Alicia Myles 2 - Crusader's Gold Read Online Free PDF Page A

through it.”
    “So the tunnels are flooded,” Caitlyn reiterated.
    “The ones we know about are,” Naz said cryptically.
    “So where does that leave us?” Crouch asked.
    “Actually in a very interesting place . . .” Naz winked. “I would not bring you here without just and major cause. You see, the mystery deepens dramatically in this treasure hunt when you take into account the role of Enri—”
    “Whoa!” Alicia suddenly exclaimed, eyes still surveying all perimeters. “Heads up, guys. There’s some crazy-looking uber-bitch headed our way who I do not like the look of.”
    “Funny,” Russo said, turning. “Those were my exact thoughts when you turned up.”
    The woman, Alicia saw, wore a bulky figure-concealing, knee-length coat even in such hot weather and was backed by a small force of gritty looking men, similarly attired. With dark hair and a dark complexion she might have been of local origin, or from anywhere east of Austria for that matter.
    Alicia made ready, ignoring the ache of bruises that hadn’t yet healed from her last battle, the pull of tendons overused. She had to be ready. It was her experience that violent conflict might strike at any time, from any angle and any person.
    “Maybe she’s lost and looking for directions,” Naz ventured.
    “She’ll be heading straight down,” Alicia murmured. “If she comes any closer.”
    The woman halted before them, a playful smile on her lips, eyes as cold as a natural predator locked onto those of its prey’s.
    Alicia recognized confidence, danger and death among other things. Her entire system instantly flooded with adrenalin.
    “Hand over your archeologist,” she said quietly. “If you want to live.”

FIVE
     
     
    Alicia was suddenly conscious of the many buses lining both sides of the road, the overhanging trees and small dome at her back, the swarms of people hailing from every culture all around. The new arrival patted her bulky coat at the hip and then motioned toward a nearby bus, the first in a never-ending line parked nose to tail.
    “I’ll gladly open fire,” she said. “Makes no difference to me.”
    Alicia believed her. It wasn’t the set of the face, the language of the body. It was those psycho eyes, void of all human emotion.
    “We’re unarmed,” Healey said without thinking, probably trying to play the tourist card.
    “Thanks for the confirmation, kid. Get behind the coach.”
    Alicia had already evaluated their position. Even counting Caitlyn and the archaeologist they were six versus nine. By no means insurmountable odds but highly risky without firearms.
    Of course there were more ways to commandeer a gun than there were elitists staying at The Ritz. Alicia’s calculating gaze swiveled between the woman’s cohorts, determining the weakest of them.
    Naz was the first to back away. “I do not know why you want me.”
    “Because he does.” The woman shrugged in Crouch’s direction. “I’ve had my hooks into you people since the Aztec affair. You liberated an awful lot of gold that day. An appetizing slice of money and wealth. I’m here for the main course.”
    “Clearly, you’re deranged.” Alicia moved to the woman’s left ever so slowly. “Don’t you have any idea who we are? What we could do to you?”
    “Clearly, I don’t care.” The woman swept aside her coat to reveal a terrifying weapon—an Uzi Pro SMG; Israel Weapon Industries’ latest design. Alicia knew it fired 9mm ammunition from the closed bolt and used the same blow-back operating system as the original Uzi design. Twenty-one inches long with stock fully extended and less than twelve inches in its most compact form, the Pro used a 25-round magazine and could be switched between semi- and fully-automatic fire. Here, among the tourists and the history, it was as deadly a weapon as the woman could ever have brought to bear.
    Alicia hesitated. Were her goons sporting the same hardware? If so, the Gold Team’s odds were falling by