Immediately after that, Jia cut off all power except for the server room. She also instructed the system not to switch over to generators. Brehmer’s people could eventually turn them on manually, but by the time they did, she would be long gone.
In terms of creating chaos, her plan would hit like a one-two punch to the gut: not only would Brehmer’s security team have to deal with released subjects, but they would also have to do so under the cloak of darkness. There was a downside, though. Jia would have to deal with those same challenges on her way out.
A soft ding indicated the download was complete. After removing the flash drive from the port, Jia placed it in a sealed bag to protect it from contact with water. She then tucked the bag into a designated pocket on the side of her cargo pants. The pocket had a special lining that would protect the device from magnetic and physical damage. Her team had left no stone unturned in protecting the stolen information.
Before leaving, Jia removed her pistol and fired several shots into the server, the screens, and the keyboard. It would be a long time before Brehmer’s system was up and running again.
Having no windows, the room was now pitch-black. Jia turned and felt her way over to the door then stepped out into the hallway. Looking to her right, she saw a faint glow along the wall about twenty yards away. As she moved in that direction, she realized it was a solar-powered exit light — just what she was looking for.
Pushing against the crash bar, Jia opened the exit door and poked her head outside. She was on the north side of the building. As she scanned the area, she could hear loud sounds in the distance. People were shouting, and a number of loud pops sounded like gunfire. She allowed herself a grin. The gala was descending into a hellish pit of fear.
Seeing no one around, she stepped outside. She would head west out of the compound. Once away from the buildings, she would radio the ship to send a helicopter to meet her at the prearranged meeting place: a clearing in the jungle about a quarter mile away. If everything went according to plan, she would be sailing back to China in a couple of hours.
Jia walked west down the side of the building. She had made it about twenty yards when she came to an abrupt halt. Just ahead, two bodies lay on the ground. One was moving, and the other was not. As she continued to stare at the bizarre sight, she heard a sound that made her skin crawclass="underline" the sound of teeth tearing through flesh.
Sliding her finger over the trigger of her pistol, she stepped closer. Had a dog or some other wild mammal found the guard she had killed earlier? It didn’t seem likely, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation.
Seconds later, she heard a low growl, then a figure sprang toward her with shocking speed. She lifted her pistol, but it was too late. The attacker’s body slammed into her like a truck, sending them both down. Jia’s back hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of her. As she gulped for air, cold fingers grabbed her throat. It was then Jia realized her attacker was one of the creatures.
Without her gun and weakened from having the breath knocked out of her, she struggled to fend off the attack. The creature outweighed her by at least a hundred pounds, and it was using its weight to press her down.
Jia knew that if she didn’t move quickly, she would die. She was trained in the martial arts, but those skills were useless in the grasp of something so strong.
Soon the creature’s mouth found the soft flesh of her throat. Jia turned away, but it only delayed the inevitable. With a surge of brute strength, the creature bit down onto her neck. As its teeth sank through her skin, Jia heard it: the distinct pop of a gun.
Another pop followed a second later, and the creature went limp.
“Got him,” a man said.
Seconds later, he came over and stood next to her. It was one of the guards. Then it hit her. She was covered by the creature, so he didn’t realize who she was. He probably thought he had just saved one of the other men.
A plan flashed in Jia’s mind. Careful not to speak, she groaned and pushed the body up slightly, inviting the man to help her.
He reached out and grabbed the creature under each arm. “Don’t worry. I got him. Slimy bastard.” He grunted as he pulled the creature up. “As you probably know, they’re all out now. I’ve killed three in the last ten minutes.”
Jia tensed as the body was pulled off of her. She was still weak from the fall but was ready to act if the man recognized her. Fortunately, he turned in the other direction as he dragged the body away.
Moving quickly, Jia rolled to her knees and retrieved her gun, which was lying on the ground a few yards away.
Having disposed of the body, the guard turned around. “We’re needed inside, so we’d better get—”
He froze when he saw the muzzle of the gun pointed at him.
“Thank you,” Jia said in perfect English. “I truly mean that.”
A loud cough sounded, followed by a bright flash at the end of the barrel.
The man clutched his chest and fell face forward onto the ground.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
ZANE LISTENED TO the man-creature pounding on the glass. Each punch seemed to land harder than the one before. The chance at freedom must have lit a fire inside him, and his strength was growing by the minute. For a moment, Zane thought the creature might not be able to break free. Then he heard something he hadn’t expected — the shattering of glass. DH10 was out, and carnage would surely follow.
Pandemonium broke out across the room. Filled with fear, people ran in every direction, pushing one another out of the way.
Hearing screams, Zane looked slightly to the left. A massive figure was standing on the stage. DH10. Even though it was dark, the people standing in front of the stage could see him moving toward them. Terrified, they pushed and shoved to get away.
Zane knew he should try to get out as well, but he couldn’t turn away. He was mesmerized by the scene playing out in front of him.
DH10 moved past the podium, like a lion slinking toward its prey. At the edge of the stage, he crouched. The crowd swirled below him, but in their panic, they simply pushed against one another. The man-creature remained in place for a few seconds then launched into the crowd below. Zane watched in horror as he attacked the helpless victims, tossing some into the air and thrashing others. Blood-curdling screams of terror filled the air, screams Zane knew he would never forget.
His thoughts returned to Danielle, and he wondered whether he should go look for her. There was zero chance he could find her in the dark room. He also knew that she would follow the instructions she had been given in the event something like this happened. If possible, she was to get out of the building and hide in the jungle near the front, where she would wait until someone came to pick her up.
The sound of a gunshot pulled Zane from his thoughts. He guessed one of the guards had taken a shot at DH10. Good luck hitting him in all the chaos.
Zane turned and continued in the direction he had been traveling before. He needed to reach the back of the room and the hallway that led to the rest of the building. Once there, he would begin his search for the captives. That was the primary goal of their mission, and he wasn’t going to leave until it was complete.
As he neared the back, a voice crackled in his ear. “Zane, are you there?”
Brett. The earpiece was working again. Then he realized what must have happened. Without power, the device that was jamming the radio signals was unable to function.