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“You hireda bunch of innocent people wasn’t in my job description”

“Then you won’t prepare the explosives?” Chang asked

Phelps wagged his head

“That’s right,” he said “You can count me out of this deal”

Chang stretched his liverish lips in a death’s-head grin

“Very well then, Mr Phelps You’re fired”

Chang’s hand reached down to his holster and, in a lightning move, drew his pistol and shot Phelps point-blank in the chest The ie threw Phelps backward, and he crashed to the floor Chang gazed at Phelps’s twitching body with the expression of a craftsman who considered his job well done He ordered one of his ed off Dr Wu followed a few paces behind

Chang burst into the aze fell on Joe Zavala and Lois Mitchell, ere tied to their chairs and sat back-to-back under the watchful eye of the sa leaned close to Zavala

“Who are you?” he demanded

“You’ve got a short memory,” Zavala said “We s while Kurt Austin and I entertained your friends”

“Of course,” Chang said “You’re the NUMA engineer My men deserved their fate We won’t be so careless next time How did you find us?”

“One of our planes flew over the atoll and saw so suspicious”

“You’re lying!” Chang grabbed the front of Zavala’s shirt “I don’t like being taken for a fool If that were the case, planes and ships would be swar around the atoll My observers report that all is peaceful”

“Maybe it’s what you don?

??t see that you should worry about,” Zavala said