Page 127 of Close Pursuit

Katie took them in abject gratitude. “You don’t happen to have any diapers for me, do you? I’m getting pretty desperate for a potty break, myself.”

Fortinay looked up at Natasha. “Surely, your hostage is allowed to relieve herself?”

“She goes nowhere.”

The doctor replied smoothly, “How about I serve as hostage in her place while you escort her to the restroom?”

Natasha considered that for a moment and then nodded briefly. She gestured one of her goons over to Katie’s chair.

He used a big knife to cut the duct tape behind the chair and at her ankles. He nicked her right ankle and she felt a warm trickle of blood there. But her bladder was so uncomfortable, she barely noticed the inconvenience.

She stood up, her entire body stiff. She passed Dawn to the doctor, who sat down on the chair and continued feeding the infant her bottle.

The gunman herded Katie to the office and Natasha took over, pointing her pistol at Katie. The woman insisted on watching Katie pee, which was embarrassing in the extreme, but was still better than the alternative. The relief was exquisite.

Natasha waved her pistol impatiently, and Katie hurried back to the doctor and Dawn. She resumed her place in the chair and was duly taped back down. Fortinay handed her Dawn, who was also wearing a clean diaper now. The old one had disappeared into his bag.

“Be patient, Miss McCloud. A lot of people are working very hard to bring this situation to a safe resolution.”

“Shut up!” Natasha yelled from across the warehouse.

Fortinay retreated and the waiting resumed. What an earth was going on out there? Her relief at knowing Alex and Ian were okay was boundless. But soon enough, it was replaced by new anxiety. Both men had to be going crazy.

Please let them not do anything stupid and get themselves hurt or killed on her account.Hang on, Alex. Be patient.

Alex rushed forward when Fortinay emerged from the warehouse. “Are they all right?” he asked the doctor urgently.

“They’re fine. The baby is much happier now that she has a fresh diaper and a full belly. I talked the woman into letting Miss McCloud use the restroom, and Katie seemed better after that.”

The FBI took over questioning Fortinay closely on every detail of the building’s interior, the number of men, their weaponry, and a thousand other details. Alex stepped back to let them do their job, his relief literally making his knees weak.

Katie and Dawn were alive. Unharmed. That Spetznatz team hadn’t been a death squad, after all. At least not directly. No doubt their orders were to kidnap Dawn and remove her from the building, dead or alive.

He looked up and was in time to see a diaper emerge form Fortinay’s bag along with something wrapped in gauze. A technician took both and the guy was hustled away into a police car that drove away fast.

He made his way over to Fortinay. “What’s up with the diaper? Is something wrong with Dawn?”

The man shook his head. “Baby’s fine. I got her umbilical stump, too. That and the diaper are en route to a lab in New York City for immediate analysis.”

Alex stared at the man. “And who, exactly, funds your organization?”

“What ever do you mean?” the Frenchman asked mildly.

“Who are you guys? CIA?”

“What makes you think that?” Fortinay asked a little more sharply.

“Why else would my father ask me to steal your staff roster and a list of where all your people are posted around the world? Katie did get word to you about that, didn’t she?”

Fortinay’s mouth twitched with humor. “It wasn’t nice of you to use her as a mule to carry your message to me, like that.”

Alex shrugged, relieved. “Never make the mistake of underestimating my father.”

“Did he call off the goons up there?” Fortinay glanced at the roof of the warehouse with the Spetznatz team still camped out on the roof, out of sight and quiet for the moment.

Alex nodded tersely.

“Did you know when you came to work for us?” Fortinay asked casually. Too casually.

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