Page 66 of The Lazarus Protocol

Zürich, Switzerland

Adam ducked his head and raced through Johannsen’s apartment. Ice appeared in the bedroom door, a pistol in one hand. He drew another and handed it to Adam, who spun and fired behind them over Steph and Kai’s heads.

She looked back as well but didn’t fire his gun. He figured he was probably never gonna get that back.

The drone behind them spun. Barrels on the back side of the drone spat small caliber rounds at them.

“Forward guns were disabled,” Kai said. “Go!”

Adam spun to the bedroom, where the thing was gonna box them in. But what other choice did they have?

Something sliced across the outside of his arm. He ducked to the side and dragged the others into the room before he shut the door. Ice fired a series of shots at the last second, stumbling back two steps right as the door slammed. Sounded like the drone hit the door, then backed off.

Adam looked at his bloody sleeve, then at Ice. “You good?”

Ice rubbed his shirt, right over his sternum. “Stings like a BB gun.” He lifted the edge of his shirt and showed Adam the bulletproof vest underneath.

Kai said, “Paranoid much.”

“Except I’m not paranoid. Because I did get shot.”

Steph said, “He has a point.”

“We need a way out.” Adam scanned the sparse bedroom, all decorated in the same white furniture, gray fabrics, and chrome accents as the rest of the flat. Steph was right—this place was completely impersonal. But with the waning light of evening casting an orange glow across the floor, it was pretty nice.

Still seemed more like a showroom.

Adam headed for the window. In front of it, a space of bare floor snagged his attention. He crouched and ran his fingers over a groove in the wood. “Tripod.”

He pulled back the sheer curtain that hung between the drapes and looked out at the river behind the building. An old barge had been anchored across the river on the far bank, some time ago. What, or who, had Johannsen been doing surveillance on?

This place wasn’t a bolt hole. It was a vantage point for gathering intelligence.

“There’s a smudge of blood in the closet.” Ice was still wincing and rubbing his sternum.

Bullets broke through the door, but the small caliber and the density of the wood meant they lost momentum quickly and didn’t hit the far wall.

All of them backed away from the door, fanning out far enough the bullets wouldn’t hit them.

“Show me the closet.” Steph headed for Ice, and both of them went to the tiny room on one side. Beside that, in the corner, was another door that led to the bathroom.

Adam rushed to it, staying out of the line of fire. Kai could handle anything that busted its way into the room.

Outside on the street, sirens became audible, the sound getting louder as local first responders arrived on the scene.

Adam scanned the bathroom and saw the window would be impossible to exit, plus going that way would lead to them dying on the pavement four stories below. He dragged out his phone and sent a message. The postcard. Johannsen’s disappearance. All of it indicated something was going on, and whatever it was they needed to know.

After he’d fired off the text, he dug out the small case with his comms earbud. With one in, he rushed out and to the closet.

“Definitely a bolt hole!” Steph’s words carried out of the small space. She pressed the back wall, and the panel pushed away from her, swinging open like a door. “Bingo.” She glanced back, her face bright with adrenaline and a smidge of victory. “Let’s go.”

Adam turned back. “Kai!”

“Right behind you.”

Ice ducked into the space behind the door. Adam said, “Get your comms in.” Then, “Steph.” When she turned, he handed her an earbud. “Put this in.”

“Marina, you copy?” The question came from Ice. “We could use an assist.”