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He locked eyes with Clary. “You have to trust me.”
“Do whatever you need to.”
“One minute,” Hugh said.
Seth gave his tool box a kick. “Ron, I need a piece of duct tape.” As he said that, he wedged the coin under her thumb. “Keep the pressure on your thumb.”
She nodded, and he pressed down on the coin.
He released his breath when the coin completely covered the surface of the button. He put a hand under the controller as he held onto the edges of the coin, keeping it firmly against the button. “Remove your hand.”
Clary hesitated, but unfurled her hand almost immediately.
He shifted his hand toward Ron. “Tape the coin down.”
Andrea tore off another piece while Ron did as he was told. After three pieces, Seth slowly let go of the coin.
Andrea slapped on another piece of duct tape. “Just in case.”
Seth nodded, then put it under the couch. “Leave, all of you.” He extended a hand toward Hugh. “Get up.”
Hugh stood with Seth’s help.
“We’ll move as far away from the controller as we can.” Seth looked over at Clary. “I don’t have time to argue with you.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“We can’t all squeeze through the door at the same time.”
Clary sighed heavily, then allowed Andrea and Ron to drag her out. But she remained hovering at the door.
Hugh and Seth moved toward the door too, as far as they could without setting off the beeps.
Seth lowered the zipper right down to the very end, where the wire was. “Once I cut the wires, you can rip off the vest. Then run out the door.”
“Rip and run,” Hugh said.
Seth adjusted the cutter in his hand and pinched the wires again. “Last fifteen seconds, any last wishes?”
“I hope Clary doesn’t get my portion of the inheritance.”
Seth laughed once. Not because he found Hugh funny, but at the incredibility of this situation. “On three.”
Hugh’s throat bobbed.
“One. Two.”
* * *
Everything happened so fast, Clary couldn’t be sure exactly what happened.
She couldn’t remember anything except hearing the loud boom and the door shaking.
Then she was down on the floor, her back against a wall with Seth covering her.
His arms were around her, holding her head tight against his chest.
She tipped her chin up at Seth when he released his hold on her.
