reluctantly. “Yeah.”
“Good.” She turned her attention to the helicopter, then to Hajjar. “You only have five seats, and there’s six of us. Or are you going to dangle from the skids by your hook?”
“You can ride on Yuri’s lap,” said Hajjar with a lecherous smirk. “He deserves a last pleasure … before I sell him back to Qobras.”
The blood drained from Volgan’s face. “What? No! No, Failak, we had a deal!”
“And I’m sure Qobras will have a better one. Why should I settle for three million dollars when I can keep all ten million, and have Qobras pay me even more to get you and the artifact back?”
“No!” Volgan shrieked. Even though his hands were cuffed behind his back, he threw himself against the bodyguard holding him, slamming him off balance.
The other bodyguard whirled, releasing his hold on Kari’s arm—as the Russian drove a kick deep into his stomach. Volgan jumped over the bodyguard as he fell, and ran awkwardly for the farmhouse. The soldiers overcame their surprise, weapons coming up.
“Don’t shoot!” cried Hajjar. Mahjad looked startled, then urgently repeated the order.
The soldiers paused for an instant, caught between trained instinct and the orders of their superior officer.
The instant was all Chase needed.
He grabbed the barrel of the nearest soldier’s rifle, jerking it out of the startled man’s grip and twisting his wrist to flip the gun over onto its back as his other hand stabbed at the trigger.
He felt the heat of the bullet through the metal barrel as the gun fired, scorching his palm. The soldier lurched backwards, the bullet ripping right through him and showering the Land Rover with blood and mashed lung tissue.
Before any of the other soldiers could react, Chase flipped the gun over again, jamming the selector switch to full auto and unleashing bursts of fire at the soldiers with the Dragunovs. They fell. If the remaining soldiers fired at him, they ran the risk of hitting their own comrades, which would deter them for a moment.
“Nina!” he shouted. She stared uncomprehendingly at him, totally unprepared for his lethal flurry of action. He reached out to grab her arm, but one of the soldiers reacted more quickly than his companions and tackled Nina to the ground. Chase couldn’t shoot him without hitting her—
He immediately changed tactics. “Hugo!” he yelled, jerking his head at the Land Rover. Castille was already following his example, grappling with a soldier for his rifle.
Another soldier smashed his rifle onto the back of his skull. Castille collapsed.
Chase snapped his head around at the sound of a pained gasp. Hafez was trying to get to his feet, but one of the guards kicked him back down. The other was aiming at Chase with his G3—
Chase dived into the back of the Land Rover. He had just enough time to slam the door shut before the window blew apart, bullets chunking through the 4×4’s aluminum skin.
“Eddie!” Nina screamed as the soldier pulled her to her feet, hauling her roughly away from the Land Rover. She struggled and kicked, but he was too strong for her to escape. Another two men pinned Castille to the ground.
The soldier kept firing, emptying his entire ammo clip into the vehicle.
For a moment, everything was silent. Then he grabbed the handle of the bullet-riddled door and yanked it open.
The Land Rover was empty. The soldier stared in confusion. Then he heard a faint noise and looked down.
In the rear footwell, the hand grenade rolled to a stop.
He opened his mouth to scream—
The scream never emerged. The grenade exploded, blasting him backwards in a storm of jagged metal.
The soldiers holding Castille were caught in the blast, as was Hafez’s remaining guard. But their prisoners, flat on the ground, escaped unharmed as the deadly shrapnel shot over them.
Lying against the rear wheel on the other side of the Land Rover, Chase clamped his hands over his ears as the door above him was blown from
“Good.” She turned her attention to the helicopter, then to Hajjar. “You only have five seats, and there’s six of us. Or are you going to dangle from the skids by your hook?”
“You can ride on Yuri’s lap,” said Hajjar with a lecherous smirk. “He deserves a last pleasure … before I sell him back to Qobras.”
The blood drained from Volgan’s face. “What? No! No, Failak, we had a deal!”
“And I’m sure Qobras will have a better one. Why should I settle for three million dollars when I can keep all ten million, and have Qobras pay me even more to get you and the artifact back?”
“No!” Volgan shrieked. Even though his hands were cuffed behind his back, he threw himself against the bodyguard holding him, slamming him off balance.
The other bodyguard whirled, releasing his hold on Kari’s arm—as the Russian drove a kick deep into his stomach. Volgan jumped over the bodyguard as he fell, and ran awkwardly for the farmhouse. The soldiers overcame their surprise, weapons coming up.
“Don’t shoot!” cried Hajjar. Mahjad looked startled, then urgently repeated the order.
The soldiers paused for an instant, caught between trained instinct and the orders of their superior officer.
The instant was all Chase needed.
He grabbed the barrel of the nearest soldier’s rifle, jerking it out of the startled man’s grip and twisting his wrist to flip the gun over onto its back as his other hand stabbed at the trigger.
He felt the heat of the bullet through the metal barrel as the gun fired, scorching his palm. The soldier lurched backwards, the bullet ripping right through him and showering the Land Rover with blood and mashed lung tissue.
Before any of the other soldiers could react, Chase flipped the gun over again, jamming the selector switch to full auto and unleashing bursts of fire at the soldiers with the Dragunovs. They fell. If the remaining soldiers fired at him, they ran the risk of hitting their own comrades, which would deter them for a moment.
“Nina!” he shouted. She stared uncomprehendingly at him, totally unprepared for his lethal flurry of action. He reached out to grab her arm, but one of the soldiers reacted more quickly than his companions and tackled Nina to the ground. Chase couldn’t shoot him without hitting her—
He immediately changed tactics. “Hugo!” he yelled, jerking his head at the Land Rover. Castille was already following his example, grappling with a soldier for his rifle.
Another soldier smashed his rifle onto the back of his skull. Castille collapsed.
Chase snapped his head around at the sound of a pained gasp. Hafez was trying to get to his feet, but one of the guards kicked him back down. The other was aiming at Chase with his G3—
Chase dived into the back of the Land Rover. He had just enough time to slam the door shut before the window blew apart, bullets chunking through the 4×4’s aluminum skin.
“Eddie!” Nina screamed as the soldier pulled her to her feet, hauling her roughly away from the Land Rover. She struggled and kicked, but he was too strong for her to escape. Another two men pinned Castille to the ground.
The soldier kept firing, emptying his entire ammo clip into the vehicle.
For a moment, everything was silent. Then he grabbed the handle of the bullet-riddled door and yanked it open.
The Land Rover was empty. The soldier stared in confusion. Then he heard a faint noise and looked down.
In the rear footwell, the hand grenade rolled to a stop.
He opened his mouth to scream—
The scream never emerged. The grenade exploded, blasting him backwards in a storm of jagged metal.
The soldiers holding Castille were caught in the blast, as was Hafez’s remaining guard. But their prisoners, flat on the ground, escaped unharmed as the deadly shrapnel shot over them.
Lying against the rear wheel on the other side of the Land Rover, Chase clamped his hands over his ears as the door above him was blown from
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