“Are you still there?” Clementine asked. “It’s the boathouse or nothing. I want you as far away from my men and our art as possible. You’ve already done enough damage to both this evening.”

Of course she did, but not for the reasons she was saying.

“Don’t you worry, sugar. I’ll be there. When you tell your men to release the hostages, I’ll hand over the tube. Then we can both go our separate ways.”

“Fine,” Clementine snapped. “You have thirty minutes. Be there, or I tell my boys to start shooting—and not to stop until every single person in the rotunda is dead.”

* * *

Static hissed through the walkie-talkie, indicating that the giant was done talking. Good. So was I. Now it was time to act. I turned down the volume on the device and looked at the others.

“You know she’s going to double-cross you,” Bria said. “Just as soon as she gets the chance. She’s probably already ordering her giants to get into position all around the boathouse to take you down.”

I shook my head. “No. She’ll order some of her men to guard the hostages in the rotunda, and the others will be out by the moving trucks, protecting the art. The only ones who will be at the boathouse will be Clementine, Opal, and Dixon. They’re the only ones in on the real plan.”

“What plan?” Owen asked.

I told them what I thought Clementine was really up to.

Xavier let out a low whistle. “She’s going to blow up all that art and all her men just to make sure that she escapes. She’s certainly determined. So what are we going to do about it?”

“Well, while I meet Clementine at the boathouse, you, Bria, and Owen will get into position on the second-floor balcony above the rotunda,” I said. “That’ll give you the high ground and the chance to take out the giants by sniping at them from above. It’s not ideal, since the hostages will still be in danger, but it’s the best chance we have to rescue those folks with minimal loss of life to them or us. The only chance, really.”

Bria shook her head, the moonlight making her blond hair glimmer like spun silver. “No,” she said. “I’m not leaving you to face Clementine alone. It’s too risky. Especially since she’ll have Opal and Dixon for backup.”

“It’s a risk we have to take,” I said in a quiet voice. “If we have any chance of saving Phillip and everyone else. It’s been more than ninety minutes since he was shot. Phillip doesn’t have much time left. We need to take out the giants in the rotunda now, or he dies.”

I gave her a crooked grin.