Page 81 of Final Sins

A shadow flitted past. Tai, sneaking out of the basement. Crouched low, with the general’s back to him, he slipped into the shadows.

Alex must have seen him, too. She gestured at Munsinger. “And how exactly does one go about shaping the world, General?”

“It’s all about money,” the man insisted. “We bolster regimes friendly to our philosophies and starve the others.”

As the old man launched into another tirade, Jason caught her eye. A subtle nod passed between them. They were on the same page—keep him talking, keep him distracted.

Tai’s breathing quickened over the comms. “Found it,” Tai’s whisper sent a jolt through Jason’s system. “In the control room. Just like we thought.”

Cody’s voice, steady and reassuring, guided Tai through the disarming process. Jason’s heart pounded, each second stretching into eternity as he maintained his facade of rapt attention to the general’s ravings.

Suddenly, Munsinger’s eyes narrowed. He glanced between Jason and Alex, suspicion dawning on his weathered face.

“You’re stalling,” he growled, his finger pressing harder on the dead man’s switch. “This has a three-mile range. I’ll take the woman with me just to make sure you don’t try to interrupt my get away.”

Jason’s muscles tensed, ready to spring into action. The comms remained agonizingly silent. Had Tai succeeded?

Time slowed, each second stretching into eternity.

“Detonator neutralized,” Cody’s voice crackled in his ear, a lifeline in the chaos.

With one last silent prayer, Jason lunged, fist cocked. The general’s eyes widened in surprise as Jason’s fist connected with his jaw, sending the man staggering backwards. The useless switch clattered to the ground.

Hands up ready to fight, Munsinger came straight at him. They grappled, a deadly dance of fists and feet. Jason dodged a vicious right hook, countering with a swift kick to the general’s midsection. But the man blocked him. The old man was good. And shockingly fit. Every move Jason made was met with equal force and skill.

A groan from nearby caught Jason’s attention for a split second. Gravy staggered toward them. The distraction cost him as the general’s elbow slammed into his injured side, sending a stab of pain straight down his leg and driving the air from his lungs.

Jason stumbled back, gasping. The older man advanced, a predatory gleam in his eye. But before he could press his advantage, a blur of motion erupted from the shadows.

Gravy, his face a mask of anguish and determination, barreled into his father. They went down in a tangle of limbs, rolling across the dusty ground of the abandoned park.

A glint of metal caught the moonlight. The general had pulled a concealed weapon.

The crack of a gunshot split the night air.

For a heartbeat, the world stood still. Then the general slumped forward, collapsing at Gravy’s side, his face a mix of shock and something almost like pride.

“Son ...” he wheezed, his voice barely audible.

Gravy cradled his father, conflicting emotions warring across his face. Anger, grief, and a terrible, aching loss.

Jason approached cautiously, Alex at his side.

Gravy laid his father gently on the ground. A dark stain spread across the man’s chest. Way too much blood.

Jason kicked the gun away, though it was clear the threat had passed. Munsinger’s eyes were already growing dim, fixed on his son’s face in his final moments.

44

Even ten minutes later,Jason’s ears still rang in the aftermath of the gunshot, the acrid smell of gunpowder mingling with the weird, musty scent of the abandoned amusement park. His heart pounded, adrenaline still surging through his veins as he surveyed the chaos around him. Unconscious Seven-Five operatives lay scattered like discarded action figures, while his team moved with practiced efficiency.

Kate and Fenn wrestled with a sun-faded tarp, reverently covering the general’s body, then bowing their heads in prayer. Liv and Mac stepped around the unconscious agents, zip tying wrists and ankles while Paige and Cody and Tai did what they could to resecure the perimeter, patching together the battered fleet of drones.

Jason’s gaze landed on Gravy. The younger man stood motionless, staring at the tarp. The usual mischievous glint in his eyes was replaced by a haunted look that made Jason’s chest tighten.

He waved to get Gravy’s attention. “I could use your help securing the area.”

Gravy threw back his shoulders, standing stiffly at attention. He raised a hand. “I’ll handle the explosives, Major. Make sure they’re all accounted for and disabled.”

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