BooksBarbecue
Back Vortex
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

René came loping out of the copse of hemlocks, looking pleased with himself. He said in French to Claude, “I searched the boathouse and there is no one, only Mike Kingman. I have seen the flash drive. It is legitimate.” He looked at Olivia. “Kingman is a fool; he trades for something more important than you could ever be. You are only one woman of many.”

He turned again to Claude. “Kingman is no problem. I looked all around the boathouse. There is no one.” Still, he paused, looked around yet again, saw nothing. “You have looked as well?”

Claude said, his voice impatient, “Of course. No sign of anyone. We are the only ones here.”

Suddenly, René whirled around, searched the trees, his gun at the ready. “I heard something.”

Claude said, “You’re hearing the tree branches rustling in the wind. You have looked, I have looked. Time to finish it, René, time to get this over with and get out. I don’t like this place.” He turned to Olivia. “At last you are silent. If you are planning something, believe me, it will not succeed. And I will be forced to kill you.”

Olivia laughed in his face. “Yeah, sure, that’d be smart. If you do kill me, you’ll never get your precious flash drive. Mike will make certain of that.”

Claude said, “No, no one’s going to try anything because Kingman is your lover. He won’t take a chance of our killing you. He will do as he’s told.” He turned to René. “I spoke to your brother. He is pleased, but impatient for you to call him with news of the drive.”

René said slowly, with hint of contempt, “Henri always has the impatience. Very well, but Claude, faîtes attention, nothing must go wrong.” He gave Claude a vicious grin. “Timothy told me Henri kills you if you return to France without it—he laughed, called it Henri’s mortal discipline.” René looked around again, past the stripped oak branches whipping around in the bitter wind, shuddered. “I hate American winters. They are too cold.”

Olivia’s heart beat a mad tattoo. So René was the boss’s brother? So Henri was another Frenchman. He wouldn’t have let her hear his name unless they’d planned to kill her and Mike all along.

“Claude, I walk behind her. Then you. Do not forget, faîtes attention.” René shoved his Sig into Olivia’s back. “Walk, girl.” Claude took his place behind them, scanning the trees, his Beretta moving, ever moving.