Vanishing Point - Marc Cerasini [81]
"That's Pamela," Lilly cried.
Jack believed the noise came from the kitchen. The girl's voice had an echoing quality that made him think of tile walls and hard, bare floors. He searched the kitchen for five minutes and came up empty.
Of Curtis and Nina, there was no sign. Perhaps they had picked up the man's trail. Jack was about to complete a wide circle of the ballroom when he heard shouts — then another shot.
Jack burst through the kitchen's double doors, Clock clutched in his fist. The ballroom was in shambles, broken glass and shattered shards from fallen chandeliers littered the floor. The room was packed, too, though the crowd seemed to be parting, as people scattered to escape the armed man carrying a little girl slung over his shoulders.
Jack stepped into the middle of the debris strewn floor, aimed the dock. "Halt or I'll shoot!" he cried.
Lilly stumbled through the kitchen doors, saw her daughter and cried out. "Please let my daughter go!"
The man turned, squeezed a shot off in Jack's general direction. People screamed and dived for cover. Bauer didn't even flinch as the bullet ripped past his ear.
"Stop now or I will shoot," Jack cried. Arms outstretched, he corrected his aim.
But Balboa Rojas refused to stop. He ran through the broken window frame, onto the crumbling balcony. Jack cursed, lowered his weapon and chased the man.
When he reached the balcony, Balboa turned, held the girl in front of him like a human shield. He pointed the muzzle of his Makarov PM at her head.
"If you do not drop your weapon, I will shoot," Rojas declared.
Jack saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but his vision remained fixed on Balboa Rojas. He crouched low and set the Glock on the ground, inching closer to the man.
"You don't have to die up here," Jack said reasonably, talking another step. "We can talk this through. If you have demands, I'm authorized by my government to listen to them."
Another step. He was in arm's reach now. Balboa's eyes were wide, nostrils flared. Jack could see he was panicking. "Move again and I'll..."
The gunshot shattered the tense stillness. Balboa's head jerked backwards in a fountain of blood. Jack lunged, snatched the girl out of his limp arms, clutched her tightly. The Makarov clattered to the balcony as the dead man pitched backwards, over the edge.
Jack turned to see Lilly racing toward her daughter. He released the girl and Pamela ran into her mother's arms.
Nina stepped out from behind the curtains. The Glock seemed huge in her dainty hand.
"Good shot," said Jack. "What about the others."
Nina frowned. "I think the man I shot was meant to be a diversion. Curtis and I found two dead men in the janitor's closet. Firemen. Their gear was missing. We called downstairs to have the stairs guarded, but we were too late. Whoever killed the firemen managed to slip past the cordon."
15THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 2 A.M. AND 3 A.M. PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME
2:17:07 a.m. PDT
Groom Lake Secure Terminal
McCarran Airport, Las Vegas
Gripping Stella Hawk's hand in his own, Pizarro Rojas dragged the woman across the deserted airport parking lot, toward a fence surrounding the private military terminal. The lights of the Vegas Strip blazed, but it was the sound of emergency sirens that dominated the night. In the distance, Pizarro could see plumes of smoke rising above the skyline, police and press helicopters circling the smoldering Babylon Hotel.
The Colombian was surprised to find the guardhouse empty. He led Stella around the roadblock and into the restricted area. Crouching behind a row of parked cars near the terminal building, Pizarro spied Carlos Boca. The Cuban waved them forward.
"You made it, Senor Rojas. Congratulations. By the noise on the streets, I would guess the bombs went off on schedule," Carlos said.
Pizarro nodded. "How many others are here?"
"Eight, counting Roland and I."
"Who is missing?"
Boca frowned. "Salazar and young Hector. I don't know what