The Project 05 - The Tesla Secret

saw no reason to try and save his employer any money.
    The girls he'd ordered from the escort service would be here soon. Dragonov looked forward to a night of many and varied pleasures. A discreet knock sounded on his door. Dragonov glanced at his watch. Right on time. He went across the room and opened the door.
    Two large Chinese men moved in so quickly that Dragonov had no time to react. They were strong, with a grip like iron. The gun jammed into his ribs made struggle pointless.
    "Sit," one man said. He pushed Dragonov down on a couch.
    A third man entered the room and closed the door behind him. Dragonov recognized his next target.
    I'm fucked, he thought.
    The man was slim and not very tall. He had streaks of gray in his hair. He wore a gold Rolex on his left wrist. He wore a suit of dark blue Hong Kong silk and a red tie. Heavy lidded eyes looked at Dragonov through glasses with tinted lenses. He gestured and one of the large men brought a chair and placed it directly in front of the Bulgarian. The Chinese man sat down.
    "You know who I am," he said. It wasn't a question.
    Dragonov licked his lips, suddenly dry. It would do no good to deny it. "Yes."
    "Good. Then you know I am a serious man."
    Dragonov said nothing.
    "Is that right, Mister Dragonov? Am I a serious man?"
    "Yes."
    "Yes, what?"
    "Yes, sir."
    "My colleagues believe you should be eliminated. You wouldn't like that."
    He waited expectantly for Dragonov's response.
    "No, sir, I wouldn't."
    "How much did Foxworth pay you?"
    Dragonov told him.
    The man smiled. "It is always good to know what you are worth in the eyes of another. How much are you worth, Mister Dragonov?"
    "I don't understand. Sir."
    "I have a proposition for you. You have proven most resourceful. It is, after all, business. You will work for me. If you accept my proposition, you will be allowed to live. Your contract will be completely fulfilled with one more assignment and you will be paid the full amount offered before. Can you guess what your new assignment might be?"
    Dragonov allowed himself to breathe. For the first time, he thought he might survive this meeting. "Yes, sir. Malcolm Foxworth."
    "Good. I see I have not misjudged you. And can you guess what will happen if you do something foolish? Tell Malcolm about this meeting, for example?"
    Dragonov nodded. "Yes, sir."
    "No, you can't. You can't even imagine it. You understand, don't you?"
    Valentin Dragonov knew many ways pain could be applied to the human body. He understood how the body could endure excruciating suffering for days before it died. Dragonov also understood fear. Looking into the Chinese man's eyes, he felt fear he had never known.
    The man saw it and smiled. "Good. You understand." He patted his new employee on the knee and stood. "You have made a good decision. I will be watching for news, Mister Dragonov. Don't be long about it."
    He moved toward the door. His two men were there before him, one holding the door open. At the door, the Chinese man turned.
    "The women will be here soon," he said. "Perhaps you should change your clothes."
    The door closed behind them. Dragonov looked down at the stain spreading on his pants.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

    Mandy Atherton wore a tailored gray business suit of Italian silk that set off her perfect features and slim body. A gold bracelet studded with sapphires circled her left wrist. Mandy liked sapphires. She looked up as Foxworth's Chief of Security came into the room.
    "He's not expecting you," she said. "I thought you were out of town."
    She considered the man. Rough around the edges, though Healey had been no jewel himself. She missed the sex, the thrill of sneaking behind Foxworth's back. Looking at Dragonov, she felt the beginnings of arousal. He had big hands, a massive build. She wondered if the rest of him matched. Besides, she'd never had a Bulgarian. At least she didn't think so.
    "You don't have to announce me," he said. He walked over to her, bent down and smelled her hair. "What is that perfume you're wearing?"
    "You like it?"
    "Very much." He laid his large hand on her neck and put hard fingers around her throat. She shivered. For a moment she felt frightened. There was something about Dragonov, a kind of feral danger that radiated like heat from his body. She felt moisture between her legs. He paused as if considering something, then gently withdrew his hand.
    "Don't announce me, okay?"
    "Okay."
    "We'll go out when I'm done here."
    "Okay."
    Mandy had never felt