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Raven counted five enemy combatants, though there could be more men in that nearby copse of trees. His mind went to that cold, efficient place it had been trained to go. Kill or be killed.
Head down and plow through the enemy line.
He’d protect Indy with his life. “What do you want?” he asked the enormous man who’d made them leave the carriage. He must be nearly seven foot tall.
“Don’t play coy.” The man raised his pistol and pointed it at Raven’s head. “Surrender your weapon and hand over the diamond.”
“Le Triton decided he didn’t want to pay?” asked Raven.
“That’s not your concern,” said the giant with the pistol.
Indy caught Raven’s eye. The moon was shining overhead. For a split second he marveled at how beautiful she was by moonlight, then he returned to the task at hand.
Four hulking men and the groom, who was no more than a boy and hovered near the carriage as if he wanted no part in the violence.
Raven reached behind his back but raised his hands again when the man cocked his pistol and pointed it at Indy.
“No sudden movements,” the man growled.
“I’m surrendering my weapon,” said Raven.
The man jerked his head. “Do it, then.”
Raven pulled the pistol from the back of his waistband and threw it across the ground toward the man.
The man gestured with his pistol at Indy. “Where’s the purple diamond? Not around her pretty neck anymore. Tell me or she dies.”
“I stuffed the necklace down my bodice,” said Indy boldly. “Come and find it.”
Raven’s first reaction was to try to silence her, to physically place himself in front of her, shield her from their attackers.
Then he realized what she was doing.
Men always underestimate me, she’d told him.
He’d been underestimating her.
She was bringing them closer, within striking range. He caught her eye and gave her a swift nod of encouragement.
“Why don’t you both have a search, my fine fellows?” she said in French. She shrugged out of his jacket and it dropped to the ground with the Wish Diamond in the pocket.
She wiggled her chest. “I have enough for both of you.”
“Search her and be quick about it,” said the man with the pistol who was obviously the leader.
“Don’t mind if I do,” said his associate with a nasty sneer that curdled Raven’s blood.
Indy lifted her hem and posed her leg. She caught Raven’s eye. The dagger must be tucked inside her garter.
“And search him for weapons,” the leader said.
The two men approached warily and their leader covered them with his pistol.
“On my count,” Raven whispered to Indy. “Back to back. Stay low. Roll to the ground.”
She made no move, not even a twitch of her eye. She remained focused on distracting the men with her body.
The men drew near. The giant with the pistol moved closer to keep watch, and one man stayed back.
