Naomi propped up on an elbow to answer. “They... they went off to a pub. I don’t know where.”
Tag tried to support this lie and nodded to the spread of drug paraphernalia. “We stayed to party on our own.”
As the man frowned down at him, Tag squinted back, suddenly struck by how familiar this guy looked. Still, terror stifled his recall. He fought against it.
How could I possibly know this bastard?
Then knowledge struck him, maybe aided by the weed’s tempering effects on his anxiety. Tag’s eyes widened. He fought to hide his shock. After he graduated with a biochemistry degree, he had been headhunted by various companies, running the gamut from dreamy-eyed environmentalists to serious petrochemical reps. But by far, it had been pharmaceutical companies who had pursued him, especially due to his degree’s emphasis on medical research. He had been aggressively hunted by one outfit in particular, the leading drug company in the EU—NeuVentis Pharma.
And here stood its CEO.
Keir Marchand.
Tag turned his face, trying to hide this knowledge. The woman—someone of Indian descent per her burnished complexion—came up alongside him.
“Surely they’re lying,” she scoffed. “No one else has been spotted in the area. If it wasn’t for the patrol who sent out an alert, we might not have found these two.”
“No doubt you’re right, Burman.”
Tag bit down a curse, remembering Naomi’s tale of her drug buy and the fright she had experienced. The Carabinieri officers must have been on the lookout for them and had been warned to report any sightings, but not to apprehend them. And for good reason. TheConfrériewanted them in their clutches, not in a holding cell. Still, if the Brotherhood had reached San Vito this quickly, it meant the bastards must know about what was hidden at Monte Antelao.
The enemy’s hack must have worked—but how well?
Tag tried to judge this. From the fact that theConfrériehad gone through such efforts to hunt down their group in town, it suggested the Brotherhood was still missing some critical data.
Like the exact location on the mountain.
This became clear with Keir’s next words to Burman: “We’ll have to coerce the information out of these two. Find out where the others went and what they know about this blasted mountain.”
The woman glanced to the shattered door. “Perhaps we should move this pair to a more secure location. We may have this chalet locked down, but any loud screaming might unnerve other guests. Enough for someone to reach out and make contact beyond the sphere of my intelligence operations. Which could expose us.”
Keir waved this away. “The wind and snow will cover any noise. And the blizzard has already knocked down most communication. But you are correct that we should be expeditious.” Keir turned to the armored man who had called the all-clear. “Captain Ferhat, you have your dagger, yes?”
“Oui.” He unsheathed a long steel blade, serrated on one side, razor sharp on the other.
“We must pry one of their tongues loose.” Keir looked between his captives, then pointed at Naomi. “Take off this one’s ear if the gentleman refuses to answer our questions.”
Naomi fought to squirm away, but another soldier grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back. Captain Ferhat closed on her with his blade.
Tag stared at Naomi. Her face had flushed with a mix of fury and terror.
“Don’t tell them anything,” she gasped out.
“He will,” Keir warned.
Tag knew the man was right. He could not watch Naomi be tortured. He had to trust that cooperation would earn them a few hours of grace, especially as the bastards would want to corroborate anything told to them. And considering the blizzard outside, that might take until morning.
Still, in the end, Tag knew they would be killed. He was under no delusions otherwise. And anything he told them, if truthful, would only jeopardize his other friends, too.
He met Naomi’s frightened eyes.
I’m sorry. It was my fault. I got you into this, exposed us.
He flicked his gaze to the side, then to the French doors, before returning his attention to Naomi.
And I’m going to get you out.
He stared hard at her, hoping she understood. He then snatched his toppled cane and tossed it under the coffee table and onto Naomi’s lap. She grabbed it, spun it, and jabbed its end into her captor’s throat.
