I looked at the side of the bomb.

There was a small slot, just wide enough for the silver card.

I slid the card into the slot.

The countdown paused.

The red lights on the bomb turned a solid, calm green.

The humming sound died down.

I leaned against the brick wall, letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“It’s off,” I whispered.

“For now,” Daniel said.

Above us, the sound of footsteps grew louder, moving toward the cellar stairs.

We heard the distinctive sound of a weapon being chambered.

“They’re coming down,” Marcus whispered, drawing his sidearm.

The yellow bulb above us suddenly flickered and went out.

We were plunged into absolute darkness.

In the silence, a cell phone began to ring.

It wasn’t mine.

The ringtone was coming from Caleb’s pocket.

The screen glowed through his trousers, casting a green light on his face.

Caleb grinned in the dark.

“Answer it, Adrian,” he whispered. “She wants to talk to you.”

I reached into Caleb’s coat pocket.

The nylon fabric rustled in the pitch black.