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Kylie saw the bearded man sit up tall, staring over the rail, and knew it was time. She had been running escape scenarios through her head for the last thirty minutes, knowing if she was to get free, it would be here, in the heart of the bar. Once she was in the hands of whoever was coming, she was done.
Visibly nervous, Colin said, “That’s them. Don’t do anything stupid. They’re here to help you.”
Four men appeared at the top of the stairs, the lead one looking like something out of a Grimm fairy tale. He had black hair slicked back and a pockmarked face; the menace slid off him, permeating the balcony.
Colin stood, in a faltering voice saying, “Ratko. Hey. I’m here. Like I said I would be.”
The man called Ratko surveyed the balcony, his men separating left and right. He approached and said, “Where are my diamonds?”
Colin said, “Hey, wait, I had nothing to do with that. I told you. That’s Seamus all the way.”
The balcony secure, Ratko looked at him, then hammered an uppercut into Colin’s stomach, dropping him to the floor. The violence exploded so fast Kylie could barely assimilate it. She scrambled to the end of the couch, holding her arms over her head, two men closing on her.
Ratko waved a hand, and they drew back. Colin sat up, holding his stomach. Grimacing, he said, “What the hell are you doing? Here she is. All yours. I had nothing to do with Paris.”
Ratko said, “Where are my diamonds? Where is the necklace?”
Colin pulled himself up, looking at Ratko for permission to sit back in a chair. Seeing no violence, he did so. “I had nothing to do with Bulgari. Nothing. I don’t know where your diamonds are. I saw how bad this was going and called you. I want no part of it. That’s why I called.”
Ratko sat down and said, “So what do you offer to save yourself? This girl?”
He looked at Kylie, sizing her up, and she realized that death was not the worst of her fates. She tried to crawl farther from his gaze, stopped by the man above her.
Colin said, “She’s not just a girl. She’s the fiancée of the American vice president’s son. She’s worth a great deal.”
Ratko said, “I don’t do ransoms. I don’t take hostages. It only causes enemies that want to hunt.”
Colin said, “I . . . I brought what I could. I can give you Seamus. I know where he is. He’s already gotten millions for her and her fiancé. He has cash. In Bitcoin.”
“Where?”
“Ireland. He’s planning to get more money. He’s bleeding the US dry. I swear, I can give him to you.”
Ratko stared at him, the pure malevolence of the glare scaring Kylie. He nodded, then flicked his head to the guard next to her. He said, “I’ll take her. She might make some money in another country.”
The man to her left grabbed her arm, forcing her to rise. He led her to the circular staircase and she heard Ratko say, “So, tell me more about Seamus. Tell me about the money he’s received.”
She began circling the stairs, realizing that if she got in a vehicle with these savages, she was worse than dead. Her only chance of survival was escaping before she left the bar.
* * *
The men around me shouted and yelled, threatening me with all manner of violence, but I knew they wouldn’t do anything. They’d slapped me around a little bit, but with the number of cell phone cameras in play, I knew they would only let off a little steam. As long as I didn’t pose a threat.
I hadn’t. Nung and I had cracked a couple of rounds in the air, causing massive panic, and letting Jennifer sprint through the crowd. As soon as she’d made it to the top of the first capsule, I’d raised my hands, telling Nung to do the same.
Jennifer had made it to the top, the men screaming at me to tell them what she was doing. I yelled back the truth, holding my hands in the air. Eventually, they’d decided that I might not be lying and had stopped the wheel. Or maybe Blaine had gotten through. Either way, we’d waited at the bottom while Jennifer climbed. I’d gotten the call from her and heard the explosion, feeling my life ripped apart.
I’d jumped out, trying to see what had happened, and I’d been tackled by about a platoon of guys. Sitting underneath, screaming at the top of my lungs, I couldn’t get them to let me go. I heard a groaning of metal. An inhuman, grating screech, and I knew the wheel was falling. With Jennifer on it.
The men on top of me heard it as well, and we all stopped. I screamed again, “Get the wheel turning. Get them off it!”
They shouted back and forth, and I saw the machinery start to work, capsule after capsule spilling out shrieking patrons. The wheel picked up speed, going about three times as fast as it normally did, the people literally jumping off, some tumbling to the ground.
I was ripped to my feet, Nung beside me, and both of us hustled off to a panel van. I tried to jerk out of their hands, looking over my shoulder for Jennifer. We were slammed into the paddy wagon and cuffed to a bench. They’d searched me, taking my wallet, passport, phone, and weapon—but they’d left in my Bluetooth earpiece. And had placed all my items in the front seat of the van. Within range.
I whispered, “Koko, Koko, status.”
I heard nothing. I did it again, then heard, “Coming down now. I have weapons aimed at me.”
I sagged back, staring at the ceiling of the van. Nung, his own Bluetooth in, nudged me, smiling. Because he was fucking crazy.
He leaned in and said, “I was worried this wouldn’t work out. I like her.”
Sitting in my chains, seeing the SWAT guys running about, I truly wondered if he wasn’t living in a dream world.
Six minutes later, Jennifer was shoved in the back, wearing her own chains. I wanted to jump up and wrap her in my arms, but I was a commando. And I was shackled to the bench.
She looked at me, worn-out and scared. I winked and said, “Saved the day again.”
She shook her head and sagged back against the wall of the van.