Your Life or Mine

by Vicki Bradley

  Kowalski and Lena had been working together, targeting his ex-lovers in some twisted deadly game. But why had they targeted her? Perhaps it had evolved from being simply about his ex-lovers to avenging Barratt as well, which meant adding Jane and her to the list.

  From the beginning, Kowalski had befriended her and worked hard to gain her trust, just so that he and Lena could finish off what Barratt had threatened to do.

  Kowalski had been playing her since he met her five months ago. None of it had been real. She tasted salt water in her mouth as tears rolled silently down her cheeks. But she kept moving forward. She didn’t stop. She had to get out of this alive.

  Chapter 47

  Saturday 5 February, 13:25

  As she waded through the water she heard a noise in the tunnel ahead. Splashing water. Torchlight. Lena was behind her, wasn’t she? Could she have got ahead, done a full loop of tunnel, or was Loxton completely disorientated and had somehow headed back towards the chamber?

  Loxton stepped backwards and then turned around, hurrying back the way she’d come. The person behind her cursed to himself – it was a man. And he’d cursed in Polish. Her heart clenched in fear.

  Kowalski.

  He was going to kill her.

  Rage filled her. If she didn’t survive this there was a chance that Lena would get away again, another accomplice sacrificed so that she could continue.

  Loxton slipped the blade of her knife up her sleeve and obscured the handle with her palm. She was bleeding, and escape seemed impossible. It was time to finish this.

  She took a deep breath and tried to hide the fear she felt, calling in a steady voice. ‘Dominik, I’m over here.’

  ‘Alana?’ The splashing grew louder as he raced forwards, the torchlight bouncing off the wall and ceiling, growing stronger. ‘You’re alive.’ His eyes were full of relief.

  For a moment she hesitated. She knew this was going to be hard, but he was pretending to be her Kowalski and it killed her. ‘Where have you been?’ she asked.

  ‘Someone’s set me up. Lena called me on my radio, told me that I was the main suspect, that my DNA was on all of the bodies. She told me to come here and she’d meet me. She’d studied the sewer maps and felt like this access point was at the centre of it all. I checked the search record and it hadn’t been explored yet. I thought I could find the killer before it was too late for Jane and for you.’

  ‘Why didn’t you call me?’ she asked.

  ‘Lena said they were tracking my phone, that as soon as I called anyone they’d be able to trace where I was. So I got rid of it and my radio. I headed straight for the tunnels. If I was arrested, then there would be no one to try to stop the killer getting to you. The police would even stop looking. You’d be a sitting target.’

  ‘But I was in danger. You left me up there alone.’ He had almost convinced her, but she knew that falling for his lies would be fatal.

  ‘You had Lena,’ he said. ‘She was with you.’ And there it was. He was testing her. Seeing if she had figured it out yet.

  ‘She didn’t do a great job of protecting me.’ Loxton showed him her shoulder, the blood seeping through the hastily made compact she’d applied. She needed him to think she was weak and vulnerable before she struck.

  Kowalski’s face twisted into concern and he stepped towards her. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I was attacked.’ She kept the knife hidden and it was all she could do not to lean away from him. ‘Where’s Jane?’

  ‘I haven’t found her; I’ve been searching the tunnels for hours now. I haven’t seen any evidence of anyone down here until I came across you. Who did that to you?’

  ‘I didn’t see their face; it’s so dark.’ She hoped he was fooled by her lie. She needed him to be off his guard when she attacked. ‘We have to get out of here. Do you know the way?’

  ‘I thought I did, but I’m not sure anymore.’ He pulled out a map. ‘These are the blueprints of the sewers. We need to get you out of here.’

  ‘I can look at the map,’ she said. ‘You keep a look-out in case the killer comes. He was chasing me, but I lost him.’

  ‘Have you got any signal down here?’ Kowalski took up position, facing away from her and watching from where she’d come.

  ‘When the killer attacked me I lost my radio and mobile. You?’

  ‘No phone or radio either, remember.’ He sighed. ‘Can you say anything about what the killer looked like?’

  ‘I didn’t see him, it was completely dark,’ she lied again. She reluctantly glanced at the map, wanting to keep her eyes on Kowalski at all times. Without knowing where they were, it was impossible to work out which way to go. ‘Where are we?’

  He turned to her and she tried not to shrink away as he leaned towards the map. ‘I think we’re about here.’ He stabbed at a point on the map. ‘There are numbers on the walls at interchanges which correlate with the blueprint, like on a motorway.’

  ‘Okay, I think it’s straight on. You go first, you’ve got the torch. I’ll direct as we go along.’

  He headed down the tunnel. ‘Was it just one person who attacked you, or two?’

  ‘Just one, I think, but it was pitch black,’ she said. ‘They stabbed me and I just ran.’ She prayed he didn’t wonder how she’d managed to lose her mobile and radio. If he did, he’d know she was lying.

  ‘Good that it’s just one,’ he said. ‘We should be able to overpower them. I’ve got a Taser on me.’

  Panic rose inside her. He had a Taser gun. If she aimed for his jugular now and missed, he’d be on top of her. She only had one shot at this. She followed him closely, staring at the point on his neck where she thought his artery protruded and was easiest to sever. Her stomach squirmed in repulsion at the thought of stabbing Kowalski. There was still that small niggle of doubt that she was wrong. That Kowalski had been set up and Lena was lying. That he was telling the truth.

  ‘How did you get here?’ she asked.

  ‘I drove. Left my car a few roads back.’ So he had driven his car here, which meant the knives in the back were his.

  ‘Did you ever sleep with Jane?’ She kept her eyes on the point on his neck.

  ‘I know this is going to sound weird, but yes, I did. When I first got here from Poland, I was a mess. Most of my Polish colleagues had turned on me, fed up of my theories on Szyman´ski. It was only ever Lena who didn’t turn on me. I arrived in London on my own, an outsider. I got to drinking and partying hard. We all drank a lot back then. We were younger. Jane was just a fling and I was the same for her. It didn’t mean anything to either of us. She met her husband soon after.’

  He’d slept with every woman murdered on this case. There was no set-up. It had been Kowalski all along. Now it was his life or hers.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she asked, trying to keep him talking and distracted.

  Kowalski hesitated. ‘I was worried that I’d get taken off the case and I wanted to find Emma’s killer. But I should have told you. I just didn’t want you to think less of me, stupid I know.’

  ‘And Szyman´ski. You had to leave Poland. Why?’

  ‘I told you. I always thought he was working in a pair. Some of the timings of the killings were almost impossible for just one person to complete. He was either the luckiest man on the planet, or someone helped him. But the bosses didn’t like it and Szyman´ski denied it. My superiors thought I was confusing things. Catching the killer and closing the case was better for their careers. I was a thorn in their side ruining their great success. They made things very difficult for me.’

  It was a brave move. Insist that Szyman´ski had been working in a pair after you discovered it was Lena. Let other officers see the senior ranks turn against you, so that no one else would want to venture there.

  What she couldn’t believe was that her Kowalski would do this. She thought she’d known him. And it felt almost impossible that two police officers had become serial killers together. But she’d read somewhere in her studi
es that there was a disproportionate number of psychopaths in the police and perhaps they were naturally attracted to murder in an unhealthy way. And then, with a little persuasion, they were easy to corrupt.

  Kowalski stopped and turned towards her. ‘Do you hear something behind us?’

  She strained her ears, but she couldn’t hear anything. She shook her head at him. She didn’t want to turn her back on him.

  ‘Just behind us.’ He nodded behind her. ‘I think someone’s coming.’

  She was losing her opportunity. ‘I can’t hear anything; let’s keep going.’ If Lena was behind them, she didn’t want her catching up with them.

  Kowalski put his hand up to signal for her to wait. ‘There. Did you hear it?’

  She could hear it, faint but growing stronger. Splashing.

  Kowalski’s eyes met hers. He pulled out his Taser and pointed it down the tunnel. She was in his sights. ‘He’s coming. Get behind me, Alana. You said he throws knives.’

  Loxton stared into his blue eyes. This was her only chance; he wasn’t pointing the Taser at her, but past her. If she didn’t strike him now, when Lena arrived it would be two against one and she wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Chapter 48

  Saturday 5 February, 13:31

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Kowalski stared into her eyes, confusion and concern inside them.

  She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t attack him first. She didn’t have it in her. There was the tiniest doubt inside her, and she realized she’d rather die than risk hurting her Kowalski.

  ‘Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.’ She moved to the side of him to face Lena. He’d seen something in her eyes, would be wary of her now, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t make the pre-emptive strike.

  ‘Dominik, so nice of you to join us.’ Lena smiled at him. ‘As you can see, Alana and I were just getting better acquainted.’

  ‘What’s going on?’ Kowalski asked, confusion spread across his face – and something else: a growing horror.

  ‘You don’t have to pretend anymore, Dominik. Alana’s a clever girl; seems she’s worked it all out.’

  Kowalski glanced at Loxton. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked again.

  ‘Lena attacked me,’ Loxton said angrily. ‘She’s the killer.’ Loxton prayed that Kowalski wasn’t involved.

  Kowalski shook his head slowly. ‘No. Lena, it can’t be you.’ Kowalski’s voice was so quiet that Loxton barely heard him.

  ‘I’d have thought you’d have killed Dominik by now, Alana. You had your chance to get rid of one of us. Why not take it? Now you have two of us to take down.’

  Loxton glanced at Kowalski and he stared at her. ‘Alana, you know me.’ He put his hands up in surrender. ‘You know I didn’t kill them. She’s lying.’

  Lena laughed. ‘Alana, you know me, and I bet you didn’t think I was capable of murder. Dominik, you can drop the act. She’s not an idiot. Now Taser her and I’ll let you make the first cut.’

  Kowalski’s face changed to one of pure hate and for a moment Loxton was taken aback by it. He lifted the Taser towards her and then moved it past her, swinging instead to point towards Lena.

  Loxton stayed by his side, facing Lena. Logically she shouldn’t trust Kowalski, but in her heart she did. And although following her heart in the past hadn’t worked out so well for her, she didn’t care. Kowalski was worth the risk. Was worth her life.

  Lena pulled a knife from her back pocket and hurled it at Loxton. The knife was so fast, Loxton barely managed to turn her body sideways to escape its full bite. The knife sliced past her left shoulder and she winced in agony as her skin yielded to the passing blade.

  Kowalski glanced at her but was then forced to face Lena as she charged at them. He fired his Taser, but Lena zig-zagged towards them and the prongs missed her by millimetres, splashing uselessly into the water, the five second charge dispersing in the water harmlessly.

  ‘Get the knife,’ Loxton called to him, knowing that his Taser would be useless now that it had been in water. Then she charged forward towards Lena, who had her knife held high. Loxton kept her hands low. Her intention now wasn’t to get out of here alive, but to kill Lena. She just needed one chance. Making sure Lena was dead was all that mattered.

  Before they collided, Lena pulled up short, hanging back, her body swaying as if it were a snake ready to strike, and it took everything Loxton had to not run into her blade.

  Loxton realized too late she’d never wielded a knife before. Had never stabbed another human being. Her mind recoiled from the very thought of it. She kept the knife hidden, praying Lena underestimated her, and that she would get her chance before it was too late.

  Lena aimed for Loxton’s wrists, slashing forward then pulling back so that she didn’t leave herself vulnerable. She never stopped moving. Loxton stumbled backwards, dodging away from the blade, terrified of what it could do. Her shoulder and arm throbbed, and she felt the rising panic taking over. She had to focus. She could tell Kowalski was behind her, trying to get around her to fight Lena, but he didn’t have a weapon.

  ‘Get the knife Lena thew,’ she told him again. He shouted something behind her, but then she heard him splashing through the water wildly, looking for the knife.

  Lena grinned and lunged forward, but it was just for show, just to frighten her. Lena made to throw the knife at Loxton’s neck and Loxton screwed her eyes up involuntarily, raising her arms in front of her face to stop the flying knife. At that moment Lena was upon her instead, and it felt like she was being punched repeatedly in the sides, even though Loxton knew it would be the blade causing the damage.

  Loxton let the knife drop from her sleeve and caught the handle in her hand and pushed the blade upwards, towards Lena’s neck. Lena reacted instinctively, moving away and raising her arms to protect her neck. Loxton’s blade rebounded off Lena’s forearm as the point collided with Lena’s bone.

  Lena lunged forward, bringing her elbows down onto Loxton’s raised hands, knocking the knife out of them. It fell away to the side of Loxton, disappearing under the water before she could grab it, and she realized in horror that Lena had managed to keep hold of her own blade.

  If Loxton turned and looked for the knife now, she’d be completely open to Lena’s next knife assault, and she wouldn’t survive that. All she could do was try to protect herself by keeping her arms up to ward off any blows that might hit her major organs.

  ‘I’ve found it,’ Kowalski called, and Loxton turned briefly towards him. He was behind her, holding up the throwing knife that Lena had hurled at Loxton earlier. He held it out towards Loxton handle first. She turned and ran towards it, Lena right behind her, and grasped for the knife, managing to grab hold of the handle and spin around, slicing an arc around her.

  Lena’s eyes widened in shock just before the sharp blade sliced into the side of her neck. As it hit her muscle and vertebrae, it stopped, the jar reverberating up Loxton’s arm. Lena moved the knife she was holding back and forth into Loxton’s side, but her movements were slower, sluggish, the punches weaker.

  Loxton twisted her knife as she pulled it out and then plunged it in again. Something snapped inside her. The punching stopped as Lena sank to her knees. Blood oozed out of Lena’s neck. The only thing slowing the flow was the knife still stuck in the side of her neck. Lena dropped her own blade into the dark water and with her hands covered around the knife hilt, trying to stop the flow of blood from the wound.

  Her face paled and her eyes seemed to lose their fire as they locked onto Loxton’s and then looked past her. Loxton turned and saw Kowalski beside her. He knelt down in front of Lena and cupped her face in his hands.

  ‘Lena, what have you done?’ His voice shook with horror. Lena kept her eyes locked onto his. She tried to move her lips, but the pain seemed too great for a moment, and she grimaced. Kowalski gathered her to him as she began to fall backwards. He cradled her in his arms, staring into her eyes. Nothing would save her. Loxton knew Lena would be dead withi
n minutes.

  Loxton felt dizzy, her head spinning, and she used the wall to slowly lower herself to a sitting position, facing the pair locked in their final embrace.

  ‘You told me a load of shit back there, didn’t you?’ Loxton said to Lena.

  Lena grimaced. ‘You are clever,’ she managed to say. Blood tricked from the corner of her mouth.

  ‘Why did you do this?’ Kowalski asked.

  Lena locked eyes on him. ‘I wanted you to feel the pain…’ She took a painful breath. ‘The pain I felt when Szyman´ski was murdered. It was your fault he was in there.’

  Kowalski shook his head at her, as if he couldn’t accept what she was saying.

  ‘You were meant to rot in prison, everyone you ever loved dead, and in their last moments thinking you were part of it.’ She coughed violently, struggling to catch her breath.

  Kowalski’s face twisted in disgust and he leaned away from Lena, as if she were poisonous.

  ‘Why did you try to kill me?’ Loxton asked. It infuriated her that Lena’s story didn’t make sense. She’d already lied once and Loxton wanted the truth. This was their only chance.

  Lena tried to laugh, but a horrible gurgling, bubbling sound came from her throat. ‘Maybe you’re not so clever after all.’ She glanced from Kowalski back to Loxton, tried to say more, but she couldn’t. Her face twisted in pain. Her lips had a blue tinge and her skin was ghost-white.

  Kowalski stared into Lena’s eyes. ‘I should have seen this. I should have stopped you.’

  Lena looked up desperately at him, as if she wished he had stopped her, but she couldn’t speak anymore. Her body stiffened and then convulsed briefly. Finally, she slumped backwards as she became a dead weight.

  Kowalski lowered Lena into the water. Her eyes were partly closed, and she looked strangely peaceful before the water flowed over her. Kowalski turned to Loxton, and for a brief moment Loxton felt afraid, but then she saw the look in his eyes – the fear for her.