The Lethal Target(51)

‘Excellent!’ he said. ‘We can leave.’ He turned to Muir and added: ‘We’ll take them with us in the first helicopter.’

The first helicopter, thought Jake. He looked around at the people in the room. Of course, it would need more than one to evacuate this lot. So even if Stewart had stayed alive long enough to take out the helicopter, there would be others on their way.

‘Look, you’ve got the book,’ said Jake. ‘You might as well let us go.’

‘So you can go telling tales about us?’ snorted Muir. ‘No chance!’

‘Also, it’s less likely that our transport will be shot down if they know you’re with us,’ said Lemski.

So we were right, thought Jake. We’re going to be hostages.

Lemski called something in Russian, and one of the men went to a machine on a table at one side of the room and pressed a switch on it. Immediately, a vague humming sound that Jake had been aware of from the moment they entered the cottage stopped.

‘The EMP generator,’ said Lauren.

Lemski smiled.

‘Well done, Ms Graham.’ He beamed. ‘You will be a great benefit to us when we return to Russia. You have knowledge, and creative intelligence. A formidable combination.’ He turned to Jake, and his smile faded. ‘You, Mr Wells, have persistence. I’m not sure if that will be of any use. We shall have to see when we get back.’ He barked a command in Russian, and one of the men picked up a radio communicator and said something tersely into it.

‘He’s calling in the helicopter,’ Lauren told Jake.

‘And you speak Russian as well!’ chuckled Lemski.

‘No,’ said Lauren. ‘But it was the obvious next move once the EMP generator’s been switched off, and before the British authorities can react.’

‘The British authorities!’ sneered Lemski. ‘Amateurs!’

In the distance they heard the sound of a helicopter. Jake frowned.

You must have had that stashed somewhere pretty close,’ he commented.

‘On a container ship not too far away.’ Lemski smiled. ‘This has been well-planned for some time.’

‘Not that well planned,’ said Jake, ‘otherwise you wouldn’t have needed to kill so many people.’

Lemski’s face clouded over and he scowled in the direction of Muir. ‘Sometimes things do not always go as planned,’ he snapped.

Muir shrugged.

‘Hey, I’m a guy who gets things done,’ he said. ‘I moved things forward and saved your ass. Don’t forget that.’

Lemski didn’t reply. Instead, he gestured towards the door.

‘It’s time to go,’ he said.

He said something in Russian, and one of the armed men went to the door and opened it, then stepped out, gun poised and ready to fire. He checked the situation outside was clear, then he nodded to Lemski.

Lemski tucked the precious book into an inner pocket and produced a pistol, which he pointed at Jake and Lauren.

‘You will go out with us and get aboard the helicopter. If you attempt to run, we will shoot you and haul you on board. Your journey will then be very painful indeed.’

The sound of the helicopter was much louder now, the noise of its engine deafening.

Prodded by the pistols of Lemski and Muir, Jake and Lauren stepped out of the cottage. The helicopter was hovering just outside the courtyard. As Jake watched, it came down and settled.

‘Right! Move!’ snapped Lemski.

‘And keep your heads low!’ added Muir.

They hurried towards the helicopter, crouching low. Although the main rotor had stopped spinning, Jake noticed that the smaller rear rotor was still going round, and he made sure to keep well clear of it as they reached the chopper.

There were five seats inside the helicopter: one next to the pilot, two behind the front seats, and a third at the back. Muir climbed into the machine and took the seat next to the pilot, then kept his pistol trained on Jake and Lauren as they climbed aboard. Muir gestured at the two seats in the middle of the craft.

‘Strap yourselves in tight, and don’t try any funny business,’ he warned.

Jake and Lauren sat down and began to fasten their seat belts. Lemski climbed aboard and took the seat behind them. He still kept his pistol aimed at them. He snapped an order in Russian, and the pilot engaged the rotor. They felt the helicopter shake, and then begin to rise.

They were going to Russia; and a sick feeling filled Jake as he realised that they’d never ever get back.





Chapter 29



Suddenly the helicopter gave a violent lurch, throwing them all around. Jake and Lauren, their seat belts still not properly fastened, were hurled out of their seats; as were Lemski and Muir.