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Even though they weren’t on the best of terms right now, she leaned toward him as if she was still trying to protect him. He could smell her, the soft fragrance of her skin, mixed with cordite and smoke and the edge of her surrender to all the wrong things, like fear and exhaustion.
“Are you all right?” he asked. She turned to look at him, her river-rock gray eyes unsettled. Her jaw was clenched tight, her gaze intent as she searched his face for any signs of trauma.
She moistened her dry lips with her tongue and nodded, but she gave herself away when she shivered.
He wasn’t in much better shape, shaking like a damn leaf. He had never been in any kind of firefight. He was a diplomat, and his choice of weapon was his silvery tongue. He’d always been able to talk himself out of almost anything, but he’d come to the end of the line here. Olenska was gunning for him with real bullets and with real intent to do him harm.
The chopper circled, and he saw that the embassy compound was lit up. Distracted for a moment, he looked out the door and noticed the large number of people surrounding the area, wondering what was going on. She leaned a little to look out, pressing her torso against his, catching the curious look she flashed at him. Why all the people?
Pain shot sharply through the wound and the surrounding area. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, breathing deep and slow, soft and easy.
Harley had done a quick patch-up job on the way back. He was in awe of the way she had saved his ass and gotten him to the roof, even when his own bodyguards had tried to take him out. He shouldn’t have been surprised they were Z Militia. There was no doubt in his mind that Olenska knew about him defecting to the West. He was bolstered by the fact that his mom and sister were out of Moscow, but it remained to be seen whether or not they were out of Olenska’s reach.
Harley didn’t waste any time in getting him inside the embassy. There were more Marine guards and the tension in the air was tight. Something was going on.
As soon as they entered Isabelle’s office, she rose from the desk and came up to them. “What happened?”
“Anya and Achebe attacked the hotel. She had Z Militia and AAL fighters with her. Olenska knows. We barely got away, and Aleksei was hurt.”
Isabelle rushed to the phone and punched in numbers. “Get me the doctor.”
Harley helped him into a chair. He asked, “What is going on with all those people outside the embassy?”
“There’s been a coup d’état. Presidential Guard commander, General Abdoul Aziz Abdou has taken over and proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta government. I’ve made them angry and they’re expelling us from the country. President Umar, his wife and children asked for refuge, and I granted it. After all that we have worked so hard for together, I couldn’t deny them my help. The new government wants them back, so we’re in a bind here. I’ve ordered a total evacuation.
“Okay, what are we going to do with Alexsei?”
“Same plan. They haven’t sealed off Niamey’s airport yet. You and Alexsei will get back on the chopper and catch a waiting private flight to Athens’s Port of Piraeus where his yacht is docked.” She switched her gaze to his. “That is where your mom and sister are heading.”
“What about you and the president?” Harley asked.
“The president and his family are already on the way to the airport. They will be flown to DC. I’m staying until everyone is evacuated, then the CIA reps, the SEALs, and I will be going to a CIA safe house in Athens. I’ve sent the Fly Team back to DC as well.”
The doctor entered and Isabelle nodded to Aleksei. With help from Harley’s gentle hands, he removed his jacket and shirt. The doctor inspected the wound while Aleksei endured the pain. “Looks like you caught a ricochet. There is no bullet present. We just need to stitch you up,” the doctor said.
There was a clatter in the hall and Joker, Professor, Buck, D-Day, Zorro, Bear, and Flint crowded around the doorway.
Joker entered. “Good, you made it.”
“Anya?” Harley asked.
“Bitch got away,” Professor said, his voice clipped. “Achebe is dead. We think she offed him.” He looked at Isabelle, his features softening. “Julia?”
“She’s safe and on her way to your place in San Diego.”
Professor breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”
“Joker,” Isabelle said. “Could you and the guys help Hollywood with the rest of the evacuations? Then we’re headed to Athens.”
“Copy that. Gator, Blitz, and Bree?”
“Gator will meet us in Athens. No word from Blitz or Bree yet, but we’ve been monitoring the Moscow news. There are no reports of their capture or arrest.”
Joker nodded. “Blitz is resourceful. They’ll be all right.”
She nodded. Now that the preliminary orders were given out, the SEALs left. Another kind of tension filled the room, their respective fights hanging over the three of them.
He was going to open his mouth and start a conversation to maybe ease some of that tension, but Isabelle’s phone rang. It was a short conversation.
