Page 127 of Into the Gray Zone

Nadia felt the adrenaline rise, knowing this might be her only chance. If she attacked the man and got the detonator, she could use it as a threat to get the black-uniformed guards to drop their weapons. She was sure they wouldn’t shoot her immediately, because they assumed they were there to protect her.

Maybe she could talk some sense into them. Show them that Jaiden was evil and planned on having them killed. She casually glanced around the room, trying to pinpoint the location of each of the house security. She counted four and knew she was missing one. She turned around, looking behind her, and felt a shock almost as bad as when she’d been kidnapped.

Jennifer Cahill was on the balcony outside, hiding just out of the light and holding her hand forward, beckoning Nadia to come to the balcony with a finger. She disappeared back into the shadow, and Nadia wondered if she was hallucinating. She turned around and whispered to Annaka, “I’m going to the balcony. Stay here. Do not look at me, and do not follow.”

“What?”

She stood up, hissing, “Do as I say.”

The red-uniformed guard saw the movement and said, “What do you want? You’ve already had dinner.”

Nadia knew she had to get this underling to agree before Jaiden came back. If that happened, she’d never be allowed to leave.

“I just wanted some air on the balcony. Is that okay? I haven’t been outside in two days.”

The guard considered, and she said, “Where am I going to go? Jump down twenty-two stories?”

The guard nodded, saying, “Two minutes. No more.”

Nadia said, “Thank you,” and hurried to the door. She slid open the glass and stepped outside, moving past Jennifer to the far rail. She stared out at the Mumbai skyline for a moment, then went to the right, circling around the hanging plants and statues until she was at the railing next to Jennifer. She glanced back at the room and saw the red-uniformed guard next to the couch, watching her every move.

She kept her face forward but said, “How on earth did you get here?”

Jennifer said, “I climbed up. We don’t have a lot of time. Do you know who’s holding the detonator for the explosives?”

“Yes. It’s the man in the red uniform, but he’ll only have it until Jaiden comes back. I don’t know how long that will be.”

“Okay, okay, listen, Pike is on the way. When he begins his assault, my mission is to eliminate whoever is holding that thing. I’ll do the killing, but you could help with a distraction.”

The words were a little overwhelming. Nadia said, “Pike’s coming? Is he climbing too? How will he get in?”

“He has a plan, but we have very little time. Your government is gearing up to hit this building with overwhelming force, and when they do, they aren’t going to care about dead hostages after the smoke clears.”

Nadia said, “Let me guess: Riva Thakkar would rather protect his pride than his daughter.”

Jennifer said, “Yeah, that’s about it,” then she touched her ear, saying, “Roger all. I have the detonator target. Clear to breach.”

She came back to Nadia and said, “It’s showtime. Get back inside, but leave the door open.”

Chapter75

I told Jennifer we were at breach and heard the most beautiful words on earth. I leaned into Knuckles under a blanket in the trunk of the Rover and said, “Jenn’s got the detonator target. He’ll be out of play.”

Knuckles exhaled and said, “Man, we really owe her a few cases of beer. Now let’s just hope this fucker doesn’t say something to give us away on the phone.”

I said, “That won’t happen. He thinks I speak Hindi.”

Knuckles rolled his head to me, both of us crammed in the back of the Rover, and said, “You telling him ‘no funny stuff... I speak Hindi’ while talking in English isn’t really giving me confidence.”

We felt the car slow, heard Manjit saying something to a guard, then heard him talking on the phone. He passed the phone to the guard, and we heard more talking, none of which we could understand. I was starting to grow a little tense until the groaning of the giant metal gate opening split the air. I nudged Knuckles and whispered, “Oh ye of little faith.”

I felt the Range Rover start rolling forward and waited, the adrenaline beginning to course through my body like an electric current.

Knuckles said, “It’s going to be a little embarrassing if we get inside, then they open the rear hatch with thirty guns pointed at us.”

“Not going to happen. If it does, I’ll have Jennifer come rescue us.”

He said, “Jesus, after what you made her do, she’ll just let us get killed.”

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