The overhead screens showed dusk falling on several American cities. The dark streets of London were mostly deserted, besides the gridlock on the highways as hundreds of thousands tried to escape the city. Most would not make it out of the bomb radius in time . . . and those who did would almost certainly be driving toward another bomb anyway.
Cafferty remained under the hybrid’s powerful grip, unable to break free in any way. Ellen stood below him in the fighting area, laser in hand, back pressed against the wall, thankfully still alive with the creature’s torn-open corpse by her boots.
At least he hadn’t had to see his wife torn apart by the creature. He was so proud of her, the way she had acted, and his heart swelled at how brave she was. But then it squeezed tight when he realized what Van Ness had just sent his men to do. Her bravery just meant she had delayed her death a little longer.
He deflated once more, knowing he wouldn’t even be able to display the courage Ellen just had.
Munoz eyed the tablet-like panel on Van Ness’ wheelchair. He used it to control the creature and seemingly everything else in the operations center. It looked like it was activated by the German’s palm print, though, which meant that even if Diego could snag it, it would be of little use without Van Ness’ hand. If he had time, of course, he could probably figure it out. But he didn’t have time.
None of them had time.
Bowcut and Cafferty stared wide-eyed at the world map displaying the nuclear devices coming online. Cafferty reckoned there were at least thirty bombs, though he’d lost count. The majority were located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with a few spread around western Europe. He couldn’t even dream of the devastation that would shatter parts of the globe. The millions of lives lost.
Cafferty looked up at the other monitors in the operations center. On-screen, news channels were covering the devastation in Lincoln and Rapid City. The drone footage was shocking. Both cities flattened, reduced to ashes and flames. It looked like the seventh circle of hell. Nothing remained except carnage and death. The radiation would take years to dissipate, rendering both cities uninhabitable for generations. In nearby cities like Deadwood and Sundance, the footage was even more heartbreaking: children’s faces burned, skin boiling from the spreading radiation; people blinded by the nuclear flash, wandering the streets aimlessly, covered in ash, their skin literally smoking.
“Jesus . . .” Bowcut whispered.
Tears poured down Cafferty’s face at the senselessness of it all. Once more he looked toward Edwards. The man stood there, staring at the screens as well, a nauseated look ghosting across his face.
Van Ness circled around the command table in Cafferty’s direction. The rubber wheels squeaked as he advanced. The bombs coming online had sparked a look of satisfaction in his eyes. Edwards followed with a grim expression, and his shoes clacked on the polished stone surface. When Edwards neared, Cafferty noticed sweat beading his brow, despite the coolness of the operations center, and dark rings circled his beady eyes.
“Now for the final act, Thomas,” Van Ness said. “The vision my father had dreamed about. Destroying millions of creatures and avenging the Fatherland’s defeat all at once.”
Munoz attempted to say something then, but the guard elbowed him in the sternum, knocking the wind out of him.
Edwards grimaced and took a half step forward, then froze. Munoz could tell something was going on with the man, something that was at odds with Van Ness. That much was clear, but Munoz quickly dismissed the notion. A savior wasn’t going to appear.
“I wasn’t addressing you, Mr. Munoz,” Van Ness snapped at him. “You are not part of my plan.”
Suddenly, a large creature smashed into the glass dome of the operations center, and everyone—including Van Ness—jumped from the shock. The enormous jet-black creature banged its head repeatedly against the impenetrable glass, shaking the dome itself. Moments later, a second creature crashed into the glass, and Cafferty instinctively backed away.
Van Ness laughed. “Looks like they’re not fond of what I’m doing.”
The turrets quickly spun and homed in on the creatures hanging on the glass dome.
“Please excuse my crassness, but on this one rare occasion, it feels justified,” Van Ness said. “Fuck ’em.”
The laser guns sliced through the creatures, and their torn-open torsos fell lifelessly into the cavern below.
Cafferty stared through the transparent dome at the cavern. He could still barely believe that Van Ness had stationed his headquarters right in the middle of an active creatures’ nest, similar in size to the football-stadium-sized one in New York. Even worse, Cafferty could tell the creatures were in a state of frenzy, darting back and forth in the shadows, desperately avoiding the lasers and brilliant beams of light. The lasers now fired nonstop, increasing their bursts dramatically in frequency, turrets spinning constantly to battle the creatures. It was almost as if the monsters knew what was coming.
But how’s that possible?
Van Ness snapped his fingers.
The hybrid twisted Cafferty’s head toward the German. Resistance was futile against the brute strength, but Cafferty held his head low.
“Chin up,” Van Ness ordered. “This will all be over soon.”
Van Ness pulled a gold-tipped swagger stick from the side of his chair. He prodded the end under Cafferty’s jaw and forced it upward.
“Why don’t we begin the countdown now?”
Cafferty looked at the time on the screens: 11:17 p.m.
“It’s not midnight yet!” Cafferty said angrily, watching the news coverage of the gridlocked roads out of London. “Give them more time to evacuate, goddamn it!”
“War does not have the luxury of time,” Van Ness replied. “Mr. Cafferty, I’d like to bestow on you the honor of pressing the button to begin the sixty-second countdown till detonation. Our new history will regard you as the man who exterminated millions of creatures and helped save humanity. I won’t make you thank me for the honor.”
A glint appeared in Cafferty’s eye. Van Ness had finally revealed himself, like every sleezy politician he had encountered in his career as mayor. Cafferty finally knew exactly what his adversary wanted, and he’d be damned if he gave it to him. Van Ness wouldn’t stop until he achieved the ultimate humiliation of the mayor. Pressing the button was it.
Let’s teach him how New Yorkers deal with assholes . . .
“So, Thomas,” Van Ness continued. “Please hit the button, if you will.”
“Albert . . .” Cafferty said, emotionless and calm. “Please excuse my crassness, but on this one rare occasion, it feels justified. Go fuck yourself.”
Diego belly-laughed, only to be struck in the sternum again by the guard.
“Press the button, Mr. Mayor,” Van Ness repeated sternly.
“Go fuck yourself, Albert.”
“Press the button, Cafferty!” Van Ness said, losing his temper.
“Go fuck yourself, Al.”
“PRESS THE GODDAMN BUTTON!” Van Ness screamed, veins bulging in his temple.
“GO. FUCK. YOURSELF.”
Seething, Van Ness shrugged at him. “It’s no matter. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll make you do it.”
“You can’t.”
“Really?”
Van Ness banged new commands into his control pad. Munoz spied the device out of the corner of his eye, studying how the Foundation’s leader was navigating through the system. The control pad beeped with new orders.
The hybrid creature squeezed Cafferty’s neck on command, choking off his oxygen supply. It clutched his forearm and forced his hand downward toward the execute button on the console. As Cafferty’s face turned beet red and the veins bulged in his temples, he fought with all his might to keep his hand away from the button.
Fight, Tom, fight!
The hybrid was too strong. Cafferty’s arm lowered toward the button against his will. He closed his fingers into a fist as an act of defiance.
“You will press that button, even if I have to tear your fingers off!” Van Ness screamed.
One by one, the creature forcibly uncurled Cafferty’s fingers, nearly ripping the digits off his body. It straightened his index finger to press the button.
It’s no use . . . The creature is too strong . . .
“This mission . . . my mission . . . cannot be stopped, Mr. Mayor. You cannot stop me!” Van Ness shouted.
“Your mission? You mean your sick, twisted quest for revenge?!” Bowcut shouted, trying to break free from the guards.
“You’re damn right I want revenge!” Van Ness screamed back at her, fury in his eyes. “I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”
Van Ness raised his arm over his head, clutched his hand into a fist, and slammed down as hard as he could toward the detonation button.
Suddenly, a razor-sharp creature’s claw sliced Van Ness’ hand off at the wrist, a fraction of a moment before his fist could detonate the nuclear bombs. The severed appendage hit the ground with a loud thud.
Blood pumped out from the radial artery in Van Ness’ wrist in rhythmic intervals. He raised the stump of his arm in front of his face with a look of openmouthed horror. He looked upward to see who his attacker was.
Allen Edwards stood in front of him with a blood-soaked creature’s claw in his hand, the one he kept in his suit jacket pocket at all times.
Van Ness’ piercing scream reverberated around the glass dome.