Urban Assassin by Jim Eldridge Read Free Book Online

even hiding beneath them. Mitch couldn’t use the target’s tracks to help him -the ground was a mess of builders’ footprints and ruts from the builders and their machines.
    Aiming his pistol steadily at the toilets, Mitch inched forwards from the cover of the shed. As hedid so, he felt movement behind him. He went to dive to one side, but he was too late. The pistol was knocked out of his hand, and he felt a wire noose slip over his head. Instinctively, he brought his left arm up, palming the garrotte away from his exposed neck. The thin wire cut deep into his hand as he deflected the weapon but the soldier ignored the searing pain. He jerked his right arm back at where he guessed Pavel to be and felt his elbow hit something. His attacker grunted and Mitch twisted and turned to face the man. Pavel was close to him, hanging on grimly to the end of the wire garrotte with both hands. Mitch jerked forwards dragging Pavel with him. He had to break the Russian’s grip on the garrotte. In just a few seconds more the wire would slice through his hand to the bone.
    Mitch kicked out and felt his heel hit Pavel’s shin. The Russian cried out in pain, his leg buckling and his grip loosening on the garrotte.
    Taking his chance, Mitch tore his hand from the razor-sharp wire and hurled himself at the bigRussian. Seizing his opponent’s wrist, Mitch pulled with all his strength, throwing Pavel forwards over his shoulder. The Russian crashed to the ground where he lay still. His eyes were wide open in a dead stare, a huge metal spike poking up out of his chest. Pavel wasn’t going to be fighting back.
    When Mitch had flipped him over he’d thudded down on to a piece of contractor’s equipment, and the spike had gone straight through him, killing him instantly.
    ‘You OK?’
    It was Two Moons. He’d dragged himself across the building site, pistol in hand.
    ‘Are you mad?’ demanded Mitch. ‘You could have opened up that wound. You might have died from loss of blood!’
    ‘I tried to get near enough to shoot him,’ said Two Moons. ‘From where I was I couldn’t get a proper sight on him, especially when the two of you started jerking around all over the place.’
    ‘He was trying to strangle me,’ protested Mitch.
    ‘Excuses, excuses.’ Two Moons grinned. Then he gave a groan of pain.
    ‘Bad?’ asked Mitch.
    Two Moons nodded. ‘Yup,’ he said.
    Just then they heard sirens approaching, and the sounds of vehicles screeching to a halt in the street outside.
    ‘Sounds like the cavalry’s here,’ said Mitch.

10
    Back once again at MI6 HQ. With its metal table and chairs, and dark blank walls on three sides, Mitch felt like he was in an interrogation room. Actually, thought Mitch, this
is
an interrogation room. The fourth wall was a window made of black glass. Behind it would be an observation area.
    Mitch sat at the table across from Gerald. His hands were taped up and bandaged, but the deep cuts from the wire still hurt. Another man stood behind Gerald, and a third guarded the door. All three were stony faced. Mitch could see anger in their eyes, and he understood it: their colleague, John Sparks, was dead.
    Mitch would be furious and determined to find the culprit if one of his Delta Unit mates was killed.
    ‘What happened at Euston station?’ demanded Gerald. ‘Why did Pavel kill Sparks?’
    It was the third time Gerald had asked this same question, as if repeating it would make Mitch admit something. It was like
he
was the suspect.
    ‘Like I told you before, I don’t know,’ said Mitch. ‘Following Sparks’ instructions, my back was turned to them. We were in radio contact. I heard Sparks go down, realised he was in trouble and turned. I went after the Russian.’
    ‘Leaving Sparks to die,’ snapped Gerald.
    ‘My orders were to follow Pavel. I radioed Two Moons to raise the alarm, get help for Sparks. But by that time he must already have been dead. Look, the man we were dealing with was a killer. He