Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [62]
No, he was too pissed for words. Action. Definitely action.
The decision caused the adrenaline to start pumping through his body. He felt alive and purposeful for the first time since they had landed at that airport. He’d check the barn and surrounding woods to make sure there weren’t any surprises waiting. Then he’d stake out the cottage and wait for Kelsov.
He turned on his heel and went back into the house to get dressed.
Chapter
10
The first dim light of dawn was starting in the east when Joe saw the headlights of Kelsov’s Mercedes.
One car.
No one following him.
But he had been gone almost two hours.
Forget it and approach him diplomatically at a later time?
Hell, no.
He faded into the shadows beside the door.
The car slowed and came to a stop in front of the cottage.
Kelsov got out and came around the front of the car, but didn’t come toward the door. Now he was beside the passenger seat and moving—
Someone was in the backseat!
Joe leaped forward and brought him down.
Kelsov rolled over and was reaching inside his jacket.
A knife.
“Oh, no.” Joe flipped him over and his arm encircled his neck, using him as a shield against whoever was in the car.
“Let him go.” The muzzle of a gun was pressed to the back of Joe’s head. “Hurt him, and I’ll shoot you.”
Natalie. Her voice was shaking but the gun she was holding was not.
“No. Put down the gun. I won’t break his neck if he stops struggling.”
“Screw you,” Kelsov said.
“Stop it.” The back door of the car swung open. “All of you. Stop it. Joe, he’s not doing anything wrong. Let him go.”
“Kelly?”
The girl got out of the car. Her face was pale and she was shaking. But she was standing with hands clenched, her gaze on the other woman. “And you, you’re shaking so badly that you could blow his brains out by accident. Kelsov, tell her to put it down.”
“Some accidents are sent by God.”
“And how would she feel?”
He was silent. “Put it down, Natalie.”
She didn’t move.
“Joe,” Kelly said.
He reluctantly released Kelsov.
Natalie stepped back, but she didn’t lower the gun.
Kelsov sprang catlike to his feet and whirled on Joe.
Joe blocked the first karate chop and kicked Kelsov’s legs out from under him.
“No!” Catherine was standing in the doorway, an automatic weapon in her hand. “Freeze. Or I’ll shoot you both in the knees. It’s not something I want to do since I may need you, but I’ll do it.”
Natalie swung the gun in her direction.
“No, Natalie!” Kelsov dove forward between her and Catherine. He took the gun away from her. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay,” Catherine said. “What is happening here?” Then her gaze fell on Kelly standing beside the car. “Oh, for Pete’s sake.”
“Hello, Catherine,” Kelly said.
Catherine whirled on Kelsov. “What’s she doing here?”
Kelsov shrugged. “Venable called me tonight just after midnight and told me she was on her way and to pick her up at the airport.”
“Dammit, why didn’t you tell me?”
“He told me you wouldn’t like it.”
“But you did it anyway.”
“It’s a tough world. Venable is valuable to me, and he doesn’t like me helping you. I have to strike a balance. I do a few things he considers as favors, and he turns a blind eye to a few things that tend to annoy him. It didn’t seem much of a favor just doing a pickup and delivery.” He turned and glanced at Kelly. “But he didn’t tell me she was just a kid.”
“But, again, you would have done it anyway.”
He nodded. “It’s a tough world,” he repeated. His expression hardened as he looked at Joe. “What the hell do you think you were doing?”
“Taking down a threat. What was I supposed to do when a prick like you sneaks out of the house in the middle of the night? Catherine may trust you, but should I?”
Kelsov glared at him. “It doesn’t matter. It’s my—” He stopped. Then he slowly shook his head. “Not unless you’re a fool.