Page 93 of Deadly Charade

Pulling his lips from hers, Bryce saw two agents appear at the tunnel’s entrance, taking in the scene.

“Sophia!” Kira tore herself away from Bryce’s grip, and his arms instantly ached for her. They both looked across the pit. Sophia managed to stand again, then clutched her stomach and stumbled backward.

“We’ll get help, Sophia. We’re coming back for you.”

The agents stayed behind as the three of them raced out of the cave through the tunnel. Bryce wasn’t prepared for the quick lighting change when he stepped outside. He used his hands to shield his eyes from the harsh glare of the portable lights the FBI had stationed all around the entrance. The area must have been lit for a mile.

“Over here,” a voice called.

They rushed toward Agent Bailey, who looked up from reviewing a map with several other agents. “I’m so glad to see all of you,” he said. “You had me worried there when the place started rumbling—”

“We need to find another way in to get to Sophia,” Bryce said.

“My wife!” Alex called out and ran over to them. “Where is Sophia?”

Bryce put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “She’s trapped right now, on the other side of the cave, and we couldn’t get to her. Natalia shot her, but she saved Kira’s life by shooting Natalia.”

“The treasure room has climate control,” Kira said. “The Youngs had wind power to generate electricity for the cave. There has to be another way in, a mechanical room, or something other than one entrance. I can’t imagine they crossed that stupid bridge each time they wanted to get to the place.”

“Of course! They must have a back door.” Ivan took over the map Agent Bailey had been reviewing. “Here.” He stabbed the map with his finger. “That’s the most logical spot in the mountain to have a secondary entrance—or exit.”

Agent Bailey barked orders for some agents to check it out.

Ivan turned to Bryce. “My work here is finished. Thanks to you and Kira, we’ve stopped the smuggling ring, taken down a secret organization that threatened Russian national security, and recovered priceless treasures.”

“National security threat?” Kira asked.

Ivan nodded. “The Society claimed to be about preserving art and maintaining culture, but they have ties to a militant organization. We believe they were funding a terrorist group that threatened both the US and Russia. They’ve been profiting off the sale of antiquities for years and turning cash into weapons. We stopped the treasure from disappearing and found the statues Peter tried to run off with. He’d hidden them behind a tree, and one of your agents found them. So all three statues will be reunited and preserved.”

“What about Alex and Sophia’s son?” Kira asked. “Has he been found?”

Ivan’s eyes fell to the ground. “Not yet. I’ve been tracking their son, and I believe he’s being held in DC by a Russian couple who are members of the ACS. Your friends at the FBI should be raiding the place as we speak.”

He moved to talk with Agent Bailey, and Kira and Bryce debriefed with another agent, telling their version of the events. After about twenty minutes, whoops and hollers erupted from the agents and law enforcement officers who had descended around the mountain. Two paramedics carried Sophia through the forest and over to a makeshift medic tent. Alex went running.

“I guess they found your back door, Ivan,” Kira said. “Information that would have been helpful before I had to cross that bridge of death.”

Ivan chuckled. “I heard what sounded like a generator, I just couldn’t see it. So glad your team found a way to get Sophia—and the art—out.”

“What will happen to all the art? I’m sure different countries will want their artifacts back, and lots of people will claim ownership.”

Ivan frowned. “I’m sure you are right. But Russia is willing to share custody of the pieces with the US until claims are reviewed. We want the world to enjoy these pieces, now that they’ve been found.”

“We’re just glad you were on our side for this mission.” Bryce’s vision blurred, and had he slurred those last few words?

Kira put her hand on Bryce’s arm. “You don’t look so good. Someone should check out that wound.”

As if to prove her point, his legs gave out from underneath him. Maybe it was the adrenaline crashing, but the throbbing pain under his makeshift bandage told a different story.

Ivan held him up, careful not to bump his wounded shoulder.

Kira walked with them over to the tent and flagged down a paramedic. They lowered Bryce onto a chair.

The man said, “The wound looks a bit rough. I recommend we airlift you to the hospital so they can make sure you don’t have an infection from the bullet wound. It might be a scrape, but we need to get you cleaned up. We will want to check you for a concussion as well.”

“I’ll go.” No need to argue. The adrenaline had subsided along with the danger, and the wound throbbed in time with his beating heart.

The medic nodded. “I’ll give you a shot for the pain. Hopefully this will help.”