by K. T. Tomb
“Chyna!” Mark’s voice coincided with a flash that went off from the far left, and before she knew it, she was on the ground. They had just missed.
“It’s an ambush!” Mark shouted as he struggled to get up. “Come on! We need to get out of here!”
It was only a second after Mark had spoken those words that all hell broke loose. There were not just two or four bullets now—there was a barrage of gunfire coming from virtually every direction pinning them behind the set of columns that they used as a barricade. Damn it, they would never be able to escape at this point.
“Where’s Emilijus?!” Chyna shouted, as she ducked behind a pillar across the hall, trying her best to dodge the shots long enough to devise a plan.
“Right here!” She heard his voice from the left. “They’re neo-Nazis! They must have known we were coming here! Someone must have tipped them off!”
His words went off like a trigger inside Chyna’s head. All other emotions left her as she turned toward Mark, to see him fire back at no one in particular. Chyna couldn’t help but notice that the precision of the gunfire from his end was considerably worse than she knew he was capable of, or maybe it was only her mind playing tricks on her.
“We need to get—Ah!”
Chyna’s heart plummeted into her stomach when she heard Emilijus cry out. Looking over, she didn’t see him anywhere at eye level. That was when she looked down and saw him sprawled out on his back on the ground. He was clutching his chest and his body shook a little before it was completely still.
She didn’t need any better lighting to tell her that Emilijus Kuklys was gone.
“Chyna, come on! I found a way out!”
She felt an arm come around her wrist, and she had never felt more disgusted with Mark Gunnar than she did now. She didn’t move, but she knew Mark had seen Emilijus as well; he halted for a minute before he resumed trying to pull her down the corridor with full force.
“Chyna, let’s get out of here! Come on, he’s gone! There’s nothing that we can do for him now!” She felt him pull at her again, but this time she resisted. Mark lost his grip on her; he was too out of it to say or do anything but look at her.
“Pick him up.”
“What? I’ll get shot trying to get his body out as well. Come on!”
“I said, pick him up! I’ll hold them off.”
Chyna gave Mark a look that dared him to challenge her one more time. When he saw her expression, he immediately relented.
“Yes, boss.”
Chyna took Mark’s Glock and set it down between her knees. Expertly, she reloaded both pistols and nodded at him.
“On my count of three, I’ll get to those columns up there and hold them back with my fire while you get Emilijus over your shoulders and out of the hallway. When you’ve cleared the exit, I’ll join you. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Good. One… two… three! Go!”
Chyna stepped out from behind the pillars and ran to the next bank of columns and opened fire toward the archway that their attackers were firing from. She managed to easily keep them from even taking a look out to see what was happening in the hallway, while Mark carried their friends’ body out the other way.
“I’m clear!” he yelled and Chyna started to back up as she continued to rapidly fire her guns at the Nazis.
They made their way down to the ground floor of the castle as quickly as they could with Chyna watching their back the whole way. She started the engine as Mark hauled Emilijus’ body into the backseat and as they sped away from Trakai Island Castle, Chyna still didn’t know what exactly had just happened and why they had been attacked.
One thing she did know was that she was going to make Mark Gunnar pay.
***
There was a silence in the car as they drove back to Vilnius, broken only periodically by Mark ranting in the back about leaving Ethan’s book behind and mumbling about other things. Chyna’s mind was positively buzzing; it was loud enough in her own head for her to ignore everything that he was saying.
Soon, the scenery faded, and Vilnius came into view. Chyna felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to pull over so she could vomit into the grass by the side of the road, but there was no way that she would let Mark see her in such a state of vulnerability. Tony’s words were swirling in her mind as she let her eyes go briefly to the rear view mirror to look at Mark’s face. She wondered what more he could be hiding behind his childish, innocent eyes and neat blond hair.
“What the hell?”
The change in Mark’s expression at something on the road made her look quickly back at what was happening in front of her. Was this the same town of Vilnius that she had left a few hours ago?
Gone were the peaceful cafes, the off white walls and the beautiful courtyards. What Chyna saw before her at that moment was a picture of complete pandemonium. People were running about with anything that could be termed as a weapon; sticks, guns and even poles. The shutters were down in most of the shops, and those who had them open already had their windows shattered and spread all over the road. The little café on the corner where they had first met up with Emilijus was up in flames.
And in the middle of it all was the picture of Ethan Vitrak.
His image was everywhere as far as Chyna could see. People had put his image on banners and posters and plastered them all over the city. Some were carrying out processions, screaming and chanting slogans in Lithuanian.
“These are the town’s Jews. They’re protesting,” Mark whispered. “They must have heard about the attack on Ethan, and now they think their lives are in danger. Shit, this could go south fast.”
Chyna sped the car up, meandering through different streets that were not so crowded. Shaken out of her mad reverie, she stared through the windshield at the scene outside as she drove, but at the same time she couldn’t help having an epiphany.
Vilnius was burning… because Mark might have leaked information. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to see that it was Tony calling. She put the phone to her ear almost instantly.
“Tony.”
“Chyna! Oh God, are you okay? I heard about what’s happening!”
He sounded frantic, like he didn’t have much time. A cool fear rose inside her.
“Yes, Tony, I’m fine.” Chyna spoke softly so as not to alert Mark. “Why do you sound out of breath?”
There was some shuffling on the other end. “Chyna, listen. I don’t have much time. I just called to tell you that Mark is your mole.”
Dead silence.
“Chyna, are you listening?”
“Y… Yes, yes, I am.”
She was suddenly very afraid of the man behind her.
“Chyna, Mark is the mole and I have evidence now. It took a lot to find it, but I did. Damn it, the things I know! It’s just freaking me out! It’s so danger—”
More shuffling.
“Tony? Tony?”
“Chyna, listen... stay... what?... what the hell... no!”
Then the line went dead.
Chapter Four
Chyna sat with the phone in her hand, numb to the core.
Tony’s line had just gone dead, and with the commotion she had heard in the background of the call, that was not a good sign. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if everything she had fought for, everything that she had lived for, had just been snatched away from her. A dam was threatening to break loose and God help anyone who stood in the way of the flood.
“Chyna?”
Mark poked his head inside the room. His voice was like a match that ignited the splinters of wood inside her. Suddenly, that was all the catalyst that she had needed. Something inside her exploded and what was released was a surge of unadulterated anger and blame, all directed at Mark. She was sure he was the mole, and he just might have cost her Tony.
“You!”
Chyna stalked toward him, her eyes burning with determination. She grabbed Mark by the collar and s
lammed him up against the wall. “You will tell me everything! You are going to talk and talk fast! WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?!”
“Wha—Chyna! What the hell are you talking about?!” Mark looked shocked and positively frightened.
“Shut up! Shut the hell up! Do not lie to me, Mark! Spit it out! Who are you relaying all the information to?”
Chyna slammed his head into the wall, and it surprised him how strong she was. Something told him that he could be sure she was restraining herself.
“No one! What the hell, you think I’m some sort of informant? How the hell can you say that?!”
At that point, Mark pushed her away and brushed his hair back into place. His head was hurting, but he said nothing to her about it.
“Oh, yes. I think you’re a mole! Tony just called me and told me he has evidence to prove that you have been leaking all our information to someone outside of this group, so don’t you try to pretend anything else!” Chyna screamed at him.
“Well, then ask him to show it to you! Tony’s been jealous of me and watching me like a damn hawk since I joined Found History, but that doesn’t mean that I’d betray you! I swear that whatever happens in this group has never reached anyone on the outside, at least not through me!”
Mark was stringent in defending himself. He would rather die than have someone question his loyalty.
“Then how did the neo-Nazis know where we were going to be? Do you realize what you have done? Two people died because of you! And a whole city out there might burn down to the ground before the sun rises tomorrow!”
Chyna was throwing her belongings into her bag as she spoke, suddenly realizing the fact that they needed to leave as soon as possible if they wanted to survive this.
“I swear to you Chyna that I had nothing to do with this! I am just as worried as you are, especially if someone is using me as bait! I did not tell anyone about anything, trust me! Have I betrayed you before? You should talk to Thyri about this. Hell, I think I should talk to Thyri about this. Maybe I made a mistake not taking her up on her offer in Atlanta.”
Mark ran his hands through his hair as if wanting to pull it out, and in that moment Chyna realized that he might be telling the truth.
Or maybe he is just a very good actor, she added to herself.
Whatever the case was, Chyna had other priorities right now. With riots ensuing in the city, she knew that the team’s lives were in danger. With Emilijus gone, the situation would only exacerbate. The first thing she needed to do was to get her team to safety. She could deal with Mark later. But she did not want to abandon the mission. If Tony had risked his life to get Chyna information about the bow, and Ethan and Emilijus had died for it, she knew what consequences would take place should it fall into the wrong hands.
A city was burning outside, and it was all because of a bow that was hidden in this corner of the world. Chyna knew she could not let any more harm be done. She was on a mission and she would complete it at any cost.
“Fine, prove it to me.”
She zipped up her bag, took it and approached Mark. “Prove to me that you haven’t betrayed us. If you do, I’ll let you live. If you can’t, I will make you hurt before I shoot you between the eyes.”
With that, she walked out.
***
When Sirita rang Tony’s office the third time, her hands were clammy and silent prayers were falling from her lips.
“Hey Bhagwan, pick up the phone Tony, please pick up!” She urged at no one in particular.
Her chest fell when the phone rang out and she heard the telltale sounds of his voicemail. Lord, what had happened there? She guessed that no news was perhaps good news, but she was dreading going back to Chyna with that thought. Something was troubling her boss, and she did not want to add to that quota.
Before Sirita’s fingers could dial for a fourth time, her phone rang. She checked the caller id to see that it was Thyri, and picked up, “Hello?”
“Ms. Patel, oh thank God! I have been trying to reach Chyna and Mark but I haven’t had any success. I have some news.”
***
“Pack up, we’re leaving.”
Chyna strode into the living room like a live storm, and Oscar had no difficulty picking it up. With all that had been going on in the city, he had expected that they would be leaving at a moment’s notice.
“Okay. Where are we going?” Oscar asked frantically. It would take time to pack up all of his equipment, and Chyna looked ready to bolt. Mark strode into the room behind her, and Oscar saw him grimace a little at the light.
“Where did that clue about the Illuminati lead?” Chyna asked Mark over her shoulder.
“Uh, it was a cathedral in Germany; in Dresden.”
Mark leaned against the armrest as if he was tired and held his head in his hands.
“There.” Chyna gave Oscar a dead look. The latter thought the exchange between Mark and Chyna was weird, but also thought the better of voicing it; Chyna looked ready to kill at the slightest provocation.
Sirita’s frantic voice interrupted his train of thought, “Chyna!”
The Indian girl whom Oscar had first thought of as meek, timid and incredibly sexy, and whom he had now come to admire for her intellect and wit, ran up to Chyna with a face streaked with worry.
“Thyri just called me.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“She said Rashid saw Tony’s apartment in flames yesterday and they’ve both been trying to reach him since then but there has been no sight of him. His phone is dead and he hasn’t had any contact with anyone at the Istanbul office for the longest time now. She’s worried.”
Sirita let it all out in one breath, and the silence that followed sickened Chyna to her core. She had promised herself never to compromise a mission by letting her feelings get in the way, but the prospect of losing Tony to the unknown without getting the chance to see him again scared her to death. Her throat felt constricted and her chest heaved with breaths that seemed like too much work. For the first time, she felt like her mind was a meaningless jumble, and she hadn’t a clue where to start sorting it all out.
“Did she say if Rashid tried to reach him at the consulate? If he was targeted at home, his unit would have gone underground and sheltered either in the FBI safe house or the consulate grounds.”
Sirita shook her head. Chyna slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand as she realized that none of the others would have known the true nature of his work. More importantly, the minute she had lost contact with him, she should have known to call the consul herself. She did the best thing she could think of, even after knowing that what she about to do was going to bring her chances down significantly.
“Sirita, Oscar, come with me,” she said quietly, and led both of her trusted comrades to the kitchen.
“Change of plans,” she said and turned abruptly once she had had a drink from a bottle in the fridge. It was only water, and she would have preferred something stronger at that point. “You two are going back to Istanbul. Get there, go to the office, and get me some news, any news.”
Oscar and Sirita looked at each other and then back at Chyna.
“But… you need us in Germany,” Sirita protested.
“I’ll be fine on my own. What I need you to do is get back home and tell me that Found History and Tony are okay. Do you get me?” Chyna insisted, and was relieved when both of her teammates nodded without any more questions.
“One more thing: Do not tell Mark about this. For all he knows, I am sending you to Japan to have sushi,” she emphasized, and taking in their confused and doubtful looks added, “I think he’s an informant. I think he has been relaying all our confidential information to outside sources. If that’s the case, I don’t want him to tip off whoever that source is and make things difficult for you.”
“What? Chyna, you definitely need us in Germany! How are you going to go there with him? He can’t be trusted now!” Oscar was vehement in his protests, and that pleas
ed Chyna. At least someone was ready to stay true to their allegiances.
“Oscar, it seems that Mexico, and maybe the lack of the ever constant voice of reason which has always been Lana, has had a strange effect on all of you. Please try to remember who I am. You’re talking to Chyna Stone, resident bad ass of Found History Inc.”
Her little monologue evoked the lighthearted smiles she had been hoping for; she had even managed to make herself feel a little better.
“I told you. I will be fine. I have a plan and I promise, if anything goes wrong, I’ll tip you off before he can say ‘hot damn,’ okay?” she tried to placate him with the use of one of his favorite Tennessee cowboy expressions. It seemed to work.
Oscar stared at her for the longest time, but then he smiled and agreed nonetheless. Chyna nodded at her friends. Everything seemed to be set.
“Now, I believe you two have a flight to book.”
***
Oscar’s heart was beating at the speed of a formula one race car as he and Sirita landed at the airport. He couldn’t believe all that had happened in a matter of mere days. And Mark—he was most shocked about what he had learned about his Finnish comrade who had come to be a close friend over the few weeks since he had joined them. To think that Mark had been selling them out to someone—Oscar couldn’t even fathom the depths of hurt that he was facing.
He and Sirita did not say anything to each other as they went through the motions at the airport and then crossed the airport parking lot to load their bags into Sirita’s Range Rover. They had already agreed that it had been a great idea to ask Rashid Abdullah to take it there for them in anticipation of their arrival.
There was no talk in the car as it sped toward Istanbul’s museum district, nor were there any words when they arrived in front of Tony’s pristine home in the opulent neighborhood of Beyoğlu. The Beyoğlu and Galata regions of the city are interconnected webs of sophisticated and intellectual social districts where many nice cafes, theaters, second hand stores, terrace restaurants and language, history and art institutions, as well as wine bars, churches and schools are all located. In recent years, the area had gained enormous potential and had become bewilderingly popular among the trendsetters and trend followers settling within the city limits.