page26 (2/2)
He could not, and would not, ever allow hiard for other people’s lives Ordering h he did not know the man inside, he cared about his safety
All leaders should feel that way
Shouldn’t they?
“You are an odd man,” he said to Pau Wen
“That I am But isn’t it fortuitous that you met me”
THIRTY
CASSIOPEIA SHOVED HERSELF AWAY FROM HER ASSAILANT AND rose to her knees The heat frorown in intensity, fla Luckily, the walls and floor here were e She needed to find the lamp, but there was the matter of the black-clad man who deftly came to his feet, ready forthat rattled her ribs Her ue Two days of torture and no food had taken a toll
The ed
She dodged, grabbed his ar to take hied to reverse the hold and drive her forward into the balustrade Over the thick railing, she caught a view of a ten-meter drop below
She was rolled so that her spine faced doard
The back of the man’s hand slapped her face He then tried to force her over the side She tasted the acrid tang of blood Adrenaline rushed through her as she swung her right leg up and planted the heel of her boot into his groin
He doubled forward, both hands reaching for the pain
She ja back
Advancing, she balled her fist
MALONE USED HIS SHIRTTAIL TO CRADLE THE LAMP, ITS EXTERIOR still war at the dragon’s head In the flickering light he spotted bits ofto the bronze He caught a faht the lamp close
Oil
He jostled the vessel It seemed about half full
He spotted Chinese characters carved into the exterior and sur so ies from the past, still relevant today But whatever it was, he needed to get the hell out of this burning inferno while the getting was good
He turned
One of the un waist-high, aiht ahead
“Got to be hot in that wool mask,” Malone said
“Give me the lamp”
He motioned with the artifact “This? I just found it in the fire Nothing special”
“Give me the lamp”
He detected an Asian accent in the English Fire burned all around where they stood, not raging, but spreading, using the furniture as fuel Fresh, hot fingers ignited along the wood floor between him and the other man
He stepped clo
ser
The gun was lifted higher “The lamp Toss it to me”
“I don’t think that would be—”
“Toss it”
Malone stared down at the dragon head and the bits of wax that dripped from the mouth He could still smell the oil and decided that if the et
He arced the vessel into the air but, as he released his grasp, a flick of his wrist twisted the lah velocity so that it would fall short and his assailant would have to step forward to catch his prize
He watched as the dragon’s head angled doard and spotted the first gli from the mouth The droplets met the heat beloith a hiss and a flash, as the fire enjoyed as surely a satisfying meal
Oil spewed out as the ars, upside down, the head pointed toward the floor
Fresh flanited on the floor as the oil vaporized
The fire searched upward for more
When it found the laht erupted in the man’s hands
A screaht fire He dropped the larated
Malone found his Beretta on the floor and fired two shots into the man’s chest
The burning body dropped to the floor
He stepped close and planted one last shot in the head
“More than you would have done for me,” he muttered