Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
But he had to think of Lou. They were outnumbered, and she could get caught in the cross fire. The space was too small for a gunfight. He had to wait for the team and then cover Lou with his body and try to get her out while Kala, Coop, and Zach took care of business.
“Hands up,” the man in front of him said, his English almost unaccented. He was likely in his thirties, with dark hair and eyes and bland good looks.
TJ held his hands up as the man looked him in the eyes and then nodded to the dude on his right. That man holstered his weapon and ran his hands down TJ’s sides, a routine pat down before they likely tied him up and he lost the opportunity to do anything at all.
He took a deep breath, trying to decide if he should take the chance.
And then the man’s hand ran over the gun at his back. Ran over it like it wasn’t there.
He straightened up again and nodded to his boss.
He couldn’t have missed the gun, yet he’d just told everyone that TJ didn’t have a weapon on him.
Why the hell would he do that?
Something was wrong. Or right. He wasn’t sure. Could the Agency have someone on the inside?
“I don’t have a gun on me.” Dennis was moving beside him, trying to shift away.
“Just stay still and let him verify it,” Lou advised. “Stay calm.”
If the Agency had someone embedded, they would have done something in Germany. They certainly would have at the very least informed his uncle of what they were doing so he wouldn’t ride in and fuck everything up. Sometimes the Agency held back intel, however he couldn’t see it happening here.
But the Agency wasn’t the only interested party. No. TJ’s mind started to race as he put some very valuable pieces together.
Was this how it felt to be Lou all the time? Because he was feeling all smarty pants and crap.
“Lou, baby, do you smell maple syrup?” The fucker had already put Lou at risk once in his never-ending pursuit of his white whale, who in this case was a Canadian doctor who might or might not be a sociopath with apocalyptic ambitions.
“What?” Lou shifted so she was beside him. The guns were still trained on them, but they seemed more relaxed now that they’d done the whole pat-down thing and verified no one was carrying a deadly weapon.
Or would have been if the dude hadn’t been lying. They wanted him to be able to defend himself. Something was about to go down, and he needed Lou ready. “I was just wishing we’d gone to Tim Hortons instead of a bar, baby. It’s always the better bet.”
Lou’s little gasp let him know she’d picked up on what he was saying.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Taggart?” Dennis’s suit didn’t look so great now. It was wrinkled, likely because the guy who’d done his pat down hadn’t been as careful. “There’s no Tim Hortons here. That’s a Canada thing. You know I always thought you were a moron and now, here I am.”
Huber frowned. “Kill that one. He annoys me.”
“If you kill him, Dr. Huisman won’t get the bomb he needs,” Lou said suddenly.
Huber went stock-still. “Where have you heard that name?”
Dennis pushed at his guard, obviously panicking.
That was the moment the door cracked open and Kala moved in, flanked by Zach and Cooper.
TJ reached around, one hand going to grab Lou’s and the other his gun.
“Get down,” Kala yelled as the bullets started flying.
The guy who’d left him the gun cursed and shoved Dennis down.
TJ took out the guy to his left, hoping Ben Parker didn’t have more than one agent embedded, and started for the bar.
Huber fired off a couple of rounds but managed to take cover.
He had to get Lou out of there. “Stay close, baby.”
Lou followed, clutching his hand. “You think Ben Parker’s here?”
“I would bet my life on it,” he replied as he slid behind the bar, ducking down. “If he’s not physically here, then he’s the one who set this up.”
“He’s right about Huisman,” Lou whispered as the bar went disturbingly quiet. “You saw how he reacted.”
“It seems we’re at a standoff.” Huber’s voice still sounded steady, and it was coming from TJ’s left. “If you don’t drop your weapons, I will kill this man.”
“Dude, I’ve wanted him dead for years. Have at it,” Kala replied.
Damn it. “Stay here.”
TJ stood, taking in the scene in front of him. Kala and Zach had guns trained on Huber, who stood in the middle of the bar, his body covered by Dennis’s.
The Canadian embedded operative was on the ground next to one of the Germans. It appeared that the team had taken out everyone except Huber, and that would make him infinitely more dangerous.