Lizzie ignored him and faced Jeth. “Let’s go get our girl. {g> Our little sis.” 0

“Right.” Jeth looked at Sierra. “You know the way.”

She took off down the corridor, holding her gun in front of her, ready to fire. As the group moved along, Jeth described the situation waiting for them when they reached Cora.

“So how do we get past them?” Lizzie asked.

“We take ’em out,” said Shady. He glanced at Sierra, who’d looked over her shoulder at his words. “And no arguments about it this time, neither.”

“He’s right,” said Vince. “It’s the only way.”

“But they outnumber us,” said Lizzie. “And I know Jeth and Shady are pretty good shots, but will that be enough?”

As they slowed down to navigate another turn, Shady pulled a grenade off the clip at his belt. “We’ll use this.”

Lizzie eyed the black, cylindrical thing. “You can’t bomb them. You might hurt Cora.”

“It’s not that kind of bomb,” said Vince.

Shady spat in agreement. “That’s right. It’s a stun grenade. Should distract them long enough for us to take most of them down.”

“All right,” Sierra said, then she checked the corridor. A moment later, they were on the move again.

When they finally reached K Deck, after a climb down another maintenance ladder, the place was eerily still and silent. Even the missiles still hitting the ship seemed distant. Sierra led them out of the maintenance room into a corridor that dead-ended at the kid center. She motioned to Shady.

He stepped forward, gripping the stun grenade tight in his hand. “On the count of three.”

Jeth exhaled, focusing. Aim and fire. Don’t think. Aim and fire, don’t think.

Shady reached three, opened the door, and flung the grenade through it. The noise as it exploded made Jeth’s eardrums quiver despite the distance and walls separating him.

Shady charged through the door a moment later and started firing. Vince came next, then Jeth. He stared around at the large playground full of jungle gym equipment, a rock-climbing wall, and a merry-go-round. There were so many places to hide in here.

The next few seconds passed in a storm of chaos as screams intermixed with the explosion of gunfire. All the worry and fear disappeared from Jeth’s mind as his body went into autopilot mode. Nothing else existed but the fight. The kickback of each bullet rocked his arm as he fired. A ceaseless ringing filled his ears, but it was far away, as if the sound belonged to someone else.

Jeth shot at anything that moved, diving for cover as Renford’s soldiers returned fire. In moments the two groups had taken up position across from each other, Jeth and the others behind the jungle gym and what remained of their opposition behind the rock wall.

“We need to get Cora before we run out of ammo,” Vince shouted.

“I’ll get her,” Sierra said. “Just give me some cover.”

Vince nodded. “Be careful.”

“I’m going with you,” Jeth said, following behind her.

Sierra looked like she might argue, but then she hurried on, racing from cover to cover. More than once, Jeth felt a bullet soar past him, but the closer they came to the door leading into the suite, the less danger the soldiers posed. They couldn’t get a good angle on them over here, not without exposing themselves to gunfire.

Sierra reached the door and forced it open. Then she charged in, checking the corners as she entered with her gun poised in front of her. Doing the same, Jeth followed behind her.

“Be careful,” Sierra said over her shoulder. “We don’t want to startle her. There’s no telling what kind of state she’s in with all the fighting going on out—”

They both froze at the sound of heavy footsteps. Renford was running down the hallway toward them, carrying Cora. She appeared to be asleep or knocked out, her head lolling against his shoulder. Renford slid to a stop, shifting Cora to one side as he pulled his gun from his holster.

Then he pressed the barrel against Cora’s head.

Chapter 34

“GET OUT OF MY WAY, SIERRA.” RENFORD GLARED AT HER, but there was panic in his voice. Jeth understood why. The ITA knew all about him now, and although they had come here for Cora, they weren’t likely to let a rogue agent escape punishment. And they would be here any second. Jeth didn’t dare move or blink, not with Cora in such a perilous position, clasped in the arms of a madman.

“No.” Sierra held her gun steady.

“I mean it, Sierra. I’ll kill her.”

“No, you won’t. She’s too important, and she’s the only leverage you have.”

Renford swallowed.

Encouraged by Renford’s hesitation, Jeth aimed his gun, forcing his breathing to slow and grow even. If he saw a clear shot he would take it. Cora was small, too small for a grown man to use as an effective shield.

Only Renford knew what he was doing. He kept shifting his weight and bobbing his head around, his movement erratic. Even if Jeth saw a shot, he wouldn’t be able to take it. One second too late, and he might hit Cora instead. And it had to be a kill shot, anything else and Renford might pull the trigger by accident.

“Then come with me,” Renford said. “You’re in danger, too. You’ve betrayed the ITA as much as I have. But I can get us out of here.”

“No,” Sierra said again.

Renford looked close to exploding. The veins on his neck were popping out, and sweat ran down his forehead. “You traitorous bitch.”