The Romanov Ransom (Fargo Adventures 9)

“The service entrance gate.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t see that far down the curved drive from where they were. “No doubt it’s guarded now.”

Tatiana moved to his side. “What if we joined the party? Surely he wouldn’t kill us in front of all his guests?”

“No. He’d kill us before we ever got there. Easier to say we were mistaken for burglars than let us get close enough to call for help.”

“Besides,” Remi said, “there’s a constant patrol walking the stretch of lawn between here and the terrace.”

Sam looked over at the cars in the garage. “Check to see if the keys are here.”

They did. Not one set.

“We could hot-wire the van,” Remi said.

Sam looked out the window. “Actually, we won’t need to. The keys are hanging from the rear door.” He turned to Tatiana. “Put your uniform on. I think it’s time we helped Helga load her boxes into the van.”

Tatiana pulled on a pair of pants and jacket, both far too big for her slight frame. With no choice, she rolled up the pant legs so she could walk without tripping, then grabbed a box, following Remi and Sam out the door. The same guard who’d been patrolling the area glanced over at them, his gaze landing on the boxes as they loaded them into the back of the van. When he turned away, Sam grabbed the keys from the lock. Another guard appeared, and the two met up, their attention fixed on the three at the rear of the van. Both started walking in that direction.

“I think that’s our cue,” Sam said. “I’m going to start the van before they get too close. Maybe if they think we’re loading up to leave, it won’t look so obvious.”

Remi stood to one side near the rear, pointing at the garage, doing a convincing job of acting like she wanted him to back the van closer. He shifted to reverse. The guards seemed to buy it, their steps slowing. But then one of them put his hand to his ear, adjusting his earpiece. Suddenly, both men broke into a run.

Sam shifted to drive, checking the side mirror. “Now!” he shouted. The weight in the back of the van shifted as the two women jumped in. Sam hit the gas, the tires screeching as the van lurched forward, Remi barely closing the rear door in time. He approached the curve, letting his foot off the gas when the wheels lost traction. Up ahead on the left, between him and the gate, another guard stood near the hedge, his gun pointed at them. Sam floored the gas. The guard fired, then dove, his shot going wide. Sam glanced at the side mirror, saw several guards running behind the van.

“Get down!” he called. The two women dropped to the floorboards as a volley of shots rang out. Leaves flew up beside the van like a hedge trimmer in action. The closed gate loomed ahead, the guards standing in front of it, guns out. Sam shifted to the right, overcorrecting, the van coming up on two wheels, then settling. Both guards fired. The windshield fractured, obscuring his vision, as he gunned it straight toward them. The guards dove, one to the left, one to the right. Sam blasted through the gate, wood boards flying as the van hurtled through.

56

Remi, Tatiana, and the boxes they’d loaded flew backwards into the cargo hold as Sam slammed on the brakes, then made a turn onto the street. Remi grabbed one of the cargo straps hanging from the side. “Any chance you were sampling that champagne we were serving?”

Sam took the corner a little too fast, sending her against the side of the van. “Sorry,” he said. “Must have been all the alcohol.”

He looked back at Tatiana, who was also clinging to one of the cargo straps, looking a bit shell-shocked. “Ignore my wife,” he said, turning back to the road. “She’s a little sore that she had to watch the baby while I had all the fun.”

“The what?” Tatiana asked.

Remi cleared her throat as she made her way to the front passenger seat. “Do you really want to get into who was the better parent?”

“Did I mention how good you look in that uniform?”

The van jarred as they hit a pothole. Remi turned a stern glance his way.

“Sorry,” he said. “That one, I really didn’t see. He checked the side mirrors just before turning down an alley. “Keep an eye out. The van’s a bit obvious.”

“You think?” Remi said. “The giant catering sign on the side? Or the bullet holes in the shattered windshield?”

He laughed, glad to see her sense of humor had returned.

Even Tatiana smiled. “You two are incorrigible.”

“Makes for a good marriage,” Sam replied as he pulled up behind their rental car.

They got out, Remi glancing at the damage to the front of the catering van as they walked to their car.

They drove straight to the hotel where Nika and Felix were waiting. Sam knocked on the door of their room. Nika opened it after only a moment. “Sorry we’re late,” Sam said. “Stopped by to pick up another passenger.”

He stepped aside to let Tatiana in the door first.

Nika’s eyes widened. “Tatiana . . . ?” she said, her voice filled with disbelief. “How . . . ? I don’t understand.”