The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,70

. sulking,’ Bianca improvised. He didn’t seem to fully understand, so she elaborated: ‘I was in a bad mood about losing, so I wanted to cool off before I did something stupid. And then,’ she added truthfully, ‘I realised my feet hurt, so I had to sit down.’ She waggled a high heel.

‘Louboutins,’ said Zykov approvingly. ‘Very nice, but I can see they would hurt after a time!’

‘So is the game over?’

He frowned. ‘Yes, the game is over.’

‘Ah. I take it you ended up in the same boat as me.’

‘I did, yes.’ He fired an angry look after Adam. ‘He did the same to me that he did to you.’

‘He cheated?’

‘Somehow, yes. I am sure of it.’

‘I knew it! But you still don’t know how he did it?’

‘No. But I will. He picked the wrong man to cheat. But enough about him!’ His face brightened again. ‘Would you join me for a drink? We can both drown our sorrows, as you say.’

She was about to give him a polite refusal when Tony’s voice sounded in her ear, making her flinch in surprise. She covered it by scratching her neck. ‘Go with him,’ said the American. ‘If he’s not following Adam, we need a new plan. Keep him occupied for as long as you can.’

‘Well, I was rather thinking of calling it a night,’ she told Zykov. ‘Losing a quarter of a million dollars to a cheat does rather dampen one’s enthusiasm! But . . . I think I could be persuaded to have one drink.’

He grinned. ‘Good! Although I should warn you – as a Russian, I never stop at just one.’

‘I could go as far as two, I suppose . . . All right, why not? Where shall we go? The bar?’

His chest swelled with braggadocio. ‘My penthouse suite, of course!’

Bianca pretended to be impressed, despite becoming more nervous by the moment. ‘You have a penthouse? Somebody told me this place has fifty floors – you must have a terrific view.’

‘It is very nice, yes.’ He was looking directly at her chest. ‘I have champagne, caviar, everything we need for a good time. Come, this way.’

It was all but a command. Behind Zykov and his men she glimpsed Tony, a phone to his head. ‘Go with him,’ he said through the earwig. ‘We’ll watch out for you, and get Adam up there as soon as we can.’

‘Okay,’ she said, replying to both men. She smiled at Zykov, hiding her worry. ‘Lead on.’

18

High Society

Adam emerged from the casino into the humid Macau night. Taxis and minibuses were collecting and disgorging tourists and gamblers. ‘What’s the situation?’

‘Not great,’ said Holly Jo. ‘Bianca’s going with Zykov and two of his guys. The other two—’

‘They’re following you,’ Tony cut in. ‘I’m behind them. Pick me up in the van.’

Adam headed along the sidewalk, away from the scrum outside the casino’s entrance. ‘Where’s the cab?’

‘Coming your way,’ said Kyle. ‘The UAV’s airborne – I see you. The cab’ll be with you in thirty seconds.’

Adam didn’t make any attempt to look for the drone; in the dark, it would be invisible. Instead he glanced back, seeing the two bodyguards. Tony came through a revolving door behind them. With so many people and surveillance cameras nearby, it was unlikely that Zykov’s goons would take any action against him here. Instead, they would follow him to somewhere more suited for a mugging. That had been the plan all along, but now the details would have to change.

‘Is the rigged cab still in play?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ said Holly Jo. ‘It’s coming in behind the first one.’

‘Good. Have it ready to pick up my tails.’

‘You still want to knock them out?’

‘Only if we have to. I’ll try to lose them another way.’ He saw two taxis approaching. While they had the same black bodywork and cream roof as many of the other cabs around the casino, the lead one had two bright blue LEDs shining from its radiator grille. The customisation was minor enough not to draw attention, but it told him at a glance that he had the right car.

‘The guys behind you are getting closer,’ Kyle warned.

Adam raised his arm to flag down the taxi. It pulled over. He opened the door and quickly got inside. ‘Go,’ he ordered. The driver set off before the door was fully closed. The two bodyguards broke into a run to catch up, but were too late. Adam pretended not to have noticed them. He moved across the rear seat and