Page 93 of Rising Tiger

“I’m right here, motherfucker,” Nicholas taunted.

The man spun, raising his weapon. Nicholas, however, was faster and shot him through his other shoulder, causing him to drop his gun. Davis kicked it away.

Then, signaling Argos and Draco, Nicholas gave them the command to attack.

CHAPTER 52

The driveway in front of Nicholas’s home had become a sea of black Suburbans, red-and-white ambulances, and multicolored law enforcement vehicles.

Had Nicholas not returned home when he did, had he not ignored the orders of the two agents accompanying him to wait for backup, had he not released the dogs and charged upstairs, Davis and Hauptmann wouldn’t have made it. They owed Nicholas their lives. And Nicholas knew they would have done the same for him. They were family.

The timing of his return had been fortuitous, to say the least. He had only come back to pick up some things for Nina and return to the hospital. It had been an incredibly difficult night.

Exposure to the Havana Syndrome device had sent Nina into painful, premature labor. She had screamed the entire flight and had almost given birth on the helicopter.

Nine minutes after arriving at Walter Reed, she delivered a baby girl. They had decided to name their daughter Caroline, after Nina’s deceased sister, who had also been a dear friend to Nicholas.

But before either of the parents could hold their newborn baby, the infant was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit with heart and breathing issues.

None of the doctors knew what was wrong with her, nor whether it would be permanent. Nina was the first pregnant woman to have everbeen struck with Havana Syndrome. Both she and Nicholas were beside themselves.

In the chapel that had come with the house, he did something he had seldom ever done before: he got down on his knees and prayed.

He prayed for Nina, he prayed for their baby, and he prayed for the strength they would all need going forward.

Then, exiting the chapel, he set his mind on revenge. No matter who was behind these attacks, he vowed to make every last one of them pay.

CHAPTER 53

NEWDELHI

Upon hearing the rack of the slide, Harvath had turned around. He was just in time to see the manager of the Laid Back point his shotgun at Vijay.

But before Harvath could shoot him, someone else had put a round right through the man’s head.

As the manager fell to the ground, Harvath saw a very good-looking woman holding a very serious, smoking Glock pistol.

“Sayed’s my prisoner,” she said, keeping both Harvath and Vijay within her sights.

“And who are you?” the ex-cop asked, tightening his grip on the gangster.

“None of your business.”

“You wantourprisoner. After we did the work of capturing him. I kind of think it is our business.”

“I’ve got this, Vijay,” Harvath stated, pointing his pistol at the woman. “Keep walking this way.”

“I’m not going to say it again. Stop moving. I’m taking the prisoner,” she ordered.

From the glass doors at the front of the club, blue police lights could suddenly be seen.

“Mr. Sayed must have good friends at the local police station to warrant such a quick response time,” Vijay offered. “If we don’t all gotogether, none of us is going to get out of here. And this asshole, whoever’s prisoner he may be, is going to go free.”

The woman thought about it for a moment. Then, lowering her weapon and pushing her way through to lead the way to the back door, she said, “Follow me. I have a vehicle a few blocks away.”

“So do we,” Harvath replied. “But that’s not the plan. We’re not doing that. Especially not now with the cops starting to pour in.”

She looked at him. “What do you suggest, then?” she asked. “What’syourplan?”