Elena let out a deep sigh. “I thought only James Bond had gadgets like that,” she told him as she opened the passenger side door.
Lucas winked at her over the hood. “The agency has nothing on Q.”
“Glad to hear that,” she replied, relieved. That was all the world needed was for the Americans to be walking around with that kind of spy arsenal. Although she shuddered to think what was being cooked up in the basement of Langley.
“And I never leave home without it,” he said as he pocketed the device. He wished he’d taken the same consideration with his passport but really even he couldn’t have anticipated this.
They both looked down the street as they heard screeching tires. Two SVR 2010 GMC Terrain SUV vehicles were bearing down on them.
“Get in the car!”
Elena didn’t wait to be asked twice, she scrambled into the car and was in the process of closing her door when Lucas pulled away from the kerb and joined the other motorists on the street, exceeding the speed limit by twelve miles.
She looked behind and saw that the chase was on. Another shiny black GMC Terrain SUV had joined the other two.
“Another one,” she informed Lucas.
“I see it,” he navigated a sharp turn without slowing. He must have had a high speed chase maneuvering lesson at some point. She watched the scenery blur outside the window as Lucas weaved in and out of traffic, sometimes finding their car up on the footpath. Her head hit the ceiling as they ascended and descended rapidly as they passed over a speed bump.
The Terrain wasn’t far behind them. They didn’t even bother to slow down. It was the public who would have to move out of their way or they were barreled through. So much for protecting your citizens Elena thought as she saw the SVR driver side swipe an unsuspecting motorist.
She soon found herself being driven past some of Moscow’s beautiful sights, the triumphal arch on Kutuzov Ave, Ostankino Tower and the Novodevichy Convent and realized she wished she could share her country’s landmarks with Lucas. She was extremely proud to be Russian and was a true Patriot. Perhaps another time, she thought as she was jerked into his shoulder as he took another corner too fast.
Pop. Pop.
She frowned at the strange sound and looked back at the vehicles in pursuit.
“Oh my God, are they shooting at us?” she asked Lucas, incredulous.
He spared at glance at the rear view mirror.
“Seems that way to me,” he replied easily, unfazed.
He didn’t seem surprised or concerned which frustrated the hell out of her. He could at least act scared. She however didn’t have to act. She was frightened and getting shot at was not helping the situation. “And you’re not worried about that?”
He shrugged. “The possibilities of them actually making a direct hit are extremely limited with the vehicle travelling at the speed ours is.”
She heard more popping and then the sound of metal hitting metal as a bullet connected with the undercarriage of the Chevrolet. Lucas swerved to accommodate the impact.
She looked back at him. “You were saying?”
He shrugged again. “It’s not an exact science.”
She could see in her side mirror her fellow SVR agents leaning out their car windows, their guns aimed in her direction, trying to shoot out their tires. She worried for the bystanders afraid that one of them might be hit. Lucas navigated the car in and out of the morning traffic, through red lights and up onto a kerb narrowly missing a street light. She felt nervous sweat coat her skin, and prayed she wouldn’t die today. It was an uncertainty but in the back of her mind, she trusted Lucas’s driving skills. She heard a loud thump and the sickening sound of a car’s chassis compress. She looked back to see one of the GMC Terrain’s following them had not been so lucky to miss the street light, parking the SUV dead centre, the hood crumpled at the force of the smash.
As they went through another red light, she held on tight to the handle above the door. Her left hand was keeping the edge of her seat in a death grip. She looked over at Lucas, who wore an expression of deep concentration, perspiration coated his forehead at the exertion required to keep from losing control of the car. His long fingers gripped the steering wheel hard. She heard another sound of metal folding and Elena looked back to see another SVR issued vehicle crash as a disgruntled driver smashed into the vehicle while trying to go through the intersection. The driver got out and started swearing a blue streak. He was not a happy camper. His attitude would soon change when he found out who was driving the other car.
She let out a sigh of relief as there was only one more SUV in pursuit, she was not one for this kind of excitement and had never longed for adventure. She was quite content with her life as it was. She liked knowing what to expect and this was certainly not on her list.
“Buckle up,” Lucas advised.
She looked over at him and saw where he was headed, she muttered another curse and was vaguely surprised at her herself. Not one to swear often, she had definitely tripled her quota since meeting him. Elena quickly buckled herself in, reaching across his lap to do the same for him as he pulled out of traffic, going down a set of pedestrian stairs to the street below, they bounced up and down as the tires connected with the stairs.
The Terrain SUV behind them followed suit, Lucas pressed down harder on the accelerator as they flew down the stairs, the tires now barely touching the ground. They hit the street below, sliding somewhat and Lucas fought to correct it. Trying to lose their tail, he steered the vehicle across the lanes of incoming traffic and turned right to drive down along a street adjacent to Alexander Gardens, past the Metro station. It was a tight fit as Lucas tried to avoid hitting a row of tightly parked cars.
Elena resisted the urge to shut her eyes, the cars blurring as they sped past. If her window had been down she could probably have reached out and touched them. She could see the busy intersection up ahead. She looked to her right at her side mirror again and behind her she could see the black GMC once more gaining on them.
She fought the urge to gulp, grabbing hold of the hand brace above her door with one hand while the other one pressed hard against the glove box in an attempt to keep from smacking into the dashboard.
The Chevrolet protested the speed at which Lucas executed a hard left at the end of the street, going around the sharp turn on two wheels amidst squealing tires and burning rubber. Lucas never eased off the accelerator, immediately correcting the steering wheel as he brought them into another tight alley. He spun the wheel quickly, narrowly avoiding plowing into a dumpster.
Jesus, were these guys ever going to give up? he thought, as the Government vehicles followed them down the street, gaining on them at an alarming rate. An admirable trait unless you were the one under pursuit. Lucas kept his eyes on the road. There wasn’t a lot of wiggle room, he couldn’t afford to crash. The SVR boys would be on them like bees to honey. Then he would be screwed and so would Elena and that couldn’t happen. He gripped the steering wheel harder, he was downright pissed off. He hadn’t had any sleep the previous night, waiting for Elena to show up, he was cold and hungry. He was miles away from his country and his friends, people who believed in him and knew he was a good guy. He had practically kidnapped Elena from her apartment and involved her in God only knows what. He was seriously going to go Clint Eastwood on the ass of the person responsible. They sure as hell won’t be feeling lucky.
At least Elena wasn’t complaining. She had been a downright trouper through the entire affair. It couldn’t be easy on her. She barely knew him. Didn’t know the kind of person he was. He would have to ask her one day why she put her trust in him. But now wasn’t the time.
Pop. Pop.
Fuck. Didn’t these guys ever run out of bullets? He can’t be up so high on their shit list to warrant such a response. Could he? What the hell has he stumbled upon?
Pop. Pop.
He felt the back tire deflate. Someone got in a lucky shot. He fought to control the car a
s they drove past the Kremlin, between the building and the Moska River. The SVR tail came up behind, undaunted by the narrowness of the street, pushing their speed higher in an attempt to catch up with them.
The black terrain - finally having gained on them since Lucas didn’t want to risk colliding with anything in the small street by going at a ridiculous speed - clipped the tail of the Chevrolet causing it to spin around a few times hitting the larger SUV as it did so. The force of the impact causing the Terrain to flip over before eventually ramming the Chevrolet’s right side into the wall of a nearby structure, the car sat idling.
Elena felt like she was going to throw up, her head was still spinning and her heart was thumping in her throat. Lucas turned to face her, his eyes surveying her for any damage. He looked relieved so she assumed she wasn’t bleeding or dying. Things could be looking up.
“Elena? Are you alright?” he asked, concern clear in his voice.
She caught her breath. “Do all American’s drive like that?”
Lucas grinned. “Only the good ones.”
He got out of the car and waited for her to shimmy over from the passenger side and exit through the driver’s door since her side was pressed up against a wall. Elena was thankful for the stretchy fabric of her skirt as she inelegantly climbed out of the car. Just then she heard the sound of material ripping and sighed. So it wasn’t that stretchy.
Her legs felt like jelly and her knees almost buckled under her weight. Lucas caught her about her waist and held her upright for a second while she gained her legs before taking her hand in his. They began to move quickly away from the scene of the accident.
“Hope he had insurance,” Lucas added as an afterthought.
Elena narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re making jokes at a time like this?” she scolded. Her heart rate had yet to return to normal. The adrenaline was pumping heavily through her veins.
He gave her a brief look. “Would you prefer sarcasm?”
She shook her head and told herself that she would not smile. She would not encourage such outrageous behavior. How could he stand there and pretend the last hour did not just happen? She had never been more scared in her entire life. She could feel the hysteria welling up inside her and resisted the urge to hit him. Hard.
“I would prefer good ideas,” she said instead. “Less John Wayne antics and more Isaac Newton revelations.”
“I’ll try to be accommodating,” he said dryly.
The tires of a car squealing behind them caught their attention and they both turned around. Another SVR vehicle was coming at them. Not again, Elena thought, she can’t take much more of this. Lucas yanked her hand and they took off running only just avoiding being hit by the Terrain as it sped towards them.
Elena was grateful for the tear in her skirt as it allowed her to keep pace with Lucas’s fast, long strides, something she was sure she wouldn’t have been able to accomplish had it not torn. She took the lead, this time pulling on Lucas’s hand, directing him into the throng of people congregating in nearby Red Square, hopefully losing themselves in the crowd. She squished through the mass of tourists across the centre of the square running past the multi-colored domes of St Basil’s Cathedral.
They made it to the opposite side of the square, dipping into a small obscure alleyway. They looked out onto Red Square checking for signs of their pursuers. There were none. They had finally lost them. Relief filled her body and made her feel almost euphoric.
Still catching her breath she said, “It appears they have given up – for now.”
Lucas nodded. They stayed in the alley for a while longer. They couldn’t stay out in the cold all day. He and Elena would need to go someplace warm. The temperature had already dropped his body warmth and could feel the cold chilling him now. The exertion and subsequence perspiration was not helping to keep his body heat in.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Elena looked at him, her eyes misty. She was shaking. He recognized the signs of adrenaline crashing. Her body had had just about enough. He didn’t want to have to push her any further. He wished he could just let her rest.
She could feel the tears threatening to spill over her eyes and tried desperately in vain to blink them back. She knew she couldn’t trust her voice so instead she nodded.
“Hey,” he said softly and moved closer to her. “It’s alright.”
He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her. God she felt wonderful. Her head rested on his shoulder.
“I’m fine,” she said and then the floodgates opened. The tears she had gallantly fought back now trickled down her cheeks. Her ungloved fingers scrunched up his coat as she tightened her fist around the fabric on his arm sleeve. Her other hand rested on his solid chest.
He could feel the sobs rack her body, but barely any sound came out her mouth which was currently pressed hard against his shoulder. His hands rubbed up and down her back in unconscious movement as a way to give her comfort. He pressed his face into her hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo mixed with her flowery perfume.
Lucas pulled Elena closer, almost as if he planned to never let her go. He had wanted to know what her body felt like and this may be his only chance, even though their bodies were encased in several layers of clothes and heavy winter coats. He pressed a light kiss into her hair and wished he had never gone to her apartment for help. He had brought her into this dangerous situation and had no idea how to get her out again. This was her country and their rules. There was no help for them. They were alone.
At least you’re together.
The thought popped into his mind and was thankful she was with him no matter the circumstance. She was the rainbow in the overcast sky, the one good thing to come out of this entire mess. He hadn’t known her long but knew he could trust her.
She sniffled, her hand wiping at her face. “I’m okay now.”
She pulled back some but still remained in the comfort of his arms.
“You sure?” he asked, again concern in his voice.
She nodded. She felt like an idiot. Now was not the time or place for mental breakdowns. One good thing came of it though, she thought. Having Lucas’s arms around had felt wonderful. Oddly it had felt right. Almost familiar in a way, her body had molded to his as if it had always belonged there. It had been a long time since she had been held. There had been the occasional awkward shoulder pat but never the bear-like hug Lucas had given her and was still currently giving her. His body felt muscular and powerful beneath her hands and against her chest. Strong. Comforting. She never wanted him to let her go.
Had she imagined him kissing her head?
She inhaled his scent, the pheromones eradiating from him causing her head to spin and her body warm. She recognized it as desire. Elena wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold on forever. She just plain wanted him. Her mind was a riot of thoughts none helpful at the moment. She looked into his blue eyes and her heart started pounding, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t get over the damage that man caused her senses. She stepped back out of his delicious arms before she did something stupid. Like kiss him. Or worse.
She instantly felt cold and alone and fought her weak body into giving up and returning once more to his embrace. God, why now?
Because now was certainly not the time or place. They were on the run, chased by her own government, her own agency. Now was definitely not a good time to be getting aroused. They had things to do and a traitor to catch.
Lucas frowned as she put space between them. She looked out on the square as she ran her hands up and down her arms trying to warm her body.
“So do you have a plan yet?” she asked, her voice quivering. She turned and faced him as he moved closer to her. She could feel the heat from his body closing in around her.
“Besides keeping from being captured?” he shrugged. “Not really, something along the lines of finding out what the fuck is going on.”
She nodded.
&nb
sp; “I don’t like where all this is heading. Michael Ducane is here, he met with Alvin Pochenchov and now he’s dead. I can’t swallow that coincidence. It all seems so final.”
She thought about that. Alvin Pochenchov had a lot of enemies. But if a lone SVR agent shot him, something was going on beneath the surface. There could only be one reason for taking a well connected weapons dealer like Pochenchov out of the picture.
“They’re tying up loose ends. Whatever Ducane is planning, he already has what he needs.”
The question was what did he need and why? What was he going to do with supplies he had purchased from Pochenchov? She felt Lucas take her hand in his and she looked up into his eyes. She could see concern and something else there. “I’m sorry I got you involved in this.”
She made a dismissing motion with her free hand. “Don’t. I’m glad you did.”
He gave her a disbelieving look.
“Really,” she continued. “I know it didn’t seem like it in the beginning but if there is something wrong deep inside SVR I want to find out what that is. Especially if it explains why Nikolai is dead. I’m sorry I cried all over your coat.”
He smiled at her and caressed her cheek with his thumb, “I’m not. You’re only human Elena. Besides I like being the knight in shining armor.”
“Yes well you may think you’re a knight but I feel silly and embarrassed.”
He leaned closer to her, their lips just inches apart. “I’ll make you a deal, we get through this and I’ll let you be there the next time I make a fool of myself. It shouldn’t take long. I tend to live with my foot in my mouth.”
At the word ‘mouth’ her eyes went to his lips, pale from the cold. She swallowed hard and quickly looked away.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she said softly.
His hand tightened around hers and he looked out at the people blissfully ignorant of what goes on in and around the world. What he would give to be one of the tourists out in the square, snapping pictures for their holiday album. He had a thought.
Russian Law (Law Series ) (Volume 1) Page 8