The kid sounded shaken to his core—and that said a lot, given how calm and level-headed he’d been when he’d first met Jenna after Morgan had literally pulled him and others out of a burning building.
“I—she—she killed a man. It was self-defense,” he added in a rush. “But—”
“No. I get it.” Andre glanced at Jenna, but all she could give him was a resigned shrug. “Tell us everything.”
Jenna let Andre do the talking as she sped up, weaving through traffic until she reached the turnoff for the mall.
“Hang on, Micah. We’ll be there in two minutes.”
Chapter 24
ONCE THEY GOT to the mall, Gibson made the rounds, checking his explosive charges while Clint maneuvered into position to grab the diamonds.
Paul waited outside in the getaway car. Poor slob had no idea he was sitting on a bomb that would pretty much incinerate any chance of identifying him—especially since Clint had paid someone to switch their medical records in the prison’s computer system. By the time the cops figured out it wasn’t Clint’s body, Gibson and Clint would be picking up chicks on some island paradise with no extradition treaty.
Gibson had cased their target and knew exactly when the jewelry store’s vault would be open, how many guards inside and outside the store, and which display cases had the real stones and not cheap fakes. He’d even taken the time to map out the mall’s fire suppression controls, clocked the response time of the guards, and had learned the code to gain entry to the security office that controlled the sprinkler system, fire alarm, and electronic locks on the mall’s doors.
Clint was going to be so proud of him by the time tonight was over—he’d forget all about Morgan, leave her behind without wasting a thought. Because Gibson wasn’t just giving Clint a diversion, he was creating a spectacle.
Clint’s plan was simple, so simple that Gibson couldn’t resist improving on it. While the cops were chasing the false bomb scare downtown, the real bombs were here at the mall. All Clint had asked for was some smoke bombs and a few firecrackers to draw out the security guards and create enough of a panic that he could grab the diamonds.
Paul had hogged all their premium ingredients to make the bombs his brother had delivered to the Pitt game—said even if they weren’t going to be detonated, they had to be real enough to keep the cops tied up. But Gibson had still been able to improvise three pipe bombs that would do the job nicely.
Clint wanted smoke and noise, he was going to get it, along with screams and blood and terror-fueled panic that would cloak their escape. He’d see for himself that Gibson was a far greater and more dangerous predator than pretty little Morgan ever was or could be.
Gibson was on the lower level in the center of the atrium, watching the pretty families getting their pretty pictures taken in front of a fake green screen. Only thing missing was his family. Damn. He’d really wanted them here for the main event. Oh, to see the look on his stepdad’s face when he realized it was Gibson with all the power…
The large screens flicked away from the mall commercials and switched to a countdown to the start of the game. A countdown Gibson and Clint were using to coordinate the start of their own game.
Most of the men in the place stopped to stare at the nearest screen while the women consulted their promo flyers for the special sales for each period and discount codes triggered by Pitt’s score at specific times.
Too bad none of them were going to be around to take advantage of any of the March Madness, Gibson thought with a smile, his finger on his phone, ready to detonate the first wave. Ten, nine, eight…
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MORGAN PUSHED THROUGH the crowds of shoppers who stood between her and the jewelry store. As she moved, she ran through scenarios in her head. Clint wouldn’t plant bombs in the store—it would risk scattering the jewels or burying them under rubble, not to mention the danger to himself if Gibson miscalculated the strength of the charge or placed it in the wrong area.
So, no bomb in the store. Which meant she’d have to leave Gibson and finding the charges in Micah’s hands. Focus on Clint. How to rob a jewelry store during the chaos of a bombing?
The store would go into lockdown. There’d be guards inside along with any customers caught in the store. But the store would also have its own rear exit—no way did they bring shipments of precious gems through the mall. Which meant Clint had to be inside the store when the bomb went off. All she had to do was either be there with him or stop him before he could get inside.
She quickened her pace, keeping to the railing overlooking the atrium. Fewer people there, away from the storefronts, and it positioned her with a better sight line. She scanned the area between her and the jewelry store on the other side of the food court. No sign of Clint, but she couldn’t see inside the store itself. Was she too late?