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Knowing the glass itself was probably reinforced, Sam ai, elongated cracking sound, the joints gave way The first plate of glass collapsed inward and tumbled doard, followed by another, then another, cra

shing through the pal trellis walls as they went Voices started shouting in Russian, but aled to screalass shot across the conservatory like shrapnel, ripping through foliage and peppering the walls

Sa, saw all this out of the corner of his eye Re one of the wall panes She was already crouched on the patio, waving for him to hurry He felt a pluck at his sleeve, then a trio of stings on his face He put his head down and his ar

“You’re bleeding,” Remi said

“Maybe I’ll end up with a dueling scar Come on!”

He handed her back one MP5, then turned and ran for the hedges Arle of branches into open air, then reached back in and pulled Ree they could hear the shattering of glass every few seconds as the remainder of the conservatory roof continued to collapse Voices, solish and some in Russian, called to one another Siuessed was the party area, cauests

Sarass to catch their breath and get their bearings To their right, fifty yards aas the estate’s cliff-side wall; behind the, the s; directly ahead, a hundred feet away, stood a line of closely set pine trees fronted by barberry bushes

Sam checked his watch: four AM A few hours before dawn

“Let’s steal one of the cars,” Reh heels, then settling them back on her feet “We drive like hell for Sevastopol and find someplace with lots of people Bondaruk wouldn’t dare do anything in public”

“Don’t count on it Besides, that’s too obvious By now they’ve got the periet: The only way he’ll know it’s us is fro our pictures in front of the guy back in the lab Right now all he knows is all hell is breaking loose Better we maintain that mystery”

“How?”

“Retrace our steps The last place they’ll check is the e came in”

“Back through the tunnel? And then what, swim for the boat?”

Saotten to that part yet Still, I think it’s our best chance”

Reler’s tunnel it is—unless we spot a helicopter or a tank so the way”