Paul looked at his watch: ten minutes to get to the drop point. He pushed harder on the gas, swerving around the car in front of him. He had to get there before the van left!
The light in front of him turned red and his foot instinctively went to the brakes. Paul shook his head and then floored the gas. His car lunged through the intersection and narrowly missed the red Maserati that had started forwards. The man gave him the finger and yelled "Hey watch yourself, you prick!"
He watched carefully as the desert flashed passed, he was looking for an old gas station. It should be on the left… But it was so damn dark out. His headlights caught something and he eased off the gas. He slowed to a stop and pulled off to the side of the road. It was the van.
He got slowly out of his car. The van was on its side with its back doors spread wide open. He glanced inside and shook his head.
The men inside were torn to shreds, it looked as if something massive has ripped them apart and then busted its way out of the back. Blood dripped from the floor and onto the ground, making small black dots in the sand.
Paul grinned. It looked like the Dollhouse had bit off more than they could chew with this one. He shone his flashlight inside and shook his head. This man or woman was a machine. They had probably programed an assassin and miscalculated on something.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.
"Lubov here."
Paul shook his head, "I don't know how you did it, but I got what I needed. So thank your contacts for me and consider yourself free to go back to your Russian family."
There was a pause on the other end.
"You mean it Ballard? I am free to go just like that? No more digging up info on this Dollhouse for you?"
Paul took a look around the van again, this time scanning the sand for tracks. "Nope I have what I need. I should be able to trace this van back to wherever it came from."
Then everything went black as something stuck him in the back of the head.
A massive hand reached down over Paul's crumpled frame and scooped up the phone.
"I've got him. Tell Adele that I have her man and am awaiting further orders."
His head throbbed as he brought it up to survey the room. He was in the gas station. He glanced quickly around. The room was empty and the phone was smashed.
Paul groaned. He was out in the middle of nowhere with no backup whatsoever and to make matters worse he was probably kidnapped by the Dollhouse's assassin. Which meant that he was going to be tortured for information because his captor thought he was doing work for the damn government.
The door opened and Paul flinched as the largest man he had ever seen walked in. It was no wonder the van looked so smashed up.
The man sat down in front of him and growled, "Listen here punk, you are going to tell me everything you know about the Dollhouse or else I may have to get a little rough."