Father Night by Eric Van Lustbader Read Free Book Online Page B

his head, and sparks exploded behind his eyes. He relinquished his grip long enough for the gunman to regain control of the .357 and press its muzzle against Jack’s forehead.
    Annika had her SIG Sauer out.
    “Put the weapon down,” the gunman said, staring her down, “or I blow your boyfriend’s head—”
    Jack slammed his elbow into the attendant’s side, cracking a rib. As the man lurched backward, a gunshot tore through the top of the car. Jack grabbed the Desert Eagle, slammed it against the side of the attendant’s head. His hand shot out, grabbing Jack around the throat and squeezing hard. Jamming the heel of his hand under the attendant’s chin, Jack forced the man’s head up, then, with a violent lurch forward, smashed the back of it against the wall. The attendant’s eyes rolled up, and Jack wrested the Magnum away from him, slashing the long barrel across the bridge of his nose. The attendant came at him, fingers like claws, and Jack shot him in the head. Katya gave a little cry. The attendant, leaking blood, slid down. Jack rolled him onto the floor.
    Annika opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, the intercom speaker crackled. “Is everything okay back there?”
    Leaning over Gourdjiev’s body, Jack toggled a switch on the intercom box affixed to the partition. “Fine now,” he said a little breathlessly. “The bodyguard tried to make a move and I shot him.”
    The driver said nothing. Jack looked at Annika. The car slowed, turned off the highway, into a vast industrial open space filled with lines of corrugated metal warehouses.
    Jack hunched toward her. “Who are these people?”
    “I have no idea.”
    “They were clever enough to get to these funeral home workers, so they had to have known about the plan. Can you explain that?”
    Annika shook her head.
    “It’s possible, then, that they know we’ve faked your grandfather’s death.”
    “Impossible.”
    “Which is what you would have said about suborning these men not ten minutes ago.” Jack peered out the window. “We must be going into one of the warehouses.”
    The van lurched to a stop. They heard the front door slam, saw the driver running for a side door in the warehouse.
    “I’m guessing he didn’t believe me,” Jack said.
    Boris, clambering out the back, fired a shot at the driver. The driver whirled, knelt, and returned fire. Boris staggered back as he disappeared into the warehouse. Jack and Annika ran to Boris, who had been shot in the right shoulder. It was a flesh wound. They helped him back into the van, where Annika signed to Katya to take care of him.
    Jack indicated the warehouse. “We’ll get our answers in there.”
    Annika eyed the building. “Think this through, Jack. We can’t leave my grandfather and Katya. They’re too vulnerable out here.”
    “We need to know who has infiltrated your grandfather’s plans. Otherwise, they’ll surely try again before we can get to the airport.”
    She frowned, then nodded. “All right. I’ll take care of it while you drive Dyadya and Katya to a safe location.”
    “I’m not going to let you go in there by yourself.”
    “Who else is going to do it? Boris is wounded and Katya doesn’t drive.”
    “Annika—”
    “Every moment we stand here arguing, my grandfather is at risk.” Her carnelian eyes had turned steely.
    He nodded, reluctant still. “I’ll take him to my plane.”
    “That’s the first thing I thought of,” Annika said. “But if we’re being observed, then we’ll lead the enemy directly to our only source of escape. We can’t risk that.”
    Annika glanced back at the van, where Dyadya Gourdjiev lay, still as death. When she turned back to him, she said, “There’s a place you can take him where he’ll be safe, at least temporarily.” She gave him an address.
    Jack hesitated. “What about you?”
    “I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
    “Driving what?”
    She pointed to a parking lot at the other end of the industrial