To my amazement, he lowered the weapon.
"Who am I kidding?" he whispered. "I can't execute four people. I won't. I'm not my father."
No one moved.
I was about to speak when the gate creaked again.
"Chance?" Hannah's voice called down the stairs. "Are you in the wine cellar?"
"Hannah!" I yelled. "Down here!"
Chance raised a tremulous hand. "No! Don't--"
"Hannah, please! We need help!"
Light footsteps hurried toward us.
Chance pivoted, gun hidden behind his back.
"What's going on down here?" Hannah was wearing fuzzy bear slippers and a silk baby doll. Despite the danger, I wondered where her parents thought she was spending the night.
"The boat kids broke into the house." Chance was now sweating bullets. "Some kind of prank."
"Don't listen to him!" I shouted. "His father is a murderer! We have proof and Chance is trying to destroy it."
"Look!" Hi lifted Katherine's skull from the barrel.
"He's got a gun!" Shelton yelled.
"A gun?" Hannah looked at Chance. "What does he mean? What's behind your back?"
Chance glared at Shelton, but lowered the weapon to his side.
"My God!" Hannah's eyes widened in alarm. "Chance, sweetheart, what are you thinking? Give me that horrible thing right now!"
"But--"
"Right now!"
Hannah held out a manicured hand. For a moment, it looked as though Chance would refuse. Then, sighing, he passed her the weapon.
I drew my first breath in a very long time. It was over. We were safe.
Hannah hefted the pistol, expression unreadable. Then she pulled back the slide, chambering a round. She aimed the barrel straight at my head.
"You really are a stupid girl, Tory."
Hannah's flawless smile was pure evil.
"Get two shovels, sweetheart. We'll need to bury the bodies."
CHAPTER 69
My eyes widened. The other Virals froze in disbelief.
Hannah kept the Sig trained on me. I stared down the barrel, imagining the feel of bullets ripping through my flesh.
"Hannah?" Chance sounded confused. "What are you doing? Put the gun down."
"I don't think so." The honeyed drawl was galvanized steel. "They know far too much. I'm going to finish this."
Chance gaped, speechless.
"Close your mouth Chance, you look like a fish." Hannah's eyes were hard. "Did you really think I'd allow you to screw this up?"
"What are you talking about?" Chance said. "Be careful! You don't know how to handle a gun."
"I know more than you think. A lot more, actually."
"It was you," I breathed. The pieces were clicking into place. "You led the gunmen to our bunker. You shot Karsten!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Hannah giggled. "I didn't shoot anyone. Baravetto shot the silly scientist. I just watched."
"Baravetto shot someone?" Chance looked as though he'd been punched. "What were you doing with my driver?"
"Chance, Chance." Hannah shook her head. "Sometimes you're like a child. Someone had to clean up your father's mess. And, sweetheart, you just don't have the stomach for this sort of thing."
"How did you find us?" Ben's rage was barely controlled. "How did you locate our bunker?"
Hannah's eyes flicked to me. A tell.
"iFollow," I guessed. "Hannah and I are both in Jason's group. We joined in order to share info for our biology presentation. I never logged out, so the GPS tracked me wherever I took my phone. Even the bunker."
"Nicely done. But, sadly, too late." Hannah gestured with the Sig. "Put your bag on the table. Now."
I took the pack from my shoulder and set it down.
"Back up," she ordered. "All of you."
We retreated several paces. Hannah strode forward, grabbed the pack, then retreated to the foot of the stairs.
"Tracking you was hard," Hannah said. "There's no reception out on Morris, so you constantly flickered on-and-off. But we managed." Another smile. "iFollow is how I knew you were here tonight, too."
Chance took a step toward Hannah. She swung the Sig his way, stopping him cold.
"I don't understand." His eyes locked onto the barrel. "How do you know about my father's business?"
"I overheard Hollis telling you about Cole Island and Katherine Heaton." Hannah frowned. "I also heard him tell you what had to be done. Not that you listened." Hannah waggled a finger. "Someone has to make sure you don't ruin our future."
"I had things under control!" Chance yelled.
Hannah glanced at me. "Honestly, Chance. Flirting with this poor girl? Did you really think you could charm your way out of this mess?"
"You shouldn't have gotten involved in Claybourne business." A vein was bulging on Chance's forehead.
"What? Leave it up to you? You don't have the guts to do what's necessary. To act like your father did, all those years ago." Hannah jabbed the gun at his face. "You're weak. I'm not."
"You can't talk to me like this!" The vein was pumping a gusher. "This is over your head."
"Silly goose. I'm more capable than you'll ever be. Ask your daddy."