THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

he’ll have to negotiate with us for his own survival.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “When dawn comes, he’ll be at our mercy.”
    “Couldn’t he just call for another helicopter to lift him to safety?”
    “He could, but he’s got to know we’re equipped with anti-aircraft guns we could turn on any incoming helo. He would not have dared land here without hostages.”
    “Hey guys,” Eli interrupted, “Security cams indicate the pilot is doing a visual sweep of the rooftop, looking for booby traps. He gave our helo a careful look, but didn’t raise an alarm.”
    “No less than what we expected,” said Delano. “Give them a few more minutes for Janecek to scan—”
    “Time’s up.” Janecek’s voice came through the speakerphone. “Decide now. You have precisely four minutes to get up to the roof, or one of these pretty gals becomes dinner.”
    Delano hit the mute button to connect with Janecek again. “We’re on our way.”
    “Excellent.” Janecek severed the connection, leaving a dial tone resonating through the room.
    Delano turned the phone off. “Okay, raise our jack-in-the-box. We’re going up.”
     
     

 
    Chapter 22
     
    DELANO SILENTLY cursed the perspiration that slicked his skin beneath the armored vest Eli insisted he wear under his shirt. Was this the normal human state, or was the reversal in progress wreaking extra havoc on his body? It had been so long, he couldn’t remember. Probably a little bit of both.
    Eli stood with his hand on the door’s panic bar, impatient to be off, but they had two minutes yet, and Delano had things to say to Ainsley. “Go on up,” he said. “I need a minute.”
    Eli frowned. “Make it a literal minute.”
    The door had barely closed behind him when Ainsley spoke. “I should be going up there with you.”
    “No, my love. You know we can’t run the risk of both of us falling into his hands. He wouldn’t spare the hostages.”
    “I’m scared, Delano.”
    “I know, love.” He put a hand to her face and felt a tremor go through her. “But it’s our best chance.”
    She nodded, biting her lip to still its trembling.
    I love you , he said silently. If something should happen to go wrong up here, I just wanted to make absolutely certain you to know that.
    Her brow furrowed. “Delano?”
    Oh, Lord, she couldn’t hear him. The reversal was progressing quickly. “Sorry, I just wanted to do this before I go.” He fit his hand behind her head and drew her to him for a short, sweet kiss. Just as quickly, he released her and stepped back. “I’m afraid our minute is up.”
    “I know. Go.”
    He’d reached the door when her voice stopped him.
    “Delano!”
    He turned to find her heart in her eyes.
    “Be careful.”
    Heart thudding painfully against his ribs, he gave her his best reassuring smile. “I will. Now remember, don’t go out there, no matter what happens. Okay?”
    She nodded, her eyes solemn, and he turned away before his throat could grow any tighter. Knowing he’d used more than a minute, he leapt up the stairs. On the first landing, Eli and the members of B-Team stood waiting.
    Eli clapped him on the back. “You ready for this, boss?”
    “Ready as I’ll ever be. Are we good to go?”
    “Our man has a bead on the helicopter door as we speak.”
    “Time to rock and roll then.”
    Delano ran lightly up the last flight of stairs alone. When he reached the door, he took a deep, steadying breath. Exhaling, he raised his hands up over his head, pushed the panic bar with his hip and carefully stepped out on the roof.
    The pilot stood midway between the idling helicopter and the door, holding a lethal-looking rifle. A rifle that was trained unerringly on Delano’s chest as evidenced by a red laser dot. Feeling alarmingly weak in the legs — damn the timing of this mutation reversal — Delano strode toward the flak-jacketed pilot.
    Then all hell broke loose.
    Gunfire erupted, but from the wrong helicopter! Janecek must have detected their sniper. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Before Delano’s horrified eyes, a hundred bullet holes bloomed on the body of the helo, and shattered glass erupted onto the helipad. For a few white-hot seconds, he considered trying to rescue the sniper, but logic told him neither of them would survive it.
    Bastards!
    His blood boiling with fury, Delano streaked toward the pilot, who’d let the nose of his rifle dip when the helo-to-helo gunfire broke out. And oh, thank you Jesus, he must have had