[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.""I never suspected," Katya admitted, rubbing her wrist and ankle as the cuffscame off."I had extensive amateur thespian experience at Oxford," Calthrop said,walking over to Natalya and cutting the rope around her neck."I must say thatmy Sancho Panza was well regarded by the OxfordGazette.I have a clipping around here somewhere." he added, patting hispockets."I think we talk about it later," Katya said, wincing as she got to her feet."There are things going on in town." she continued just as a series ofdistant thumps carried over the night air."Ah, yes, your raid by the Keldara, what?" Calthrop asked."And, of course,there are the two cars that appear to be coming up the hill.""Oh, shit," Katya said."Vanner, Vanner, can you hear me?""It's Lidiya, yes," Lidiya replied in her ear."We're okay, for now," Katya said."But there are cars.""The one in the lead is Mikhail," Lidiya said."The other is reported but whoit is is unknown.A LandRover.Definitely following you and probably hostile.""It would have been nice to know that before now!" Katya snapped."You seemed a bit busy," Lidiya said with a hint of humor in her voice."Thebulk of the force is engaged in the town or on other operations.Kildar saysthat you need to run, or fight, your choice, but hold on for a few moreminutes until we can get some support to you.""Understood," Katya said, looking around."I think.run.""I take it you're using that special thingy in your head," Calthrop said."What do they say?""The lead car is a friend," Katya said, frowning."The trail car is a LandRover, probably hostile.ThePage 166ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlKeldara can't get free for a few minutes.So we're on our own.""Then I agree," Calthrop said, holding out his hand and helping her to herfeet."We run."* * *"Mikhail.""Go Lidiya," the Keldara said, steering through a hard turn."Get ready to take a right.""Is that the way to Katya?" Mikhail asked, confused."I saw their lights aboveus.""It will be."* * *"The other car is turning," Chito said, looking over at Bezhmel."Yes, but the Mercedes is up there," Yarok replied, pointing up the hill."This road takes us up there.Keep going."* * *"Okay, the Tango One is still headed up the hill," Captain O'Keefe said, overthe sat-phone."Sierra Two is headed down the side road.""Got that," Lidiya said, picking up the microphone."Katya."* * *".Turn right at the next intersection," Katya said, pointing."That's sending us back towards town," Calthrop said, braking to make theturn.The big Mercedes was solid and a comfortable ride, but it was really lackingin acceleration and turning;the soft shocks made it turn extremely wide.He could already see flashes oflight from the followingRover."We're meeting a friend."* * *Mikhail pulled the Ladia backwards into the road and then bailed out, runningacross the small distance to the stopped Mercedes and tumbling into the backseat."Nice of you to join us, Mikhail," Katya said, dryly."Great security.I hadto depend on the British for protection.""I was doing my best," Mikhail said, jacking a round into the SPR."But I wasdriving a Ladia.What did you expect?""So was I, lad," Calthrop replied in Georgian."Of course, I had a bit of alead on you.Speaking of leads, we're losing ours with the Rover.Nice of youto park your car in the road, but I don't think that's going to stop them.""Slow them down a bit, I hope," Mikhail said, shrugging and looking out theback window."If not, well, we will die well.""The only way to do that is late," Katya replied.* * *"Who the fuck would park a car." Chito said, swerving the Rover around theparked Ladia.He'd barely spotted it in time and had a seriously hard timekeeping the SUV in control as it hit the verge of the road.But he managed after a moment."Someone trying to slow us down," Bezhmel replied.How many in the car was the question.The American was dead; he'd seen thebody as they drove past.He could take the credit on that one.All he had to do was take out thehooker, Natalya.Then he would be sixty thousand euros richer.But there wasmore than just the hooker in the car.At least one, probably more.However, he had three fighters in the back of the SUV, himself and Chito.ThatPage 167ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlshould be enough to take out whatever was facing them.* * *"Hang on," Calthrop said, braking hard as he saw a switchback ahead.The diplomat/assassin had taken the girls far up into the hills over the townbut the current road was headed downward again.And the narrow, barely paved,road was descending in a series of nasty switchbacks that the big Mercedesdearly hated.The outer tires dug gravel on the outside shoulder of the road, causing aburst of adrenaline through his system that hit like a hammer [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]