I thought that was a good idea, so I hurried back to the spot, only to find that Suzette wasn’t there. What the freak? Had she gone inside the chamber? I hadn’t heard a thing from my earpiece, so I didn’t know what was going on. Taking a breath, I moved toward the chamber door and listened. Not a peep. Maybe I should open it a little and take a look?
The loud crack of gunfire sent my heart into overdrive, and I jerked away from the door. Several more shots sounded, and I heard Gabriel shouting in my earpiece. Of course it was in French, so I had no idea what he was saying.
Now might be a good time to find Ramos, or just get the hell out of there, so I took a few steps toward the last place I’d seen him. Just then, the chamber door burst open, scaring me half to death. To my horror, Cypher charged through, then jerked to a stop, surprised to find me there.
As his eyes glossed over with hatred, he raised his gun to fire. I threw my shoes at him and took off with a squeal, hearing the blast from his gun and a bullet whizzing past me. Running on pure adrenalin, I rounded the corner to the hallway where I’d last seen Ramos, and ran right into him.
He caught me in his arms and spun me behind him, then planted his feet. As Cypher rounded the corner, Ramos landed a one-two punch, hitting Cypher squarely in the stomach. Then he sent his fist with a hard uppercut into Cypher’s jaw. Cypher’s gun flew from his hand, and the momentum sent his head banging into the wall. Dazed, he slumped to the floor.
Ramos didn’t wait around, kicking Cypher’s gun away and shoving him onto his stomach. As he wrenched Cypher’s arms behind his back, Gabriel ran around the corner. More chatter came through my earpiece, and two of the swat-team members joined us. They took over from Ramos, slipping handcuffs onto Cypher’s wrists and pulling him roughly to his feet.
“Babe, are you okay?” Ramos asked, folding me into his arms. He was worried that he’d been a little rough when he’d spun me behind him.
“Oh no, I’m good,” I said a little breathless. “It didn’t hurt me.”
“Good. Sorry I left you.”
“S’okay,” I mumbled. “You were here. You got him. That’s all that matters.”
Gabriel and the soldiers shoved Cypher against the wall. “Où est la bombe?” Gabriel shouted. Cypher shook his head, then spat in Gabriel’s face. Gabriel jerked out of reach, so Cypher totally missed, but it still made Gabriel furious. He snarled and raised his fist, ready to beat Cypher to a bloody pulp.
“Uh, Gabriel?” I said. “I can help you with that.”
With a frustrated growl, Gabriel lowered his arm and inhaled sharply before taking a step back. He glanced my way and nodded, but took another moment to calm down. Finally under control, he spoke to his men. They pulled Cypher out of the hallway and back toward the chamber doors, leaving us alone in the hall. He pulled out his earpiece, motioning for me and Ramos to do the same.
“Do you know where it is?” he asked.
“Yeah, I have a pretty good idea, but I need to look inside the senate room. If what I got from him is in there, then I’ll be able to find it.”
“Très bien. Come with me.”
We followed Gabriel around the corner where he opened the door to the senate chambers. As we followed him inside, I glanced toward the podium and knew immediately where it was. “It’s there, beneath that staircase on the right that leads up to the first podium. They cut away the wooden panel right at the bottom there on the right, and propped it back up. It should give way pretty easily. Um... I also picked up that it’s a big bomb, and quite sensitive, so you need to be really careful.”
Gabriel nodded, then took out his radio and spoke into it. Finished, he turned back to me. “I called the bomb squad. They will be here shortly. But it has occurred to me that we do not know when this bomb is set to go off, or how to diffuse it. Do you mind listening to Cypher again?” This request was followed by a wicked smile that I found totally appropriate.
“Not at all,” I agreed, enthusiastically. “Can you get me a paper and pen so I can write it down?” Since this was a bomb I needed to diffuse, I sure didn’t want to get it wrong.
“But of course.”
Cypher sat on the floor near the cushioned seat where I’d wanted to sit earlier, with the swat-team and Suzette standing guard. For some reason it gladdened my heart that he was sitting on the floor instead of the seat. It was also a relief to find Suzette well and unhurt. I picked up that she thought the same about me, and we shared a smile.
Once I had a pen and paper, Gabriel asked his questions. He went slowly and repeated himself several times. He also asked specific questions, so I knew he had some experience with bombs. Cypher couldn’t figure out what was going on, especially since he kept his mouth shut. It confused him further that saying nothing didn’t seem to faze Gabriel in the least.
Getting it all down took longer than I thought but, for obvious reasons, I needed to get it right. Most of Cypher’s answers had come through his visualization process along with his thoughts, so by the end, I felt pretty confident that I had it down. After going over everything a second time, I signaled Gabriel.
We headed back into the senate chamber, just in time for the bomb squad’s arrival. Gabriel told them where the bomb was, and we watched them set up. Since they seemed to know what they were doing, I decided not to worry that it would explode before we could get it diffused. Still, my shoulders tightened with tension and my stomach got a little queasy.
“I’ll tell you what they need to do,” I said to Gabriel, “and you can relay it to the bomb squad, okay?” Gabriel nodded, and I continued. “Cypher built that bomb. I guess it’s his specialty. He also knows about a lot of other things you might find useful.”
Gabriel’s gaze narrowed. “I see what you mean. We should talk to him.”
“Yeah, and... he shouldn’t die before that happens.”
His lips turned up in a knowing smile. “I understand. I will see to it.”
“Good.” I sighed with relief, knowing Gabriel wasn’t the only one who wanted to beat the crap out of Cypher. “Anyway he was thinking that there was only one way to diffuse it, and he hid it in the mechanics pretty well, so no one else could do it without getting blown up.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed with concern. “You can give me the instructions if you wish to leave.”
“Oh... no.” I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to make sure those guys are careful... and it’s a pretty big bomb, you know? You might want to clear everyone else out of the building. Just in case.”
“Oui, that is true, but all who wanted to leave have already done so.” He glanced at Ramos. “I will watch over her if you wish to leave.”
“Not a chance,” Ramos said, sending a quick smile my way.
Gabriel nodded. “Then let us sit down. I believe they are ready to start.” He motioned to some seats close by, but still a couple of rows above the men, so I could see what they were doing.
Up until then, I wasn’t too worried. But then it hit me. The fate of everyone here, along with this vast historical palace, rested in my hands. We could all die. The enormity of this task sent my stomach into a queasy knot. I took a couple of deep breaths and tried not to freak out.
Just then, Ramos took my hand and gave it a squeeze, thinking that I’d do fine. It would all work out and I shouldn’t worry so much. I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced up at him, smiled my thanks, and held onto his hand for dear life.
The main bomb-diffuser guy told Gabriel what he saw, and Gabriel translated it for me. I told him the first steps to take and it continued this way until we made it right down to the last wire. Gabriel repeated my instructions, but the main dude didn’t seem to like what he heard.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“From his experience, the wire you are telling him to cut is the wrong one.”
“Oh good,” I said. “That means I got it right. Tell him it was put together like that so if anyone tried to disarm it, they would cut
the wrong wire and blow us all up. Or... no, don’t say that, just tell him to do what you said in the first place. Or if he won’t, tell someone else to do it, but he has to cut the one I said to cut.”
“Do not worry, ma chère, he will cut the right one.”
I let out my breath and nodded, then glanced at Ramos and squeezed his hands while Gabriel spoke. In the silence that followed, I closed my eyes and said a little prayer.
A second later, a big cheer erupted from the bomb squad, followed by lots of excited French.
“It is done,” Gabriel said, jumping to his feet. “You did it!”
With a rush of exuberance, Gabriel pulled me to my feet and tugged me into a tight embrace. Murmuring in his beautiful French language, he leaned forward and kissed both of my cheeks. Then he held my face in his hands, and planted a big kiss, right smack on the lips. He pulled away with a grin, then raised both arms above his head and let out a whoop.
While Gabriel hustled over to the bomb squad to congratulate them, I stood there totally stunned. I turned to Ramos with my mouth hanging open in shock.
“What the hell?” he said.
“I know... that was...” Before I could finish, he swooped down and captured my mouth with his. This kiss was different from Gabriel’s, but it carried the same intense emotion of joy, along with relief and an underlying sense of longing.
He pulled away before I wanted him to, but it was also before I could get too upset with him. Still, I tried to look upset, but I couldn’t do it and ended up laughing with him instead. Then Gabriel called my name. I glanced at him, and the entire bomb squad all cheered for me.
“They want to kiss you too,” Gabriel said.
“All right,” I shouted. I was ready to run down there, but Ramos wouldn’t let me go. “I guess I’ll wait up here.”
To my delight, all four of them came up the stairs. They took turns speaking to me in French... I had no idea what they said, but I blushed from all the attention anyway. Then before leaving, they each kissed me on the cheeks. No lip stuff though, but that was probably because Ramos stood behind me. I couldn’t see his face, but from his thoughts, I was pretty sure he was glaring.
After each of them had kissed me, they returned back to their bomb duties. I had to admit that this was one of the best moments ever. Maybe all the stress of what I’d been through these last couple of days wasn’t so bad. I mean, getting kissed by Gabriel and then Ramos... Ramos kissed me? Holy hell! Then after that by four handsome Frenchmen? Wowza!
Gabriel returned to my side and clapped Ramos on the back. “I see you are learning the French way, my friend. This is good, no? Now, I’m afraid we must get back to business.”
He turned his gaze to mine. “While these good men finish with the bomb, I must ask if you would please accompany me back to headquarters. I believe we have some unfinished business with our prisoner. Right now, he does not know we have diffused the bomb, so I think we will not tell him. In fact, I think we will just ask questions. It may confuse him, but... c’est la vie, as we Frenchmen say.”
“Sure,” I agreed with a chuckle. “We need to get as much out of him tonight as we can. And believe me, there’s a lot, and it’s pretty serious.”
Gabriel nodded, and we followed him to the door. I stepped through, and Suzette glanced up from her seat on the cushions, hoping that all of the cheering she’d heard meant good news. She’d also found my shoes and handed them to me. “I guess I have to put those back on, huh?”
“Yes, unless you want your feet to freeze once we go outside.”
“Yeah... not so much.” Still, I decided to wait until we actually went outside to put them on. We followed the swat-team escorting Cypher, who all held him tightly and seemed ready to clobber him if he made any trouble. We congregated at the main doors, getting everyone sorted out. I told Suzette I was going with Gabriel, so she could go home.
“You should update Blake, though,” I added. “He’ll be glad to know what’s happened.”
“Yes, he will.” She glanced at Ramos. “Are you coming with me?”
“Uh... no. I think I’d better stick with Shelby.”
“Hey... do you think you could go back with Suzette and get some of my clothes for me?” I asked. “I’d like to wear something more comfortable. Plus, I’m a little cold in this dress.” I’d found my wrap, but it wasn’t quite warm enough, and it hurt to put my shoes back on.
“Sure babe. Just make sure you tell Gabriel to let me in when I show up.”
“I will. Thanks. See you.”
They left, and it took a while to get all the modes of transportation ready for the trip back to headquarters. Gabriel didn’t want anything to go wrong with Cypher’s ride, so he was extra-cautious. Finally ready, I rode with Gabriel behind the car taking Cypher.
With everyone worrying that someone might try to free Cypher, the ride back was a little tense. So I was grateful when we finally pulled into headquarters. Even better, Ramos arrived with my clothes a few minutes later. I took them from him with a profusion of thanks, and hurried into the bathroom to change.
It was a relief to put on my favorite jeans, a tee with only one bullet hole in it, and my socks and boots. He’d even brought the bag with my makeup and hairbrush. I gladly splashed cold water over my face and combed out my hair, then put on some moisturizer and a little lip gloss.
Last, I slipped my leather motorcycle jacket on and felt all warm and fuzzy. It was like coming home, and it reminded me that I hadn’t talked to Chris all day. Was he coming to Paris? Since I didn’t have my phone, I’d just have to wait until I got back to Suzette’s house to call. A deep swell of longing passed through me, and I really hoped he’d come. But another part of me was so exhausted, that all I wanted to do was go home where it was safe.
I left Suzette’s dress in the bathroom and stepped out to find Ramos waiting for me. He wore his standard jeans, dark shirt, and his motorcycle jacket. The sudden realization that he’d been there for me through all of this brought tears to my eyes. I blinked them away, but not before he caught sight of them.
His brows drew together with concern. “What’s up?” he asked.
“I don’t know... I just saw you and started crying.”
“Yeah... I noticed that. Hey... don’t fall apart on me now. At least wait until we’re alone.” In his thoughts, he added, so I can kiss you again.
A laugh burst out of me, and I sniffed. “Uh... I’ll be fine. I’m not going to fall apart.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, even though he didn’t quite believe me. “Okay then. They’re waiting for you. Will you be all right? Do you need me to come in with you?”
“No, I’ll be fine. But just so you know, I can’t wait for this to be over.”
“I hear you,” he agreed and ushered me down the hall. “They’re in there.” He motioned toward a door. “I’ll be waiting in the break room. Send for me if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” I nodded and he opened the door. The small room had no windows and was furnished with a rectangular desk in the center and chairs on either side. Cypher sat on one side with his wrists cuffed to the table, with Gabriel and his lieutenant on the other, and an armed officer guarding the door.
As I walked in, Cypher jerked back in his chair, wondering what the hell I was doing there. Why was I always involved? What was going on? Why did they need me? I never said anything, so why include me now? It didn’t make any sense, and it was driving him insane. There had to be a reason, but what?
Gabriel nodded at me, thinking I looked more comfortable. It was a good thing, since he didn’t know how long this would take, and he hoped I wouldn’t be too mad at him by the time we were done.
“You may sit over there, s’il vous plait?” He motioned to a desk I hadn’t seen that was off in the corner. Several lined note-pads sat on top of it with a couple of pens beside them.
“Sure.” I nodded with relief. Over there, I was out of Cypher’s immediate vicinity and behind him.
He couldn’t see me, and I wouldn’t have to look at him; that made being in this room lots more bearable. There was also a can of Diet Coke sitting on the top left corner, and I gasped with surprise.
“When I asked him what you would like, your friend told me to get you that,” Gabriel explained, happy that he’d pleased me.
“Thanks,” I said.
“De rien,” he answered. “If you think of something I should know, please give a note to the officer, and he will hand it to me. Will that work?”
“Yes,” I agreed.
“Then let me know when you are ready.”
I sat down and got comfortable, popped open my can of diet soda and took a swig, then glanced at Gabriel and nodded. He turned his unflinching gaze to Cypher and began, asking his name, and who he worked for.
Then Gabriel asked Cypher where he got the sarin gas bomb, and why he had targeted Paris. Was this all his idea, or did he just follow directions? If not, then who gave him the orders?
From there he asked for the number of people who worked for him, if any of them lived in Paris, and if so, where they lived. He asked for each one of their names. Gabriel gave Cypher plenty of time to think of the answers, and he always waited until I quit writing before asking the next question.
Sometimes, Cypher didn’t exactly answer the question, so I had to go with the impressions I picked up. Those he did think of, I wrote as succinctly as I could, but knew I misspelled most of the locations, along with the names of his people. So I wrote them down phonetically and soldiered on.
Next, Gabriel asked if Cypher had any other terrorist attacks planned. If so, what they were and where they were to take place. Did any of these terrorists know how to make bombs, or was he the only one? Did they have any bombs ready to use, and if so, where were they?
Hearing Cypher’s thoughts about upcoming attacks sent chills down my spine. He’d made several suicide vests, and the sleeper cells the terrorists had organized planned to use them if the police ever came knocking. I underlined that information and put a big star by it. Cypher also had contacts within several other European countries, but I didn’t get any specifics because Gabriel didn’t ask. Still, it was enough to make me sick to my stomach.
Devious Minds Page 25