Kitsune said, “If I drop the knives, they’re going to make quite a bit of noise, then the guards will come. You’ll never make it out alive.”
Mike grabbed a K-Bar from her hand and tossed it behind her with a clatter. Nicholas removed the second gun from her hip holster, and took the other knife away.
He wrenched her arms behind her back, and Mike tossed him her handcuffs. He latched them on, then turned her around and grinned, his teeth flashing white in the light of the moon.
“Hello, Victoria.”
92
Nicholas retraced their path to the fence. There was a perfect body-size hole where he’d cut through the metal. Mike went first, watching for guards, cleared the road, then signaled the go-ahead. He pushed Victoria through and followed after her.
He wanted to tell Mike she’d put a stop to the fight at just the right moment because he didn’t know how much longer he’d have been able to dodge those knives. He felt a small wetness at the base of his spine; most likely he’d torn open his stitches. He certainly didn’t need any more.
When they reached the car, Mike got into the back with Victoria, her Glock pressed hard against her ribs. Nicholas got behind the wheel, and quietly pulled the car away.
“Where are you taking me?” Her voice shook a bit, not from fear, Mike thought, but from the pounding adrenaline.
Nicholas said, “Away from here. We want the Koh-i-Noor and we want it now. Where do you have it hidden?”
Kitsune laughed. “You seriously think I’m going to hand it over to you?”
“Yes.” He might have well have said, Don’t, and I’ll kill you myself.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked again.
Mike wondered the same thing but contented herself with keeping the barrel of her Glock against Victoria’s ribs.
Nicholas took turns too fast, going deeper into the Parisian suburbs. After fifteen minutes, he pulled into a small alleyway behind a row of town houses. “Mike, back in three, don’t let her move an inch,” and he got out of the car.
Kitsune said, “You take orders rather well, don’t you, Mike? Lying down for the man, huh? Why? You don’t work for him. Surely you’re too smart to be sleeping with him. Why don’t you think about this: you help me and I can give you more money than you’ve ever dreamed of.”
Mike really would like to beat the crap out of this woman. Such a pity, but she couldn’t, not with her in handcuffs. She gave her a big smile. “Screw you, Victoria.”
Kitsune didn’t move, didn’t say another word.
Nicholas appeared on Kitsune’s side of the car and opened the door. “Come. And be quiet about it.”
Kitsune saw her chance, opened her mouth to scream. Nicholas yanked her out of the car and smashed his hand over her mouth. He whispered, “I said, be quiet.”
She tried to bite him, so he clouted her hard over the ear, enough to stun her, and dragged her into the rear entrance of the town house.
Mike followed, silently applauding.
Nicholas tied Victoria to a chair in the kitchen, arms and legs, and gagged her with a dishrag he found in a drawer.
Mike felt Victoria’s pulse, strong and steady. Good. She wasn’t hurt badly. She turned to Nicholas, who was sitting on the table, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, watching.
Mike said, “Now we’re breaking and entering?”
He grinned at her. “Safe house.”
From his time as super-spy, of course.
“Now what?”
He gestured toward Victoria, who was coming around enough to open her eyes. She was making mewing noises behind the gag.
“Now she gives us the whereabouts of the Koh-i-Noor.” He hopped off the table and pulled the gag from her mouth. Mike gave her a drink of water.