Page 100 of Now or Never

Kenna rolled her eyes. “We’ve been going over this and over this for hours. You aren’t going to get a better offer than what’s written in that agreement. It’s been in the works for months, ifnot longer.” She’d been listening to them drone on and on for hours.

A boom sounded from somewhere not in this building, though it shook. A window shattered on the far end of the room.

Jax’s arms surrounded her, and he turned her around. But neither of them could tell where the threat was coming from.

The general yelled to one of his soldiers.

Jax said, “What’s going on?”

No one answered him.

Petyr stood up and said something loudly in Croatian.

Secret Service agents shoved open the door Kenna and Jax had entered from the side hall. The president in the center of the huddle, surrounded by her protectors.

“This way.” The lead agent said, heading for the door.

But the president shoved out of the huddle. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Ask her.” The general pointed at Kenna.

“I didn’t do anything. It sounded like a bomb went off.” Although, no one had located Amara, so maybe it did have to do with her team. Just not Kenna specifically. “Where are my friends?”

The general said, “I supposed we’re all making sacrifices today.” He grabbed Petyr’s hand, and before the Croatian could get free, the general sliced his palm open and slammed it down on the paper. Then he let go, doing the same with his own hand. “It’s signed.”

Petyr’s face reddened. “These are not our ways!”

The Secret Service agent closest to the president said, “Ma’am, we need to get you out of here.”

“Let’s go.” Kenna squeezed Jax’s sides. They headed for the door, right behind the huddle of Secret Service agents.

Out into the open where the air was laced with smoke.

A presidential helicopter had landed farther from the entrance than the chopper Kenna, Jax, and Zeyla had arrived in. Armed Marine guards stood on either side of the open door.

President Tetherton yelled, “Wait!”

The agents wouldn’t agree to that, but she was their boss.

The president walked to the side, all of them still guarding her. She wasn’t the target of a threat. But this situation wasn’t without its dangers.

Jax held Kenna’s hand, and they headed for the corner of the building. “Let’s see what she’s looking at.”

Kenna nodded.

The guards were gone. Most of the soldiers were nowhere to be seen, until she looked all the way past this building to the far end of the base.

Smoke rose into the sky, thick and black. People poured out of the destroyed concrete structure. All of them dressed in white scrubs. At least a dozen interspersed with Kenna’s team, who were assisting the “patients”—if that’s what they were. Many were bandaged or missing a limb. More than half of them at least.

“What on earth?” Jax breathed out the question on an exhale. Kenna held on to him, seeking comfort from her husband.

The general shoved past them and looked around, as if unsure where to go.

Jax moved in front of Kenna, guarding her just in case. She looked at the president and saw the horror on the woman’s face and the faces of her team. “She can’t ignore this. None of them can.”

“Agents, arrest Major General Schnell and all his men!” the president screamed. “And call the FBI!”

Chapter Thirty-Eight