Ming sighed. “I trust my intuition,” he replied. “I have a sense that you have good intentions and an open mind. And that you want what’s best for the world. So I decided that if I was honest, you would be too. If I’m wrong, coercion is always an option. As is bringing you all back to Taiwan to make sure what I’ve said here never gets back to China.”
“I believe the CCP is a significant global threat,” I said. “Just like you do. So no matter what, the Chinese will never hear about your task force from me.”
One of Ming’s comrades rose, and a smile slowly crawled across his face. “Too late,” he said in perfect English.
And with that Ming and his three companions slumped down in their chairs, instantly dead, as if their heads had been held aloft by strings that had been neatly snipped, causing their chins to plummet into their chests. As if the Grim Reaper had flipped a light switch and turned off their lives in the blink of an eye.
10
My mouth dropped open. The four Taiwanese commandos had toppled like bowling pins, and our eyes had been drawn to this shocking spectacle, if only for an instant. The man who had risen knew we’d be unable to stop ourselves from reflexively glancing in horror at the freshly deceased men, and he used this momentary distraction to draw an automatic pistol. By the time our four sets of eyes returned to him, it was too late.
“Freeze!” he commanded, and I noticed the gun was pointed directly at me. “Even blink funny and Jason gets the first bullet!” he shouted. “One of you might hit me before I kill you all, but I’m still laced with explosives. If I don’t die instantly, I take out the room.”
My heart jackhammered into my throat.
“Everyone except Jason back up eight steps!” the man demanded.
I could tell that Tessa was hyper-alert, and that her mind was racing, but there was no way out and she knew it. She nodded at Dombkowski and Connelly, and all three shuffled backwards as ordered, leaving me an unwilling volunteer standing in front of the line.
The assailant didn’t waste a moment, closing the short gap between us and spinning me around expertly, so I was facing outward, sliding his left arm around my neck while shoving the automatic weapon into my back. Now I was not only a hostage, but a human shield as well, in case one of my allies had any wild ideas about taking a shot.
“Major, all weapons on the ground, or I’ll shoot him in leg. You have three seconds!”
“Do as he says!” Tessa ordered her two subordinates, crouching down and slowly, carefully, disarming. Dombkowski and Connelly followed suit.
The man with a gun in my back then ordered them to move away from the pile of weaponry now on the warehouse floor, so they wouldn’t be tempted to do something foolish. Tessa appeared calm and calculating, but I knew her well enough to tell that she was panicking on the inside, worried far more about my welfare than her own.
I had always wondered how brave I’d be if I were a hostage, or in a combat situation, and now I knew.
Not at all.
Not that bravery would have helped me. I had learned martial arts and certain fighting techniques to help me write hand-to-hand combat scenes, but I had no doubt this man was a trained commando. Never having used my limited skills outside of a dojo, I didn’t stand a chance.
Still, if it became clear the man holding me eventually planned to kill us all, I vowed to sacrifice myself to save Tessa. I’d force him to kill me, freeing her to do what needed to be done.
Even the thought of it made me dizzy. I had fallen in love with her, hard, but I really, really hated the thought of dying. I had occasionally pondered what it would feel like to be in a no-win situation, to know that death was imminent, and to purposely hasten this death to spare others.
An easy choice to make on paper. Less easy in real life.
The assailant introduced himself simply as Chen, and then raided Tessa’s supply of zip-tie handcuffs. He tossed three of them in her direction, which landed on the floor at her feet.
“Seat them each on a steel chair,” he said to her, gesturing to Dombkowski and Connelly, “and cuff their hands to the chair behind their backs. Then cuff your own hands, pulling the cuffs tight with your teeth.”
“I’ll cuff my men,” said Tessa defiantly, “but my hands remain free. If that troubles you enough to kill us all, so be it.”
“Are you crazy?” said Chen.
“I won’t bind my hands for you,” said Tessa. “I’m unarmed, and you hold all the cards. That will have to be enough for you. I promised to never let myself be bound again in circumstances like these. I’ve been raped before, and I’ll die before I let it happen again.”
She paused. “So if that’s your intent,” she continued, “have at it. Just know that I’ll be using my unbound hands to rip your tiny manhood right from your body.”
My head continued to spin wildly. Tessa had been raped? She spoke perfect Mandarin? How did I know so little about her?
Chen shook his head. “You may be quite attractive, but I have no interest in forcing myself on you.”
“Your assurances really mean a lot to me,” said Tessa sarcastically. “Because there’s no one I trust more than a man who betrays and kills his own team.” She shook her head. “No deal, Chen. I’ve made that mistake before.”
“Leave her alone!” shouted a hysterical voice, which I was surprised to realize was my own. “She’s at your mercy. Hurt her, or make her cuff herself, and I’ll never give you a single answer. Never!”
Chen’s eyes widened. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” he said in dismay.