Against the Clock

by Charlie Moore

  She wondered for a moment—if Robyn was anyone else's sister, would she still be doing this? Would she still risk her life to save her? She wasn't sure.

  18:42:31

  Ben pushed the ear bud deeper into his ear, wanting to hear every whispered word, every breath, every sound. It felt strange to see Shirin and Robyn on the black-and-white monitor feeds. It lent an incredulous feel to a situation so desperately real.

  He could see Shirin walk toward Robyn, then veer off, into the front of the female clothing store. Robyn was looking around, as though searching for someone. He couldn't see her face, but he knew her. She was scared.

  Why was Shirin going into the store and not helping Robyn? He didn't understand. He felt lost, and driven by emotion only; he couldn't trust his feelings. How could he love a woman who had been lying to him the whole time? He wasn't sure, but he did. How could he protect the little sister he'd protected all his life when he couldn't even protect himself?

  Right now, he knew Shirin was the only reason he was still alive. He had seen her in action, had seen what she was capable of. Part of him was scared, part of him was in awe, but the biggest part of him believed she would get them through whatever the hell was going on. He believed that if anyone could do it, she could.

  18:42:41

  Robyn Mills tried to stand still, tried not to run and hide, tried desperately not to break down and cry. The memories of being attacked came at her in hot white flashes.

  The look on that man's face as he strangled her haunted her, and the look on Trent's face as the knife was pushed into him haunted her even more. And after he had saved her, she left him wounded at the hospital curb. Alone! She didn't know him, but she hoped with all her heart that he was okay.

  Trent had told her to buy something using the credit card he had given her. So she had; a scarf, which she now wrapped around her sore throat and neck. She hoped it would cover the bruising left by that evil man's garrote. She kept adjusting the scarf, like a nervous tick.

  Trent had told her a woman would come for her, a friend of Ben's. She had used the card about fifteen minutes ago. How long would it take? Trent hadn't told her that.

  Every woman who walked by, every woman she saw became the potential friend of her brother's, coming to help her. Yet none of them was.

  A moment ago, she thought it would happen. A young woman, slim, jet black hair, dark skin, with eyes that penetrated her, walked toward her, then veered off, and disappeared in the fashion store. Another false hope.

  How long would she have to wait? Not long, she decided. Trent had told her not to go to the police, but where else could she go? When she first arrived at the Plaza, she had tried calling Ben from a payphone, but some strange man had answered. Said he was a friend of Ben's and that Ben would call her back soon. It didn't seem right, something was off, so she'd hung up. His mobile went straight to voicemail. For all she knew, he was in trouble, too.

  She was at her wit's end. She just needed to feel safe. She needed to know that her brother was safe. She needed to know Trent would survive. And what was she doing? She was standing around waiting.

  She pushed herself off the handrail and started to walk off.

  "Excuse me, miss!"

  She heard a female voice calling her. Hope returned, for only a moment. It was the cashier from the store where she had purchased the scarf. She came toward her, holding a bankcard or credit card.

  "Excuse me, I'm sorry, but I think you dropped this while you were paying for your item." She extended the card. "One of our other patrons saw it fall from your purse, and thought you had picked it up. But there it was."

  "Oh…umm…thank you," Robyn replied, knowing she was a mess. She accepted the card without looking at it. "Thank you again. I've just had one of those days."

  The retail clerk smiled with the implication of understanding and returned to the store. Robyn glanced at the card before slipping it back into her purse. It looked different. It wasn't her card. Reading the name printed on the front, she realized it was her brother's Visa. But how?

  Without thinking, she headed back to the store, how did the cashier get her brother's card?

  18:46:04

  "She's heading back into the store." Ben's voice was loud in Shirin's ear. She could imagine him almost shouting on the other end while busily glancing from one camera feed to the other.

  "Very good. Tell me if anyone follows her in."

  Shirin was in the back corner of the store, near the fitting rooms. She had already picked a light-colored blouse and removed the long blonde wig from a mannequin while the store clerk was busy.

  Robyn entered the store and approached the lady who had returned the card to her. A moment later, she headed toward Shirin.

  "Any action?" Shirin asked Ben.

  "No. The big guy you pointed out moved closer to where Robyn was. Looks like he's watching the entrance."

  With Robyn only a few feet away, Shirin retreated farther back into the store, drawing her deeper into the most remote corner of the shop.

  Hesitant, Robyn followed, and when she was close enough to hear, Shirin spoke into the earpiece loud enough for Robyn to hear her. "Ben. Your sister's here. Say hello but be quick!"

  Shirin removed her ear bud and offered it to Robyn. She took it cautiously.

  "Ben?" she asked, full of hope.

  18:46:29

  "Robyn." Ben's voice was quick, urgent. "We don't have much time. I'm safe. You need to listen to her. Do exactly as she says! There are men outside following you. I'm watching from the security cameras. Do exactly as she says. She's going to help you."

  "Yes, yes! I'm just so glad you're okay!"

  Ben could hear the muffling sound of the earpiece being moved.

  "I'm back," Shirin said briskly. "Any movement outside?"

  "None."

  He kept watching the cameras and heard Shirin talking to his sister. "My name is Shirin. I'm going to get you out of here."

  "Shirin, Trent needs help!" Robyn couldn't hold it back any longer. She broke down in tears.

  "Where is he? What happened?"

  "He was stabbed, I took him to the hospital, and he told me to leave, to come here."

  "How bad was it?"

  "I don't know. It was bad, it was so deep!"

  Ben could hear the strain in his sister's voice. He could imagine her trying to compose herself.

  "Which hospital did you take him to?" Shirin asked.

  "Nepean."

  "That's where I work, Shirin," Ben said into his earpiece. "I can make a call."

  "Not yet," Shirin interrupted. "Let's get out of here first. I need you to focus on the cameras. Once we're clear, you can make that call."

  18:46:58

  Shirin herded Robyn into the dressing room, tossed the blouse and wig toward her, and told her to change quickly while she kept an eye on the entrance.

  Robyn was done within half a minute, and already the transformation was amazing. From brunette to blonde, a dark colored top… At a quick glance, she looked like a different person. But she still wore the scarf.

  "Lose the scarf," Shirin said while assessing her appearance.

  Robyn didn't speak, but slowly drew the scarf away. Tears welled in her eyes. The welting and swelling from being strangled had gotten worse, and Shirin almost gasped before she caught herself. She rested her hand gently on Robyn's shoulders. It was a reassuring touch. "Wait here, I'll get you something else."

  Shirin returned a few moments later and handed Robyn a pink turtleneck sweater. The soft curled collar would tuck high underneath her chin to hide her bruised and inflamed flesh. Shirin knew she would soon need medical attention, before an infection set in, but that was a problem for another time.

  "Shirin!" Ben sounded alarmed. "The big guy is coming toward the store. He's at the entrance!"

  "Is he alone?"

  "Yes," Ben responded. "Wait, no. There's another guy coming behind him!"

  "Okay, keep me posted." Shirin
looked at Robyn. She adjusted the blonde wig after putting on the sweater. "Stay in the cubicle. No matter what you see or hear." She pushed her back into the fitting room and closed the door.

  She could see the large man enter the store and scan from side to side, looking for Robyn. There was a back room, an office, but no back door. He would clear the floor first, then move to the office. At least, that's how she'd do it.

  The second man entered moments later. They were a team. They covered the store quickly, casting a net between them no one could slip through.

  As they made their way toward the dressing rooms, Shirin knew there was no way out. She stood in front of the mirror affixed to the outside of the door Robyn was hiding behind, and pretended to model her pants, turning and posing.

  The big man opened the stall beside her first; it was empty. Then pushed past Shirin to open the door to Robyn's stall.

  "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Shirin shouted at him. "Call security!" she yelled at the store clerk who was watching the men walk through the store.

  Stuttering into action, the clerk picked up the phone and dialed the number.

  The large man looked down at Shirin with a grunt and told her to get out of his way. He pushed her back with his right hand and reached out to open the door with his left.

  It was the moment Shirin was waiting for.

  She gripped the large man's fingers as they pressed against her shoulder, bent them back sharply, and then down with all her body weight. The speed of the movement snapped two fingers and made the big man fall toward her as his body naturally tried to lessen the damage to his hand.

  As he fell down and toward her, she pulled hard on his arm and brought her knee up in a sharp and vicious arc, connecting with a thud behind his right ear. Without releasing his fingers, she gripped his wrist with her other hand, twisted slightly in an anti-clockwise motion, pulled toward her as hard as she could, and stomped her right foot with devastating power to the base of his neck.

  His shoulder popped out with a loud snapping sound, and he howled in pain as he fell to the floor. She was about to deliver another kick to his throat when she saw the second man turn the corner of the dressing room entrance and rush toward her.

  He was moving fast, his hand reaching behind him. Reaching for a weapon. She leaped forward, cutting the space between them in half. With precision timing, she darted slightly to the side as he lunged forward. She kicked her heel forward, her leg straight as a battering ram, and connected with his leg just below his left knee.

  With such forward momentum and with his weight squarely on his left leg, the blow was akin to being hit by a car. His leg bent backward at the knee with a sickening crunch.

  The smaller man screamed in pain, clutching at his deformed leg, wanting to put it back together again but unable to touch it.

  Without hesitation, Shirin leaned behind him, pulling out the weapon he was reaching for―a Browning semi-automatic pistol. She thrust the barrel into the screaming man's open mouth, chipping teeth on the way in. Her finger tightened on the trigger, and she turned her head slightly to the side to shield her eyes from the explosion that would be his brains.

  Then she saw Robyn, peering out of the fitting room door. She looked shocked, dumbfounded. Scared.

  Seeing her reaction, Shirin stood up, tucked the acquired gun into her belt, and reached her hand out to Robyn.

  "Robyn, let's get out of here before more of these guys turn up."

  Robyn didn't move. She froze. The two men in front of her were on the ground, screaming. Their bodies looked unnaturally twisted and broken, and she had seen Shirin do this to them.

  "Robyn!" Shirin said forcefully. "Let's go!"

  Hesitantly, Robyn moved her hand out toward Shirin's until Shirin grabbed it and pulled her close, leading her toward the front of the store. The shop was empty now, save for the store clerk hiding behind the register, clutching her phone.

  "Ben, anyone else coming toward the entrance?"

  "Umm…no. You're clear. Are you both okay?"

  "We're good."

  "I heard screaming."

  "It wasn't us," Shirin said as they exited the store.

  18:49:16

  "Shirin, I see a lot of security officers running around," Ben said, trying to figure out where they all were coming from on the grid of video feeds in front of him.

  "We're coming up to camera 12," Shirin whispered, sensing Ben was getting overwhelmed with the feeds. "Look at cameras 11, 12, and 13. Can you see any guards or anyone who looks out of place running?"

  Ben took a moment to focus in on those camera feeds, to be sure of what he would tell Shirin. "Yes! Camera 12. Two guards walking very quickly!"

  He saw Shirin and Robyn walk into the field of camera 13. They disappeared into one of the retail stores. A few seconds later, the guards from camera 12 came into frame and walked right past where Shirin and Robyn had been only moments before.

  "That was close!" Ben exclaimed.

  "Not long to go, Ben, hang in there."

  18:49:47

  "Robyn, how are you holding up?" Shirin asked as she focused on maneuvering them through the busy shopping mall.

  "I'm okay."

  Shirin looked back at her as they walked. "How's the pain?"

  "It's okay… I can manage," she said, instinctively adjusting the high collar hiding her neck wounds.

  "Fair enough. Around the corner is a pharmacy. We'll get some pain killers and dressing materials to clean up your injuries."

  Robyn nodded in reply. She hadn't had much time to dwell on what happened to her, or what might have happened if Trent Barratt hadn't intervened when he did.

  "Shirin, I'm worried about Trent."

  "Me too."

  "He saved my life. And what that man did to him… What he was going to do to me…" Robyn stopped walking and stood there. She needed to get the words out, needed to tell someone.

  Shirin turned and stood there with her. She could see the pain in her eyes, she could feel her pain, and hated with a fiery fury the man who had done this to her. Shirin fought to control her anger.

  She didn't like to think about her life and the course it had taken, but on those rare occasions, she liked to imagine a life free of the monsters and free of the deceit. A life free of the nightmares. It was a life not too dissimilar from the life Robyn had had before today.

  Shirin knew intimately that after today, Robyn would never be the same. She would dream of it. Her mind would wonder and drift, only to be ripped back into the chasm where her hope and her innocence used to be.

  She knew Robyn would need help.

  Moving closer to her, she spoke softly. "Robyn, these thoughts you're having, these feelings, they're important to talk about. They're important to share…" She moved a step closer, held her hand, and squeezed softly. "But not now." Her eyes glanced from side to side. "Let's get you somewhere safe first."

  Robyn nodded her head as she wiped away the welling tears building up from deep inside her.

  Still holding her hand, Shirin led her forward.

  18:53:12

  "Ben, we're almost at the elevator. Can you meet Robyn at the top?"

  "Sure. But why are you not coming up with her?"

  "I'm going to hang back and make sure we weren't followed. Then I have to get to Nepean Hospital. If they found Robyn here, they'll find Barratt there."

  Ben didn't respond, but she sensed him thinking about it, weighing his thoughts before he spoke. She liked that about him, that he thought before he spoke, but it also frustrated her. She was a creature of action.

  "I want to help!" he blurted out. It was almost as if he said the words before his mind had a chance to evaluate the risk of his proposal and stop it from happening. It made her smile. Ben was a good man.

  "Thanks, Ben, but Robyn needs you." Robyn was strong, there was no doubt, but the trauma she had just faced―it was crippling even for seasoned agents. Shirin couldn't begin to comprehend how terrifying al
l this would be for a civilian.

  "I need you to look at her wounds," she continued. "We have some supplies from the pharmacy. She has a lot of cuts and scrapes and some deep bruising. I'll get you more supplies on the way back. Just tell me what you need."

  "Okay," he said quietly. It was hard to argue with her.

  Turning her attention back to Robyn, Shirin spoke slowly and firmly. "No matter what happens, do not leave the office! And do not let Ben leave! Understood?"

  "Yes." Robyn nodded.

  "If they found you once, they could again."

  Robyn nodded again. "Are you going to help Trent now?"

  "That's the plan."

  The two of them passed through the last corridor. To her knowledge, they weren't followed. She confirmed it with Ben’s view of the monitors before accessing the security panel of the internal lift. She punched in the code and guided Robyn into the elevator.

  "Robyn, I'm sorry this happened to you," Shirin said sincerely. "And I'm proud of how well you're handling yourself."

  Before Robyn could respond, Shirin punched the button to close the door.

  "She's on her way," she said into the earpiece.

  Ben's voice came back on the line. "I'm here. Ready."

  "And Ben, stay close to the phone, I'm going to need your help soon."

  Shirin disconnected the call. She ran down the corridor, paused at the end, entered the main complex, and disappeared in the throng of shoppers.

  If she was going to sneak into one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the district, find Barratt, and get him out of there safely before Zelig's men found him, she was going to need a change of clothes, makeup, and some supplies.

  chapter 9

  "saving one friend is more rewarding than killing a thousand enemies."

  the book of seekay

  19:31:28

  Shirin parked the stolen car on the second highest level of the multi-story car park attached to Nepean Hospital. She had no intention of using it again, but if the need arose, it was unlikely authorities would locate it there any time soon.