Page 54 of France Face-Off
Alex slipped her arm around Striker and hurried alongside him, letting him lean on her.
Damn, he could get used to having this woman around. Had he been a second slower, that bullet might have hit her. His gut hurt like hell, but Alex was alive.
He dropped into the passenger seat of the Ferrari and pulled Alex onto his lap.
“I should’ve gone with the guys in the SUV,” she protested, trying not to lean into his injury.
“No,” he grunted. “I don’t want you out of my sight for even a minute.”
“But you’re injured. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’ll hurt me more if you don’t stay still.” He wrapped his free arm around her and held her close.
She slipped her arm around his neck and lay as still as possible against him.
Griff slid behind the wheel, revved the engine and shot through the compound to the gate they’d left open. A security guard was just pulling the gate shut and had it halfway closed when the Ferrari flew through the narrow gap and out onto the street.
Striker glanced in the side mirror at the guard shaking his fist at them, while Ace and his men slipped past the guard and into the shadows of the trees.
A ringing sound alerted Striker to an incoming call.
Griff touched a button on the steering wheel.
“Did you get her?” Lucie’s voice sounded on the car’s speaker.
“We did,” Griff responded.
“Alex, the voice you hear is Lucie, our tech support,” Striker said. “Lucie and the team brought us here to get you back.”
“Thank you, Lucie,” Alex said.
“What about the flash drive?” Lucie asked.
Alex answered. “Natalya destroyed it. She said it was a pirated copy of the ransomware software she used to shut down the Nord Stream pipeline.”
“The European Union is in an uproar over the cessation of the flow of natural gas into Europe,” Lucie said. “Fortunately, when you had the flash drive connected to Striker’s computer, we downloaded a copy. All we need is Ms. Sokolov present to decrypt it with biometrics.”
“I have a pilot on standby to fly you all back to the States. A representative of the CIA cybersecurity unit will meet you at Dulles International Airport.”
They made the twenty-minute drive back to the airport in twelve, racing past the German Polizei headed for the transfer station.
As Lucie had indicated, a plane sat waiting for them on the tarmac.
Griff left the Ferrari beside it. “I love this car,” he said as he leaped out of it and shut the door.
“Maybe if you come back to work for Brotherhood Protectors International, Lucie and Dmytro can give you one of your own,” Striker said.
“Not a chance,” Griff said. “I don’t mind crossing the pond for assignments, but my heart and woman are back in Fool’s Gold, Colorado. Speaking of which, I should check in with my hot little sheriff’s deputy before we get in the air.” Griff stepped to the side of the plane to place his call to his lady love back in Colorado.
Striker led Alex up into the plane and settled in the seat beside her. “You might as well get comfortable; it’s a long flight back to DC.”
She nodded and reached for his hand. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. How did you find me?”
He squeezed her fingers gently. “The team. Lucie and Dmytro had the foresight to have a tracker planted on you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have known you were taken out of France.”
“Will I have the opportunity to meet Lucie and Dmytro?” Alex asked.
“If you decide to come back to Europe after this is over,” Ace climbed up into the plane behind them. “They’re based with me in our office in Zurich, Switzerland. You’re welcome to visit anytime.” He held out his hand. “I’m Ace Hammerson, lead of the Brotherhood Protectors International.” Ace waved a hand at Striker. “And you’ve met one of our newest recruits.”
