Chapter 82

“No,” said the senator.

Craig chuckled. “Afraid so, boss.” He too stared up at the ceiling. “Use that self-destruct button. Make it all go boom, Den.”

“Yeah, do as Craig said,” I commanded.

Not that we could hear it, but, man, could we see it. Boom indeed. Fire, smoke, more fire, more spoke. Bye-bye lab. Bye-bye race of me. And yes, no inferno had ever been lovelier to behold.

“Oh,” I said. “Too bad, Senator. There goes one of those cards you were holding. Guess my off switch is stuck in the on position now.”

He seemed to seethe from behind the bars. “But I still know your secret identity,” he said. “You turn me in, I expose you.”

“Go for it,” I said.

He started to reply, when Craig chimed in with, “But before you do…” Again, he lifted his face to the ceiling. “Den, show news channel seven, please.”

Since The Den was still under my control, I said, “Go for it, Den.”