I'd Rather Be In Paris (33 page)

Lawson didn't move for several seconds as his eyes took inventory of the scene.

Shelves full of equipment and supplies had been ripped from the walls and thrown on the floor. Stefano Biaggio and half a dozen of his men were dead, broken glass covering them and the floor of the laboratory.

Backing into the hallway, he radioed Flynn about the biohazard mess. Flynn copied the news and asked about the rest of the terrorists. Lawson looked across the faces of the men lined up against the wall under the surveillance of Rooster and C.J. “Everyone but Dmitri and Zara are accounted for."

"Agent Newton?” Flynn asked.

Lawson looked at Annette, sitting on the floor with her back to the wall. Her eyes were glazed and her story was sketchy, something about freeing her sister and punishing Stefano. “Alive, but shocky. We'll bring her out in a minute."

Lawson glanced at Jon Vos Loo, the infamous biochemist. The man sat on the floor, rocking back and forth with his hands secured behind his back.

His gaze danced between Lawson and Annette. “I'm glad she killed him.” He halted his rocking. “Biaggio. He tried to ruin everything. All my hard work. Years of research. The bastard was going to destroy it all."

Annette's attention was locked on the floor. Lawson had already asked her where Dmitri had taken Zara, but she'd shaken her head. She didn't know.

"Weapons?” he asked Teddy Winkle. The man held up the agent's semiautomatic and Vos Loo's pouch of scalpels, each bagged and tagged. Lawson threw his hat on the floor and bent down in front of Vos Loo. “Where is Dmitri taking Agent Morgan?"

Vos Loo looked away and began to rock again. “I'm a great scientist. No one touches my work."

Just what I need, a freakin’ Rainman
. “Alexandrov Dmitri's touching your stuff now, Doctor. He's got your supervirus. Tell me where he is and I'll get it back for you."

Vos Loo, the idiot, ignored him.

Suddenly furious, Lawson grabbed the doctor by the front of his shirt. “You tell me where Dmitri is or I'll make sure your hands are never able to concoct another drug of any sort."

The man's gaze snapped back to his, widening in surprise. “You can't hurt me. The Geneva Convention bans any mistreatment of prisoners.” He shook his head. “You can't hurt me."

Before Lawson could yell at Teddy to get him a 110-volt generator and a set of alligator clips, Johnny called to him from the other end of the hall. “Commander, I've got something."

Releasing the squirrelly doctor's shirt, Lawson ran to join his teammate. Johnny pointed at the hole in the wall inside a jail cell. “Secret tunnel,” he said. “Just like the other one."

Damn. Dmitri was too smart to allow himself to be trapped. “Where does it come out?"

"Guess we follow it and find out."

Lawson lowered his mike and informed Flynn and Redington of the situation. “I'm going in. Over."

"Not advised,” Flynn's voice came back. “If Zara and Dmitri are in the tunnel, we'll retrieve them on this end when they come out. I want you out here to back up the SEALs in capturing our Muslim friends. Do you copy, Commander?"

Lawson looked at Johnny. Johnny shrugged. “Your transmission was pretty broken up, sir. I didn't understand a word he said. Did you?"

Lawson touched his radio button and then ran his thumb over his lip mike. “You're breaking up,” he lied to his boss over the thumb-created static. “Your last transmission was unclear. I'll catch up with you outside. Over."

Flipping the Motorola off, he slapped Johnny on the back and shoved his headset off his head to rest on his neck. He called down the hall to the other three men of Pegasus. “Get Agent Newton and the prisoners outside and figure out where the hell this tunnel leads. Quick and I are going in and I expect you guys to be on the other end when we come out."

"Yes, sir!” Teddy, Rooster and C.J. answered.

Nodding at Johnny, Lawson fell to his hands and knees and started to crawl.

Zara could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Literally.

Natural light filtered down to the muddy floor several yards ahead. The walls of the passageway were broadening and the air smelled fresher. She drew in a deep breath and rose to her feet in a crouch. Her knees ached, her injured one screaming in pain, but she ignored it all as she searched for the exit. A few more feet and she would be free.

They entered the circular opening, still six feet underground, and stood up. A metal ladder led to a grate above their heads.

Zara blinked as she looked up at the squares of sunlight shining down. Her feet made soft sucking sounds in the muddy ground. She reached for the ladder, but Dmitri stopped her.

He motioned with his gun for her to back away from the ladder. “This is where we part company."

She took a step back and then another as Dmitri raised the end of the gun to her face. “
Now
you're going to kill me?"

The tip of the gun touched her cheek and Dmitri brought his face close to hers. “You could always beg for your life, princess."

Pressing her back against the earthen wall, Zara coaxed anger to mix with her fear. She was not going to die in this disgusting tunnel. “You heard Commander Vaughn. This place is surrounded by SEALs ready to shoot you the minute you walk out of here. You have to take me with you. I'm your only hope of escape."

"They won't catch me.” He placed one hand beside her head and positioned his gun next to her temple. “Especially if you're not slowing me down."

Zara held herself rigid as he pressed his body against hers. “You were an interesting opponent this time. I regret we didn't have more time to play."

She hated him being so close, but if she was going to do any serious damage with the knife, she needed him as vulnerable as she could get him. “Your plan failed and your partners are already under arrest. You have nowhere to go. Cut your losses and turn yourself in."

The terrorist stroked her hair and ran his fingers across her throat. Smiling, he pulled the syringe out of his pocket and waved it in front of her face. “I still have Vos Loo's vaccine, which I'll put on the market and sell to the highest bidder. And I still have my life."

He brought his lips down to hers, and she turned her head and shifted her right hand so the knife point slid into it. His lips brushed her cheek, and he whispered, “The only true failure in life, you stupid girl, is death."

Girl?

She pressed the end of the knife into his stomach. “Then consider yourself a failure."

As Dmitri's eyes widened with realization, Lawson's voice echoed in the underground chamber accompanied by the distinct sound of a gun cocking. “Let her go."

One side of Dmitri's mouth tipped up. He chuckled without humor. “Game over, Agent Morgan."

The needle pricked her skin and a flood of warm fluid oozed into her veins.

She jerked back and as the chamber exploded with gunfire, she dropped to the ground and screamed like the girl she was.

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As a member of Flynn's secret army, Zara had been trained in wet jobs—the liquidation of an asset—although she'd always hoped and prayed she'd never have to perform one. Terrorists were one thing, a trusted asset another ... at least until one betrayed you. As Lawson yelled into his radio that she'd been infected with Vos Loo's virus and he needed immediate medical help, she laughed at the irony. Dmitri had just done a wet job on her.

Goddamn SOB.

Lawson bent in front of her, the muscle in his jaw working overtime as he used an antiseptic wipe to clean the blood from her hands. Dmitri's blood. “Medivac's on the way."

"Your timing could use some work.” She looked into his panicked face. The face she loved. “You can't blame faulty communications on this one."

"Yeah, well, you know us Hollywood types,” he drawled in attempt to match her
laissez-faire
attitude. “We always wait until the last minute to save the damsel in distress. Makes for a better climax."

Behind them, Quick had already bagged Dmitri's gun and the still-half-full syringe. He bent over and checked Dmitri's lifeless body for anything else of consequence. “Hell of a job you did here, Agent Morgan."

She was so tired she could barely speak. “My plan was to rescue myself."

Lawson wiped at her cheek with a fresh antiseptic pad. His touch was incredibly tender and thorough. “Any broken bones?"

She tipped her face into his fingers. Even with the latex gloves he was wearing, she liked the feel of his fingers, their heat against her skin. “No."

His fingers stilled for a second, and then he continued with his cleaning. “You've got a pretty good bruise on your cheek and it looks like you've got a shiner to go with it. Dmitri?"

She nodded. While her body was being invaded with the supervirus, it seemed like small talk was all she could manage. “I did that elbow-in-your-face move you showed me. Knocked him on his ass. He didn't like it."

"Poor sport, huh?"

"He didn't like a
girl
getting the better of him."

"You're pretty woozy. Any drugs in your system besides the virus?"

"No. I'm dehydrated and I haven't eaten since they kidnapped me."

Lawson's gaze dropped to her clothes. “Looks like I owe you a new jacket."

She looked down and scrunched up her nose. Blood was staining everything and ... “Oh God, what is that?"

Lawson wiped at a bloody glob of ... of ... “Brain matter,” he said.

"Dmitri's brains are on my Prada jacket?"

Snapping off his gloves, he pulled out a penlight and checked her eyes. “Pupils are even and responsive to light. Any head injuries?"

His face was so close to hers she could have leaned forward and kissed him. The green and brown camouflage paint on his cheeks had run together and turned to gray. “I cracked my head on the stairs but I think I'm okay. Just don't tell Flynn or he'll have a reason to label me mentally unstable and order a round of psych exams."

Lawson's expression softened slightly. He stared into her eyes. “Any other injuries I should know about? Sexual assault?"

She swallowed and shook her head, wishing he would lose the businesslike approach and at least smile at her. “What about Lucie? Is she all right?"

John Quick raised his head. “Your sister's doing fine. She's with Director Flynn and the others at our base camp. I guess she's been telling everyone how you saved her life.” He stood and touched Lawson's shoulder. “I'm going up top to signal Teddy and the helo where to find us. By the way, Mohammed is a no-show. You need help getting Agent Morgan out of here?"

Lawson shook his head. “I've got it covered. Thanks."

John nodded and started up the ladder. The metal grate was rusty and squeaked when he jarred it loose.

As silence settled around them, Zara stared at Lawson. She watched, fascinated, as his shoulders bent, his eyes closed and his head bowed. As if all the life were draining out of him. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.

Wanting to reassure him, she laid a hand on his dirty, scruffy jaw. His hand came up to cover hers and they sat like that for several long seconds. When he raised his head, Zara was shocked to see tears filling his eyes.

Lawson Vaughn was about to cry. Her tough, supremely confident, alpha-male partner was about to cry...

Smiling, she leaned forward to press her lips against his. He slid his hands to the side of her face, kissing her back.

She let her breath go. Lawson was kissing her like he loved her.

But then he broke away. “This is my fault,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. “I've screwed up a few times in my past, Zara, but never like this. I put your life in jeopardy and I'm sorry."

God, she loved him so much it hurt. “It wasn't your fault.” She ran a hand through his wet hair. “And I'll be okay. There's an antidote in the lab."

"The lab was destroyed."

"Destroyed?” Zara's stomach fell and a chill ran over her skin. “Tell me Vos Loo's still alive."

Lawson nodded. “He's uncooperative, though. I'll probably have to beat it out of him, but I swear to you, I'll get the antidote."

They stared at each other in silence. She couldn't tease him anymore. She couldn't let him believe this was his fault, but what could she say to keep him from blaming himself? “I'd do it all again just to bring Dmitri down."

Dropping his head in his hands, he rubbed his face. “Zara..."

She forced a grin. “At least my reputation will stay intact this way."

He shook his head. “I've realized I don't work well in a partnership."

Now she grinned for real. “Quitter."

He didn't take her bait. “I'm a whole lot better being the leader of a group."

In the distance, she heard the thump of helicopter blades. It was now or never. “You know about transference, right? With hostages?"

"Yeah.” Lawson frowned. “I know what it is."

"At Christian's I started having these weird feelings for you. I thought it was sort of like a crush, you being the guy who rescued me at the farmhouse and then again when you saved me from Varina."

Lawson's frown deepened as though he wasn't particularly happy about that. He leaned back. “You have a crush on me."

Zara knew from his body posture and facial expression she'd said something wrong. “It's not exactly a crush anymore. I'm in love with you, Lawson."

A nerve in his jaw jumped. Before he could respond, John Quick was yelling from the open hole at the top of the ladder. “Heads up, Commander. Director Flynn's here. Wants to talk to you. Helo is due in three."

Lawson gave his teammate a nod and began to busy himself with sealing his gloves in a plastic bag and sticking his penlight in his flak jacket. Avoiding her eyes, he asked, “Can you stand and walk?"

She pulled her knees into her chest and hugged them, confused by his sudden all-business demeanor again. Her body ached, her heart was raw and, even though she was beginning to feel foolish for baring her feelings to him, she still had a yearning to wrap her arms around him and never let him go. “Yes."

He rose to his feet and offered a hand to help her up, his gaze still avoiding hers. She ignored his hand and pushed herself off the floor into a standing position. Even though she weaved like she was drunk, she turned her back on him.

Bending over Dmitri, she ignored the disfigured face and snapped the gold chain, her gold chain, off his wrist. “I've got less than three hours before I become contagious.” She could be all business too. “Once I hit that wall, no one can save me. I'd appreciate it if you'd go torture Vos Loo now."

After securing the chain in her pocket, she reached for the ladder and hauled herself up. She didn't miss Lawson setting the timer on his watch.

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