Page 63 of The Lazarus Protocol

Adam frowned. “Is she the one who kidnapped you in Germany?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I think it might.”

“Well, that’s too bad because I found something. The only thing in here that’s not part of someone staging the place for potential buyers.”

“You found something personal?” He wandered to her.

She had a postcard in her hand, addressed to Johannsen at this address. “Uh, that’s what I said. I found something.” She handed it over.

Maybe it was more like, he took it from her.

Kai wandered in. “You guys fighting already?” He ducked his head back down the hall. “Mom and Dad are fighting!”

Adam was gonna knock the guy into next Tuesday. “Kai⁠—”

Behind him the wall of windows in the living room blew inward. Adam slammed into Steph, tucked her under him, and rolled. She cried out, and the sound rang in his ear.

Gunfire hammered the wall above their heads.

Over the rat-tat of the rounds, he heard the whir of a drone before it swept into the apartment, along with a breeze from outside.

The drone hovered for a second, then rotated to point two pistols at them.

“Gun!” Adam scrambled up, dragging Steph with him.

She swung around, a gun in her hand, and squeezed off a series of shots. Adam reached for his weapon…

It was in her hand.

The drone sparked and the engine sputtered. It fell to the floor and shattered.

Adam said, “Wanna give me my gun back?”

Another drone flew into the room. Then a second, and a third.

“Let’s go.” She shoved him from the room. “We need to get out of here!”

TWENTY-TWO

Washington, DC

“The building is under fire.” Marina slid over to her second screen, rolling the stool along the floor of the van so she could rapid-fire type on her keyboard. “Jay and Dan called in. They’re doubling back to render aid.”

“Good.” Noah eased the earbud in. “Sure you don’t want to go with me?”

He’d rather be at an apartment complex in Zurich getting shot at than doing this, but that wasn’t the point.

Marina turned on the stool seat, rotating around until she faced him. “There are people over at his house.”

“It is Saturday afternoon. Some people entertain. They barbecue.”

Marina shuddered. “Sounds like a suburban nightmare.”

Noah said, “Are we good?”

“You’re going to sit there until I say yes, aren’t you?”