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“All kinds and then some We should be there in twenty minutes” Juan cut the connection and handed back Max’s phone A pair of ahts flashing and their sirens going full bore

“Are you going to answer my question?” Hanley asked

Cabrillo closed his eyes, picturing the scene when they’d first spotted the suicide bounmen The picture firuests and staff who had been in the lobby at that instant It wasn’t an innate skill but rather so so that when all hell broke loose he could distinguish additional threats or identify accos there was an observer nearby to report back on the operation

“I think,” he finally said, “that we happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time”

Hanley was incredulous “You honestly think that was a coincidence?” he demanded

“Yes,” Cabrillo replied, hastily raising a hand to stave off Max’s next remark “Hear me out As I mentioned earlier, if Croissard wanted to set us up, he could have had his goon, Smith—nice name, that, by the way—shoot us as soon as ere in the suite Stuff our bodies into so trunks, and no one would ever be the wiser With me so far?”

Max nodded

“That puts him in the clear, whichsince he really does want us to find his daughter Right?”

“Okay,” Hanley said, drawing out the word

“Noas around us when the bombers made their move?”

“Hell, I don’t even recall what they earing,” the Corporation’s number two admitted

“Overcoats, which in this heat should have tipped apore security forces Anyway, you and I were the only two Caucasians in the lobby when they started after us Everyone else was Asian I think this attack has been in the works for a while, but it was seeing our white faces that triggered the their plan”

“Seriously?” Max asked, his voice dripping with doubt

“Just because there has never been a terrorist attack in Singapore doesn’texample of Western decadence Any jihadi worth his salt would be drooling to blow up the place We just happened to be there when it happened”

Hanley still didn’t look convinced