Page 106 of Smoke and Shadows

After studying the circuitry some more, Viktor told her he was pretty sure it was a choice between the blue wire and the green wire, among the multitude of colored wires. If the wrong wire was cut first, severing the second wire would have no effect.

Viktor cut the green one. The timer continued counting down.

“Fuck!” he exploded. He grabbed the blue wire on the second canister and snipped it. The timer on that one stopped.

Viktor yanked Marissa to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”

She followed Viktor even though she was certain Reed had sealed them in. But that didn’t seem to faze her man. He ordered her to stand aside and hauled back, planting ashoulder against the heavy basement door. It vibrated, but didn’t budge.

“Goddamn it,” Viktor shouted and tried again. Marissa’s heart was breaking with the knowledge that he was desperate to save her. She wanted to tell him to take the atropine. He was stronger and had the better chance of surviving until help came, but she knew if Viktor watched her die, it would destroy him. She was conflicted because she would do anything for him to live.

“Viktor . . . stop,” Marissa whispered as she looked at the dank heavy machinery around them that was going to be a part of their tomb.

“No. You’re not dying in this shit place,” Viktor shouted. “Not gonna happen.”

He shouldered the door again. This time it gave a little. He kicked it. A little more.

Marissa wondered if the excitement was catching up with her and she was suddenly feeling a numbing sensation take over her body.

Or the nerve gas had finally reached them.

“Marissa?” Viktor’s panicked voice echoed through the sudden wave of nausea.

“Vikt . . .” She was choking. She wanted to tell him she loved him one last time, but her vocal chords stopped functioning. She couldn’t swallow.

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. They both sank to the floor on their knees. His mouth trailed her ears as he whispered, “Live for me, Iz.”

19

Jack managedto get through the U.S. Capitol police barricade. Fortunately, Derek always had his AGS contractor badge on him. Tim was frantic because he had not heard back from Baran and Marissa. Viktor’s phone went off grid, which indicated that it had been destroyed.

Burns also reported that Manning and Connelly were able to dump the Union Station nerve gas canister into a neutralization chamber before it went off. Stark and Edmunds chased down two more of Reed’s men along the train tracks and finally had them in custody.

Jack and Derek brought another neutralization unit in their vehicle, and he prayed that they weren’t too late.

They immediately spotted Agent Olsen, who was pacing nervously along the building’s steps.

“Derek!” Olsen called out. “Thank God, you’re here.”

“Where are they?”

“They haven’t come out yet, and I can’t raise them. I don’t know what to do. We can’t send more backup in until we know the status of the canisters.”

“We’ll go in. We’re suited up,” Jack said. They werewearing chemical repellent coveralls, and had their gas masks with them. “You ready, Derek?”

“Yeah.”

The senate office building workers were leaving the premises in an orderly fashion under the direction of the U.S. Capitol police. Ever since the 9/11 attacks, evacuation drills were taken seriously, and it was during times of real crisis when such exercises paid off. It didn’t stop people from eyeing them warily as Derek and Jack made their way up the steps. Jack tried to smile at them reassuringly, but his face froze when it landed on someone whose blood he’d been wanting to spill for a long time.

Owen Reed, dressed in a business suit, was descending the steps with a couple of men. Jack also recognized Henry Logan. However, the oldest among them was clearly under duress.

“Derek, you move on.”

“What?”

Reed’s eyes drifted to Jack and the man’s demeanor tensed when he realized he’d been recognized.

“Baran and Marissa are in trouble,” Jack said.

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