BooksBarbecue
Back The Asset
Chapters (86)
  1. Foreword
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. Afterword

She pulled the trigger and her shot hit home, smacking the man in the shoulder, but not before he got off two shots of his own, both of which hit her in the upper torso.

Everything went black.

37

When Tatyana stood, she could see Goldin through the open window of the cab. He was leaning back, his gun out in front of him ready to fire.

She pulled the trigger, her gun flashed, there was a report, but she knew instantly that the bullet was blank.

She pulled the trigger three more times but the entire clip was the same.

When she saw the CIA woman fall to the ground, she dropped her gun and ran.

Goldin, abandoning the cab, followed her on foot.

She pulled off her shoes and ran barefoot. The frigid snow felt like walking on shards of glass.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Goldin lumbering after her. He’d been shot in the shoulder and the wound was slowing him down.

The narrow streets were deserted. It wasn’t until she reached Hudson that she saw any traffic. It was sparse but there were cars making their way slowly through the snow. She ran into the middle of the street and tried desperately to flag them down. Cars swerved around her and kept going.

She kept trying, and finally a car stopped and a man in a hoodie opened the door.

“What’s the matter?” he said, and then bang, his head opened up as a bullet struck it.

Tatyana looked at the man for a second, stunned, half a skull where a face had just been.

She thought of pulling him out of the car, the keys were still in the ignition and the engine was running, but another bullet clanged against the steel door and she gave up the thought.

She continued running, losing her bearings, desperate to keep ahead of Goldin. Despite his wound he was keeping up.

When an entrance to a subway station appeared ahead, she ran straight for it.

As she reached the top of the steps, a bullet struck the steel railing. She ran down the steps, leapt over the turnstile, and glanced desperately around the platform for help. The station was completely deserted.

A sign above the northbound track said a train was due in one minute.

She looked back the way she’d come. Goldin’s silhouette was at the top of the stairs. He was leaning on the railing, almost spent. She knew he wouldn’t be able to chase her much longer.

She glanced around and saw there was no exit from the station other than the steps she’d just descended.

The platform had thick pillars every twenty yards and she thought she might be able to string out a chase until the train arrived.

If she could draw Goldin slowly down along the platform, she might also find a way to get around him and escape back up the steps.