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

“I’m with the Americans. They sent me to help. There’s an extraction point. They’re going to get you out of here.”

“How did you know where to find us?”

“Spector called it in.”

“Where is he?”

“Can you let me in?”

Sofia looked at Olga, who was shaking her head, then opened the door.

80

Laurel let the current of the Moskva take her about half a kilometer downriver before she couldn’t take the cold any longer. The water was close to freezing and it took all her strength to pull herself onto the paved walkway along the river’s edge.

She lay there, shivering uncontrollably in the darkness. When she shut her eyes, all she heard was Timokhin’s voice, taunting her in the darkness of that cell.

She needed to get her body temperature up. She was going to die if she stayed there. She struggled to get to her feet but her body was too weak.

“Hey,” someone called out.

She reached to her waist for her gun but it was gone.

“You all right?”

She squinted in the darkness. The voice was coming from a man in his twenties wearing jogging clothes.

“I was in the water,” she said.

The street was above them and they heard a flood of police cars and other emergency vehicles speed by, sirens blaring.

The man looked at her more closely.

“Please,” Laurel said.

“There’s been an accident,” the man said. “Police are everywhere.”

“You have to help me,” Laurel said. “If you don’t, I’m going to die.”

The man looked around. No one was watching. “I’m going to regret this,” he said.

He helped her to her feet. With her weight on him, she was just about able to walk.

“You’re cold as ice,” he said.

“Yes,” she said.

“Your lips are blue.”

She nodded.

“I have a car, not far,” he said.

Holding her up, he helped her to a parking lot further downriver. She climbed into the back seat and collapsed. The man turned on the engine and put the heat on full. He had a coat and lay it on top of her.

“It will take some time for the heat to get going.”

“Drive,” Laurel said.

“What?”

“We can’t stay here. We’re too close to the park. You need to drive.”

He pulled out of the parking lot and began driving down the street, away from all the emergency vehicles. Laurel pulled his coat up over her body and began taking off some of her wet clothes.

“Where do you live?” she said.

“Not far from here. I have an apartment.”

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes.”

“Will you take me to your apartment?”