Klement took another step towards the door. “I’ll tell you how it’s going to play out. I’m going to leave the room, and you’re not going to stop me. You—” he nodded towards Wolfe. “Move out of the way.”
Wolfe folded his arms but didn’t move. Klement squeezed the baby, making the pitch of its scream go up an octave. Wolfe moved aside.
Prosper shook his head. “You know I can’t let you leave with the baby.”
“I know.” Klement threw the baby at Prosper.
Prosper reacted instinctively. Heart in his throat, he caught the baby in the crook of his arms, sighing with relief when he knew that it was safe.
When he looked up, Klement had bolted through the door.
Despite his concern for the babies, Prosper knew he couldn’t let Klement escape. He placed the baby on the ground and picked up his gun. “Stop him!” he shouted and gave chase.
Klement had a short lead, and by the time Prosper reached the top of the stairs, he was nowhere in sight.
“Where is he?” Wolfe asked as he reached Prosper’s side.
Before Prosper could answer, he heard a clanging sound and stared in shock at the windows as metal shutters descended, blocking out the light.
“Shit,” Wolfe said.
Prosper swallowed and ran across to the nearest window as the shutter closed completely, immersing them in darkness. He banged on the panel, making a sound like thunder reverberate around the room. Then he tried to pry it open with his fingers before charging it with his shoulder, sending a bolt of pain down his arm, but the metal sheet was secure.
“We’re trapped.” Prosper rubbed his shoulder.
“With a psycho,” Wolfe added.
Prosper grimaced. He had a chilling vision of the gas chambers that Eichmann would have sent his enemies to and a chill crept up his spine. He gripped the handle of the gun; could feel the sweat greasing his palm. More sweat coated his back, making him feel uncomfortable. Klement was on home turf, so he had the advantage of familiarity.
He heard a sound, a chuckle that made the hairs on his arms stand on end. He cocked his head, trying to trace the sound, but he couldn’t get a fix.
Klement had made sure the place would be secure. Probably to stop people getting inside, but now his home was a prison. Prosper didn’t fail to see the irony as Klement’s experiments were conducted in a prison environment.
“Now what?” Wolfe asked.
“Now we stop the son of a bitch.” Although he had thought there wasn’t any light, he realised that thin bands streamed through gaps in the shutters and his eyes were slowly adjusting. “Follow me.” He tiptoed along the hallway, his footfalls louder than he liked. When he located a light switch, he flicked it and the bulb a couple of feet ahead exploded and flames rained down. Prosper instinctively ducked. He felt liquid land on the back of his hand, burning. He grimaced and patted it against his chest until the flames were extinguished. The liquid that had struck the floor continued to burn with a yellow and orange flame and the smell of petrol filled the air.
“Are you okay?” Prosper asked.
“I’m fine. You shielded me.”
“The bastard’s rigged the place with traps. They were probably armed when the shutters came down.”
“Things just keep getting better.”
Prosper knew they couldn’t stand around arguing so he started walking. He didn’t know where he was heading; only that he had to find Klement. Prosper reached a doorway and hesitated. He extended the hand with the gun and rushed into the room, scanning for any sign of movement. He could make out furniture, a settee, cabinets and a television, but no sign of Klement so he turned his attention back to the hallway and continued on, tiptoeing carefully along the wooden floor.
He eased his foot down and the floor gave a little. Prosper frowned, was about to lift his foot when the ground beneath his foot gave way. Prosper started to fall forwards, his breath caught in his throat. He dropped the gun, reached out to try to stop himself falling when he felt someone grab him from behind.
“I’ve got you,” Wolfe wheezed as he pulled Prosper back.
Once he was upright, Prosper peered down and saw that the floor had dropped away to reveal a pit about six feet deep, six feet long and as wide as the hallway. At the bottom he could see sharp metal spikes.
“Jesus,” he said, clutching his chest. Goose bumps mottled his arms. If Wolfe hadn’t grabbed him … “Thanks.”
“You were close to becoming a human kebab.”
Prosper tried to see if he could spot the gun, but even if he did, there wouldn’t be any way of getting it. The spikes, which were about two feet long, were too close together to allow him to retrieve it without spearing himself.
“Now what?”
“I dropped the gun, so we need to arm ourselves.”
“Great.”
Despite the gloom, Prosper imagined Wolfe frowning.
“Look, there’s nothing I can do about it now. We’re in this together, and so we need to help each other if we’re going to get out of this alive.”
“Well we wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you.”
“And you think I don’t know that?”
“Just sayin’, that’s all.”
Prosper fell silent. He knew that if anything happened to Wolfe, it would be his fault and he already bore too much guilt; couldn’t carry any more. After a moment, he said, “Come on; let’s get that son of a bitch.”
A thin ledge ran alongside the trap and he put one foot on it to shorten the gap and then leapt across to the other side. He hoped and prayed that where he landed wasn’t also booby trapped, and he breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened. Wolfe followed close behind.
Unsure where to go next, all Prosper could do was check every room he passed.
His heart pounded and sweat beaded on his brow when he realised each step could be his last. He placed each foot down as though treading barefoot on glass. There was a closed door on his left. He reached out to grab the handle but then paused, hand hovering inches from the metal knob.
There could be anything behind the door but he couldn’t stand there all day. Prosper held his breath, positioned himself against the wall and then turned the handle and pushed. The door swung in and Prosper was about to step out from behind the wall and venture inside the room when a loud blast rang out, almost deafening him. The wall opposite exploded in a haze of paint and plaster and Prosper gasped and clutched his chest.
“Holy crap,” Wolfe said.
Prosper wiggled his fingers in his ears to try to alleviate the ringing, and then peered inside the room. The gloom was too thick to see clearly, so he stepped inside.
A thin wire stretched from the door handle to a shotgun attached to a metal frame. Prosper examined the frame and the gun, but the weapon was securely fixed to its frame, and there weren’t any more cartridges anyway so it would be pointless trying to take it.
The room itself was a library. Books filled the floor to ceiling shelves and gave the room a slightly musty aroma. A leather armchair sat in an alcove near the shuttered window. Beside this was an occasional table.
“What if we smoke him out?” Wolfe said. “Set fire to the place.”
Prosper shook his head. “And what happens if there’s no way out? We’ll burn to death.”
“Well he’d have to unlock the place.”
“How can you be sure? He could have already left the building and we’ll just be signing our own death warrant, and doing Klement’s job for him.”
“Well we can’t keep wandering around in this fucking death trap.”
“Let’s get to the kitchen and find something we can arm ourselves with first.”
“Yes, let’s beat him to death with a spatula.”
“I’m glad you can find something funny in all this.”
“Believe me, if I didn’t laugh, I’d be crying.”
“Now that I don’t believe. Come on, let’s go.” Prosper headed towards the do
or and back out into the hallway, listening intently for any trace of sound.
There were stairs leading up and another door further on, and Prosper approached it as carefully as he could. The hairs tingled along his arms, and he couldn’t shake the sensation that he was being watched.
The next door was open, and he peered inside and saw that it was the kitchen. He stepped inside in the hope that he could find something to arm himself with. There was a sink by the window, a table and chairs and the usual things such as a washing machine, cooker, tumble dryer, fridge freezer and microwave. Cupboards lined the walls and Prosper approached and pulled open drawers until he found the cutlery. He took out two long knives and passed one to Wolfe.
The knife he kept hold of was a carving knife with a serrated edge. It made him feel a little more secure as it was something he could use for attack or defence.
Back out in the hallway, he proceeded to the stairs and stared up into the darkness. About to ascend, he noticed a glint of light and peered up into the corner of the hallway and saw a small camera, its single eye staring down at him.
“We’re being watched.” He pointed the knife at the lens.
“Well I hope he’s got my good side,” Wolfe said with a chuckle.
“I don’t think it’s focused on your ass.”
“Glad to know you rate my derriere so highly.”
Prosper snorted and stared back up the stairs. He couldn’t make much out but if there were cameras, Klement had to be holed up somewhere in the house watching their progress. The thought made him more determined to find the bastard, but he didn’t trust the steps, knew that one or more of them was bound to be booby trapped in some way.
“Wait here a minute.” Prosper ran back to the kitchen. He picked up a metal rubbish bin and carried it back into the hallway.
“Going to tidy up for him?”
“Just stand back.” He tipped the bin on its side; put both hands underneath and launched it up the stairs. It landed four stairs from the top with a loud clatter. Then it rebounded and started rolling back down, clanking from step to step. Almost at the bottom, Prosper heard a faint click and a spiked rack swung down from the ceiling.
The bin reached the bottom step and rolled across the floor. Wolfe stepped over it and grabbed the rack on its back swing and brought it to a stop.
Prosper looked at the device, which was basically a metal frame like the base of a prison bed. Five metal spikes had been welded to the bottom edge. Each spike was about twelve inches long. Judging by how fast it had come down, the rack had been spring loaded and the spikes would have pierced anyone in their path at just above waist height.
“I guess he wanted to make a point.” Wolfe fingered one of the spikes.
Prosper grimaced. “Enough with the jokes.” He ducked underneath the rack and proceeded up the stairs, knife gripped in his fist. The stairs turned a corner, so he proceeded carefully, terrified that another step could be rigged.
When he reached the landing he breathed a sign of relief and looked left and right. Faint light radiated through the gaps between the shutters covering a window at the far end on the left. From what he could see there were four doors, three on his left and one on his right.
Klement had obviously been very thorough in his planning, and he had taken into account that whoever got inside his house might be lucky enough to make it past the ground floor traps. But that left the question what else had he booby trapped? If he was as crazy as Prosper surmised, he could have rigged the whole house to explode, but deep down he doubted it. Klement was a survivor. He wouldn’t take his own life, not when he enjoyed taking other people’s so much.
“Enough with the games,” Prosper shouted. “If you’re so good at killing, come out and fight like a man.”
He waited but there was no response. Klement wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t going to be goaded. He was clever, that was certain. He was also obviously insane.
“Now what?” Wolfe asked.
“Now we find the son of a bitch. And when we do, we kill him.”
“Well that’s one plan.”
“It’s the only plan.”
“We’re going to have to rename you Rambo Snow.”
Prosper shook his head. “Let’s just find him.” He headed towards the single door on the right, moving as slowly as he could, testing each foot placement before he committed himself to putting his full weight down.
The door was ajar and he peered inside to see a bedroom complete with bed, wardrobe and dressing table. Klement wasn’t inside. He would no doubt be wherever the monitors for the cameras were. That’s when the idea came to mind and Prosper looked up and saw another camera in the corner of the ceiling.
“Wolfe, come here and give me a boost up.”
“Why, what are you up to?”
“You’ll see.”
Wolfe walked across and crouched down with his fingers linked together to form a stirrup. Prosper dropped his knife, put his foot into the makeshift step and Wolfe lifted him as high as he could.
Prosper grabbed the camera and yanked as hard as he could until it came away from the wall. Then he continued pulling, the cable ripping through the plaster like a giant zip. He dropped down, picked up his knife and then resumed pulling the cable.
Wolfe nodded. “Clever.”
The cable led along the hallway towards the last door. Wolfe and Prosper stood either side of the door. Wolfe leaned against the wall. Prosper dropped the cable and braced himself. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. Not hearing anything, he grabbed the handle, slowly turned it, then stepped aside and pushed the door and the world exploded in a flash of light and heat.
CHAPTER 54
The building shuddered. Klement felt the vibrations travel through his body. He looked at the monitor but couldn’t see anything as Prosper had ripped the camera out of the wall.
The fact that Prosper and his companion had evaded the first few traps surprised him, but feeling the rumble, he knew his adversary had activated the small explosive device he had rigged in the last room along. It was a shame really, because the police officer had proved a worthy opponent.
Klement flicked a switch that reconnected the electricity supply and raised the shutters, then stood and walked across to the trapdoor. He lifted it and lowered the loft ladder then descended to the landing. The shutter covering the window came to a stop as it finished its travel, beams of light illuminating dust in the air. The smell of burning filled his nostrils. Debris from the explosion littered the floor, the wall opposite the door half blown away in the blast. He walked towards the room where the explosive had been set and looked inside, the corners of his eyes and lips drooping in puzzlement when he realised there weren’t any bodies.
He heard a click and turned to see the next door along opening. Prosper stepped out into the hallway. Apart from looking a little dazed, he appeared none the worse for wear. And he certainly wasn’t dead.
When he saw Klement, Prosper pulled out a kitchen knife and ran towards him. Unarmed, Klement turned and fled. He flew down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. At the bottom he ducked underneath the swing trap and headed towards the exit.
He caught sight of the door to the basement and grimaced. Snow had ruined his plan to assess nature or nurture with subjects that didn’t have any preconceived ideas. He was going to kill him for that, as slowly and painfully as possible.
Klement opened the side door and ran outside. It had started raining. He pulled his car keys out and pressed the button to unlock the doors to his BMW. Once inside the car, he started the engine and looked back towards the house to see Prosper exit, followed closely by his companion.
Klement gunned the engine, a smile playing across his lips as he slipped it into gear, released the handbrake and floored the accelerator.
CHAPTER 55
Prosper saw the car tearing towards him and he jumped aside. The front bumper clipped his leg and he crashed to the ground. With no time to hesitate, he pi
cked himself up, wincing at the pain. Wolfe had jumped the opposite way. He looked unscathed.
“He’s determined, I’ll give him that,” Wolfe said.
Prosper watched as Klement continued without stopping. “Come on, we can’t let him get away.” They ran to Wolfe’s vehicle and jumped inside. Wolfe started the engine and accelerated away with a squeal of tyres. Klement was already far ahead.
“We were lucky that explosive went off as soon as the door opened and we were shielded by the walls,” Wolfe said as he drove, the windscreen wipers sweeping away the rain.
“Let’s just catch the bastard, then we can put a stop to all this.”
Wolfe put his foot down and the vehicle surged ahead. As Wolfe drove, Prosper made a phone call to tell the police where the kidnapped babies were.
Hedgerows became a blur. Up ahead Klement overtook a car near a bend, just managing to pull back in as a car sped around the corner, horn blaring and lights flashing.
“He’ll kill himself at this rate,” Prosper said.
“Well it’ll save us a job.”
“Then we’d better catch him before that happens because I don’t want him to escape that easily.” He caught sight of Wolfe staring at him, eyebrows raised. “Don’t go getting all sanctimonious on me now.”
“All this power’s going to your head.”
“Just drive.”
Wolfe glanced at Prosper. “You’ve changed, my friend.”
Prosper shrugged. “We all change.”
“Yes but you seem, I don’t know, like someone who just doesn’t care any more. Someone who’s lost all his compassion, you know, someone empty.”
“Just concentrate on the driving and leave the psychoanalysis for another time.”
“OK boss.”
Klement was driving like a madman and anybody coming the opposite way was liable to end up involved in an almighty collision.
“Ease off a bit,” Prosper said. “If we scare him too much someone else is going to get hurt.”
“I’d almost think you meant that, if I didn’t know you want to make sure Klement doesn’t kill himself.”
Prosper Snow Series Page 50