As Bert Carter turned his attention to the other side of the room, someone pressed against Nick from the right; a hand gripped his elbow. Another sidled up to him from the left.

“Hey, buddy, can I talk to you outside?”

Nick looked into the eyes of the burly man holding his elbow. He was better dressed than most of the men in the warehouse. His eyes looked hard.

“What about?”

“Just need to talk. Let’s take it outside.”

Nick smiled at him. “I have a better idea—let’s not.”

A second hand gripped his left arm and he felt himself being pushed a few inches to his right, toward the door. It was all done quietly and without notice of anyone nearby.

“Okay, cowboy, we can do this easy or we can do it hard, but you are coming outside.”

“Why? Was it something I said?”

“Don’t be a wise ass. No need to upset the folks.”

“You don’t want to upset the folks? What about me? Maybe I’ll get upset.”

The man on his left shoved him again. Nick’s knees locked and his boots gripped the floor, preventing him from moving. The hard-eyed man kept a tight grip on his elbow.

“We just want to talk. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Nick thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“Yeah. I think so.”

Without warning, he jerked his left arm free of the second man’s grip and drove his elbow straight back into his opponent’s face. He felt cartilage give way and a splash of blood on his sleeve as the assailant stumbled and fell. The man on his right looked startled but drew back his fist to strike. He froze as the muzzle of a high-powered rifle dug into his neck from behind, followed by the cocking of a hammer.

“Maybe you didn’t hear what the man said,” said a cold-as-ice, but distinctly feminine voice. “He said no.”

The man’s eyes widened and he turned slowly to peer into the cold blue gaze of Victoria Cross. For a moment he didn’t say a word.

“I suggest you pick up your friend and help him outside,” the blonde told him, “before someone gets hurt.”

“Jesus, lady! If you fire that thing in here you’ll kill twenty people.”

She shoved the rifle barrel harder against his neck.

“That’s right—and guess who the first one will be.”

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