Andy McDermott - The Tomb Of Hercules

She was now the subject of the biggest worldwide manhunt since Osama bin Laden. Engineering a plot to detonate a nuclear weapon in New York-and almost succeeding-had earned her the title of America’s Most Wanted.

Chase started to put his feet up on the glass coffee table, then thought better of it, giving Nina a look. She grinned. “No, go ahead. I’ll let you off. Y’know, just this once. Seeing as you saved New York and everything.”

He glanced down at his immobilized left arm. “Yeah, I should get a T-shirt made. ‘I saved New York and all I got was this lousy plaster cast’…”

Nina kissed him, then walked over to the kitchen area. “I’m sure you’ll get something more once all the secrecy clears. Do you want anything?”

“A pint’d be nice. Although I’ll settle for coffee if you don’t have one.”

“Coming right up,” Nina told him, taking a bag of coffee beans from the fridge.

“Speaking of secrecy, what’s going on with the Tomb of Hercules? Have they told you if you’ll be able to take credit for finding it?”

“I’d damn well better! Although I think it could take a while for everything to be sorted out.” She tipped the beans into the mill. “The Algerian government wants to take full control, for a start. I bet their eyes went kaching! like something from a Bugs Bunny cartoon when they heard there was a treasure trove worth billions of dollars inside their borders. The IHA might have its work cut out trying to persuade them to open up the site.”

“Well, at least you won’t have to deal with that.” Chase glanced back at her, uncertain. “Or will you?”

She gave him a smile as she started the grinder. “Not a chance. Right now? I’m on vacation. And so are you. And that’s an official IHA decision.”

“I like the sound of that.” He stretched out, and was about to put his feet up when somebody knocked on the apartment door. “Oh, buggeration. Never a moment’s peace.”

“I’ll get it,” Nina offered.

“Nah, it’s all right,” Chase told her as he stood. “I’ll get rid of ’em. You keep grinding them beans.” He padded across the living room and opened the door-

Sophia stood in the hallway, a gun in her hand.

Before Chase had a chance to react, she fired.

A metal dart stabbed into his chest. Gasping in pain, he pulled it out… only for his shaking hand to halt midmotion as the paralyzing toxin spread through his body. Spasming, he fell on his back, plaster cast clonking against the wooden floor, the dart still clutched in his raised hand.

Sophia tossed down the dart gun and pulled a black automatic from her jacket as she slammed the door behind her. “Hello, Eddie,” she said as she stepped over him. “And Nina! I can’t say it’s a pleasure to see you again… but it will be in a minute.” She pointed the gun at Nina, summoning her out from behind the kitchen counter.

Heart racing, Nina eyed the knife block as she passed it. “Don’t even think about it,” Sophia warned her, stepping closer.

“What’ve you done to Eddie?” Nina demanded, looking across at Chase.

“Don’t worry, he’s alive-for the next few minutes, at least. I wanted him to watch.”

Nina stepped into the center of the living room. “Watch what?”

Sophia walked towards her. “Watch you die, of course. God!” She stopped a few feet away and glanced scornfully around the apartment. “You have no idea how much I despise you, you vulgar little American bitch . I can understand why you’d have some kind of hero-worship love for Eddie, but what he sees in you , I have absolutely no idea. Even someone as low class as him deserves better.”

“I don’t love Eddie because he’s a hero,” Nina countered. “I love him for being the man he is . Not that you’d ever understand that.”

“Oh shut up,” Sophia sneered, raising the gun towards Nina’s face. “Eddie, I hope you can see this. I’m going to kill your little tart. What do you think about that?” For just the briefest moment, her gaze flicked sideways to look at Chase-

Nina lunged forward.

She grabbed Sophia’s arm with one hand as she twisted out of the line of fire, using the other to knock the gun from her grip. It hit the floor, a sharp edge gouging out a chunk of polished wood, and skidded under the coffee table.

Momentarily startled, Sophia stared after it before looking back at Nina, a mocking smile forming. “Oh, you have been practicing with Eddie, haven’t you?” Her other hand snapped up and seized Nina’s upper arm.

“But so did I,” she hissed, yanking Nina towards her and sweeping her right leg at the other woman’s feet.

Nina tripped and fell to the floor, landing hard on her elbows next to the African statue. Old bruises flared with new pain. Across the room, Chase’s eyes met hers, but he was powerless to help.

Sophia ran to the glass table, bending down to get the gun.

Nina jumped up, needing a weapon of her own, finding one-

Sophia’s hand had just closed around the gun when the statue cracked down across her back like a baseball bat, so hard that the head of the sculpture broke off and bounced across the room. Before Sophia could respond with anything more than a cry of pain, Nina swung the carving again, this time hitting her shoulder. Sophia staggered and fell, the gun spinning from her hand.

Nina raised the statue, about to slam it down on Sophia’s head-

Sophia kicked, catching Nina just above one knee and sending her stumbling backwards. Her calves braked against the edge of the coffee table and she fell onto the glass. It exploded beneath her, only her outstretched arms against the frame stopping her from landing on the broken shards.

Clutching her shoulder, Sophia got to her feet, hunting for the gun. It was on the far side of the room, near the balcony window. She rushed for it.

Nina painfully rolled over the side of the table’s frame and crunched down on her knees among the broken glass, blood oozing through a dozen cuts in her back. She looked for Sophia-

She had the gun!

Nina threw herself behind the kitchen counter as Sophia fired, three shots blasting chunks of fractured marble out of its top. She crashed against the cabinets on the back wall, the door of one popping open to reveal an assortment of cleaning products.

She grabbed a plastic spray bottle, frantically unscrewing its cap…

The gun raised, Sophia advanced on the counter. She saw movement behind one end and turned to fire-

An arc of liquid flew from the end of the open bottle as Nina swung it, bleach splashing across Sophia’s chest. The Englishwoman managed to bring up an arm to protect her face, but even diluted to act as a kitchen cleanser the chemical gave off a pungent stench strong enough to sear her nostrils, choking her. Sophia reeled, coughing and rubbing her eyes.

Nina jumped up, looking for another weapon. She saw Chase’s Castro figurine on the counter and thought of hurling it at Sophia, then changed her mind and yanked the cord of the coffeemaker out of the wall before flinging the machine over the counter. A dark spray of coffee grounds burst from the lid as it hit Sophia’s gun arm, jolting the weapon from her grip and sending her staggering back against one of the armchairs.

Nina snatched a large carving knife from the wooden block and ran out from behind the counter. If she could reach the gun…

Eyes red and streaming, Sophia saw her coming and pulled the leather seat cushion from the armchair, raising it like a shield as Nina slashed the blade at her. The leather split open, sliced yellow stuffing bursting out like fat from a surgical incision.

The gun was on the floor between them. Sophia rammed the heavy cushion against Nina’s face and upper body, knocking her back a step. Then she dropped, hand outstretched-