any right to be.
I looked at Naz. “You see?” he said. “They find us wherever we are.” The engine turned off and for a second the world was silent. Then I heard a car door open and close, followed by three others.
“We parked in the back,” I said.
“Is good,” said Naz. “They come from the front. They do not see you.” He was so calm. I felt my heart beating in my throat, my breath was coming faster. The last time I’d seen Naz’s men they’d carried submachine guns. I sure as hell didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a bunch of those.
“Come on, Naz,” I said. “We have to go. Bobby’s just around the corner.” Naz was still sitting and looked at me dejectedly. He shook his head.
“No escape,” he said. He took out another cigarette and began to put it in his mouth. I smacked it out of his hand and it went flying, bouncing on the cement. He looked at me in surprise.
“Bullshit,” I said. “Are you goddamn kidding me with this shit? We have to fight. We can’t just lay down and die, Naz. We fight and we die if we have to, but they won’t make us disappear. I saved your life once, just help me. Please.”
He smiled. “You are a leader, Nikita,” he said.
“Are you armed?” I said.
“Of course.” He pulled a deadly-looking black .45 out from under his jacket. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, but I ignored it, pulling out my Beretta.
“How many do you suppose?” I said.
“I heard only one SUV,” said Naz. “Which means they are not here for you, Nikita.”
“What do you mean?” I hissed. I could hear them talking on the other side of the door, their voices muffled. One of them laughed. “How can you know that?”
“They are here for me,” said Naz. “So that’s what they will get. They must have followed me here. If they saw you or your friend, they would not come in. I told you, they think you’re dangerous. They bring more people for you.”
“More than for Nazar Polzin?” I said. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is the way of the world. This world, anyway. You go. Into the stacks back there. The barrels, is like a maze, very confusing. I will distract them. Give you time to get away. I am already dead. You have a little more time left.”
“That’s stupid,” I said. “Just come with me.” I had started edging toward the forty-gallon drums. “I can get you out. We’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“Is nowhere safe, Nikita,” he said. “Besides, I think they will listen to me. They are my boys. I can talk sense to them. And if I can’t, then I may as well die, yeah? I’m no good anymore.”
“No way,” I said. “We’ll both go into the stacks and even the odds. They can come after us, but we’ll have the advantage. We can pick them off. Together.”
“Yes,” said Naz, shrugging. “Okay. We go now. They are coming.” He was right. The men outside were pulling on the rusty tin, the sound of metal on metal screeching. “I’m right behind you, Nikita, I promise.”
I flicked the safety off on my Beretta and wished it were the Makarov. I checked the clip as we went. Quickly I looked over my shoulder to make sure Naz was following. He was, but he didn’t look happy about it. Tough shit. This was serious. I couldn’t worry about Naz being happy. Light was coming in through the widening gap in the door now. We got to the rows just as a man in a suit walked in through the gap. I peered through the gap between the metal drums. He took off his sunglasses and blinked in the dim light. I wondered if Gage had seen the SUV.
I turned to look at Naz but no one was there. “Shit,” I said.
Chapter 6
I heard Naz’s voice and saw him walking boldly across the floor. Three more men in suits had followed the first one in. They were all tall and broad. The first one had a craggy face and a red nose. The other three kept looking at him, like they wanted to know how he reacted to everything.
The men weren’t carrying submachine guns like
I looked at Naz. “You see?” he said. “They find us wherever we are.” The engine turned off and for a second the world was silent. Then I heard a car door open and close, followed by three others.
“We parked in the back,” I said.
“Is good,” said Naz. “They come from the front. They do not see you.” He was so calm. I felt my heart beating in my throat, my breath was coming faster. The last time I’d seen Naz’s men they’d carried submachine guns. I sure as hell didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a bunch of those.
“Come on, Naz,” I said. “We have to go. Bobby’s just around the corner.” Naz was still sitting and looked at me dejectedly. He shook his head.
“No escape,” he said. He took out another cigarette and began to put it in his mouth. I smacked it out of his hand and it went flying, bouncing on the cement. He looked at me in surprise.
“Bullshit,” I said. “Are you goddamn kidding me with this shit? We have to fight. We can’t just lay down and die, Naz. We fight and we die if we have to, but they won’t make us disappear. I saved your life once, just help me. Please.”
He smiled. “You are a leader, Nikita,” he said.
“Are you armed?” I said.
“Of course.” He pulled a deadly-looking black .45 out from under his jacket. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, but I ignored it, pulling out my Beretta.
“How many do you suppose?” I said.
“I heard only one SUV,” said Naz. “Which means they are not here for you, Nikita.”
“What do you mean?” I hissed. I could hear them talking on the other side of the door, their voices muffled. One of them laughed. “How can you know that?”
“They are here for me,” said Naz. “So that’s what they will get. They must have followed me here. If they saw you or your friend, they would not come in. I told you, they think you’re dangerous. They bring more people for you.”
“More than for Nazar Polzin?” I said. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is the way of the world. This world, anyway. You go. Into the stacks back there. The barrels, is like a maze, very confusing. I will distract them. Give you time to get away. I am already dead. You have a little more time left.”
“That’s stupid,” I said. “Just come with me.” I had started edging toward the forty-gallon drums. “I can get you out. We’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“Is nowhere safe, Nikita,” he said. “Besides, I think they will listen to me. They are my boys. I can talk sense to them. And if I can’t, then I may as well die, yeah? I’m no good anymore.”
“No way,” I said. “We’ll both go into the stacks and even the odds. They can come after us, but we’ll have the advantage. We can pick them off. Together.”
“Yes,” said Naz, shrugging. “Okay. We go now. They are coming.” He was right. The men outside were pulling on the rusty tin, the sound of metal on metal screeching. “I’m right behind you, Nikita, I promise.”
I flicked the safety off on my Beretta and wished it were the Makarov. I checked the clip as we went. Quickly I looked over my shoulder to make sure Naz was following. He was, but he didn’t look happy about it. Tough shit. This was serious. I couldn’t worry about Naz being happy. Light was coming in through the widening gap in the door now. We got to the rows just as a man in a suit walked in through the gap. I peered through the gap between the metal drums. He took off his sunglasses and blinked in the dim light. I wondered if Gage had seen the SUV.
I turned to look at Naz but no one was there. “Shit,” I said.
Chapter 6
I heard Naz’s voice and saw him walking boldly across the floor. Three more men in suits had followed the first one in. They were all tall and broad. The first one had a craggy face and a red nose. The other three kept looking at him, like they wanted to know how he reacted to everything.
The men weren’t carrying submachine guns like
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