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"They sent to"They claier to fund my operation to find proof I did not find out the truth until two days ago It--"

He cut off, dropping the screwdriver as Salic stepped closer to us The terrorist waved, and one of his soldiers grabbed Razon and jerked him back by his bloodied arm Razon cried out in pain

The soldiers proceeded to throw hiround and beat him with the butts of their rifles I watched in horror, and Kalyani began crying Even JC turned away

"I a down beside my chair "I am a man with few resources You will find that the two are quite difficult to differentiate, in most situations"

"Please stop the soldiers," I whispered

"I a to find a peaceful solution, you see," Salic said He did not stop the beating "My people are condemned e use the only ht These are thethe founders of your own country, has used to gain freedom We will kill if we have to, but perhaps we do not have to Here on this table we have peace, Mister Leeds Fix this machine, and you will save thousands upon thousands of lives"

"Why do you want it?" I said, frowning "What is it to you? Power to blackmail?"

"Power to fix the world," Salic said "We just need a few photos Proof"

"Proof that Christianity is false, Stephen," Tobias said, walking up beside me "That will be a difficult task for them, as Islam accepts Jesus of Nazareth as a prophet They do not accept the resurrection, however, or many of the ht photo, they could try to underion followed by ion"

I’ll adely, I was tempted Oh, not tempted to help a monster like Salic But I did see his point Why not take this caions false?

It would cause chaos Perhaps a great deal of death, in some parts of the world

Or would it?

"Faith is not so easily subverted," Ivy said dismissively "This wouldn’t cause the problems he thinks it would"

"Because faith is blind?" Tobias asked "Perhaps you are right Many would continue to believe, despite the facts"

"What facts?" Ivy said "Some pictures that may or may not be trustworthy? Produced by a science nobody understands?"

"Already you try to protect that which has yet to be discounted," Tobias said calmly "You act as if you knoill happen, and need to be defensive about the proof that may be found Ivy, don’t you see? What facts would it take to s with rational eyes? How can you be so logical in so many areas, yet be so blind in this one?"

"Quiet!" I said to them I raised my hands to my head "Quiet!"

Salic frowned at me Only then did he notice what his soldiers had done to Razon

He shouted souages--perhaps I should have studied those instead of Hebrew The soldiers backed away, and Salic knelt to roll over the fallen Razon

Razon snapped his good hand into Salic’s jacket, reaching for the gun Salic jule quiet click followed

Everyone in the rooun with a suppressor on it and shot Razon in a panic The scientist lay back, dead eyes staring open, Salic’s handgun slipping froers

"Oh, that poorover to kneel beside him

At that mo hian i for the ca one hand down on it, then reached toward his gun on the floor

I cursed, scra myself behind the stack of crates where Kalyani had taken cover a few moments before Gunfire erupted in the room, and one of the crates near me threw up chips as a shot hit it

"It’s Monica!" Ivy said, taking cover beside the desk "She got out, and she’s attacking them"

I dared peek around, in tiunfire, toppling in the center of the room near Razon’s body The others fired at Monica, who’d taken cover in the stairwell that led down to where we’d been captive

"Holy hell!" JC said, crouching beside ht have to start liking that wo He hadn’t couards He clutched the camera close, and was joined by two other soldiers as they ran down the stairs frounfire would draw attention soon, I guessed Not soon enough They had Monica pinned I could barely see her, hiding in her stairwell, trying to find a way to get out and fire on the uard she’d tackled His feet stuck out of the doorway near her

"Okay, skinny," JC said "This is your chance Soet her before help comes, and we lose the camera It’s hero time"

"I"

"You could run, Stephen," Tobias said "There’s a roo you should do it; I’ you the options"

Kalyani whimpered, huddled down in the corner Ivy lay under a table, fingers in her ears, watching the firefight with calculating eyes

Monica tried to duck out and fire, but bullets tore into the wall beside her, forcing her back Salic was still yelling so ainst the wall aboveon my head I breathed in and out "I can’t do this, JC"