فصل چهل و سوم

Chapter 43: Sixty Seconds

“Why do I bother looking for you, Vey, when you just can’t keep away from me? Is it my charisma? My animal magnetism?” “Your animal smell,” Ostin said.

“Ostin,” Hatch said. “I didn’t notice you. But I’m sure you’re accustomed to being overlooked. I appreciate you giving me another chance to kill you.” “You know, I was the one who figured out how to blow up your Starxource plant,” he said. “I hope you appreciated that, too.” “Yes, the Peruvian government will be happy for that confession. So let me explain your situation to you. You are pinned down on the bottom level of a boat with only one corridor out, two tiny portals that Ostin couldn’t fit his arm through, and more than a hundred armed guards crowding both sides of the hallway. Checkmate. It’s over. There is no way off this boat.” “Check the corridor!” I shouted to Jack.

Jack walked to the door and looked out its window, then turned back to me. “Guards in both directions.” “You didn’t trust me?” Hatch said.

“Yeah, imagine that,” I replied.

“You know how I like making deals, Michael. So here’s a deal for you. We’re in a bit of a hurry, so if you just walk out of the engine room and surrender, I’ll give you a relatively painless death by firing squad.” “That’s a great deal,” I said. “Why wouldn’t I take that?” “It’s the best you’ll get, Vey. Which is pretty generous for a truce breaker.” “I broke a truce with an evil, sadistic, psychopathic liar. I’m not losing sleep over that.” “I’m not a psychopath,” Hatch said. “But you’re right, I was lying. What we’re really going to do is strap you down, paralyze you with toxin from the puffer fish, then dissect you while you’re still alive so we can learn what is making your electricity grow. And then we’ll do the same to your girlfriend.” “You’d have to take us alive to do that,” I said. “And that’s not going to happen.” “I disagree. And here’s why. Either way, you die. But if you surrender, I’ll let your little buddy Ostin go home to his mommy.” Ostin shook his head. “They won’t let me go, Michael.” Then he shouted toward the camera, “Do you know what you are, Hatch? You’re a skid mark on the underwear of humanity.” “Remind me to cut out your tongue,” Hatch said. “But back to my deal. Ostin goes free, sans tongue, and, added bonus, we won’t torture your girlfriend.” I looked at Taylor. Even though she looked terrified, she also shook her head. “He’s a liar, Michael.” “You have sixty seconds to decide.”

“Just a minute,” I said.

“That’s what I just said,” Hatch replied.

I walked over to the surveillance camera and threw a lightning ball at it. The light went out.

“You just wasted twenty seconds,” Hatch said.

Sixty seconds. It was too late to change the explosive’s time, but I remembered what Dodds had said about setting it off. I retrieved the pack and brought it over to Ostin and McKenna. Speaking softly so Hatch couldn’t hear, I said, “We need to be able to blow it quickly.” “You want me to light it?” McKenna asked.

“It needs intense heat,” Ostin said. “You would have to flare.” “I can do that,” she said.

“Only if it comes to that.” I handed her the pack. She and Ostin sat down on the ground with it.

I walked back to the voice box. “Here’s a deal for you, Hatch, you sludge-breath. If your guards come within ten feet of this room, we’ll blow our explosive and everyone on board dies.” “It’s what they call a Mexican standoff!” Ostin shouted.

There was a pause, then Hatch said, “Clever bluff, but you don’t have explosives.” “Of course we do, you human litter box. Why else would we have boarded this tub if not to sink it?” Another pause. “So let’s say you do have an incendiary device. I don’t think you have it in you to detonate it.” “You know me better than that, you dog-faced man-worm. I mocked you when you threatened to feed me to rats. Do you think I’m afraid to die now?” “No. In fact, if I were you, I would have already killed myself. I just don’t think you have the courage to kill your friends.” “Use your brain, you baboon butt!” Ostin shouted. “It’s the only logical choice you’ve given us. We can die slowly of torture with you mocking us, or we die quickly, save the world, and take you with us. I think even you could figure that out.” Hatch didn’t answer.

But Hatch might have been right. I wasn’t sure that I had the courage. I knew that I couldn’t commit for my friends. I looked at Taylor. She was trembling. “What do you think?” “Ostin’s right. He’ll kill us anyway.” “McKenna?”

She swallowed. “Just tell me when.”

I looked over at Jack.

“I say we make our deaths count for something.” I took a deep breath. “Okay.” I turned back to McKenna. “On my word . . .” “What’s your decision?” Hatch asked.

“We’re unanimous. Come and get us!” I shouted. Taylor gripped my hand tightly. After a minute I said, “Jack, what’s going on?” “No one’s advancing,” he said.

“The door’s locked?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Let us know when they’re ten feet away.” “They’re probably trying to figure out a way to poison us through the vents,” Ostin said.

I pointed to the voice box.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Hatch said. “Thanks for the idea.” “Sorry,” Ostin said.

“Jack,” I said. “Tell me when.” He nodded.

“Now what?” Taylor asked.

“We wait.” I took her hand and we walked over and sat down next to Ostin and McKenna. I raked my free hand back through my hair. “I guess Abigail was right after all.” Taylor shook her head. “No, she wasn’t. We’re going to blow this thing and the world will be safer.” Suddenly, something came to mind. “I don’t believe it.” “What?”

“Back in the jungle the chief of the Amacarra saw all this. He said, ‘over the water a choice would come to me’—that I would have to choose the lives of the ones I loved or the lives of many I don’t know.” I looked at Taylor. “I guess the guy knew our fate all along.” I took a deep breath. “So what do you want to do with the last ten minutes of our lives?”