“I think that’s a bad idea. For so many reasons.”
“If we get separated, meet me at the airport in Philadelphia.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. Go.” She turned to Ivan. “Wolf, stay with me.”
A grin spread across his face.
I rolled my eyes and squatted next to the metal ladder leading down to a door. How the hell was I going to get down there while the train was still moving?
I wasn’t. Fuck with doing what I was told. I’d gotten where I was today by disobeying orders. Why mess with what worked? But I started down the ladder anyway. This wasn’t the time for an argument.
Lea had already lost interest in what I was doing and headed back to the middle of the roof, where she stopped, probably waiting for the gunman. Seconds later, I heard grunts and the sound of gunfire.
The train’s brakes squealed, drowning out the sounds above me. If we were slowing down even more, then it would probably be a good time to jump. But I had no idea what was going on overhead and I wasn’t about to leave Lea behind.
Looping my arm through the ladder, I pulled the gun I’d taken from Vincent’s bunker out of the back of my jeans and scrambled back up. Lea and Ivan were surrounded by six men. They seemed to be holding their own, even though Ivan wasn’t in great shape. Not that it stopped him from beating the crap out of the guy in front of him.
The train vibrated as it continued to slow, but I braced my arm and aimed at one of the men on the periphery. I squeezed the trigger and he fell in a heap, but I’d already pointed the gun at the man next to him, aiming at his head. He fell too.
Four left.
One was so tangled up with Ivan, I couldn’t get a clear shot. The other three were blocked by the werewolf. Dammit. I was going to have to climb higher. Just as I started to pull myself up, Ivan tossed the man he was fighting over the side and moved on to one of the others, clearing my view.
I squeezed the trigger and brought down another of our attackers. Lea suddenly grabbed the man she was hitting, and lowered her face to his neck. The man fell to his knees, but she went with him. She had to be draining him, probably to get answers. The vamps had a nifty little trick—they could absorb a person’s—or creature’s—memories if they were drained enough. But she’d drawn Ivan’s attention away from his opponent. The man pulled out a knife, the blade gleaming in the moonlight. Silver. He jabbed forward, but not fast enough. I shot him twice in the chest, throwing him backward.
Ivan shoved the man over the side with his heel. Seconds later, Lea lifted her head and pushed the man over the side. She turned to me, anger in her eyes.
“I told you to wait in the dining car.”
I climbed to a squat, then stood. “You’re welcome. Now, what did you see?”
“He didn’t know shit. All he knew was that he was supposed to kill Ivan and me, then take you to someone. He didn’t know who.”
“Government? Vampire council? Hades?”
“Vamps would have sent their own to deal with me,” she snarled. “And who the fuck is Hades anyway?”
“The contact I met earlier. But I doubt it’s him. He went out of his way to give me information about the lab in Iraq. He wants me to go there.”
“Evan said we can’t trust him.”
“No shit, but we still need to get to that facility. Trap or not.”
“So that leaves the government. Which means they’ll be watching for you at the airport.”
I ran my hand over my head, smoothing back the stray hairs that had escaped my ponytail. “Fuck. Let me think.” I looked up at her. “How much of Victor’s money do you have access to? Enough to hire a private jet?”
“How much are you talking?”
I sucked in a breath. “For all three of us? I don’t know, maybe fifty thousand. That’s just to London. And more if we want to keep it quiet.”
She gave a quick nod. “I have a way. First we have to get off this train.”
“You better check on your wolf. He’s not looking so good.” Ivan had dropped to one knee and his shirt was covered with blood.
“I’m fine,” he grunted.
“You’re a fucking bullet pin cushion,” Lea grunted. “We have to get them out.”
“First we have to get off.” I scanned the track ahead, spotting a curve. “We can jump off there,” I said, pointing. “We find a car, then hide in a motel while we nurse Ivan’s wounds and figure out the new flight arrangements to London.”
Nodding, Lea pulled Ivan’s arm around her shoulder and tucked her bag under her arm.
“We’re not holing up anywhere,” Ivan forced out, his voice shaky with pain. “I’m fine. I’m a damned werewolf.”