Atomic Beauty by Barb Han Read Free Book Online

around them and she couldn’t put others in jeopardy or make the five o’clock news. Not to mention the fact someone could snap a picture for social media, which would be a whole other kind of disaster.
    If she thought confronting him would be productive, she’d do it. What would it accomplish? With their training he wouldn’t give up information. She’d have to kill him or he wouldn’t hesitate to do the same. If she could get to Queen Elizabeth Park, she might be able to slip aboard a boat and disappear. Problem solved. At least until she could investigate who’d put the bounty on her head and why. Berlin was one of her own, which pointed to the agency sending him. And that was just impossible.
    Jogging, weaving in and out of foot traffic, she took a sharp right.
    She risked a glance back. Damn. He was fifty feet behind her. If she pushed harder, she might make it to the water in time. There were enough people and trees in the way to ensure he couldn’t get a good line on her.
    Erika dug deeper, forcing herself into a dead run through burning thighs. There’d be fewer people at the park this time of day even with the picnicking lunch crowd. As soon as he got a clean shot, he’d take it.
    She managed to put a little distance between them. Another backward glance said he was a good seventy feet. This was where things would get tricky. Weaving, which would prevent him from getting a straight shot, would slow her progress. With the sails in sight, she was getting closer to the water. But was she close enough to reach it before he caught up to her?
    A bullet zinged past her left ear in answer.
    That meant Berlin had to be holding his gun in his left hand. Otherwise the bullet would’ve come from the right since he was directly behind her. If she had to fight, she needed to disable his strong side first. Berlin was left-handed. She tucked away the information and pressed on.
    Zigzagging, Erika’s pulse raced as she pushed harder. At least the latest kick of adrenaline staved off her headache for now. When it wore off, she’d need a quiet black room and ice packs but for now she could think clearly.
    Breaking the tree line, she made a final push toward the water. Berlin couldn’t be far behind. She could hear his measured breathing.
    There was no time to find a boat, no time to do anything except jump.
    She dove into the water as another bullet zinged past.
    The shock of total immersion in freezing-cold water engulfed her. Her lungs clawed for air in the forty-eight degree temperatures. A less fit person would go into cardiac arrest. Even with her conditioning, she had only a few minutes before her muscles would begin shutting down and she’d sink. Drown. Even less given how much energy she’d expend trying to stay afloat.
    Once she managed dry land again, she’d have to consider hypothermia.
    Before she could break the surface, Berlin came crashing down next to her. He reached for her arm to keep from sinking lower and managed a handful of her shirt.
    Erika thrust her foot forward as she was dragged down with him. The toe of her boot connected with his stomach with enough force to break his hold. As he shot downward, she pushed off his shoulder.
    Just before breaking surface, he caught her heel and dragged her down again. She had maybe thirty seconds of oxygen left before she would pass out and drown. He didn’t need to shoot her. All he needed to do was keep her from breathing for a few more seconds.
    She’d have to swim now to reach life-giving air.
    Erika grabbed two handfuls of Berlin’s pitch-black hair and thrust her knee into his face. She connected, forcing air bubbles out of his mouth. Now he needed air, too.
    Punching, kicking, she had no plans to give up without a fight.
    Another ten seconds and the job of killing her would be done for him.
    With one last burst of energy, Erika struggled to break his grasp. Even if she freed herself, there