The Splinter (Lance Spector Thrillers Book 5) by Saul Herzog

Author:Saul Herzog [Herzog, Saul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781990251061
Publisher: AuthorContact
Published: 2022-03-18T16:00:00+00:00

28

Constantin eyed Valentina cautiously from across the street. He’d placed the shots carefully so as to only clip her. The shoulder and the thigh. She was an injured bird now. Winged. She would live, but she wouldn’t fly.

And she was unarmed.

He was surprised at that. He’d expected more. How had she allowed herself to get caught so completely exposed? He was almost disappointed.

The traffic slowed as people tried to see what was going on and he crossed the three lanes easily, approaching her with his gun drawn. He remained cautious, at the ready. She was down, but he knew she was still dangerous, even now. She looked at him and he saw the fierceness in her eyes, like a caged tiger. And he knew it was real. One wrong move and she’d be on him. He’d seen it before. These female GRU assassins, if anything, were even more lethal than their male counterparts. They were trained more harshly. More was expected of them. If he dropped his guard for a second, this close, within reach, he’d have a snapped neck before he knew what was happening.

“Look at you now,” he said, holding the gun firmly in front of him. “The famous she-wolf, the Volchitsey, down in the muck like a snarling, snared, worthless piece of—”

“That’s right,” Valentina spat, “look while you can, because I give you my word you’re going to pay for this.”

He laughed. She had balls. He’d give her that much. “Really?” he said. “Forgive me if I’m not quaking in my boots.”

He was laughing, but he did not forget the risk he was in. She was practically snarling, like a predator ready to pounce. They called her the she-wolf, but looking at her now, he thought there was something distinctly feline about her. She was wounded, her energy was spent, she was losing blood, breathless, the cold air billowing in front of her mouth as she gasped for breath. And even still, he knew she was as dangerous a person as he would ever get this close to.

The only thing between them was his gun, and in the heat of the chase, he’d failed to count his bullets. He’d have liked to check now, but that would be a grave mistake. Any hint of doubt, any sign of weakness, and Valentina would capitalize on it. It was too late. He had to give himself the benefit of the doubt.

Shipenko had told him to bring her in alive if possible, and he knew that was what she would be expecting. He would have killed her by now otherwise. She knew what was in store for her in Moscow. There would be the grueling interrogation, the punishments in the Lubyanka, the torture. And there would be other things too. Unofficial acts. The things Shipenko did to women when he had them strung up by the wrists. If Constantin had heard the rumors, Valentina certainly had. She would escape now or die trying. But still, he had to try to take her in.

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