Luca said, “Those other guys had better hurry up and get this door open.”
“As soon as they do, I’m a dead man.”
“And you think my priority here is keeping you alive?”
“It had better be if you want to know anything else about the Shadow Syndicate.”
Luca glanced at him. “Really? Right now you’re going to pretend like you have more information about this?”
“I guess you’d better keep me alive, and we’ll find out exactly how much I know about what’s going on in this city.”
“I’m getting Kira, and I’m getting out of here. That is literally my only priority.”
“Be sure to explain to Mack how you hung me out to dry and let me die just so that you could survive.” Jenkins’s attention drifted past Luca’s shoulder.
Luca turned around just as the cartel guy and the officer raced back. The officer ran a key card through the reader next to the door, and it clicked. Luca grabbed the handle and pulled it open, needing to be on the same side of the door as Kira. Otherwise, there was nothing he could do to help her.
Stuart backed up, pulling Kira with him.
The officer lifted the gun and pointed it at Luca, aiming at his face. “Keys.”
Hector tossed a set of keys to Luca.
The officer said, “Unlock his cuffs.”
Luca didn’t move. An alarm sounded down the hallway, followed by the words “Lockdown initiated” in a robotic voice through the speakers overhead.
The officer whirled around, swearing a blue streak.
Stuart yelled, “What is that? What did you do?”
“I thought I shut it off! Someone elsewhere in the prison must have turned it back on. The police department will have been notified.”
Stuart said, “We’re going to have company?”
“Armed SWAT in full gear.” The officer looked at his watch. “We don’t have long to get this done.”
Stuart motioned to the gun. “Let me see that.”
The officer handed it over.
Luca didn’t know whether to step out of the room and let the door lock again, securing Jenkins inside, or figure out how to grab Kira and get her in there with them.
Stuart swung the gun up and pointed it at the officer, squeezed the trigger. He didn’t even flinch when the man fell to the ground.
Kira screamed.
The cartel guy said, “Now kill Jenkins. If he isn’t dead, then we don’t get paid.”
“How can you get paid when you’re in prison?” Jenkins yelled from inside the room. “They’re never going to let you out for this.”
Luca lifted his hands. “Everyone, calm down.” He focused on Stuart. “Let Kira go, or things will be so much worse for you when that SWAT team arrives. I don’t really care what you do to Jenkins, but you need to let us go.”
Stuart said, “I’ve got the gun. Seems to me like she’s leverage. Which means she and I should go.”
“Go where?” Luca didn’t think the guy would get far.
Probably the moment he stepped outside, guards in high towers would take him out. Luca just prayed Kira didn’t get caught in the crossfire.