She adjusted the compress. “Well, you got at least one solid hit in.”
Court realized she assumed he’d broken a bone in his hand while hitting Hines. He sighed and laid his head back on the headrest. “This happened when I punched out a totally innocent windshield.”
They drove back to the safe house in near silence as everyone worked on fighting the effects of adrenaline and the onset of exhaustion. Even Jason was too amped up to talk.
CHAPTER 54
Jason pulled the Land Rover into the detached garage of the farm west of Edinburgh, then helped Gentry out of the back. Court’s body was besieged with pain; even walking was difficult, and he warned them it was going to take him some time. Jason then took the prisoner out of the vehicle and guided her by the arm to the house, and Zoya rushed forward to get another ice bath prepped for Court.
This left Zack to get under Court’s right arm and help him walk up the long drive.
As they moved slowly, Zack looked at Court, regarding his black eye, cut nose, and fat lip, and the purple-gray discoloration along his jawline.
“I just want you to know I respect your ability to maintain your cover identity as a punching bag.”
“Thanks,” Court said through gritted teeth. Then, “This dude was unreal, Zack.”
“A human did that to you? I thought you’d lost a fight with a trash compactor.”
“Superhuman. Like nothing I’ve ever faced.”
Zack spit on the gravel. “Whatever. I’ll kick his ass for you next time we see him.”
Court ignored the bluster.
After a few more steps Hightower said, “That’s Zakharov’s daughter? She doesn’t sound Russian.”
Court shuffled along slowly with Zack’s help. “She’s got a thing with accents.”
“She’s hot. Tell me she’s with us.”
“She’s with us.” Court glanced to Zack. “I think.”
“Brewer said your mission was the dad. He’s cooking up something nasty. Saving the chick was just personal.”
“She’s good, man. We needed to get her back. I did the right thing.”
“Maybe we’ll get some downtime tonight. You’re beat to shit, so the only two dudes here able to give her any attention are me and that goofy-looking case officer. I like my chances.” He laughed to himself as they neared the front porch. “Never did a Russian. Wonder if she smells like caviar or borscht.”
Court pulled up, causing Zack to stop.
“What?” Hightower said. When Court did not respond, Zack’s jaw dropped. “Wait. Six . . . you hittin’ that?”
Court didn’t answer, just closed his eyes as the pain came in waves.
“You’re hittin’ the fuckin’ Russian chick. You are, aren’t you?”
“Zack. No. I’m not.”
Hightower laughed, then started pulling on Court again, helping him with each step. “You are totally bangin’ Marina Oswald. Hot damn, good for you. Honestly didn’t know you liked girls.”
Court’s body told him he’d be pissing blood for a week now, but despite himself he laughed.
They made it into the house. Zoya shepherded Court to the bathroom, where she’d already filled the tub with two bags of ice from the freezer and turned it on cold. Jason secured the mystery woman with metal cuffs around a bedpost in a back bedroom, and now he pulled security at the front window with a Benelli shotgun and his Glock.
Zoya helped Court out of his clothes, stripping him down to his underwear as he’d done himself in London.
Zack stood in the doorway, looking on. “I always go commando, personally.”
Zoya glanced over her shoulder with annoyance. “Who’s this charmer, Court?”
She helped Court into the bathtub, slower than last time. As he sat down, he said, “Zack, Zoya. Zoya, Zack.”
Zack said, “So . . . what? You’re Agency?”
She looked to Court, who shrugged back as if to say to her, Fielding that question is your problem.
“More or less.”
Zack turned to Court. “Your kinda girl, Six.”
She added, “And Feodor Zakharov is my father.”
“Yeah, that I heard. You’re an American spook with a GRU general for a dad? How the hell does that happen?”
“I’m Russian. Former SVR.”
“Ho-ly shit. So . . . you gonna play the sweet-girl-from-Nebraska act till we let our guard down so you can knife us in the back?”
“I’m on your side.”
“Yeah, so was Marty Wheeler.”
Court said, “Who the hell is Marty Wheeler?”
Zack laughed. “While you two have been vacationing over here, I was back in the States on a mole hunt. Tracked the assistant DDS to London, ID’d him as the mole, and bagged and