Voices rose behind her, along with a pound of boots.
She swung around. A cadre of men rushed toward her. Whether they were reinforcements or she had been spotted on a camera, the end result was the same. Shouts rose. Men flattened against the walls or ducked into side rooms.
She leaped away, shoulder-rolling across the bed, as gunfire burst into the room.
She landed low, near a marble-topped nightstand, and tipped it over. She sheltered behind it and pointed her rifle at the door. She could hold them off for a time, but not forever.
This was made even clearer as a grenade bounced through the doorway.
22
May 12, 8:53A.M. MSK
Sergiyev Posad, Russian Federation
Elle cringed and ducked as a large blast echoed from above, cutting through the gunplay and momentarily silencing it. She straightened and clutched harder to Marco’s leash, keeping the beast between her and the archpriest. The young dog panted, clearly stressed and exhausted.
And he was not the only one under duress.
To the side, Kowalski was marched out of his cell at gunpoint. He held his hands atop his head.
“Down on your knees,” Valya ordered him.
“If you’re going to shoot me, I’d rather stand. Got bad joints.”
The woman behind him—a mercenary named Nadira—looked ready to take him up on that offer. She lifted her pistol toward the back of his head.
“Stop!” Elle yelled.
Sychkin held up a hand. “A moment of patience, please.” His eyes never left Elle. “I had hoped for a more leisurely conversation this morning, Dr. Stutt. To convince you to aid us in the days ahead.”
“How? How do you think I can help you?” She did her best to look confused, but she knew damned well what he wanted of her.
He raised a leatherbound book. Its cover was leafed in gold. A finger held a page open. He parted it and displayed a spread of drawings that she had been shown before.
Her fingers tightened on Marco’s leash.
“What do you make of this?” he pressed her, clearly testing her.
She knew this was an exam she must not fail. Especially as it wasn’t only her life in the balance. Recognizing this, she saw no reason to lie.
She peered at the page. “It looks to be a rendition of aDionaea muscipulavariant, some carnivorous hybrid or ancestor of the Venus flytrap.” She raised her gaze to Sychkin. “Possibly from the lost continent of Hyperborea.”
She enjoyed the shocked look on his face.
He turned to Valya. “So, you were right about Monsignor Borrelli spreading the secrets of this book.”
“I never doubted it,” the pale woman said stiffly. She pointed her black-handled dagger at Kowalski. “As such, it’s best we deal with these nuisances before matters sour further.”
Sychkin agreed. “Definitely before we discover the Golden Library.”
Nadira raised her pistol again.
“Wait,” Elle called out.
Sychkin eyed her with irritation.
“If you harm any of them—” She looked down at Marco, then over to Kowalski. “I won’t help you.”
