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

Igor closed the file and ran a search for RA_999, the code for the Russian Agency that had ordered the surveillance of the Europa, and had put Tatyana under surveillance after her encounter with the American.

The hit came back.

Identifier: RA_999

Agency: Dead Hand

Lead Agent: Evgraf Davidov

Restricted Database

Igor’s blood went cold.

50

Lance was passing through the Watergate plaza on his way to the apartment when he sensed something wasn’t right. As he approached the elevators, he saw the reflection of two men behind him. Both wore black suits, like a pair of FBI agents in a kid’s movie, and he could hear their shoes on the tiled floor behind him.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Lance stepped inside and turned in time to see their faces. One of them hurried forward to grab the door before it closed, and then held it for his friend.

“Going up?” Lance said.

The men nodded and all three of them stood like sentries as the doors closed.

The second it shut, Lance ducked. The man to his right swung for him and missed. Lance grabbed him by the waist and drove him back against the wall.

The other man pulled a knife and stabbed downward at Lance’s back. Lance kicked back, hitting him in the groin. The knife fell from his hand to the floor.

Lance rose up, smacking the man above him on the chin with the back of his head, then immediately pushed his head forward, butting the man in the face and smashing his nose.

The man behind drew a gun but the added length of the silencer made it unwieldy. The extra second gave Lance time to swing the other man around as cover. He took three bullets in the back.

Lance then pushed him forward, crushing the other man against the wall.

Letting the dead man fall to the ground, Lance gripped the other man’s wrist and yanked it backwards, forcing him to drop the gun. Then he kneed him in the groin.

The man doubled over and Lance finished him with a knee to the face.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened on Lance’s floor. Lance pulled the man who was still alive into the corridor and dragged him to his apartment.

Once inside, he filled a glass with water and poured it on the man’s face.

The man came to and Lance said, “If you want to live, tell me who sent you.”

The man shook his head. “I can’t talk,” he said.

Lance pointed the gun at him. “Talk or I shoot.”

“I’m already dead,” the man said.

“Then what difference does it make?”

“You don’t understand,” the man said. “I don’t even know who I work for.”

“Bullshit.”

“I take anonymous contracts.”

“Cut the crap, buddy,” Lance said. “No one takes anonymous contracts. I want to know who sent you and I want to know why.”