men surrendered.
“Time for us to go,” Gregor said. He quickly checked his Walther and tossed one to Cooper. “We will skirt around and enter through the back.”
Mind spinning, Cooper followed Gregor and Vasili to the far side of the warehouse. “How did you do that,” he asked as they paused by the back door.
Gregor grinned. “We are not the only ones after Ming Kow. The Chinese government has been wanting him on a skewer for years.”
“Da.” Vasili winked. “But they didn’t want to be the ones to take him down…for political reasons.”
“They were more than happy to leave that honor to us.”
Coop put out a lip. “I wanted to be the one to take him down.”
Gregor’s smile was toothy. “We don’t always get what we want, mal'chik.”
Seriously? He was hardly a boy.
“Stand back,” Vasili said as he opened the door and slid a flash bomb onto the slick cement of the warehouse floor. He closed the door and the bomb detonated, shaking the walls.
“Let’s move,” Gregor said. “You take left, I’ll take right and, Cooper, take center.”
The men nodded and fell into formation, as though they’d been working together for years.
This was something Cooper knew. Maneuvers. This he could do. He pushed away all his fear and anxiety over Nat’s safety and stepped into the role he knew so well it became automatic.
They advanced into the warehouse and quickly quartered the enormous room. They had no idea how many men they were facing, but they were pretty certain where they were, because of the shrill screams echoing to their right.
The men exchanged a glance and Gregor made silent gestures and they fell into place, advancing on the ruckus like lions on the hunt.
Vasili peeled off to the left to circle around and check for guards that might be posted in the warehouse and Gregor and Coop, using the crates for cover, headed for the screams.
What Coop saw horrified him.
Cages.
One held a huddle of children—who continued to scream, despite the commands to shut up from the guards.
In the other cage… His heart lurched. Nat.
This was not ideal. If they attacked Ming Kow and his men, they could turn their guns on her and there was nothing she could do to escape or fight back.
He glanced at Gregor. It was clear he’d come to the same conclusion, but they had little time to waste. The guards, spurred by the flash bomb, were circling Ming Kow like disturbed bees, training their weapons toward any potential threat.
A direct attack would be suicide at best. Disaster at worst.
Fortunately, Gregor was prepared for an indirect attack. He gave a little whistle, one that made Nat come to attention. She turned and whispered something to the children, who all ducked their heads and covered their ears.
And then, from the other side of the warehouse, another explosion. The guards all whipped around in that direction. They cried out as flames rose from one corner, and then another.
Clearly Vasili had been busy.
When one of the guards scuttled off to investigate the disruption—leaving two guarding Ming Kow—Gregor nodded. “Now,” he said. “I will take Ming Kow and his men. You get Nat out of that cage.” He handed Coop a small explosive with a detonator. “On three.”
He whistled again, a warbling trill, one that made Ming Kow whirl around in a panic, and then, on three, they moved in tandem, through the shadows. Gregor picked off one of Ming Kow’s guards immediately. The second whirled around, his weapon wheeling wildly, hunting for him in the murk, but Ming Kow took the opportunity to skitter away into the maze of pallets.
Gregor quickly dispatched the second guard and bolted after their nemesis.
Coop wasted no time. He ran to Nat’s cage and barked, “Stay back,” when she lurched toward him. He set the explosive to the lock of the cage and detonated it. With a fizzle and pop, the explosive ate through the metal bars and the cage swung open.
“Come on,” he urged, pulling her out. He put his arm around her and tried to rush her toward the door, to safety, but she did not allow it.
“No.”
He stared at her. Tugged again.
Again she resisted.
What? What the actual fuck?
“I’m saving you here,” he reminded her.
Her expression went fierce. “We have to save them.” She gestured to the children, crouched together in a frightened knot.
“There’s no time.”
Her expression was recalcitrant and determined. “We have to save the children.”
“Nat, I don’t have another explosive.”
She held out her hands. “You have a knife. Cut me free.”
“Nat,