Private Moscow

Chapter 116

I had no doubt Kavanagh would shoot me if I moved. The only thing keeping me alive was the possibility I might shut down the system with my dying breath if she took the shot while I was standing by the console. I stayed put as the countdown cycled through thirty seconds.

“Move!” Kavanagh yelled.

Dinara had been caught off guard by the injured woman’s speed and agility, but she quickly regrouped and knocked Kavanagh’s arm out of the way and moved in to tackle her.

“Jack, you have to stop this thing,” I heard Mo-bot say as I put the phone down on the console, but the program wasn’t my primary concern anymore. I had to help Dinara.

As the two women struggled for control of the gun, it went off, and a bullet tore through a nearby server rack. I ran toward the scuffle and grabbed hold of Kavanagh. Dinara punched her in the face, dazing her. I yanked the pistol out of Kavanagh’s hand and Dinara and I stepped clear of the formidable, vicious Russian agent.

‘Stop!’ I shouted, but Kavanagh came straight for me, so I pulled the trigger and shot her in the left leg.

She gave a guttural cry of anger as she went down.

“Here,” I said, tossing Dinara the pistol. “Keep her covered.”

Relentless and desperate, Kavanagh made another lunge for Dinara, and was rewarded with an angry smack across the face. Dinara hit her with the pistol again, and this time I shuddered at the sound of bone cracking. Kavanagh collapsed. She was out cold.

I ran back to the console and saw the countdown cycle through six seconds. I grabbed the phone.

“What do I do?” I asked hurriedly.

“Hit enter.”

I pressed the button and a prompt immediately appeared, asking if I was sure I wanted to delete all programs. I selected yes as the countdown reached three seconds. Nothing happened for a moment, and the countdown flipped to two, and then the console suddenly went blank, and every single machine in the gigantic room stopped working.

“What happened?” Mo-bot asked.

I stared at Dinara wide-eyed.

“We did it,” I told Mo-bot. “We did it!”

Mo-bot said something in reply, but I wasn’t listening. I suddenly became aware of the wound in my shoulder, as the tide of adrenalin receded. I felt myself sag with fatigue and relief.

Dinara took the phone from my hand and put it on the console. She put her arm around my waist, and supported me as we walked slowly toward the exit.

Neither of us said a word.

We were beyond them.