Smokescreen by Iris Johansen

Author:Iris Johansen [Johansen, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: None
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2019-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

Asarti

1:40 A.M.

“You’re sure the kitchen entrance is the safest?” Joe asked as he went down the path after Gideon. “I’ve always found less obvious—”

“Have I been wrong yet?” Gideon interrupted. “Face it, I’ve been bloody perfect. After Nassem dropped us off down the road, I led us right past those sentries, didn’t I? You shouldn’t mess with perfection, Quinn.” He’d reached the kitchen alcove, and his fingers were racing over the security panel. “Particularly since I’m not at all sure that I’m not the only perfect thing about this venture.”

“Perfection is overrated,” Joe said. “It doesn’t leave room for innovation.” Yet he couldn’t argue that Gideon had fulfilled every need. He had been a constant surprise to Joe. And this door was opening silently with no alarm. “Okay, you’re awe-inspiring. Meet me at Sebak’s quarters. I’ll go take out the guard in the library.”

“I’ll do it,” Gideon said as he moved down the hall. “The guard will be easy. I’ll let you handle Sebak. You want him alive, and my impression is that he’s very edgy. I bet he has a gun in his bedside table.”

He probably knew Sebak did, Joe thought as he turned in the opposite direction and made his way through the darkness toward Sebak’s suite.

Sebak’s door was locked. Definitely edgy.

It took Joe two minutes to silently pick the lock. Then he was inside.

More darkness.

But Joe’s eyes were accustomed to it now, and he could make out a bed across the large room.

Joe moved silently toward it.

Movement!

The bedcovers were suddenly thrown aside, and the man who had done it was lunging toward the bedside table.

Joe was across the room in seconds, and his hand came down in a karate chop on Sebak’s wrist as he fumbled to get the drawer open.

Sebak cursed in pain as he turned and launched himself upward at Joe. “Son of a bitch. What are you doing? One scream, and I’ll have guards all over the place.” He struck out blindly and hit Joe in the chin. “They’ll kill you.”

Enough.

Joe’s hand cut down on Sebak’s neck in a karate chop and put him out.

He went limp.

Three or four minutes maximum before he’d regain consciousness, Joe thought. Get ready.

He flicked on the bedside light, checked to make sure the man was indeed Sebak, and removed the .38 revolver from the drawer of the bedside table. Then he took out his handcuffs and snapped them on Sebak’s wrists.

“No trouble at all?” Gideon was at the doorway, his gaze on Sebak. “I admit I’m disappointed. I wasn’t aiming for serious, but a few minor problems would have made me feel better about having to be so wary around you. I don’t like not feeling totally in control of the situation.”

“Then you shouldn’t have told me that he’d go for that gun.” Joe took a small roll of duct tape out of his jacket pocket. “Did you take down the guard?”

Gideon nodded as he watched him tape Sebak’s mouth. “Complete with the duct tape. I did a neater job than you.

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