Cross the Line (Alex Cross 24)

“We don’t have to listen to this nonsense,” Gordon said. “We’re leaving.”

Bree stepped up and stood in the way, said, “Tell me, Mr. Gordon, what bullets do you shoot in that fancy gun of yours?”

The attorney frowned. “I don’t know. Whatever my sponsors send me.”

“Bear Creek moly-coated two-hundred-grain RNHBs?”

“No,” Gordon said, but his lower lip twitched.

Muller turned to Vivian, said, “And you’re lying about your financial situation. We got a court order and looked into your investments. You’ve lost more than nineteen million dollars since the Chinese economy tanked, which was right before you asked Tommy to leave.”

Bree said, “We figure you found out about the life insurance policy and decided that since Tommy was leaving anyway, you’d profit by making sure he checked out permanently. You’d hide that, of course, behind a foundation you could loot to build back your fortune. Sound right?”

The widow McGrath tried to maintain her poise, but her eyes got glassy. She moved her lips but made no sound before fainting dead away.

Vivian hit the ground hard, cracking her head on the cement walkway. Bree went to her knees next to her.

Gordon put his competition pistol to the back of Bree’s head and said, “We’re leaving real quiet, now, you and me, Chief Stone.”

Chapter

95

Gordon grabbed the lapel of Bree’s jacket and jerked her to her feet, her body between him and Muller, who was going for his gun.

“Don’t,” Gordon said, keeping the gun on the back of Bree’s head. “Toss it.”

Muller looked pissed but did as he was told.

“Your backup gun.”

“I don’t carry one.”

“C’mon,” Gordon said, pushing Bree. “We’re moving out.”

He marched her into a maze of parked cars. She felt him relax a bit as they passed out of Muller’s sight.

“You’re making a big mistake,” Bree said.

“No, I’m not,” Gordon said.

Bree backed up fast and hard. She slammed into the attorney’s chest and grabbed for her service pistol. He pulled his gun away from her head, flipped it, caught it by its barrel, and used the grip like a hammerhead against her wrist.

The blow was excruciating. Her gun fell into the dust. Gordon flipped the gun again and had the pistol back to Bree’s head before she realized her wrist was probably broken.

“You’ll never get out of here alive,” she said, gasping.

“That’s where you’re mistaken,” he said, dragging her along.

“We have a SWAT team surrounding this place,” Bree said.

Gordon stopped short and jerked Bree tight to him.

“Bring on the amateurs, then,” he said. “I’ll watch them fall one by one, starting with you, Chief Stone.”

“You’re just going to shoot me in cold blood?”

“Just as you would shoot me.”