Page 114 (1/2)

Austin reluctantly handed the gun over In return she reached under her smock and handed him a manila envelope

“It’s all here, Kurt Guard this with your life,” she said

“What is it?”

“You’ll see when you give it to the world” She gave Austin a long and lingering kiss “I’m sorry, but we’ll have to postpone our date,” she said with a smile Then she turned to the others “Good-bye, ”

The finality in her voice was unmistakable Austin suddenly realized that she had no intention of being rescued

“Get in!” Austin yelled, and rab for her arm

She stepped easily out of reach and glanced at her watch “You have exactly five minutes Use them well”

Then she punched the Up button The door slid shut, and the elevator quickly shot out of sight The guards diverted their attention to watch the elevator Francesca eased the gun from under her smock and shot out the elevator controls Then she did the saun aside As Brynhild rushed over with the other guards, a loud klaxon began to sound from loudspeakers set around the dome

“What have you done?” Brynhild shouted

“That’s the five-,” Francesca yelled back “The reaction has been locked into place Nothing will stop it now”

“You said you would stop the reaction if I let your friends go”

Francesca laughed “I lied You toldBrynhild’s words back at her

The technicians had realized the danger before anyone, and while attention was diverted they silently slipped off to cliency staircase that spiraled in a separate waterproof shaft that led to the surface The directors saw theuards quickly dissolved under the influence of fear They used their gun butts to drive the directors back, then opened up on those ouldn’t yield Bodies piled up in front of the portal that led to the stairway Guards scrambled over the heap of corpses only to be stuck in the narrow space None would give way, and others pushed froed with crushed bodies

Brynhild couldn’t believe how quickly her world had deteriorated She focused all her anger on Francesca, who had un from the floor, she aimed it at Francesca

“You will die for this!” she screamed