At first Omar had appeared a bit bemused that the light was holding him hostage and he couldn’t move. Then portrayed on his face was smugness, like this was just a silly prank Michelle was playing at, one he could counter easily.
After about thirty seconds, though, Omar was finally showing some anger. It transformed his handsome face into a gargoyle-like mask, making him appear even more dangerous.
Now was not the time for hilarity, but Michelle almost snickered. Omar was not used to being controlled. He was always the one in control. It must be a totally unique feeling for him, and he evidently didn’t like it one bit. She could see him struggling mightily to move, and he was able to sway a little, but his arms remained clamped at his sides.
Michelle gazed over at Vincent. He was lying on the floor behind Omar. He was much older than the rest of them and he lay still, like he was asleep or unconscious. She felt desperate to go to him and see if he was all right. He’s the one who told her she had psychic healing abilities. He might be in need of those abilities right now, but she was stuck in this bizarre situation, afraid to move.
Michelle watched as Rod ran over to Vincent and helped him stand up. He was staggering a little. They walked over beside her. Heather and Mike also came over and they stood in a circle around her.
“He should be put down, like the sociopathic killer he is,” Vincent said softly. “Omar’s a menace to us all.”
“I don’t know how long this light will hold him,” Michelle whispered. “I’ll keep him here. You all make a run for it.”
“We’re not going to leave you,” Rod said. “I’ll hit him with something. Put him out of commission.”
“Please go,” Michelle begged. “I don’t want any of you hurt.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see them shaking their heads.
“Bravery will get you killed. Omar won’t hurt me because I’m useful to him,” Michelle said, dead serious. “I want you all to go right now. Run!”
Mike took a big roll of duct tape out of his back pocket. He’d used it to keep the door unlocked to the laboratory. Duct tape was always useful to scientists and he’d tucked it into his pocket almost without thinking earlier that evening.
He started pulling on one end of the tape and handed it to Rod.
Then he unrolled more and more, backing away from Rod. There were yards and yards of tape.
Rod winked at Mike and nodded, understanding exactly what Mike had in mind.
When they were about twenty-five feet apart they moved slowly toward Omar, Mike on one side of Omar, and Rod on the other. The tape hit Omar at his waist. Then the two men started walking in circles around Omar, around and around him, Rod counterclockwise, Mike clockwise.
They were wrapping Omar up in silver duct tape.
Evidently the spell the diamond cast upon Omar affected his vocal cords. He’d been totally mute. Now though, he was furious and a loud angry noise came out like a growl. He sounded like a raging, snarling lion.
Michelle winced, but continued to hold the diamond light on Omar, hoping Mike and Rod would be quick in making Omar helpless so they could escape. She expected the hospital already had people on the way to check the laboratory for fire.
Heather whispered to Michelle that she’d go search for more duct tape, just in case Mike and Rod would need more. She hurried into the back of the laboratory where Mike found the roll.
Michelle noticed as she stood still, with Lucifer perched on her shoulder, that she was gradually losing strength. She was suddenly feeling weak as a newborn kitten. She struggled to keep her arm up—the one holding the diamond aimed at Omar.
Michelle thought perhaps the diamond had reached the limits of its own energy potential. Maybe it was pulling back all the vitality it had shot into her previously, to give her strength, and was using it to hold Omar in place.
Heather ran back. She was holding more tape, but it looked like Mike and Rod wouldn’t need it. The tape was thick, three inches wide, and it took a lot of winding to completely encase Omar. They moved up and down his body with the tape, overlapping it in places, being careful to completely cover his legs all the way down, and clamp his arms to his sides.
Omar was all wrapped up like a stand-up, silver, mummy.
The denouement: Rod broke off a few inches of the tape with his teeth and slapped it over Omar’s creepy eyes.
“Now we run,” Michelle shouted.
Chapter 30
Once Michelle moved the focus of the diamond away from Omar, the bright beaming light went out. She was relieved when she felt a great energy surge shoot back into her body when she squeezed the gem.
The fire alarm abruptly stopped shrieking, making Michelle’s ears ring, and she noticed that water from the sprinklers had evidently run out; they weren’t being soaked any more, but they were all dripping wet.
Omar was struggling mightily, now that the diamond light no longer disabled him, but he had no balance without vision or the use of his legs. He fell over onto the floor with a mighty splash.
There he thrashed around, squirming, looking like a big silver snake, or a giant, slimy, slug.
They had to move quickly or they would be caught, Michelle thought. If so, they were in a foreign country, had been at the site of a laboratory that appeared as
