Flix felt something flutter behind his eyelids. An electrical spark seemed to fly from Cutler directly into the center of his brain.

“Jesús Cristo!” he cried as he slammed out of the vehicle, made a bee line toward Cutler.

“What the hell?” Charlie said.

Flix ran so fast he looked like a cheetah. He smashed into Cutler just before Cutler pressed the “5” button on his mobile. He grabbed the phone out of Cutler’s grasp, threw it away. Cutler punched him in the solar plexus. Flix barely felt it. He struck Cutler a blow to his jaw that nearly spun Cutler’s head around. Cutler retaliated with the edge of his hand, bringing it down on Flix’s shoulder, but again Flix was all but oblivious.

By that time, Whitman was a pace away. “Flix, no!”

But it was too late, or Flix had no desire to keep himself in check. He drove his straightened fingers into Cutler’s throat, tearing through skin and cartilage. He curled his fingers, ripping out his windpipe.

Whitman, down on his knees, put his hand on Flix’s back. Flix whirled, his eyes wide, his expression wild. He bared his teeth at Whitman. Then, all at once, the feral glow in his eyes was gone, the snarl in his throat quelled. Whitman could feel his muscles relaxing beneath his hand.

“Flix—”

“Look under the Navigator,” Flix said. He rose, retrieved the phone, while Whitman, a deep scowl on his face, returned to the SUV.

“What’s happened?” Charlie asked as she slipped out of the Navigator. “Dear god,” she whispered once she was down on her knees, peering under the vehicle with Whitman at the small packet of C-4 explosive. “How in the hell did Flix know about this?”

“No idea,” Flix said as he joined them. He had taken the battery out of Cutler’s mobile, rendering it inert. “Something just told me he was going to use this to detonate the explosive.”

Charlie slid under the SUV on her back, began the process of dismantling the bomb. “The same something that allowed you to run like the devil?”

“Did I do that?” Flix said. “I dunno. Maybe.”

“Got it.” Charlie, the packet of C-4 cradled in one hand, turned her attention to Whitman.

He stood, dusting off his hands. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Charlie and Flix followed suit, Flix climbing back beside Lucy.

“I’m guessing your ‘cure’ didn’t entirely work,” Charlie said from the opposite side of the Navigator.

Whitman grinned at her. “Who said I wanted it to?”

One Week Later

ONE WEEK LATER