She pulled out the second K-Bar and sliced back the other way, forcing her way forward, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet. He stepped back just as a cloud floated in front of the moon, effectively blacking out the scene.
Knives poised and blind, she went for him again, a shadow in the dark. His fist shot out and hit her face. Pain radiated out from her cheek, and she gasped, ducked, and swung out her leg to trip him, but he was gone, fast as lightning. He was behind her, his hand in her hair, jerking her head back, exposing her throat. She jabbed one knife backward, but he twisted in time and she missed again.
He wrapped his hand hard around her right wrist and pulled her toward him. A mistake, that. She could throw him now. Leg forward, balanced on her toes and ready to spin, knowing the move would drive him over her shoulder, but she froze at the touch of hard metal against her temple.
“Drop the knives now, or I’ll take great pleasure in dropping you where you stand.”
It was Mike Caine.
Time stopped for a moment. She heard her own heavy breathing, felt the blood dripping from her nose, and wondered if Drummond had broken her wrist.
Kitsune said, “If I drop the knives, they’re going to make quite a bit of noise, then the guards will come. You’ll never make it out alive.”
Mike grabbed a K-Bar from her hand and tossed it behind her with a clatter. Nicholas removed the second gun from her hip holster, and took the other knife away.
He wrenched her arms behind her back, and Mike tossed him her handcuffs. He latched them on, then turned her around and grinned, his teeth flashing white in the light of the moon.
“Hello, Victoria.”
92
Nicholas retraced their path to the fence. There was a perfect body-size hole where he’d cut through the metal. Mike went first, watching for guards, cleared the road, then signaled the go-ahead. He pushed Victoria through and followed after her.
He wanted to tell Mike she’d put a stop to the fight at just the right moment because he didn’t know how much longer he’d have been able to dodge those knives. He felt a small wetness at the base of his spine; most likely he’d torn open his stitches. He certainly didn’t need any more.
When they reached the car, Mike got into the back with Victoria, her Glock pressed hard against her ribs. Nicholas got behind the wheel, and quietly pulled the car away.
“Where are you taking me?” Her voice shook a bit, not from fear, Mike thought, but from the pounding adrenaline.
Nicholas said, “Away from here. We want the Koh-i-Noor and we want it now. Where do you have it hidden?”
Kitsune laughed. “You seriously think I’m going to hand it over to you?”
“Yes.” He might have well have said, Don’t, and I’ll kill you myself.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked again.
Mike wondered the same thing but contented herself with keeping the barrel of her Glock against Victoria’s ribs.
Nicholas took turns too fast, going deeper into the Parisian suburbs. After fifteen minutes, he pulled into a small alleyway behind a row of town houses. “Mike, back in three, don’t let her move an inch,” and he got out of the car.
Kitsune said, “You take orders rather well, don’t you, Mike? Lying down for the man, huh? Why? You don’t work for him. Surely you’re too smart to be sleeping with him. Why don’t you think about this: you help me and I can give you more money than you’ve ever dreamed of.”
Mike really would like to beat the crap out of this woman. Such a pity, but she couldn’t, not with her in handcuffs. She gave her a big smile. “Screw you, Victoria.”
Kitsune didn’t move, didn’t say another word.
Nicholas appeared on Kitsune’s side of the car and opened the door. “Come. And be quiet about it.”
Kitsune saw her chance, opened her mouth to scream. Nicholas yanked her out of the car and smashed his hand over her mouth. He whispered, “I said, be quiet.”
She tried to bite him, so he clouted her hard over the ear, enough to stun her, and dragged her into the rear entrance of the town house.