Page 78 of Dark Soul

Ilya’s there.

There’s nothing wrong.

But she couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were being watched.

Then, suddenly, everything happened all at once. A tall figure stood up from under the snow—no, not from under the snow, he’d been lying on top of the snow, but covered with some kind of white camouflage sheet. The rest of him was also outfitted the same way, making him nearly invisible.

The only speck of black was in his hands—a weapon, pointed straight at Ilya.

“Ilya, look—“

But Ilya was already on the move, running full-speed towards the man in white. And though the burly Russian was a ferocious sight, the man in white held his ground. When Ilya was a dozen feet away, something dark and thin shot out of the man’s hand.

It took her a moment to realize the weapon was a stun gun.

The prongs struck Ilya on the neck. The effect was automatic—Ilya fell on his back, his body shaking uncontrollably, his muscles continuing to shake long after his eyes had rolled up into his head.

Beside her, Nikolai screamed.

The man in white turned towards them, a slow smile spreading across his face. And Alexia recognized him, then, though he didn’t look nearly as elegant as he had the last time they’d met, when he’d been wearing a tux.

It was the same man who’d been in Kvyat’s office a few nights earlier.

The one who wanted the contents of the suitcase.

Run.

We need to run.

But by the time her brain had processed the order, the man in white was already standing next to them.

Alexia held Nikolai tight across her side, realizing her mistake.

“Come with me. You won’t like what happens if you make me run after you,” he said, and his smooth voice, with its French accent, sounded almost delicate.

And a part of her still screamed that she should be running, but her fear was too great. She wasn’t a fighter, and the sight of Ilya’s body, still shaking on the ground, filled her with a raw, primal fear.

She didn’t even see the man move. One instant he was pointing the stun gun at her, and the next he was by their side, one long, strong arm grabbing Nikolai and taking him from her.

“No!” Alexia screamed. She wouldn't—couldn’t—let this man take Nikolai.

“To the car,” he said, pointing behind them.

And Alexia realized one of the vehicles at the edge of the clearing, that she’d assumed belonged to skiers who hadn’t been able to find a spot closer to the slopes, was his—an absolutely unremarkable dusty white van.

She wanted to fight, but the man had his hand on the boy’s elbow, dragging him forward, and still the stun gun pointed in her direction.

The fight inside of her died.

The man threw Nikolai into the back of the vehicle unceremoniously.

“Get in,” he threatened. “Or I’ll stun you and then throw you in. It’s on maximum power, and you’re a lot smaller than he is, Alexia.”

She nearly lost control of her bladder, then.

He knows my name.

How does he know my name?