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."I didn't have a choice.They all had to die—so that I could save Ashley.""It wasn't Bobby," Ashley's voice sounded raw and harsh as it echoed down the tiled hallway."It was you.All along, it was you."Fletcher startled, almost dropping the deadman's switch as he whirled around.Lucy clamped her hand over his, holding the switch down."Megan, Ashley, run.Now!"Chapter 41Monday, 2:22 amBurroughs reached the busted door to the labs just as he heard the gunshot.He gulped in a lungful of air and ran as fast as he could.Callahan was pulling a young girl, not Ashley, out through a steel door leading into the main lab."Lucy's still in there," he gasped."And Ashley," the girl cried, struggling in her father's arms to return to the hallway."Go," Burroughs told him, raising his gun.He stepped into the hallway, surprised to see Lucy and Fletcher standing in front of an open refrigerator, Ashley holding a gun on them.Fletcher was bleeding from one leg, Guardino holding him up, one hand wrapped around his hand with the deadman's switch.Her other arm had him in a choke hold.His face was dusky purple and he was slumped in her grasp.His gun lay on the floor, beyond Guardino's reach even if she didn't have her hands full."Get her out of here," Guardino shouted.He stepped forward and Ashley whirled, aiming the weapon at him.Her face was blank as if she didn't know what was real and thought this was all just some kind of crazy game.He froze, lowering his weapon to his side."Drop the gun, Ashley.I don’t want to hurt you.""No." A frown twisted her features, making her look younger, a baby really."I don't—I can't.""Yes," Guardino said in a low, calm voice.A voice only a mother could produce, soothing and commanding simultaneously."Yes, you can.Ashley, a lot of people have lied to you, have tried to trick you, but I'm telling you the truth.You need to trust me, Ashley.Can you do that? Trust me?"Ashley slowly turned, locking eyes with Guardino.Guardino nodded slowly and Ashley mirrored the movement."Good girl.Now Ashley, you need to put down the gun and go with Detective Burroughs.""But—no.He, what he did…" Her voice died away, but her intent was clear as she aimed the gun at Fletcher."I know what he did.I was there, in the barn.I saw the snakes, smelled the stench.I was there, Ashley.""You were?" The gun didn't waver.Burroughs shuffled forward, stopping when Guardino gave him a small shake of her head."I was.I wish I had gotten there sooner, I would have saved you.""That's what he said he did.He lied.""He did.And he's going to pay for that.But you have to trust me, Ashley.Leave it to me.You were a very brave girl, there alone in the dark with those snakes.Very, very brave.I need you to be brave for just a few more minutes.Do you trust me, Ashley?"Guardino's hypnotic tone could have charmed a cobra into tying itself into a knot.Burroughs felt his own head nod in time with Ashley's."I trust you." The words were halting, but finally Ashley's aim wavered."Good.Now.Put the gun on the floor and let Detective Burroughs get you out of here.Close the door behind you.On the count of three.Are you ready?"Guardino's grip was weakening.Fletcher took a breath, color returning to his face.He immediately began to attack the hand that Guardino held over the deadman's switch."One, two, three," she shouted in a rush just as Fletcher was about to claw his way free of her grasp."No, Ashley," Fletcher screamed."I love you! Don't go!"The gun clattered to the ground just as Burroughs grabbed Ashley and hauled her back through the steel door.As soon as Lucy saw Burroughs get Ashley to safety, she stopped fighting.An eerie sense of calm came over her, time moving in slow motion as if the world around her had become a movie and she was predestined to act out her role."No!" Fletcher cried as Ashley disappeared.He whirled on Lucy."You did this! It's all your fault!"Lucy didn't answer.Instead she launched her free hand up to grab his chin, yanking his head around to face the refrigerator.Pivoting her weight, she propelled him into the opening, releasing the hand with the deadman's switch at the last possible moment.His momentum carried her inside with him.The door began to swing shut.She gave Fletcher one last shove to send him reeling against the far wall.She escaped out through the heavy door just as it clanked closed.She started to run, thought she was running, but instead found herself flying through the air, arms and legs flailing as the building rocked with the blast.She landed in a heap against the far wall.The lights flickered—or her vision did.Then everything was bright and sparkly as dust flit through the air.Lucy hacked and coughed, threatening to tear her stitches.Finally she got enough strength to look up.The refrigerator door was slightly ajar, hanging crooked, weird reddish-brown smoke wisping through the opening.A few of the overhead fluorescent bulbs had shattered.Tiles had been knocked from the walls, giving them a crazy checkerboard appearance.The door beside her slammed open and Nick appeared, followed by Ashley and Megan.To her surprise it was Ashley who reached her first, flinging herself at Lucy and clutching her as if she'd never let go.Then Megan and Nick followed until her vision was blinded by their warm and wonderfully whole bodies."C'mon, Burroughs," Cindy said, grinding her hip against his after the medics cleared him, "I'll make you a star."Burroughs looked at her with contempt and limped away.He joined Guardino and her family at the far end of the lab.Ashley had collapsed, refusing to leave Guardino's side, so the docs had sedated her and taken her back upstairs.Guardino looked like the walking wounded left at the end of a war movie—blood smearing her face and shirt, one arm out of commission, leaning heavily against her husband."Don't you ever do anything like that again," Callahan was saying, his arms wrapped around both his daughter and wife."Promise."In response, Guardino kissed him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]