False Horizon - Alex Archer [80]
Vanya looked at Annja. “After all, if he’s truly dead, one more bullet won’t make a difference now, will it?”
Annja shrugged. “I guess not. Shame he’ll have to have a closed casket, though.”
“I don’t think anyone will really care about that. And why should they when we dump his body into the nearest gorge and be done with it?”
“Disrespecting the dead will come back to bite you,” Annja said. “Trust me on that one.”
“Trust you?” Vanya asked. “Why would I ever do a thing like that.” She turned to the soldiers. “Shoot him again. Shoot him now.”
30
One of the soldiers chambered a round in his weapon and, as he did so, Tuk came alive, suddenly kicking at the exposed knee of the soldier with the gun aimed at him. The gun went off and the round fired wild.
Annja jerked her shoulders up, knocking away Hsu Xiao’s hands. Then she pivoted and drove two punches into the assassin’s exposed sternum. Hsu Xiao recoiled and thrust her hands forward, but as she did so, Annja leaned back, just barely out of range of the slicing claws that would have surely severed her carotid artery.
Annja kicked up at the same time Hsu Xiao backflipped away and Annja’s kick hit nothing. She summoned the sword in time to cut down the other solider who was aiming his gun at Tuk.
Annja’s blade cut him through the shoulder and ripped a chunk of flesh out of his neck. He went down screaming.
Tuk grabbed the closest gun and aimed a volley of bullets at Hsu Xiao, but the assassin twisted away. Annja saw her flick her wrist ever so gently.
“Tuk!”
The throwing spikes embedded themselves in Tuk’s shoulder and upper chest. He went down clutching at the exposed pieces of steel.
Vanya grabbed a knife from a hidden sheath in her dress and came up behind Tuk, placing the point of the knife under his right ear. “Drop the sword, Annja. Drop it or he dies.”
“You’ll kill him, anyway,” Annja said.
“I won’t. I only want the sword. This man is inconsequential to me.”
Tuk grimaced. “Don’t listen to her, Annja! She won’t stay true to her word. You know this.”
Annja held the sword up in front of her. Hsu Xiao came back to stand beside Vanya. The look on her face made Annja’s skin crawl.
“Let him go first,” she said.
Vanya sniffed. “I’m not a fool, Annja.”
“Neither am I. And you don’t exactly have a good record of keeping your word. So we do this my way or no way. You let Tuk go. Once he’s clear, then I’ll surrender the sword. You tell him how to get out of here and he’s gone. It’s that simple.”
“I can’t tell him how to leave. He’ll bring back help.”
Annja shook her head. “We’re out in the middle of nowhere. What help is going to come for us?”
Vanya’s eyes narrowed and she had a whispered conversation with Hsu Xiao. Vanya nodded. “All right. I will tell him how to get out of here. Once he’s gone, you turn yourself over to us.”
Annja pointed at Hsu Xiao. “Crazy Nails stays here with us the entire time. Once Tuk has enough time to get away, then I’m yours. Not a moment before. You try anything at all, any kind of ambush, any funny business, and Tuk’s death will be the least of your worries.”
Vanya sighed. “Fine. You have my word.” She pushed Tuk away from her. “But make it quick. I have a schedule to keep and, right now, I’m behind.”
Annja leaned over Tuk and tugged the three spikes out of him while he gritted his teeth. “You going to be okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes. I think so. None of them went too deep. Hurts like hell but I can endure it.”
“Get clear of this place. You hear me? Get clear and don’t stop to look back. You can bet as soon as they’re done with me Hsu Xiao will be on your trail. She’s going to want to make sure there are no witnesses. You understand?”
“I understand.” He looked into Annja’s eyes. “Thank you for doing this for me. I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend like you.”
Annja smiled. “Hey, you watched over me. This is the least I can do.”
Tuk looked at her and nodded once. “All right, then.”
Annja smiled. “All right.”
Tuk turned to Vanya. “I’m ready