Page 42 of Croatia Collateral

Dax leaned toward the scanner for a long moment.

Giva tensed, prepared to start fighting her way out of the room.

When the biometric scanner failed to allow him into the system, Yamaguchi would realize Dax was not Evan Maas. Their charade would end, but they would still need to get the hell out of the dungeon and report what they’d found. Then, they’d have to figure out how to stop the Nexus Collective from implementing their plan.

Or, in a different scenario, Giva and Dax could shut it down before leaving the dungeon. If Maas was the only one who could set off the pulse, Hank Patterson would have to detain the man indefinitely. At least until they determined how to disarm whatever device Maas had built that could deliver targeted EMPs.

After his second attempt at the biometric scanner, Dax pushed to his feet and faced Yamaguchi, his expression angry as he said something to the woman. He waved his hand at the computer monitors and swung it again, knocking the biometric scanner against the wall.

Giva couldn’t hear what he was saying. The plexiglass muffled his words.

Yamaguchi lifted her chin, her eyes narrowing to slits.

Dax pushed through the door, still ranting. “Whatever you’ve done to the system will take time to repair and secure another biometric scanner. I’ll need at least a couple of days to run diagnostics and determine where the fault lies. Until then, the test will remain on hold.” He strode toward Giva. “Come, Sasha, we’re done here for now. We’ll return in the morning to sort through hardware and software to locate and fix the bugs.” He shook his head. “I should’ve been here to oversee the final installation.”

He hooked Giva’s elbow and started for the exit.

“Do not allow him to leave,” Yamaguchi called out from the doorway of the plexiglass room.

The four Russian guards blocked the exit.

Dax spun. “Excuse me? Who made you in charge of this effort?”

“Evan Maas San tasked me with the construction of the command center.” She descended, one step at a time. “A fact he would remember clearly.”

“I’m a very busy man, managing multiple corporations that span the globe. When I give orders, I expect them to be carried out. You have failed to carry out my instructions. The system is not ready. It won’t even boot.”

“It was as you had it delivered. We installed precisely according to your direction,” Yamaguchi said, her chin held high. “The system will only come up when the biometric scanner finds a match with Evan Maas’s eye.”

She gave a brief nod to the men behind Dax and Giva.

The four Russians stepped forward and reached for Dax and Giva.

Giva tensed at the same time as Dax and spun, sweeping her leg out, knocking one of the Russians’ feet out from under him.

He staggered into the man beside him, grabbed the front of his jacket and dragged him down with him.

Dax attacked, knocking one of the men backward and sending him crashing into the wall. He performed a sidekick, hitting the second man in the chest.

While Giva’s two Russians were untangling themselves, she turned to help Dax.

Dax threw a punch, making contact with the man’s cheek.

The Russian barely blinked before jabbing a fist into Dax’s ribs.

Before the man could cock his arm for another punch, Giva combined her hands and swung her bunched fists at Dax’s attacker, catching him hard on the chin. He staggered backward.

Giva followed, kicking the man in the knee and then in the gut.

He captured her heel and yanked hard, pulling her off her feet.

Giva landed hard on her backside; the wind knocked from her lungs. The guard who’d caught her foot threw himself at her.

Giva rolled to the side at the last moment.

The man hit the ground and quickly came up on his hands and knees.

Giva shot to her feet, darting out of his reach.

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