Kate spoke up. "You were bluffing about the gun, weren't you? It wasn't mine. You just had blanks."

"I was bluffing about the gun, yes," he said between gritted teeth.

Michelle put a hand on his back. "You'll be okay."

"I'm too old for this macho crap ." He took a few last deep breaths and straightened up. "Do you smell smoke?" he asked.

They ran toward the exit and were met by a horrified-looking Bruno. He pointed down the hall where the flames were already impenetrable. Another wall of flames blocked the passageway to the upper floors.

Michelle spotted a black cable on the floor. She pointed it out to King.

"Is that what I think it is?"

He examined it. When he looked up, his face was pale. "He's wired the building with explosives." He glanced around. "Okay, wecan't go out and we can't go up." He eyed the other way down the hall. "And if I remember correctly, that goes to the basement. And there's no exit from there."

"Wait a minute," said Michelle. "We can get out through the basement."