The Gamma Option by Jon Land

Author:Jon Land
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2010-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Part Four

The O.K. Corral

Tehran: Thursday, May 11; eight P.M.

Chapter 20

“I’D BETTER LEAVE YOU here,” Kourosh told Evira, and she felt reluctant at this point to go on without him, having become so dependent on the boy these past few days.

She pulled at the wretched clothes draped over the royal palace’s maid’s uniform. “I’m ready.”

“No, you’re not,” the urchin insisted dramatically. “How can you kill the animal Hassani without a weapon? I told you you should have let me try to get one for you.”

“I’ll be searched before being allowed into the palace. If they find a weapon, everything we’ve accomplished will go for naught.”

“But you will kill him.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“I’ll be waiting for you when you come out.”

Kourosh reached out to touch her briefly before he bounded off, looking back once before turning the first corner. Evira was left with only the tiniest hope she could make good on her promise. To start with, her wounds, though somewhat healed, still pained her and would undoubtedly slow down her motions. Beyond that, there was the reality of the style of mission she was about to undertake in the fortress before her. This kind of work had never been her specialty as it had been McCracken’s. Killing was something she loathed. Through the entire course of her exploits, she had killed only in self-defense. She tried to tell herself that tonight was no different, but the convincing came with difficulty.

Evira stripped off her rags to reveal the uniform beneath and emerged from the shadows of the square in front of the royal palace. Her heart thudded with the awareness that the next few moments were the most crucial of all. If her plan failed to provide access to the grounds, nothing else mattered. She slid between a pair of sedans arriving with guests and bypassed the main gate in favor of the private side street that led to the servant’s entrance near the school. She stayed close enough to the huge wall to avoid detection, and if approached would have to go into her charade earlier than she planned.

Any route of entry she chose would face her with Revolutionary Guardsmen who were not about to let her pass through without proper identification unless she appeared as though she belonged. This illusion would be created with the help of her servant’s uniform.

Taking a heavy breath, she veered from the shadow of the security wall toward the Revolutionary Guardsmen who stood at attention before the blocked-off side street delivery vehicles had been using throughout the afternoon.

“That van you just let pass through,” she called to them from several yards away, quickening her step and fixing a look of anxiety on her face, “was it the baker? Tell me if you’ve seen the baker.”

The lead guard swung toward her with a start. “Who are you to ask?”

“I am the server in charge of the dessert table and there will be hell to pay if he does not arrive with the rest of his wares soon.”

“Where is your badge?” he demanded, noticing her empty lapel.

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