The smashing of glass echoed from the other side of the building, the quick pops of gunfire erupting amid yelling.
Swearing, Giovanni kicked the door again, then heaved himself forward to slam into it with his shoulder. It gave way, splintering, and Giovanni fell inward, tripping over his feet to ram his head into the hallway wall. Jess jumped in behind him, bringing her weapon up, and stepped over Giovanni. She glanced down the hallway to the right. More screaming from the other side of the house, the crack of gunfire. Striding three big paces down the hallway, Jess tried the door handle. It swung open.
And there was Hector, sitting up in bed in Spider-Man pajamas, his eyes wide.
Jess smiled and took a step back into the corridor, swinging her weapon around. “Get him,” she said to Giovanni, who was back on his feet.
He stepped past her and scooped Hector into his arms.
“Li abbiano!” yelled a voice down the corridor.
Giovanni looked at Jess. “That’s Vlad, one of my guys. He says they have them.” He held Hector tight, his little face mashed into Giovanni’s chest.
“Wait here.” Jess inched down the corridor, her back to the wall.
Stopping at the end, she crouched, then stole a quick look around the corner. She saw Enzo and the two men she’d seen outside on their knees, Giovanni’s two security men standing over them. She looked back at Giovanni. “It’s good.”
Giovanni stared at her, gripping Hector with both arms, the Beretta in one hand. He nodded at the front door. “Let’s just go, get out of here.”
Jess shook her head. “No, let’s make sure. We don’t want to be followed.”
His chest heaving in and out with each breath, Giovanni brought a shaking hand up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He stared hard at Jess, then called out, “E sicuro?”
“Si,” replied the same voice, Vlad.
The truth was, they could have just left, and Jess knew it. Giovanni’s security men could have tied up Enzo, made sure they couldn’t leave. Their car was just on the next block. In less than an hour they would be secure inside the castle. Safe. Or at least, safe until Nomad tore the world apart.
But Jess wanted to see Enzo’s face, wanted to see him squirm when he looked at her. She wanted recognition of what he did to her. Thoughts flashed through her mind. Maybe she could tie him up outside, leave him a front row seat to watch the heavens.
Coming around the corner, she glared at Enzo. “So you thought you could get away with it?”
Enzo smiled, his hands behind his head, kneeling before the two security agents. “I see you have a new leg.”
Jess took two quick paces to him. “So it was you.”
Giovanni came up behind Jess, shielding Hector. “Come on, let’s go. They can handle this.”
But Jess couldn’t resist. She slapped Enzo across the face, knocking his pork pie hat off his head, almost knocking him over. “You should be more careful who you pick on.”
Enzo steadied himself with one hand, his eyes closed, a red welt rising on his cheek. He opened his eyes and righted himself, staring up at Jess. “No, actually, I think it is you who should be more careful.”
Laughing, she pointed her AK at his head. “Oh yeah, and why is that?”
Something cold pressed into Jess’s neck. She turned to see what it was when someone tried to grab the rifle from her hand. She held on, turning her head. “Hey, what the hell?”
Vlad, Giovanni’s security guard, smiled a menacing grin at Jess. The cold in her neck was the muzzle of Vlad’s AK. Glancing left, she saw the other security guard pointing his weapon at Giovanni.
“You should choose who you work with more carefully,” Enzo said as he stood, pulling a rifle from behind his back with one hand.
“Hey—" was all Jess could say before something crunched into the side of her face.
NOMAD
Survivor testimony #AR34;
Event +92hrs;
Survivor name: Andrei Zasekin;