Blunt hung up the phone and sighed. He wasn’t lying to Young after all.
CHAPTER 36
Paris, France
HAWK LED ALEX AND SAMUELS out a back alley and wound around the police station where they’d been held until they came to a major intersection. They took a bus back to an impound lot where they found their vehicle sitting out by the road. Hawk twirled the keys in his hand, grateful a reluctant officer on duty at the jail gave them to him. He had terse words for Hawk, who ignored the snide comments. It wasn’t worth his time to explain the nuances and intricacies of his work as a black ops agent.
Once everyone piled into the car, Hawk gave the address to Alex, who plotted a course on her laptop.
“You think this will lead anywhere?” Alex asked.
“Beats any leads we had before,” Hawk said.
“What makes you think she hasn’t left the city yet?” Samuels asked. “She could be anywhere in Europe by now.”
“Yeah, but I know someone who knows how to contact her.”
When they reached the address, Hawk parked along the curb, and then they all streamed out of the SUV. They’d arrived in an upscale burrow of Paris. Hawk knocked several times, but no one came to the door.
“Screw it,” Hawk said. “We’re going in.”
Samuels put his hand on Hawk’s chest. “You sure this is the way to go about this, big guy? I mean, after all we just went through and closed circuit cameras everywhere, you want to just kick down a door?”
“Got any better ideas?”
Samuels smiled as he pulled out his lock pick set. “I’ve found this is a much better way to make a discreet entry.” A half a minute later, the latch clicked, permitting them access.
“Look at that,” Alex said. “Brains and brawn. I had my doubts before, but I definitely think we’re related.”
Hawk shook his head and then put his index finger to his lips as he slipped inside. He gestured for them to split up as they all moved stealthily through the house. After they cleared almost the entire bottom floor of what looked like a three-story structure from the street, he heard a creak coming from the back entryway.
Hawk raced toward the noise and flew through the wide open door. A short stocky man sprinted away. In an effort to save time, Hawk used the railing along the steps to swing down to the ground. He raced after the man, who darted down various alleyways but failed to lose his pursuer. In less than a minute, Hawk tackled the man from behind, pinned his arms back, and then rolled him over.
“We meet again,” Hawk said as he stared at Anatoly. “Why did Katarina ever leave you behind?”
“Please don’t hurt me,” Anatoly said. “I can explain everything.”
“I doubt that,” Hawk said. “But I will promise not to hurt you if you agree to help me. How’s that?”
“Whatever, just please don’t hit me.”
Hawk slowly rose, jerking Anatoly to his feet before shoving his back toward the flat. “Why don’t you begin by telling me what Katarina Petrov was doing here right after her plane was blown out of the sky? Was this some master plan of hers?”
“Of course not,” Anatoly said. “She was as surprised as anyone.”
“If that’s so, how come she wasn’t on the plane?”
“She saw you right before the plane closed its doors, and she thought better of it,” Anatoly said with a faint smile. “Good premonition, eh?”
“This isn’t a game. Wipe that stupid grin off your face. Now, you said she got off the plane and then she came here.”
“Yes, this is—or was—one of her homes in Paris. It wasn’t her favorite, but she found it livable. I was staying here because I had to clean up the penthouse since it wouldn’t be used again.”
“Why not? What was she planning on doing with it?”
“Nothing, but she figured it had been burned as a legitimate hideout and didn’t intend to use it again.”
“What was she like when you saw her here that night?”
“She was glad she escaped but wasn’t upset about what happened,” Anatoly said. “She’d planned to kill them all at her Swiss chalet anyway. You saved her the trouble.”
“She weaves a pretty good tale,” Hawk said, seeing if he could goad more out of Anatoly.
“What do you mean?”
“I was never at the airport that night. She concocted a whopper of a story to trick you. I bet she warned you that I’d be coming for you.”
Anatoly swallowed hard and nodded. “She did.”
“I’m a man of my word,” Hawk said. “I promised you if you helped me that I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“So I can go now?”
Hawk laughed. “Of course not. You’re not going anywhere until we have her in custody.”
After they’d reached the back steps of the apartment, Alex and Samuels were sitting on the top step.
“Took you long enough,” Alex quipped.
“Get anything out of him?” Samuels asked.
Hawk shook his head. “Working on it though.”
“I don’t know where she is,” Anatoly said. “You’re wasting your time with me.”
“But you know how to reach her, don’t you?”
Anatoly looked down and refused to say anything.
“It’s okay,” Alex said. “I know we all find it difficult to betray the people we care about and—”
“She’s just my boss, okay, lady?” Anatoly said defensively.
“Whoa,” Alex said. “Someone has issues. I wasn’t trying to suggest anything, just that you two are close on a professional level.”
Hawk snatched Anatoly’s phone out of his pocket. “Give her a call. Speak quietly and tell her that we’re in the room next to yours. Tell her to come over and she can take us out.”
Anatoly hesitated. “I-I don’t know about this.”
Hawk pulled his gun out and pointed it at Anatoly’s head. “What do you think now?”
“It’s a great idea,” Anatoly said nervously as he took the phone and dialed her number.
After he hung up and handed the phone back to Hawk, Alex nodded.
“That was clean,” she said.
“She’s pretty good at
