Hunger

bitter moment. Surprise might have saved lives. Surprise might have allowed them to rescue the hostages.
    “The next wall should be easier,” Sam said. “Take cover!”
    Dekka jumped behind a row of filing cabinets as Samattacked the inner wall. The temperature in the filing room went from stifling to dangerous in seconds.
    Sam’s light burned away paint and wallboard in a few seconds, but beyond it, inside the wall, was a barrier of dull, gray metal.
    “It’s a radiation shield,” Sam yelled to Dekka. “Lead.”
    The lead melted quickly at the touch of Sam’s probing fire. Liquid lead dribbled down the wall and pooled, instantly igniting anything it touched.
    But now the file room was too hot for anyone. The air was gone, and Sam was woozy, unfocused, forgetting what he was doing.
    “Orc! Grab him!” Dekka yelled as she dove back outside, gasping for breath.
    Sam felt himself lifted off his feet. It was curiously pleasant. Outside, the shock of cold air on his face snapped him back to reality.
    He glanced to his right. Gunfire still kept the turbine room doorway clear. Edilio was flattened against the wall, unable to do anything but reload and keep firing blindly. His soldiers had been ordered back to safety behind parked cars.
    The attack was failing.
    Sam stood up, fighting nausea and dizziness. He faced the wall again. He could shoot through the outer wall, through the room beyond, and hit the lead shield. But his deadly light was diffused at that distance. And he had no room to ply the blowtorch back and forth and widen the hole.
    He raised his hands and unleashed the power. The leadsheath melted quickly. But too late, Sam knew. Too late for surprise. Too late.
    And in the end, too little.
    A red-rimmed hole about the size of a manhole cover dripped melted lead like tears.
    Then a familiar voice cried, “Sam!”
    Sam ignored it.
    “Sam, in three seconds I’m pushing one of my hostages into this hole you’ve made,” Caine yelled. “One!”
    Sam widened the gap as much as he could, working the edges, melting lead.
    “Two!”
    He couldn’t stop, Sam told himself.
    But if he didn’t stop, he had no doubt, none, that Caine would make good on his threat. Caine could literally hurl one of the hostages into the fiery hole Sam was burning.
    Sam dropped his hands. The light died.
    “That’s better,” Caine yelled.
    “Come out now, Caine, and maybe I let you walk away in one piece,” Sam blustered.
    “Here’s the thing, brother,” Caine called back. “I have two of your people. Give a shout-out, kids.”
    “It’s me, Sam. It’s Mike Farmer! Mickey’s here, too. And Britt, she’s…she’s hurt.”
    Sam shot a look at Dekka. She stared back at him, stone faced. Caine had said two hostages. So he was counting Brittney as dead.
    And no mention of Brianna. The Breeze was not a hostage.At the same time, Sam told himself, Mike hadn’t listed her, either. So at least she wasn’t lying defeated in that room.
    The gunfire at the doorway had ceased. Edilio still stood ready, but not knowing what to do next.
    “Let them go, Caine,” Sam said wearily.
    “I don’t think I’m going to do that,” Caine answered.
    Sam ran his hand through his hair, beside himself with frustration.
    “What is it you want?” Sam asked. “What do you think you’re doing?”
    “I have the power plant, that’s obvious,” Caine said. “Stupid of you to lose it, Sam.”
    Sam had no answer to that.
    “What I’m going to do, Sam, is turn off the power to Perdido Beach.”
    “You do that, you’ll be sitting in the dark, too,” Sam shouted back.
    “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Caine said with a laugh. “But it turns out that’s not true. It seems we can turn off some parts of the grid from here and not affect other parts.”
    “I think you’re bluffing, Caine. I’ve seen the control room. It would take you a week to make any sense out of it.”
    Caine laughed easily. “Oh, man, you are right about that, brother. Hey, it would probably take me a month. And Diana’s no better at the techie stuff. And Drake, well, you know Drake. But…”
    Sam knew what was coming next. He closed his eyes and hung his head.
    “Fortunately, our mutual friend Computer Jack, here, he’spretty much got it whipped. In fact…How’s it going, Jack? Got it yet?”
    There was a murmur, barely audible. Then, Caine again, taunting. “Guess what, Sam?”
    Sam refused to answer.
    “Jack here says the lights just went off