Page 37 of Lyon

Dread settled in my gut. “You think she killed Tonya?”

River’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “I’m calling the local police to check the house. I’ll have the husband meet us at the airport.”

Before I could respond, I noticed something. Sherry was having a silent meltdown. Her breaths quickened. Her hands trembled.

Then I realized—her case was missing.

Heart pounding, I darted toward the bathroom.

And there it was.

A bomb.

“Oliver!” I barked. He saw it and immediately rushed to River, taking control of the plane.

Stanley, watching the kids, muttered, “The Air Marshal must have recognized her. She’s wanted.”

River glared at Sherry. “So, you’re the nanny. You wanted the wife’s life. When they fired you, you decided to kill their kids along with yourself.”

Sherry’s lips curled into a deranged smile. “That’s exactly right. Tonya got everything. But she didn’t deserve it. She didn’t even know—we’re cousins. I tricked her into hiring me. I locked her in the basement—with another bomb.” She laughed, a wild, unhinged sound.

Rage burned through me.

River didn’t hesitate. He punched her in the chin, knocking her out cold.

“She has the detonator,” he muttered, already checking her for it.

I tore her dress down the front.

And there it was.

The bomb, strapped to her thigh.

River grabbed his phone. “Cyclone. We’ve got a bomb on board. I need you to walk us through disarming it.”

Cyclone’s voice was calm. “Describe it.”

“Orange and red wires. And…wait. Green.”

“Good. River, make sure she stays unconscious. The detonator is on her thigh. If she wakes up and struggles, it could go off.”

River took a steadying breath. “I’m cutting the tape.”

“Lyon,” Cyclone said. “Tell Oliver to fly away from populated areas.”

I relayed the message. Oliver nodded, angling the plane away from civilization.

River held the detonator now.

“Okay,” Cyclone instructed. “Open it. It’s like a garage remote. There should be a way to pop it open carefully.”

River grunted. “Tell Cyclone to stop telling me to be careful—I got this.” Then, quietly, “If this goes south, tell Kat I love her and the kids.”

“Nothing’s going south,” Cyclone said firmly. “Cut the green wire first—on the detonator, then the bomb.”

I held my breath as River severed the wire.

“Good,” Cyclone said. “Now the red. Same order.”

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