Page 43 of Belgian Betrayal

“Not until my daughter is free and out of range of your sniper,” Atkins said.

“Then I guess you won’t get your daughter. You have exactly five seconds to produce it, or I start by shooting your daughter’s toes, one at a time, until she doesn’t have anymore,” Middleman sneered. “Do you know how hard it is to walk without toes? That is if she doesn’t bleed to death first.”

“I won’t give you the disk until she’s freed and out of danger,” Atkins said.

“That’s too bad.” Middleman jerked his head toward the man on his left. “We’ll start with her right foot.”

The man bent and grabbed Madison’s right foot.

She kicked hard, hitting the guy in the nose.

The man cursed and clamped a hand over his nose, blood running down his chin. His eyes narrowed, and then he punched Madison in the gut.

She grunted, doubling over as much as she could.

Meanwhile, the guy with the broken nose gripped her leg and yanked off her shoe, tossing it to the side.

Atkins started forward.

“Easy, Atkins,” Ace said. “Don’t get too close. It’s bad enough they have your daughter too close for me to get a good bead on them. Don’t add to the interference.”

Atkins stopped, his hands at his side, fists clenched. “Let her go,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Disk.”

“The girl,” Catya said, moving closer but still far enough away to distract without being caught. “If you want to retain leverage, take me in trade for the girl. Once the girl is safe, we’ll give you the disk.”

“No,” Atkins said. “Take me.”

“Who has the disk?” Middleman demanded.

“The girl is freed first,” Catya said.

“And if you hurt her again, that disk goes straight to the PM,” Atkins said.

“We’ll see.” Middleman tilted his head toward the man between him and the guys holding Madison. “Shoot her toe. Just one for now.”

Catya cursed under her breath and murmured into her mic, “They’re threatening to shoot Madison, one toe at a time, if we don’t give them the disk.”

“They’ll kill you all if you give it now,” Fearghas said.

“This is bullshit,” Atkins said and lunged for the man with the gun, disturbing his aim at Madison’s foot.

Middleman hit Atkins with the butt of his handgun.

Atkins fell to his knees.

Madison struggled against the hands holding her back from going to her father.

Middleman and his other sidekick pulled Atkins to his feet and pressed a gun to his head.

Movement out of the corner of her eye assured Catya that Fearghas and Jasmine had left their hiding place and were coming up on her right, strolling across the market square, hand in hand.

The two men closest to Catya tensed, turning the barrels of their handguns toward the couple making their way through the market square.

Jasmine leaned into Fearghas and said something.

Fearghas laughed.

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