Page 124 of Airborne
“I have no idea who they are.”
They walked twenty feet with the entrance in sight. Many women and children lined up outside the ticket booth. Young and old wore yellow T-shirts bearing the name of a day care. She’d assumed the heat would deter visitors.
Please, get inside the zoo.
“To the parking lot,” Thomas said. “My car’s there.”
At the sight of his two-seater Fiat Spider, her idea to take him down dwindled.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
THE HEAT HELD NO MERCY,much like Thomas’s demands. The agents would keep their distance, and SWAT had them in their scopes. The problem... the vial of H9N15 in Thomas’s hand. Any unexpected movement, and he’d trigger it. Heather had no reservations that he’d use it.
A day care bus pulled into the parking lot.
Thomas lifted his left hand containing the vial and spoke into his Apple Watch. Within seconds, he arranged for a helicopter to pick him up at an address not his home or office.
But SWAT and agents heard.
Reaching his sports car, Heather did a mental check for where snipers hid. “How do you plan to do this, Shield? Which one of us will you eliminate first?”
“You, of course.”
“I’d rather take the first bullet,” Chad said.
“Noble, but not wise.” Thomas clutched Heather around thethroat, jammed the barrel of the gun into her temple, and scanned the area. “Who else knows about our zoo excursion?”
“No one,” Heather whispered through the viselike pain. “I scheduled it on my calendar. That’s all. Believe me, Shield, I had no idea Chad would check up on me.”
“Looks like you both lost. Here’s what’s going to happen.” Thomas squeezed her against the front of him. “Chad, get into the passenger seat.”
He hesitated, his face pale and rigid. The sound of excited children broke through the air.
“Now, or I’ll shoot her. Heather, you’re going with me to the driver’s side.”
She saw the foresight in his plan. SWAT wouldn’t have a clear shot. Chad opened the car door. He stared into her face. “I’m sorry.”
Thomas seethed. “Shut up.”
Chad slid inside, but Heather didn’t hear the door click shut. She dragged her feet while Thomas moved around the front of the car to the driver’s side. She seized his left hand with the vial and aimed for a punch to his face. Thomas stopped her maneuver.
“Open the door,” he said. When she did, he stepped back and aimed at Chad’s face.
Heather screamed and slammed her head back against his.
The Beretta sent a bullet into Chad’s thigh.
She lifted her right leg and slammed her heel into Thomas’s groin. He doubled over. She grabbed the barrel of his gun and twisted his wrist back. It snapped. The pain sent him to his knees.
The gun dropped onto the concrete, but he still held fast to the weaponized freshener. She kicked the gun and reached for the vial.
Thomas managed to shove her aside still gripping the virus in his left hand. He pointed it toward the children pouring from the day care bus.
Someone shouted for the crowd to get back.
Heather lunged at him, peeling back the fingers wrapped around the deadly virus. Rage exploded from him with incredible strength. Agents rushed Thomas and held him down.
Heather struggled with the vial until it was in her hands. Agents took over and one helped her stand. She hurried to Chad, who’d stumbled out of the car and onto the pavement. Blood puddled onto the cement. She pressed on the wound, a sickening reminder of all the case had cost them.
