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Court stepped up to him. “It’s over.”
Zack just nodded, exhausted. “I need a drink.”
Court smiled, and the men embraced. “Let’s see if we can avoid a Cuban prison first.” The younger man got his head under the arm of the older one and helped him out of the room. The MP5 dropped by Gareth Wren lay on the concrete floor, and Court scooped it up and handed it to the still-disoriented Zack.
Together they began walking to the stairwell, but when the door opened in front of them, Court raised the P90.
Victor Two came through the door, pointing an identical rifle of his own at Court and Zack, then he lowered it quickly.
“Friendlies,” Two shouted, and as more of the CIA forces burst out of the stairwell behind him, they dispersed to cover the room.
Court looked for Zoya in the group. Men continued filing down, the more seriously wounded in the back, and two of the men were carried by other officers.
Finally, Jim Pace and Anton Hinton emerged. It was Court’s first look at the billionaire behind all this madness, but he didn’t linger on the man, because he still hadn’t seen Zoya.
He all but stormed up to Pace.
“Where’s Anthem?” Pace asked.
Court stopped in his tracks. “I left her with you.”
Pace looked around. “I thought she came here.”
Court shook his head, fear and anger boiling suddenly in him. “No. She went with—”
Anton Hinton spoke up suddenly. “Did she leave with Kimmie?”
Travers had overheard the conversation. “The woman in the red top? Yeah, she did. Why?”
Hinton shrugged. “Well, if they’re not here, then I guess that means the Chinese have her.”
Court ran up to the man, stuck his gun in his chest, and pinned him against the wall. All around him Ground Branch officers shouted at him to lower his weapon, but he didn’t even hear them. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Gareth and I have had suspicions about her recently. I think she’s SSF, from a PLA electronic warfare unit. Sent to work here to spy on me.”
Court’s voice cracked a little. “Where…where would she take her?”
He thought a moment. “To Beijing, I’d guess.”
Court started to press the trigger of the weapon, but Chris Travers grabbed the barrel and moved it. A shot cracked off, ricocheted around the room, and all the Ground Branch men cussed loudly.
Travers disarmed Court now, and Hash grabbed him by his arms right before he threw a punch at the unarmed New Zealander.
Court turned to Pace. “Why the fuck is he even still alive?”
“Orders, Violator. I am to bring him back to the U.S.”
“Why? So we can install our own version of Cyrus? Look around you. Look at what this thing has done.”
Hinton said, “I can rebuild it. I can fix it to where it will never be a—”
“Fuck you!” Court shouted, and then he lunged forward, only to be tackled to the ground by Hash and Fish.
Zack charged at the Ground Branch men now, but with his broken rib it was no big effort for a couple of unwounded Alpha Mike men to impede his advance, restraining his arms.
Pace looked on, a conflicted expression on his face. “I’m sorry, guys. There’s nothing I can do.”
He turned away, headed for the ramp to the open air so he could make a call on his sat phone.
