Page 75 of Final Exit

“Oh, there is, all right. Faegan has to interrogate every one of EXIT’s so-called assassins to make sure he knows the extent of any information they might have. It’s part of the cleanup. But once he’s satisfied that he’s found all the documentation, the extermination phase goes into full swing.” He sighed as if greatly put upon. “So far we’ve only been allowed to kill a few of them. Makes for some boring days.”

He’d only killed a few of them. Could Sebastian and Amber be alive, as Kade had claimed? Bailey looked around the room, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. Somehow she had to get out of here, save her friends, and find that damned retraining facility.

“I can give you the rest of the Enforcers,” Kade said.

The room went silent. Bailey stared at Kade in horror.

“How?” Dominic asked.

“Once we leave here, once Bailey is free, I can log into the Equalizers’ network and warn the remaining Enforcers. I can tell them they all have to go to a specific location—of your choosing—for an emergency meeting about the leaders at EXIT who are trying to kill them.”

“You bastard,” Bailey hissed.

Dominic had been staring at Kade with suspicion. But after Bailey spoke, he grinned. “Very well. You have another deal, this time with me. We’ll let your woman go after the Equalizers are dead. And then you’ll go with us and lure the rest of them into a trap.”

A sob escaped Bailey before she could stop it. “I hate you, Kade.”

His back stiffened but he didn’t look at her.

“Do it,” Dominic said, waving toward the panel. “I’m looking forward to witnessing my very first Sarin gas attack. This is going to be fun. Go on. Kill them.”

Sarin gas.Oh, God.That was the deal that Kade had made? That was why he’d tricked her into getting the Equalizers to this location?

Forgive me, Jace. Forgive me, Austin, Mason, Devlin, Terrance. I’m so, so sorry.

Kade opened one of the cabinets below the panel and pulled out a small canister with a big red skull and crossbones on it. He opened another cabinet above it to reveal a round hole with a red metal cover. He carefully slid the canister into the hole, then sealed the red cover over it.

“It’s ready,” he said.

“Kade,” Bailey pleaded. But she didn’t know what else to say. His mind was obviously made up. She didn’t know why he’d bargained for her life. But he was committed to going through with this.

“Which button do I push?” Dominic asked.

“I’ll tell you after I speak to the Equalizers.”

“Speak to them? I’m not opening the door to that lab. They all have guns.”

“Afraid of a fair fight?” Bailey sneered.

“I want to warn them what’s going to happen,” Kade said. “I owe it to them. They’re... theywere...my friends. Or at least, Bailey’s friends. It’s the only thing left that I can do for them.”

Dominic shrugged. “Go ahead. Warn them. It’ll be even more fun that way, to see the fear in their eyes before the gas strikes them down.”

Bailey’s stomach clenched. Bile rose in her throat.

Kade flipped a switch on the control panel and immediately the sound of the men in the other room was broadcast into the control booth. They stood in a huddle by the computers, guns drawn, apparently discussing whatever plans they were trying to make. But their exact words couldn’t be heard, just a low mumble.

Kade flipped another switch, and the sounds from the other room were silenced once again.

“What are you doing?” Dominic asked.

“It’s one-way communication. Now they can hear us. But we can’t hear them.”

“All right. Continue.”

The Equalizers were all staring at the window now. Jace stepped forward and the other men joined him, except for Austin, who sat in his wheelchair a short distance away looking sullen. Jace was obviously saying something, and from the fury on his face, it wasn’t nice.

“I’m sorry it’s ending like this,” Kade said, his voice heavy with regret.

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