chapter seventeen
Kiku Honda stood in the window in his office, staring at the tower in the center. Antenna of BraginskyNet, which towering over the dirty buildings, seemed to mock from Japanese, and showed him, who had authority in the city.
"Coming soon." Honda muttered to himself and joined his hands on his back.
Soon, the beautiful tower, symbol of the power of Anya Braginsky would break up. Disappeared. Branginsky whose family ruled in the city for years, would fell.
Honda smiled a bit. He would also get rid of this Turk. So Lovina would be no longer be needed also Kirkland. He, Kiku would get rid of them all.
When the sirens started their warnings of the terrorists attack, the Japanese slowly left the window. Several of his men came in.
"It began Mr Honda." One of them exclaimed and dressed a kevlar vest.
Japanese went to the door, ignoring his subordinates.
"Where are you going?" One aked.
"To the place with a better view."
O
Felix pulled only once, when Natalia grabbed him by the arm and pulled out into the corridor. The iron grip of her hand not abated.
"Let me go!"
"Don't." Natalia didn't even look at him, leading him deeper into dark corridor.
"What is she going to do with Toris?"
She sent him a cold glare.
"You shouldn't care so much of him, it was always harmful for him." She said without stopping.
"He is your ex, you don't care?"
"No, because he is my ex. And you exactly know whose fault it is."
Felix recalled his conversation with Anya, she said that Toris had a special reason to work here. Felix didn't know what was she has on her mind. Now he understood.
"Toris works for Anya, because of you." He tried. "He still cares about you."
"And I care of him, or rather of his job, in which he should be good. I am not interested in anything more. Not after he was so weak to give in to you and allowed you to destroy us." Again she sent him a murderous look. "I am going to have a conversation with you, long and interesting, about past and the attack of my sister and company you two planned."
"Sister?" Felix stopped and hissed when Natalia pulled him by his hand, forcing to take a step. "Anya is your sister?"
"Half, we have one father."
"I didn't know that old Braginsky had an affair." He commented not hiding a malice.
"Stop it!"
"It even explains a lot." Felix continues. "Madness Is hereditary."
He couldn't avoid her fist. He felt a pain in his eye. Girl pushed him to the wall."
"Anya already told you this, but you were probably too stupid to understand." She growled. "Leave our sister!"
"I didn't…tell…anything…about…her…" Felix blurted out, Natalia still holding his neck, Felix choked.
"I will not let you hurt my family. Do you understand?" She said standing over him. "Even if I have to kill you, I will do it for my sister."
"Stupid." Felix hissed. "Your sister and everything will blow up."
Natalias' eyes widened when she understood Feixs' words.
"But the disk… you didn't use it, Anya has it."
"And it is the reason that you will be blown up."
Natalia aimed her fist again, but this time Felix was prepared. He hit girl in a stomach. He wanted to punch her again, but she fell on the floor and kicked him. He fell backwards, his back and head hit the wall. It dazed him for a moment
Suddenly the sirens started wailing. Natalia caught Felix and pressed him to the floor.
"You started the program! Tell me!" She cried.
"Don't…" Felix wheezed, unable to get rid of black spots before his eyes. "Our program deactivates everything!"
"You are lying! You want to blow up us!"
"Do you want to protect your sister, or not?" Felix growled, slowly recovering visual acuity. In Natalias' eyes appeared doubts. "Can you hear the alarm? Someone had already used detonating program. If you don't trust me, we can say goodbye to each other."
"I am not going to trust you!" She cried.
"If you want to rescue the company, you have no choice…"
O
Anya Braginsky was waiting for an explanation. She looked at Toris who sat before her. She smiled and waited. She knew that the mental torture produced better results in the hearings, then physical violence, but if the first method didn't give any results, she would use the second one.
"I will ask again. Do you work for Honda?"
"I… I don't…" Toris was afraid that if they were talking any longer, Japanese managed to run the detonating program, which would destroy whole city. But Anya seemed to not believe into Toris' words.
"You don't, so it means that Felix works for him?"
"No! We need to hurry!"
"No, we don't. I have the disk." She tapped her pocket. "So there is no danger."
"But…"
Then the siren sounded.
Anya sat for a moment, listening the sound of the alarm and frowning. The she slowly got up and walked calmly towards Toris. He curled up in the chair. He had never seen her so angry.
"So Honda did it. And he wants to kill me so much that he doesn't care about his own people." She grabbed Toris be his shirt and she forced him on his feet.
She raised her fist.
"Anya!" Fell from the entrance. Felix stood in the doorway, followed by Natalia. The girl pushed Łukasiewicz.
"Where is the disk? We need it!" She cried. Anyas' eyes darkened.
"You too!" She screamed and she hit her. Natalia flew back and struck her head on the desk. Lifeless she fell on the floor.
"Natalia!" Toris cried, trying to escape from Anya's grip.
"My sister!" She croaked, gripping harder Toris' throat. "I will not forgive you for this!"
"Let him go!" Felix screamed, hitting with a chair with his all strength Anya. She staggered and dropped Toris, who felt on the ground. Anya turned to Felix stretching out her hands, but Felix hit her again. Anya fell on the floor.
"Natalia…" Toris said, on his four he went to the girl's limp body. She had blood in her hair and she moaned when he touched her.
"Toris, we don't have a time! Where is the disk?" Felix cried grabbing his friend hand.
"In her jacket…"
Felix quickly found it. He reached to the computer and he plugged the memory card. He saw ask for a password.
"Toris, password."
"And how am I supposed to know? It the boss computer."
"Damn! Take care of them, I go for other computer."
Felix ran out the office he checked computers in others rooms, but all they had passwords.
"Felix I have a password!" Toris shouted,. When Felix came back, Toris was already sitting at the computer and he plugged in the disk.
"How?" Felix asked, looking at still lying on the floor Anya and Natalia. They certainly didn't provide the password.
"I called Ravis, he knew every password, after all he created this network."
"Operation aborted: the transaction not finalized. Transfer of funds: hold ... "
"What?" Felix was surprised.
"Oh, shit…" Toris said when he finally understood. "The second disk."
"You want to say…oh, fuck."
"Yes." Toris said. "We cancelled the program, which would have robbed company accounts. The detonating disk can still run, And we used the only way to stop it…"
O
Alice Kirkland didn't leave her arms when she slowly walked to Sophie and Gilbert. She waved the gun at Beilschmidt. He tensed, but when he saw that Alice aimed Sophie he dropped his knife.
"Disk." Kirkland said, pulling her hand to Sophie, who without taking her eyes from Kirkland reached to the pocket and gave her the disk.
The English woman thanked her and headed towards the writing in pain Sadik, who tried to stop bleeding from the shattered knee.
"Sadik Adnan." Alice said, bored eyes stared at the Turk like on animal in the zoo. "I had to make sure that you plugged the disk in and then kill you, but I hear that someone has already dealt with this first."
Sirens still were howling. Sadik crawled to the knife which was lying nearby. He was leaving a bloody trial on the floor. Alice was not impressed.
"So if someone do the half of my work…" She continued. "it means that I have twenty minutes to kill you and run away, before it all blow up."
"Gilbert!" Sophie called not hiding fear. "We must help Tina and Peter!"
They both turned when they heard the most unexpected words.
"Stop, police!"
At the door aimed to Alice stood Alfred. Alice looked at him shocked for a moment losing out.
"Alice!"
Sadik suddenly jumped, reaching for Gilbert's knife and plunged the blade into her belly. Alice felt poignant pain and she curled u when Adnan grabbed the knife from her body. Disk fell on the floor.
Alfred shot several times, but Sadik stumbling and dragging his injured leg managed to avoid the shots. He disappeared in one of the corridors, but in his condition he didn't ran far away.
Jones rushed and knelt beside Alice. Puddle of the blood around her slowly raised.
"Alice!"
Kirkland looked at him and quickly looked away. Constantly howling sirens were the last sound she heard, before she lost consciousness.
O
Lovina blinked trying to get rid of the view of Antonio with a blood stain on his breast. He slowly flew on the floor. Her brother shouted, falling on his knees, but this sound didn't reach her ears.
She got information about location of the meeting from that bloody German woman. When she came, she was surprised that Adnan didn't tell his people to guard the depot. She was ready to fight with every men of Sadik, so she shot when she saw her brother and the man. She had never expected that it could be Antonio.
He laid bleeding profusely and looked at her with eyes full of surprise and pain.
"Feliciano, stay away from him!" Lovina said without taking her eyes from the Spaniard.
"Lovi… please you have to help him."
"He is kidnapper, leave him. We must go."
"No!" Feliciano shouted through the tears. "You don't understand! He helped me! He wanted to save me, when Honda shut me here!"
"What?"
Lovina was shocked. Honda kidnaped Feliciano. But he told…
"Roma…" Antonio said weakly, looking at her pleadingly. Lovina approached him on stiff legs and knelt beside him. "You need to escape…Honda… There is no reason for you to live."
"What?"
Antonio pulled his hand, elder Vargas pulled away.
"I don't understand what you mean. What Honda has …" She stopped when Antonio coughed and on his lips appeared bubbled of the blood.
"Honda…" Antonio said again.
"Shut up, you idiot." Lovina growled, feeling unwanted tears flew from her eyes. What happened to her? "Shut up, unless you want to die."
The Spaniard smiled weakly. He breathed deeply, blood flew from his lips.
"Honda took care of you… in exchange for information about my…Sadik…"
Lovinas' tears dropped on Antonio's face. Elder Vargas began to understand everything, all comments, all mischievous, rumours. Everything suddenly made sense.
"Now, when Sadik…the bomb…Honda and you…"
Despite of her brother protest she leaned over Spaniard and with trembling hands, she took his face.
"You idiot, why, why it was you here…" She shouted, but there was no reply.
"Roma…I am sorry."
Lovina shook her head, clenching her eyes. She would not, could not look at him.
Then Antonio touched her face. Lovina suddenly opened her eyes.
"Why then, when Honda…" She began, but stopped when the Spaniard caressed her face with his fingers. Antonio smiled again.
"Do you know why? Because I…"
The hand fell limp. In the corridor someone screamed just after that sirens started howling.
O
"So you're not with me?"
"It that case, no. Our paths diverge."
Alice went away, leaving Alfred on the destroyed by the explosion street. She didn't regret it. If her friend was afraid of change, she would have let him die with a whole city.
Here, around the corner was a taxi. She planted a bomb there. She showed Honda how you could change the city.
Several bodies laid on the ground. Many were wounded, crying out for help. They couldn't escape from the spreading fire.
Then, among the people Alice saw her. "What she was doing here? .She was a civilian. She couldn't take part in a riot."
But there she was, lying on the ground.
Alice had to say about that Alfred. Last favour for a friend.
She ran to the place where they split. But Alfred wasn't there anymore. There was felled by the wall, screaming wounded and the stench of death. There was also a tall blond woman, undoubtedly a civilian. The doctor.
"You will go with me! Leave these men, thy are already dead. No one could survive this. Do you hear? Nobody cries for help!"
Why is she so stubborn? Alice aimed her with her gun. The doctor froze with her hands up.
"These people deserved it. They were in a center of the riot. And there are civilians."
Then from under the rubble they heard someone's moan. The doctor threw herself without hesitation to help. Alice left a gun and walked away.
"I will do it alone."
Some time later, she figured out that the doctor saved Alfred who was under the rubble. Alice promised herself that she will thank this doctor.
Then she was hiding for a long time at Francis place. Alice hated him, but she knew him for a long time. She had never guessed why Francis agreed. He didn't shared her thoughts, but he supported her. After some time Kirkland found out why and she stopped hating him.
And then Honda decided to use her help in his revolution.
And then…
O
The wound was bleeding badly. Alfred tried to attach it, but the blood soaked through the makeshift dressing, which he made with his shirt.
"What are you…" Alice said, slowly regained consciousness.
"Everything will be fine." Alfred said and tied a knot of the dressing.
"How long…I was unconscious?"
"Something like 10 minutes."
Alice grabbed Alfred's arm.
"We should go…the bomb…"
Alfred patted her hand.
"Easy. We just cancelled the alarm. Gilbert got the information that it was not the detonation program."
"What?"
Alfred didn't answer. Sophie just went to the hall. She approached them and looked at Alice. Her eyes shone of rage and hatred, but somewhere deeper were also sympathetic and gratitude.
"Tina will be okay." She announced. "She just regained consciousness."
"Good, find the disk and we can go."
Sophie nodded. She moved to the center of the hall, picking up the weapon, which was dropped.
"Alfred!" She cried, leaning over the floor. "It is not here."
"What?" Alfred turned to her and froze.
"Because you are looking in the wrong place, love." A voice from behind her back said. And then a slippery from blood hand grabbed her firm by the throat. Sadik fingers clenched. She started choking. "Maybe you should check in the manager office. It this corridor, second door on the left. I put it where it should be.
"You started a program!" Alfred cried, standing from the floor and immediately aimed Adnan, who laughed harshly.
"Stop it, unless you want her death." In Sadik's hand flashed a knife, exactly the same which he used to stab Alice.
To the hall lured by the screams came up Gilbert.
"Sophie!" He shouted and started running, when he saw a knife he stopped.
"What about the disk ,when did you use it?" Alfred asked.
"I don't know… Maybe 10 minutes ago or 15? Wait a while and you will see. And you honey…" He turned to Sophie and stopped.
Twisting her arm Sophie was able to put the gun into his belly. She struggled with the lack of air, but she didn't lowered the pistol.
"And what? You shoot me?" Sadik laughed, putting the knife closer to her neck. "I thought that we discussed this, you are too weak."
"Only you think that." She blurted and shot.
Sadik released her and took a few shaky steps. He stood on his wounded leg and fell.
"You bitch…" He wheezed as she stood over him panting.
"Soph!" Gilbert cried, running to her and embracing her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." She said and she stayed a few seconds in his arm then she pushed him away. "Gilbert bombs… We should go. Tina and Peter."
"You cannot escape…" Sadik interrupted her, coughing and spitting blood. "We all die."
He began to laugh, scary, lunatic laughter.
Sophie pressed her fingers on Gilbert's arm.
"We have to try." She said quietly. She turned to Jones. "Alfred?"
He nodded then bent to pick Alice.
"Alfred." Kirkland stopped him. "Leave me here."
"What?"
"You heard well. Just help me to get to the control room and run."
"To control room? Why?" Alfred didn't hide his astonishment. Alice hesitated for a moment.
"There is a bomb, I can disconnected it from the system. Here, this building will explode, but we will save the city or even I can disarm it so nothing will happen."
"You don't have so much time." Jones pressed his fingers to her hand. He didn't like it.
"I know, so stop talking and help me. And run, because I can have no time to disarm it entirely.
"And you?"
Alice impatient gesture pushed his hand away.
"If you don't want to help me, I will crawl there, but don't blame me if the whole city blow up. It will be your fault.
Alfred hesitated for a moment, then he picked up Alice, quickly explained the whole situation to Sophie and Gilbert. He took a few steps with Alice.
"So where is this control room?" He asked.
O
Sophie watched as Alfred and Alice disappeared behind the corner. She was about to turn to the exit when she saw Feliciano and his sister. Between them was the limp body of Sadik man, Antonio, whom she knew by a sight.
"Feliciano?" She asked. "What are you?"
"Please!" Feliciano's sister cried. Tears stained her face. "Please help him…"
"We should go, the building will explode." Beilschmidt said, tossing the body of a Spaniard on his shoulder.
"And Sadik?" Sophie asked, looking around the hall. Adnan disappeared. There was only the bloody trail, leading to the one if the corridor. Gilbert looked at it for a while.
"We can't help him." He said.
O
The control room was a small room, filled with control devices, keyboards and panels. Alfred laid Alice on the floor, next to the one in this room chair.
"Where it is?" He asked.
Kirkland pointed on of the cabinets under the control panels. Alfred took a small box from there.
"This is it." Alice said and she took a sitting position. "You can go now."
Jones didn't move.
"Didn't you hear me? Get out of here when you still can!"
"I am not gonna leave you here."
"Crazy."
Alfred sat in the chair.
"You better start your work. You said that we didn't have time."
Alice briefly looked at him and she opened the box.
O
They didn't manage to escape too far. Sophie and Feliciano were supporting Tina, both of them turned their heads towards the depot. They were praying to see the silhouettes of Alfred and Alice.
Then Gilbert shouted.
"On the ground!"
The roar ripped the air and shook earth. The red ball of fire bloomed from the roof of the depot, tearing it in pieces. A cloud of smoke rose up, strangely fitting to the setting sun, which illuminated the burning buildings.
They were lying on the ground, deafened by the screech of crumbling metal construction. Sophie managed to see that from this burning hell two people ran out. Then the antenna collapsed.