by Saul, Jonas
She saw him reach for something. A clicking sound confirmed the door was unlocked. She reached to her right without looking and opened it.
“Good. Now, one more thing. Where are you taking me?”
He shook his head.
“Not a good answer. I’m the one with the gun. Where are you taking me? Last chance.”
The driver turned a little and looked at his partner. He looked back at Sarah.
“Back to the crypt in the basilica.”
“So you kidnapped us to bring Parkman over here?”
“Yes, and to give Armond a chance to neutralize your assault team.”
“Why not leave Parkman and neutralize him too?”
“He would never have left you without a lot of noise. Too much trouble. Our orders were to remove anyone who was with you and bring them here. Then return with only you. By that time everyone else would be dead.”
“Is that why you’re wearing vests? Because of the assault team?”
He nodded. “Everyone has one tonight.”
“Tell me your name.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Ballsy to be defiant when I’m the one with the gun. Tell me your name.” She emphasized the last word by pressing the weapon into the skin of his throat.
“Peter.”
“Okay Peter. As you said, everyone else will be dead. But it won’t be only my side because I’m going to end this thing tonight.”
He frowned. “You can’t win. Whether you shoot me or not, Armond will kill you tonight and everyone else you brought along. No one can stop him.”
“I’ll take my chances,” she said and fired her weapon.
The bullet entered the center of his neck right below the adams apple. His eyes widened and his hands rose to the wound. Blood began trickling out and down his chest. After a moment he slumped in the driver’s seat.
“That was for my friend Parkman. No one delivers him to a beating like that and gets away with it. No one.”
She looked outside but couldn’t see anyone. The rain continued to pelt the car. It must’ve masked the sound of the gunshot well enough because no one came running to investigate.
She needed to find Parkman. She needed to make sure he was okay before going back to the crypt.
She eased out of the backseat, the gun held in front of her. A quick look up and down the small alley revealed no one. It was getting dark and the rain wasn’t showing any signs of letting up.
She started down the alley the way she’d seen the two men pulling Parkman.
At the corner she looked around slowly. Both men were standing inside an open garage door. They had the trunk of a car open. Sarah could see the edge of Parkman’s elbow from where she was.
“Hey guys!” she yelled from her hiding place, deepening her voice as best she could. She looked behind her to make sure she was alone. No more surprises.
When she looked back around the corner with one eye she could see both men were staring in her direction but neither one had stepped out into the rain.
“Peter and Janos said to bring the American cop back to their car,” she shouted, trying to sound as masculine as she could.
She watched as they looked at each other. One of them shrugged his shoulders and reached into the trunk to pull Parkman out.
How stupid can you get? They don’t even question why a woman’s voice is shouting at them? Maybe her voice was convincing enough? Or maybe it was saying the names Peter and Janos that did the trick.
Parkman was lifted out. One guy took his arms and the other his legs as they started carrying him back toward her.
I’m sorry this happened to you, my friend.
She waited until they were five feet from the corner before stepping out, her gun raised with both hands.
Two quick shots from such close range dropped each man. It happened so fast that neither one of them got a chance to reach for their weapons.
She ran to Parkman and brushed the rainwater from his face.
He blinked and then shut his eyes again. Blood covered his face. He was still bleeding around his mouth. Bruises were already forming and his left eye looked like it would be swollen shut within hours.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He grunted something.
“What?” She leaned in closer.
“Get Armond…finish this.” This was pronounced dis. Sarah could see a couple teeth were missing in the front.
“I will, but I’m not leaving you here. Can you walk?”
She saw an almost imperceptible nod of his head.
“Okay, let’s get you to your feet, fucker. And next time don’t let them hit you so much.”
She turned him over and wrapped his arm around her neck.
“Man are you heavy. What the fuck do you eat? T-bones for breakfast?”
When he grunted it almost sounded like laughter. To Sarah it was musical.
“What happened…to dem?”
“They’re all dead. Every one of dem.” She said it his way. He was alive. He would heal. Everything was all right in the world. The people that stood for her would make it through. The only real person she trusted took a hit for the team. She would go to the edge and then jump for him. He proved his allegiance. She would prove hers.
Something loosened and moved inside her. It opened, blossomed and sprung new life. She felt it in her soul. It was filled with life, love and trust. What Parkman did and what he was made of moved her to a place she never thought possible. She was feeling again. It had been so long that it felt foreign.
In that moment she knew she would die for him. There could be nothing more noble.
But first Armond has to be exterminated.
They shuffled to the police car, arm in arm. Sarah gently placed Parkman back in the passenger seat he’d previously occupied. When he was seated and secure she raced around to the driver’s side and yanked the dead cop out of the front seat and onto the wet pavement. Then she began undressing him. It took too much time but she got the kevlar vest off him. She tossed it at Parkman and then opened the backdoor to work on the other cop.
After she’d removed his vest she left him in the backseat, got behind the wheel and started the car.
“What about…?” Parkman asked, pointing to the guy in the backseat.
“He’s coming with us.”
Parkman moved his head sideways a little and raised both bloody hands in a questioning gesture.
“Because I want Armond to see what happens to the people he sends after us.”
Sarah dropped the police car into reverse and backed down the alley. She eased onto the street and started back the way they had come, hoping some of Rosalie’s team were still alive. As they began to cross the bridge back into Hungary she flipped the police siren on. She didn’t want anyone getting in their way.
Parkman muttered something beside her.
“What was that?” she asked.
“I could use…a too pick.”
Chapter 27
Sarah drove into the empty parking lot of the Esztergom Basilica, siren blazing. The only vehicles were three other police cars. She killed the siren half way up the lot and pulled to the far right. There were eight large pillars at the massive front of the basilica. She drove to the far right side of them and, keeping her vehicle in the shadows, edged onto the grass where she stopped and turned the police car off.
“Put that thing on. I know you’re in pain, but I can’t leave you here without it on. Sorry about the blood on it.” She pushed the kevlar vest in his lap.
“Are you going to be okay?”
He nodded.
“Stay out of sight. When this is over I will come and get you and we will drive to the helicopter and get the fuck out of here. Got it?”
He nodded and started to slide an arm into the vest.
Sarah lifted her T-shirt over her head and then donned the vest, slipping the T-shirt back on over top.
“Sure hope this thing works,” she muttered to h
erself.
“Me ‘oo,” Parkman said.
She looked over at him, knowing this might be the last time they saw each other. After a moment of silence she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She saw his good eye open a little in surprise.
“I love you Parkman. Thank you for what you do. You’ve helped me in more ways than you know.”
“I uv oo too.”
She raised a finger. “Just be clear. Love as in a brother and not sexy-time shit.” She almost giggled. She felt young and free.
He smiled as best he could and nodded. “Of orse.”
Sarah saw the teeth that were missing. A little blood still trickled out of his mouth.
“We’ll get you to a doctor as soon as this is over.”
He nodded.
She turned and jumped from the vehicle. In her right hand she held the cop’s gun and in her waistline she had Rosalie’s ankle gun stashed. The rain had eased a little. She didn’t have to wipe as much off her face as earlier. Her shirt was soaked and her pants felt like she’d gone swimming in them.
With her hand low at her side she headed around to the back of the church. She wanted to find another way in. Using the front door was like shouting out I’m here motherfuckers, come get me. She wasn’t in that kind of mood.
Kill Armond and leave. That’s it. Time to go to Canada and take a break.
After turning the corner she heard a car door shut behind her. Good, maybe Parkman was moving into a more secure location.
At the back of the church she turned the corner. She saw no movement of any kind. Maybe they were all in the church. It was full dark now, and difficult to see. A few small security lights were affixed to the side of the church but they didn’t give off a lot of light in the rain-darkened night. She had to move slowly. This was the end game. There could be no mistakes.
She passed the two large back doors of the church. As she came up to the corner she heard a solid thump behind her and nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Shit.” She whispered. “What the fuck was that?”
She turned toward where she thought she heard the noise. Faint gurgling sounds came from about ten feet in front of her. In the dark she couldn’t make anything out.
“Identify yourself,” she said, her weapon raised, safety off, finger in place.
She stepped closer.
“Identify yourself,” she said again.
More gurgling.
Her eyes adjusted. She saw the faint shape of a man lying on the ground about four feet in front of her. He was wearing the clothes of one of Rosalie’s team members.
After checking around her immediate area to make sure this wasn’t a trap, she leaned forward and knelt down.
“What happened? Where is everyone?”
She could barely see his eyes roll to her. Then she heard a final release of air. She reached up under his neck but felt no pulse.
“Shit.”
She stood up and raised her gun. Where the fuck is everybody? And where did this guy come from?
Five feet from her another heavy thump shook the ground. She ran over and saw another of Rosalie’s team. He was still alive but going fast.
“What happened? Tell me.”
“They…” he gasped, fighting for air.
“Try to tell me. I’m sorry, but try.”
“Roof…throwing…” two big gasps and then he said, “off roof,” he lowered his head and rolled away a little, his body still.
Sarah stood and looked up at the roof. She could see flashlights roving around. A dark figure was out on the edge. Then whoever it was stepped back from the edge.
Sarah ran toward the building. Not three steps away, another thump smacked the ground behind her. She turned back to see who it was. He was close enough that the security lights illuminated his body. This man was dead before they threw him. Three bullet holes could be seen in his chest area. He lay at an odd angle, his right arm twisted behind his head in a way that arms weren’t supposed to go.
Anger rose inside her beyond anything she had ever experienced. The people who had come here to see that justice was done were being thrown off the roof of a church as if they were vermin. Real human lives were being thrown away like trash. Someone’s brother, son or father lay at her feet.
She almost felt paralyzed with anger. All thoughts of accountability and consequence disappeared. There was no way Armond could live through this. Even if she died, it didn’t matter. This was more than catching a criminal mastermind. This was war and Sarah felt ready for battle.
As she turned to head back to the church another body thumped to the ground a few feet away. She didn’t stop to look; there was no point. The only thing that mattered was Armond.
Maybe I’ll wound him and then throw him off the roof.
She came around the corner and strode up to the main doors of the church. They were propped open. She saw no one in the area.
They must all be on the roof. The building was evacuated and everyone sent home. He thought his men were handling Parkman and me so they needn’t worry about us while they deal with Rosalie’s team. Brilliant and stupid. What they didn’t count on was me coming back alone, armed and ready. And pissed the fuck off.
She stepped into the church and looked down the steps that led into the crypt. Should she go down there and wait or go upstairs and attack one by one until she kills Armond? The smart thing was to lie in wait. Safer. Attacking meant, putting herself at greater risk.
Fuck it.
She moved forward into the main church. Something moved above her. She ducked a little. A straw broom swung down, attached to a rope of some kind. She stepped sideways, easily avoiding its arc. She must’ve tripped a wire or something as she entered.
Great. Now they know I’m here. So much for stealth.
She stepped past the doorway and looked up to see where the broom had come from to make sure it wasn’t thrown by an attacker.
That was her undoing.
Something hit her hard below the right knee. She shouted out in pain and crumpled to the floor. Before she could turn around, a heavy black boot stepped on her right forearm and the gun in her hand was ripped away.
Rough hands seized her and tore the other weapon out of her waistband.
She was lifted into the air and carried toward the line of pews by three men. She couldn’t protest much due to the throbbing pain in her leg. She gritted her teeth and mentally chastised herself for being so stupid.
They had meant to make her look up so she wouldn’t see them standing behind the door. They used a broom because they didn’t want to kill her yet and now here she was a prisoner of Armond Stuart. Again. But this time, even if she could escape, she couldn’t run very far.
Fucking great!
The meat claws of Armond’s men set her down hard. She cried out at the pain in her leg despite herself. It felt like it was broken.
Wire wrapped around her wrists. She felt them tying her to a pew.
“What the fuck you gonna do? Preach to me?” she asked through gritted teeth. A sweat broke out on her forehead. Her hands felt clammy scrunched together.
One of the men looked up at her, paused what he was doing and then looked away.
“Fucking pussy. Beating up on a girl. Your mother know what you do for a living?”
He wound up and backhanded her across the face.
Oh shit. That fucking hurt. I gotta watch my mouth until I can get out of this.
“Don’t talk to them,” a voice said above her. “They don’t speak English. Only Hungarian.”
She looked up and into the eyes of Armond Stuart. He was standing in a raised pulpit wearing a priest’s vestments. The pulpit was attached to the side of a rounded pillar. Stairs could be seen behind the pillar where access to the pulpit would be gained. She figured they were used for sermons as the church was so large the priests would want to come closer to the people to be heard better.
“Are you enjoying your last evening alive?” Armond asked.
“Why are you dressed like a priest? Gonna change from young girls and start in on young boys now?”
She struggled with her hands a little. The brutes who’d tied her up had stepped away. Two of them had left the area. The one who slapped her was standing at the end of the pew watching over her.