Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
* * *
Kaiser
I move with the soldiers to the back of the house, picking a few off on the way, dragging them into the shadows, and breaking their necks. I strip one of the corpses, grabbing a set of goggles and a flak jacket, and leave the bodies lying under the trees.
But by the time I get to the greenhouse, I’m too late. Bella’s in the center of the room, lit up like she’s on stage. She doesn’t look afraid, but she’s surrounded by gunmen. I seriously wonder about her sense of self-preservation sometimes.
I watch through the windows as she talks to Sal. I can take out a few more soldiers, but I’ll never reach her in time. I’ll have to wait until they grab her, and then kill them.
Why did Bella offer herself up on a silver platter?
Then Bella says loud enough that I can hear from outside, “Shoshonna Bosco won’t stand for this.” Invoking her mother’s name. Why?
There’s a click and a whir. Some machinery turning on. The men inside look around. A second later, water rains from the ceiling. A heavy downpour from the sprinkler system.
That’s when the screams begin.
I run toward the back door, using my hands or the knife to take out every soldier who stands in my way. I have the jammer on still, but it’s not foolproof. I don’t want people to start shooting.
When I get to the back door, I pluck out the men trying to get in. I kick out one’s knee and punch the other until he goes down. More men rush toward me, screaming. But they’re not coming for me. They’re trying to get away.
“It burns!” they shriek. “It burns!”
I stand aside as they run past me, clawing at their faces.
What the fuck is going on?
The soldiers are down, fallen where they stood, blanketing the floor. The lucky ones die fast with mouths open in silent screams. The unlucky ones are still writhing and twitching, blisters forming on their faces.
The air feels like razor blades, slicing my throat. I cough, throwing up an arm to shield my eyes. My eyes burn like they’re being seared in my skull, but I can’t look away from Bella.
She’s still standing in the center of the greenhouse. Her hair is soaked, plastered to her face and bare shoulders, and she has a triumphant smile on her face. She looks like the supervillain she wants to be.
Something moves behind her from the ground. It’s Sal, raising his arm. He’s got a gun. He’s squinting through the swelling on his face, taking aim at Bella.
No!
I race toward Bella through the poison rain, praying I won’t be too late.
* * *
Bella
Liquid poison slicks my hair and coats my face. The compounds in the acid rain affect the lungs, skin, and heart. If I weren’t immune to all of them, it would definitely burn. The shape of a man blurs in front of me.
There’s a loud crack like thunder but too close. The noise shatters my hearing.
Then I see Kaiser throw himself in front of me, only to fall. The shock hits me like a bullet.
He was shot.
“No,” I cry. Kaiser is face down on the ground between me and Sal. Sal is propped up on his left arm, gun in his right. Blisters bubble on his cheeks as he bares his teeth at me.
I’m screaming. I race over to Sal, snatching a pot off a worktable. The rest of the planters go flying, ceramic shattering on the stones.
Sal fires again, but I’m already on him, rage coursing through me. I smash the pot on his head, and Sal’s body sags. I kick the gun away and grab his hair to pull his head back. Blood covers his face. His hands rise to defend himself, but he’s too weak from the highly concentrated poison. I pull out a vial of hemlock from my pocket and rip off the top. I force it into his mouth, pouring the liquid down his throat and slamming the vial past his teeth until it shatters and he chokes on glass. I let him fall to the ground, convulsing. It won’t take long for him to die. I feel like a Valkyrie.
But then I remember Kaiser.
He’s still face down on the floor where he fell after being shot. He’s not moving. The poison rains onto his bare arms and the back of his neck. “Oh no, no, no, no.” I bend over him, blocking the rain with my body. “Stop,” I scream. But the rain keeps falling.
I’ve got to get him out of here. I grab his right arm with both hands and start dragging him out of the greenhouse. He’s so heavy, each inch takes an eternity. But I finally get him outside. Away from the poisonous rain.
He’s not breathing, and his face is raw and blistered.