[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Tossing the Navy Colt aside, she forced Corbeau's hands behind his back and locked his wrist's together with cuffs.She set the Steyr on the floor next to him and then tied his feet with a length of rope.'Your package is in the library, Boy,' she announced.'Grounds are quiet, Girl,' Ethan answered.'Man?' Kate asked.'No sign of North,' Malloy answered.'We'll find her.'Taking up the Steyr, Kate walked toward the narrow hallway leading out of the library.'I am clearing the second floor, gentlemen.'Leading with a concussion grenade Kate walked toward the main hall, ready for resistance, but the hallway before the stairs was empty.Kate went room by room through the second storey, tapping closets, wardrobes, and doors with small bursts of gunfire before opening them.When she had assured herself no one was at her back, she reloaded and headed for the stairway.'Second floor is secure, gentlemen,' she whispered.'I'm coming in,' Malloy announced.'Hold your position!' Kate said.'Position is secure.'Chernoff and Xeno were at the bottom of the stairs when they heard the sound of automatic weapons in Corbeau's library.Xeno started back, but Chernoff took his arm.It was too late to help Corbeau, and they both knew it.They heard more shots, from the roof this time, and then the sound of a grenade exploding close to the guardhouse.Three men came running toward the stairs, but Xeno stopped them.'Wait for them here,' he said, signaling them to either side of the stairway.He signaled Chernoff toward the back of the house.At the windows overlooking the backyard she saw the pilot in the grass.Next to him was a man wearing headgear and a hood.The helicopter was empty, the blades still twirling.She heard shots and another grenade exploding on the opposite side of the house.She crossed the main room heading to the front window.'One in the back!' she called.At the front of the house the gate was still closed, but both guards were down.'Both guards down at the gate!'Slipping out the side of the building not far from to the basement entrance, Chernoff found three more down.She looked up at the roof as she pressed close to the side of the house.One man holding the pilot.Two or three on the roof.Another pair on the second storey.Against three times that number! It didn't make sense.There had to be a second wave coming through the tunnel from the lake or hitting the front gate - or both.Which meant it was time to go.She hit the wall on the run, snagging the tiles at the top and swinging one leg over.Pulling her Glock free, she studied the woods beneath her but saw nothing besides the predawn shadows and wisps of fog.From Chernoff's position atop the wall she could see the helicopter and the pilot through the leaves but not the other man.Had he seen her? Was he coming?She waited, watching the backyard with her gun ready.When he broke from behind the heavy cover of the tree branches close to the wall he was running toward the house.Chernoff fired three shots at the man, two in the chest for takedown and one in the head when he hit the ground.Then she took aim on the pilot and put one bullet in his skull.In case they were hoping to use him to fly out.She heard a single gunshot fired from close to the front gate but couldn't see who had fired it.It didn't matter.She slipped both legs over the wall and dropped into the brush.Like Brand and Kenyon, Helena Chernoff headed in the direction of the lake.'Man is down!' Ethan shouted.Even as he said it, a bullet hit him in the back.The impact sent him sliding headfirst toward the edge of the roof.His first coherent thought was that the slug had not penetrated his armor, but he was going to die from a headfirst plunge from the roof.He snagged his ice pick from his belt and swung its point through the slate.The immediate effect was to throw his body to one side.Getting both hands on the pick, Ethan's legs arced round and ended up hanging over the roof's guttering.Pulling himself back and standing up again, Ethan saw his Kalashnikov had fallen into the shrubbery.He brought his second weapon off his chest, snapped the folding metallic butt into place, and climbed the steep grade back to the top [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]