“Oh, could it be that easy?” Novokoff taunted on the phone.
“What did you do?” Morgan demanded.
Novokoff burst out laughing. “It’s too good. Just too good.”
“What did you do?”
“Look at your wife. Do you see the bombs I’ve strapped to her?”
Morgan tensed up, ready to dash to her.
“Don’t make for that crane, Morgan. I can detonate them remotely.”
Morgan stopped himself and stood still, not knowing what to do.
“Ah, but there’s more,” Novokoff continued. “You see, along with the bombs, I’ve strapped her with vials of the infectious agent.”
The world sank. “No . . .”
“Now, the bombs I have are set to go off in—oh, just over ten minutes now. If they blow, the fungus will rain on all the people below, and be set loose in this great city of Boston. But I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet!” he exclaimed with obscene joy. “I will give you a chance—one chance—to save your city. If you look to your right, you will see a trash can.” Morgan looked around at the confusion of faces in the crowd; then he looked up at the buildings around him. Novokoff had to be there somewhere. If he was half as devious as he was supposed to be, then Novokoff would also have a sniper trained on him. Morgan turned to face the building across the street from the construction site. It was a hotel, tall and boxy, with at least two hundred windows. It had the clearest line of sight to the street. If Morgan were a sniper, that’s where he’d be.
“I want you to walk to it and reach inside,” Novokoff continued.
Morgan did as he was told, and found something heavy and plastic inside. It had a handle of some kind. He pulled it out. It was a black detonator, with a red button on top protected by a clear plastic cover.
“What the hell is this?”
“The best part!” Novokoff said with glee.
“What did you do?” Morgan was a mess of rage and torment.
“You can save your city—by sacrificing her. Push that button and you activate the second set of bombs that I wrapped around her. Incendiary bombs. They will completely burn up her and the fungus.”
“I’m going to stop you,” Morgan said, gritting his teeth. “I’m going to save her, then I’m going to find you and kill you.”
“Oh, stop,” he said. “You’re taking all the fun out of my beautifully constructed moral dilemma. Agonize, Morgan. Live the decision.”
He wasn’t going to. That would mean to play on his terms. To make that choice would mean that Novokoff won. Except what if he couldn’t—he stopped himself from thinking it, and began to look around for ways to stop him. He hung up on Novokoff and put his communicator in his ear.
“Shepard! He’s got a bomb on Jenny. I need to you to get a jammer down here immediately. Think you can do that?”
“I’ll do what I can, Cobra,” he said.
“Don’t give me that bullshit, just do it! I need it here five minutes ago!”
“I’ve got Bishop here. He’s getting it ready as we speak.”
“Also, I think there’s a sniper on me. He’d be in the hotel across the street.”
“In the hotel? Care to narrow that down for me, Cobra?”
“I’ll try to get a visual,” said Morgan. “It’ll be hard from street level, though.”
“I’ll do what I can,” said Shepard. “I got Spartan on her way to your location as well.”
“Okay, keep me posted.”
Morgan’s phone rang once more. It could only be one person.
“What the hell do you want?” he asked.
“Rude, rude, rude,” Novokoff said. “Hanging up on me like that.”
“Are you having fun with this?” said Morgan. He scanned the windows of the hotel across the street as he held the phone up to his ear. Novokoff had to be around here somewhere.
“Would you like to talk to your wife?” he asked.
Morgan didn’t answer. Of course he did. But he’d never admit that he wanted something from Novokoff. But the question had been rhetorical, and Morgan heard Jenny’s voice coming from the cell phone.
“Dan?”
“Yes, Jen, it’s me. Talk to me, Jen. Talk to me.”
“I’m scared, Dan, and I’m cold. He put bombs on me. He has me tied up, blindfolded, and hanging from somewhere that feels like it’s high above the ground.”
“I know,” he said. “I see you. Listen, Jenny, don’t be afraid. I’m going to get you out of this. I’m going to hang up now, but trust me.”
“I’m so scared, Dan. . . .”