Cool people, he thought regretfully. He respected Kirov, and he was beginning to have a yen for Hannah Bryson. Too bad their time together had come to an end.
His cell phone rang, and he answered. 'Yo.'
'I have a visual confirmation on Kirov and the woman. You may proceed.'
Niler glanced around. Where the hell was the spotter calling from? The upper tower of the restaurant, perhaps?
The man spoke again. 'Any questions?'
'No questions.'
'Then take care of it.'
'Will do.'
Niler cut the connection.
He wasn't looking forward to this.
He lifted the tiny remote and stared at it. One press, one squeeze, and twenty-four ounces of plastique would incinerate Kirov and Hannah's car, and their lives would come to an end.
Shit.
He stared across the parking lot at Kirov and Hannah. When they woke up that morning, they had no idea that every activity would be their last. Their last cup of coffee. Their last shower. Their last meal.
He hated this. It was better to pass the devices to someone else and let them do what they wanted. He was an artist, not a killer.
Christ.
He fingered the remote. If he didn't do it, Pavski's men would come down and finish them off anyway.
Fucking Pavski. The bastard didn't even bother to show up himself.
Get it over with. He spoke under his breath, 'Three… two… one.'
He pushed the button.
The explosion rocked the entire parking lot, blowing out the windows of the restaurant and dozens of nearby cars.
Hannah gasped at the sight of Niler's vehicle flipping over and landing on its roof, instantly transformed into half a dozen piles of burning, twisted metal.
She stared in shock at the spot where Niler had sat only seconds before. 'My God…'
Kirov started the engine and peeled out of the parking space.
Hannah whirled toward him. 'What are you doing?'
'Getting away while we still can.'
'But Niler is…'
'Dead. Blown to smithereens.'
She felt sick. She shook her head dazedly. 'What the hell happened?'
'Niler made that bomb. He meant it for us.'
'What?'
Kirov checked the rearview. 'I found it fastened to the underside of our car last night. I merely put it back where it belonged. If Niler hadn't tried to detonate it, he'd be alive and well.'
'He just tried to kill us?'
'Surprised?'
Before Hannah could answer, the rear window shattered.
'Get down!' Kirov pushed her head forward. He slouched in his seat and glanced at the side mirror. 'Two men in a black Lexus behind us.' He muttered a curse. 'I don't think either them is Pavski. That would have been too lucky.'
He fished into his pocket and produced a key-chain remote identical to the one Niler had brandished in his bar the other night. 'Here, take this.'
Hannah grabbed the remote. 'What's this for?'
Two more bullets hit their car and punctured the trunk.
Kirov accelerated as they neared the parking lot's exit. 'Right before we get to the road, we'll cross a small wooden bridge. I need you to watch behind us and press the red button just as that car crosses it. Understand?'
She couldn't answer.
'As soon as you see the Lexus's front two wheels on the bridge. And only if there's no one else nearby. Okay?'
Hannah stared at the remote. She understood perfectly, and it wasn't okay. Push the button, kill two men behind her.
'If you can't stomach it, let me know now.'
Hannah took a deep breath. She grasped the remote. 'No. Keep your eyes on the road.'
'Are you sure?'
A bullet whistled between them and cracked the front windshield.
Hannah glanced at the entrance ahead. 'Is that the bridge you're talking about?'
'Yes.'
'Okay.' She glanced behind her. 'They're closing. Put some more distance between us.'
Kirov accelerated, and Hannah's eyes searched on either side for any bystanders. All clear so far.
They roared across the tiny bridge, rattling its wood slats beneath their tires. Hannah watched her side-view mirror. A man leaned out of the passenger side of the Lexus, snapping together what appeared to be an Uzi.
Christ. Better not screw this up.
Kirov spun out of the parking lot and headed toward the main road. 'Ready?'
Hannah concentrated on the mirror. As the Lexus approached the bridge, its passenger aimed the Uzi. The next moment the car was on the bridge.
Hannah pressed the button.
A violent explosion took out the bridge and car, spraying wood and metal in every direction.
'Perfect!' Kirov hit the steering wheel with his palm.
Hannah turned from the burning rubble and let her hands fall into her lap.
'It wasn't perfect. It was lousy.' Hannah felt sick to her stomach, unsure what was bothering her more: killing those two men, seeing Niler die, or just knowing that such an amusing, personable man had been so willing to kill her and Kirov. Any way she cut it, it had been a rotten sixty seconds. She took a deep breath. 'And you need to explain to me what just happened.'
'Not now.' His gaze raked her face. 'You need a little time to absorb this before I hit you with anything else. I'll put a little distance between us and Panama City, then we'll talk.'
'I don't need-' Maybe she did need the space he'd mentioned. She was still shaking, and her mind was in chaos from the shock. She leaned back in the seat and folded her hands tightly on her lap. 'Thirty minutes,' she said curtly. 'No longer.'
Twenty-five minutes later he pulled into the parking lot of a Radisson Suites Inn and got out of the car. 'Wait here. I'll get us rooms, and then we'll talk.'
'Why can't we talk-'
He'd disappeared into the hotel before she could complete the sentence.
He was back in five minutes and opening her door. 'I'm over your deadline, but I figured you'd like a little privacy, with the security of walls around you.'
'Will those walls do any good? Will there be more of Pavski's men coming after us? Are we safe here?'
'I wouldn't have stopped if I hadn't thought we'd be okay. The walls are a comfort factor. I think you need it.' He unlocked the hotel room. 'Go and sit down. I'll get you a cup of coffee.'
'You will not. I'm not an invalid.' She ignored the easy chair and sat down in the chair at the desk. She needed the firm, upright structure of the piece of furniture. She needed structure, period. 'But I'm bewildered and scared and sick to my stomach. I need answers.'
'And you'll get them.' He sat down on the stool at the coffee bar. 'All you have to do is ask.'
'When did you find the explosives under our car?'
