Chapter 100

No one spoke. No one seemed to know how to react. And that was what Burke had counted on. How do you win a fight against a superior force? Don’t fight at all. Get them to fight each other, and then starve them of their resources.

As he had instructed, Isabel had been moving closer and closer to him during his speech. He would need her within reach for what he feared would come next.

Loria sniffed the air and said, “He’s bluffing. I don’t smell any gas.”

“It’s oxygen, you idiot,” Yoshida said. “It’s odorless. And I don’t think he is bluffing.”

Kruger grabbed the large crate from the back of the panel van, pulled it out by himself, and tossed it onto the ground between him and Loria. “This changes nothing,” the giant South African said. “We had a deal. Here’s your prize and all of the research we took. Transfer my money.”

Yoshida pointed at Burke and said, “Don’t try anything.”

Burke raised his hands. “I’m just here to watch the fireworks.”

Yoshida frowned but turned to Kruger. “I think we’ll need to search that crate and run a full diagnostic on the battery before we transfer anything.”

“You told me to steal this hunk of metal. There was no contingency on it working properly.”

“If you didn’t tamper with it, then it should work just fine. And if there are no surprises in the crate, then there’s no reason to object to a search.”

“The police are probably on their way, and you’re only guilty if they find me here. We had a deal. Transfer the money.”

“Our deal never included you killing my best researcher. I think we’re going to need to renegotiate.”

Yoshida gestured toward one of the mercenaries on the ground level and said, “Check the crate.”

The man, eying Kruger apprehensively, made his way over to the wooden box. But Kruger’s face didn’t show anger. His features were downturned with disappointment.

“Gentleman, may I suggest a solution before this situation escalates to violence?” Burke asked.

Kruger met Burke’s gaze and said, “It’s too late for that.”

Then he grabbed the mercenary reaching toward the crate by the head and twisted his neck with a sickening crunch. Yoshida ran toward his fallen man, raising his gun, but apparently afraid to fire. Producing a throwing knife from his belt, Kruger flicked his wrist and sent the knife gliding through the air. It struck Yoshida in the throat. The CIA agent grabbed his neck, blood flowing out around his fingers, and fell to the ground with a gurgling scream.

Burke knew what was coming next, and he wasted no time in preparing for it. He threw open the door to the truck and from beneath the bench seat he pulled out the thick gray blanket he had placed there. He had retrieved it from the back of the BearCat. The ballistic blanket was used by SWAT officers to throw over windows or use as cover in a variety of tactical situations. As an added precaution, Burke had soaked it in water.