Page 90 of Fire and Ice

Kiril struck Colt across the cheek twice.

Colt spat out some blood and started laughing. "You all need to do better than that!"

"Jesus Christ," Lee muttered as he held Maia's head to his chest. "Don't look, honey. Please don't look."

The beating continued for a couple ofmore minutes before Kiril said to the third henchman. "Boss, I think we need to get messy."

He nodded in response.Maia snuck a peek over Lee's shoulder and saw them produce a canvas roll of medical instruments. She did not want Lee to see this.

"Oh God," Lee whispered as he realized what was about to happen. He hugged Maia tighter.

Suddenly there were sounds of suppressed gunfire from the front room. The big guy who had brought them in started bellowing for aid.

"Igor, go!" the third henchman shouted.

Kiril dragged Lee away from Maia and pointed a gun to his head while the third henchman did the same to Maia.

"Maia!" Lee screamed in an agonized voice.

The third henchman said to Igor. "Tell them we have hostages and if they don't fall back we will kill them."

"No! Damn you. No!" Lee shouted while struggling against his captor.

As with most adversaries who had never heard of her, Gavlik's men underestimated her:her captor lowered his gun hand while maintaining a tight band around her waist. Maia waited until the third henchman moved behind Kiril before she unzipped her beaded purse that was strapped diagonally across her front. She reached in, grasping the grip with a finger resting near the trigger.

Lee's struggle with the huge Russian was short-lived. Kiril brutally kneed Lee in the gutt sending him crumpling to the floor. This gave Maia an opportunity for a clear shot.

She stomped her right stiletto into the third henchman's combat boots. As he grunted in pain, she forcefully jabbed her left elbow against his nose at the same time pulling her gun out to shoot an astounded Kiril three times in rapid fire in the neck and chest.

"Maia!" Lee yelled in horror as the third henchman raised his gun at her.

Maia's gun jammed.

"Stay down," Maia screamed at Lee as she threw her useless pistol at her assailant while rushing him at the same time. His gun went off and Maia felt the burn of a bullet whiz pass her face, but she didn't falter and managed to grab his gun hand with both of her hands as they wrestled for control. He overpowered her and knocked her to the floor when she lost her footing. Maia's blood turned to ice when he leveled the muzzle of his gun at her.

A shot rang out. Maia watched his head jerk back as a bullet entered between his eyes, his body buckling to the ground—dead.

She looked back and saw a stony-faced Jack scan the room for additional threats before lowering his semi-automatic pistol to his side. He made a move to go to her but Lee reached her first, embracing her tightly in relief.

But when he withdrew and looked down at her, there was confusion in his eyes. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Your girlfriend is not who she says she is," Colt said, laughing derisively. "She works for a private military corporation and was using you to get to me."

"Oh my God," Lee whispered, the confusion turning into accusation. "It's true isn't it. You were using me?"

"I'm so sorry, Lee," Maia said beseechingly. "I didn't mean for it to happen this way."

"You nearly got me killed!" Lee roared at her as he shook off her hand. "Don't touch me. Stay away from me!"

Lee saw Jack, recognizing him from earlier, and glared at him. "She's all yours."

He stalked out of the room.

Jack instructed one of the Guardians that just had arrived. "Go after Lee Isaac. He needs to be debriefed."

He walked up to a despondent Maia and cupped her face. "Are you okay?"

"No. I feel like a bitch. Damn Viktor and his ideas."

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