Heather knelt awkwardly beside me. "Are you all right?" she asked anxiously.
I could talk now but my breath came hard "I'm going to get that bastard," I muttered.
"What did you say to Novosty?" Heather asked.
"I told him the truth."
"What happened? Is he the assassin?"
"Novosty told me nothing," I said. "He's a very good poker player But Marsh told me plenty — without saying a word."
Her lovely blue eyes searched my face.
"Either Novosty has nothing to do with the assassination plot," I said, "or Marsh thinks he doesn't, which is possible, of course. It wouldn't be the first time a hired agent was kept in the dark about the real nature of a mission»
"True." Heather nodded.
"But somehow I really don't think Novosty has anything to do with the assassination plot."
"Will he kill us now?" she asked quietly.
There was no point in lying to her.
"Well, even if we are on the wrong trail, it seems that he has to. We know that he's up to something and that it involves the Defence Ministry."
"I suppose that's what they're doing out there right now," Heather said, "plotting our unpleasant demise."
I moved my wrists against the ropes binding them. The knot was very tight, too tight to work loose. I looked at the shuttered window. "They'll probably wait until dark," I said.
"They wouldn't want to disturb the village," Heather agreed wryly.
I sat there, twisting the rope binding my wrists and wondering what the hell I could do. Besides Hugo the stiletto, I had Pierre, the cyanide bomb, attached to my thigh and my belt and buckle held plastic explosive and a miniature dart blowgun — all gifts from the imaginative men in Axe's Special Effects and Editing. But Hugo was the only weapon that could free our wrists.
I flexed my right forearm and the stiletto was released from its sheath. But it did not slip into my palm as usual; its route was obstructed by the rope around my wrists. I turned my back to Heather.
"Can you get your hands up to my wrists?" I asked.
She glanced at me and turned her back to mine. "I don't know. But even if I can, I won't be able to undo the ropes."
"I know. But look at my right inner wrist. You'll see the tip of a knife there."
Heather looked and saw. "Why, Nick, you have the nicest surprises!"
I grinned at her and turned further so she could reach the point of the stiletto. I could feel her working at it "Pull it in an even, slow movement," I said, "moving it outward and past the ropes."
She did and in another moment the stiletto slid past the ropes and clattered to the floor. We glanced anxiously toward the door, but the discussion in the next room continued without interruption.
"Pick up the knife," I said. Heather bent down and awkwardly retrieved it. "Grab it firmly by the handle and back up to me again."
Heather followed orders. "Cut at the rope," I said. "And it would be nice if you got more rope than flesh."
I felt the blade slide past my palm to the rope and then Heather was slicing at the knot. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, I felt the rope giving. With one last firm stroke Heather cut through And just in time; the voices in the next room were suddenly still.
I pulled my wrists free and turned quickly to Heather. Taking Hugo, I slashed once at the ropes binding her wrists, severing them Just then we heard a sound at the door.
"Stay put," I whispered.
Heather sat on the bed as if she were still bound. I stood up, holding my hands behind me, as the door opened. It was Koval.
"Well," he said, grinning at us. "I see you are still here."
"Are you going to let us go, now that we've told you what we know?" I said. He had left the» door partly open and I could see Novosty and Marsh talking together in the next room. Marsh looked eagerly expectant.
"We will see about that," Koval answered me blandly. "For now, we must take you to another place, yes? Where you will be safer."
He moved past Heather to me I knew where they were taking us. To some quiet country lane where
I could talk now but my breath came hard "I'm going to get that bastard," I muttered.
"What did you say to Novosty?" Heather asked.
"I told him the truth."
"What happened? Is he the assassin?"
"Novosty told me nothing," I said. "He's a very good poker player But Marsh told me plenty — without saying a word."
Her lovely blue eyes searched my face.
"Either Novosty has nothing to do with the assassination plot," I said, "or Marsh thinks he doesn't, which is possible, of course. It wouldn't be the first time a hired agent was kept in the dark about the real nature of a mission»
"True." Heather nodded.
"But somehow I really don't think Novosty has anything to do with the assassination plot."
"Will he kill us now?" she asked quietly.
There was no point in lying to her.
"Well, even if we are on the wrong trail, it seems that he has to. We know that he's up to something and that it involves the Defence Ministry."
"I suppose that's what they're doing out there right now," Heather said, "plotting our unpleasant demise."
I moved my wrists against the ropes binding them. The knot was very tight, too tight to work loose. I looked at the shuttered window. "They'll probably wait until dark," I said.
"They wouldn't want to disturb the village," Heather agreed wryly.
I sat there, twisting the rope binding my wrists and wondering what the hell I could do. Besides Hugo the stiletto, I had Pierre, the cyanide bomb, attached to my thigh and my belt and buckle held plastic explosive and a miniature dart blowgun — all gifts from the imaginative men in Axe's Special Effects and Editing. But Hugo was the only weapon that could free our wrists.
I flexed my right forearm and the stiletto was released from its sheath. But it did not slip into my palm as usual; its route was obstructed by the rope around my wrists. I turned my back to Heather.
"Can you get your hands up to my wrists?" I asked.
She glanced at me and turned her back to mine. "I don't know. But even if I can, I won't be able to undo the ropes."
"I know. But look at my right inner wrist. You'll see the tip of a knife there."
Heather looked and saw. "Why, Nick, you have the nicest surprises!"
I grinned at her and turned further so she could reach the point of the stiletto. I could feel her working at it "Pull it in an even, slow movement," I said, "moving it outward and past the ropes."
She did and in another moment the stiletto slid past the ropes and clattered to the floor. We glanced anxiously toward the door, but the discussion in the next room continued without interruption.
"Pick up the knife," I said. Heather bent down and awkwardly retrieved it. "Grab it firmly by the handle and back up to me again."
Heather followed orders. "Cut at the rope," I said. "And it would be nice if you got more rope than flesh."
I felt the blade slide past my palm to the rope and then Heather was slicing at the knot. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, I felt the rope giving. With one last firm stroke Heather cut through And just in time; the voices in the next room were suddenly still.
I pulled my wrists free and turned quickly to Heather. Taking Hugo, I slashed once at the ropes binding her wrists, severing them Just then we heard a sound at the door.
"Stay put," I whispered.
Heather sat on the bed as if she were still bound. I stood up, holding my hands behind me, as the door opened. It was Koval.
"Well," he said, grinning at us. "I see you are still here."
"Are you going to let us go, now that we've told you what we know?" I said. He had left the» door partly open and I could see Novosty and Marsh talking together in the next room. Marsh looked eagerly expectant.
"We will see about that," Koval answered me blandly. "For now, we must take you to another place, yes? Where you will be safer."
He moved past Heather to me I knew where they were taking us. To some quiet country lane where
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