Page 10 of The Atlas Maneuver

So she opted for down.

She descended, wondering where this was going to lead. At the bottom was another elevator entrance and a metal door, opening into what appeared to be a storage room. Lots of furniture, shelving, and equipment.

But no way out.

Here she was again. Right in the middle of trouble. She and Cotton seemed to stay in the mix. Truth be known they both loved the rush, though neither one of them would ever openly admit it. Their relationship had certainly been a rocky one, plenty of ups and downs, but they’d been in a good place for some time now. She loved him. No question about it. And he loved her. Once they both admitted that fact and realized it was no weakness, things had become much easier. There was no one on the planet she trusted more. Where were they headed? Hard to say. Marriage seemed toscare them both, so it was a subject they shied away from. They enjoyed spending time together, alternating between her château in southern France and Cotton’s bookshop in Copenhagen. And there was the occasional joint endeavor—like here. They worked great together. A team. Watching each other’s backs. Unfortunately, Cotton was currently 250 kilometers north in Basel. She and Koger were supposed to connect with him later today.

She stood in the storage room and waited for a new wave of guards to find the two from above. It would not be long before they arrived.

Then what?

She still held the gun, but it seemed unlikely she would use it. No sense making matters worse. Besides, she was surely going to be outgunned. True, the vault was empty, but there was an overabundance of security around just for wine. Cameras, high-tech sprinklers, alarms, and armed guards. Sure, there were some pricey bottles, but nothing to warrant this level of protection. Koger was nearby, waiting for her, but of no help at the moment. Whoever sprang this trap had done so with precision. She knew herself to be a woman of instinct, surviving in a world where today’s friend became tomorrow’s enemy. And she’d always utilized those instincts to overpower the doubt that sometimes crept into her thoughts.

Like now.

She stared at the only way out.

Not a sound from the stairway. Odd. What was taking so long?

She stepped over and opened the door. All quiet.

Okay. Why not.

She climbed the stairs back to the wine vault level and looked inside past the steel door. The guard she’d dropped to the floor was gone.

Strange.

She decided to avoid the elevator and continued up the risers to ground level. There, she carefully eased the exit door open. The small elevator lobby from earlier came into view. No one in sight.Cameras filled the corners here too. Once she stepped out, she would be under surveillance.

No choice.

She exited the stairwell and gave one of the cameras a quick glance, then walked back to the main foyer.

Waiting for her were five men.

Four had weapons trained on her.

The fifth stood behind them. Slightly plumpish with a round balding head.

“We saw no need to further pursue you, since there is only one way in and out of this facility,” the fifth man said. “Please drop the gun.”

Like she had a choice.

She slowly bent down and placed it on the marble floor.

“Now,” the man said. “Come with me.”

CHAPTER 7

COTTON SEARCHED THE STREET FORKELLYAUSTIN. HE’D BEEN SUPPLIEDa physical description and photo of her, which he’d committed to memory. Curvy, fit, with ginger-colored hair cut short, and perfect teeth. He envied folks with straight white teeth. His own had always been a challenge. She was obviously quick on her feet too, as she’d fled in a rush and disappeared, though she could not have gone far.

Police cars arrived.

Hopefully, no one would point him out as the shooter. But conscious of the urgency to move away from the scene, he headed farther down the sidewalk. He wondered if the rounds he’d sent into the car had done any damage. The idea had been to distract and deter and the Saab had sped away fast so, on that point, mission accomplished. And though he had the car’s license plate committed to memory he doubted that was going to lead anywhere.

Still, he should report in.

He drifted toward an alley between two of the shops. There, he took out his cell phone and called Koger. Police had fanned out to both sides of the street, talking to people. Thankfully, no one was pointing them his way.

---