue like a good villain, he should have stayed alive.”
He set the note down and moved to the door that led further into the apartments.
Kenzie felt her jaw drop. This wasn’t the lab. It was a decadent bedroom with cream-colored walls and a massive four-poster bed.
And some paintings that were supposed to have been lost during World War II. She was almost sure there was a Picasso on one of the walls, but her attention was now firmly fixed on the big-ass piece of equipment with wires flowing all around and a…damn it. That was a timer on the top.
“What is that?” She asked the question even though she was pretty sure of the answer.
Before he could reply, there was a hissing sound and she realized the door behind them had closed and likely locked. In horror she watched as the clock came online.
1:00:00
0:59:59
0:59:58
Well, she’d known. “Shit. It’s a bomb.”
Ben tried to open the door. It didn’t budge. “Try the key card.”
She knew it wouldn’t do a lick of good. They were caught, and now she wished she’d put a bullet in that asshole’s brain. Damn it. Her father was going to kill her. Her sister would never let her live this down. She tried the security card but all she got was a red light.