TOMMY TRIED TO UNDERSTAND what the two were saying, but he knew nothing about it, other than the strange events he had witnessed in the last few hours.
As they talked, they both noticed a thin, low cry, like someone crying inside, a sound of agony that becomes a voice and no longer fits in the throat. From the feminine voice that drew the nuances of the sad melody, they realized that the crying came from Katherine.
As Floyd, Greg, and Kenan turned to look at her, there was a click. When they looked, they saw her with her gun in her hands, pointed at the President, her hands shaking profusely with nervousness. Tommy, seeing his wife in that state, was very saddened.
What would happen if there was a lack of control?
Still restrained, he tried to calm her down by saying:
— Katy, what's wrong? Put this down and let me help you...
The others watched in astonishment at the strange turn of events. Floyd, who had been receiving harsh reprimands until then, stood in front of Kenan, between him and Katherine, to protect him.
No longer resisting the conflict in her mind, Katherine let out a louder, sharper cry, tears streaming down her face, which showed the expression of a terrified heart. Her trembling hands seemed to suffer from the weight of the weapon they carried, not the weight of holding it, but of what they could do with it. With the little strength she had left to release her hoarse voice, she stammered a plea:
— Tommy, help me!
— Just put her down and I'll be able to help you. — he replied carefully, because he didn't understand what was happening. He didn't want to hurt her and he was afraid of the risk of acting rashly and causing more problems than they already had.
Floyd Kenagan swiftly drew his gun and pointed it at the girl. He then said:
—This is the effect of that attack! She delayed the collateral damage until now...
—Can this really be... — Kenan replied. — Do something, Kenagan!
Gregory Evans tried to understand how it had happened. The agents who accompanied them had also gone through that delay process, but she had resisted much longer. He thought:
It may have been fired when she received the gun...
— I can't give up, Tommy! — Katherine said, sobbing, desperate for her husband's help.
— Take a deep breath, Katy, calm down and nothing will happen... — Tommy brought one of his hands closer to the gun she was holding.
— Floyd! What are you waiting for? — Kenan shouted.
Floyd hesitated to hurt the girl, he knew she had no purpose in it, but on the other hand, there was a risk of her succumbing to the effects of her mind and pulling the trigger.
It was the President's safety that was at stake...
Greg also knew that if anything happened to her, he would have to face her enraged husband and that would not end well. He unholstered his gun and prepared for the worst. Gregory Evans heard the sound of the safety behind him.
— Kenagan, is it my safety you want? — Kenan shouted, pressing him. — Act quickly, or...
Before Kenan could finish his sentence, he came face to face with the barrel of Tommy's pistol and, piercing the cold metal of the weapon, on the other side of the sight, the young man's hateful gaze:
— If anything happens to her, your rule here ends.
— Tommy, please...! — she cried out nervously.
The tense unfolding of the situation heightened her emotions and she already felt herself losing control.
Tommy realized that the only way out was to try it himself; just calming her down wouldn't work. He looked into her eyes, then looked at Floyd Kenagan and Gregory Evans and tried to warn him what he was going to do. Since he was close to Katherine, he suddenly pushed his hands up, raising his aim. Since his finger was on the trigger, he ended up firing, but the shot went into the ceiling of the tunnel. He quickly took the gun from her hands and hugged her. She was crying like a baby.
— I'm sorry, I was the one who forced you to do this... — he whispered in her ears.
Floyd Kenagan and Gregory Evans breathed a sigh of relief. The problem was partly solved. Kenan felt indignant at the insubordination of his top security agent. Angrily, he exclaimed:
— Is this what you call security? Is this the man who is in charge of national security? You can't make a decision like this, how will you serve your country?
— Hey Pacino, — Tommy shouted, still holding Katherine in his arms, when he saw Kenan yelling at Kenagan, — she's already unarmed!
Kenan Vaine could not shake the idea that Katherine would do something against him again at some point, since she had shown that she had succumbed to the effects of her own mind. Nervous, as any normal person would be when faced with the slightest possibility of dying, he asked:
— How do you make sure this won't happen again? How will we know she's back to normal?
— I can't guarantee that. — Tommy replied, staring at the President. Kenan fell silent.
The three guards watched everything with their mouths open.
Tommy put the gun back in his belt, kissed his wife lightly on the cheek as he removed her arms. He turned to Kenan and walked over to him. He looked at him darkly and menacingly, and whispered in a venomous monotone:
— I guarantee you one thing: I will never forget what you just did. Do anything to her and I will be your biggest problem.
Gregory Evans interrupted, trying to diffuse the situation:
— I think we better get going again, the air is getting heavy in here.
After exchanging glances and calming their emotions, they walked again through the dark subway tunnels.