She nodded. She picked up her feet and placed them on the car seat. The hitman’s lifeless body slumped into the foot well.
Meanwhile, Mick scrambled around in the back seat, trying to pull the ceiling handle free. The whole Chevy rocked back and forth.
I swung the rifle toward Eva. “Incredible. I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re worse than your father.”
“That was the final loose end,” she responded. “And you can blame his death on Karla, I suppose.”
“What?” Karla shouted.
“You can’t even take responsibility for that?” I said. “What we just witnessed you do?”
She jabbed the gun in Karla’s direction. “Everything was going fine until she decided to go back to her FO. We needed her here at the warehouse. I’d given him a fake NSA badge and fake name and told him to only use it in an absolute emergency. When he showed his face to agents at Karla’s FO, he signed his own death warrant. No loose ends. My story is airtight. I couldn’t risk him being identified and linked to me or my father and ruining the story.”
She dangled the detonator. “His charred body may be found, but he’ll never be identified. Investigators will probably assume he was a foreign asset hired by Cranston or you, that’s my guess.”
I pulled the soaking wet shirt-bandana off my head. The monster had thought of everything.
Eva tucked her gun away, pulled out a decent-sized padlock, and shuffled to her right. In seconds she’d close the warehouse doors and padlock them shut, then blow the place up.
I still didn’t have a shot, so I lied out of desperation. “Frank knows everything. You won’t get away with this.”
“Nice try.” She backed out the doors. “I’ve monitored all your communications, Gary, from the very beginning.”
Before she shut the doors, I shouted, “Karla told Frank everything at her FO.”
“Nope,” Eva said. “I checked with my man before he got onto the boat. Karla said nothing to Frank or Hornsby.” She took one last look at me. “You should never have messed with us.”
I ignored her comment. My attention was on my son. I watched him through the closing doors. When the doors closed, I shut my eyes for a split second and burned the picture of my son’s peaceful face into my memory. Then I threw the rifle onto the warehouse floor, jumped up and ran along the shelves to the middle of the warehouse. I needed to get far away from the corner, from where the Semtex was plastered.
Reaching the middle of the shelves, I got down on my belly and started to shimmy down. The first explosion rocked the warehouse and stopped my descent, however. My right side slammed against the warehouse wall, then the shelves started crumpling underneath me. I free-fell about twenty feet, landing flat on one of the shelves, about ten feet off the ground. Every ounce of wind was knocked from my body.
I curled up and protected myself as the second, then third, then final blast came. They were staggered by a few seconds. The sounds were thunderous in the warehouse. I was thrown left, then right, then backward, losing my handgun in the process. When the explosions stopped, I was buried in a pile of rubble.
As I pushed shelves and debris off me, I smelled fire and heard it crackling. Once free, I looked up into the night sky, since most of the roof had been blown off the warehouse. Smoke from the fire quickly blotted out the starry night sky.
Amidst the chaos, I swear I heard pounding on the back door. I glanced at the door, but it was still sealed shut. Figuring I was delusional, I turned my attention toward the Chevy. Mick was pounding on the back window with his right shoulder, trying to break the window. I wasn’t sure he’d have enough leverage to do so. Karla’s head slumped forward and her arms dangled from the ceiling. The blast had smashed her head against the glass. I could see the cut on her right temple. My eyes found Stanley. He looked unconscious, too.
Meanwhile, fire raged inward from the four corners, or from where the corners of the warehouse used to be. The explosions had torn four huge holes where the Semtex had been placed. What was left of the roof started collapsing in random pieces. Flames spread quickly to the standing walls. The floor beams had yet to catch, but it was only a matter of time. Smoke was billowing, thick, descending downward and filling the warehouse.
I struggled to the edge of the collapsed shelf, then rolled off and fell the final ten feet to the ground. Landing in a heap, I started crawling toward the Chevy, then I stopped.
A huge thud echoed throughout the warehouse. Another one followed. I looked behind me. The back door suddenly crashed open.
Frank Lemming stepped in, wielding a gun in one hand and a giant pair of bolt cutters in the other.
CHAPTER 35
Too shocked at the sight of Frank, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I remained on all fours in the middle of the warehouse floor.
Frank ran toward me and helped me up. He patted me on the back.
I looked at him. All I could say was: “How?”
“Thirty years I kept this bolt cutter in various cars, thinking I may need it one day.” He held up the tool. “Finally came in handy.”
Frank propped his shoulder under my arm and held me up.
I motioned at the Chevy.
While Frank helped me limp there, I said, “No, I mean how did you know we were here at the warehouse?”
“Karla slipped me this note, discreetly.” He dug out a small yellow sticky note from his pocket and showed me. It read: ‘Pier 42 – 03:00 a.m.”
Thank you, Karla.
Right then a huge ceiling beam cracked and gave way above us. Frank pushed me out of the way as the beam crashed where we had just been standing.
I got up, thanked Frank, then motioned at the Chevy. “We have to get them out.”
Frank ran to the back seat and started cutting Mick free with the bolt cutter.
I struggled to the passenger door about ten seconds later. Along the way, I found my rifle and picked it up. When I reached the Chevy, I opened the passenger door and shook Karla until she stirred awake.
After freeing Mick, Frank cut off Karla’s cuffs. Mick grabbed his gun, then ran over and scooped up Stanley. We all headed toward the back door that Frank had broken down. We had to dodge ceiling beams and flames, and stay low to avoid the smoke. Frank helped Karla to the door. I was the last to make it. By the time I reached the door, I had my wind back, but I was choking on smoke. Mick dragged me through the open door, then slammed it shut.
Outside, Frank grabbed me by the shoulders. “Go get your son. Hurry. There’s a boat at the end of the dock.” He handed me his gun. “Karla and I will get Stanley to the hospital. We’ll call for backup.”
Before I could respond, Frank picked up Stanley and handed Karla his phone.
“Let’s flank her on either side of the warehouse,” Mick said. His eyes were wide. He was ready to take her down.
I nodded. “I’ll take this side.”
Mick still had his earpiece in, so I grabbed mine from my pocket and put it in.
“First one with a clean shot takes her out,” Mick said.
“Agreed.”
Mick took off.
I ran as fast as I could to the corner of the warehouse. I had to scramble around piles of debris and a number of fiery wooden beams. The dock would catch fire soon. Fortunately, the fire was raging out of control so I didn’t have to worry about being loud and giving my position away. Eva would never hear me approaching.
When I reached what was left of the corner structure, I stayed low and crouched onto my belly. I put the scope to my eye and immediately found Eva. She was working on releasing the stern line to a large cigarette boat, which was already fired up. The deep, throaty sputter of the engine could be heard over the fire. Eva had released the bow line, so the boat drifted perpendicular to the dock.
“I have no shot,” I said to Mick. “Her back is to me. You in position yet?”
“Almost.”
Ten long seconds later Mick said, “Okay, I’m in position, but no shot either.”
/> Eva struggled with the knot because of Simon. I realized it would be hard for her, if not impossible, to unwind all the duct tape and release Simon from her chest. She couldn’t bend over very far. She was a little frantic trying to get the final line free. Her frantic movements made for an even riskier shot. I took controlled breaths, calmed myself, and waited for the shot.
It didn’t come.
So I waited for her to free Simon. Maybe she had a pocket knife and would cut the duct tape. She wasn’t going to take Simon with her, was she? I patted my bald head, wiping sweat away in the process.
Suddenly Eva turned sideways, kneeling down to get a better angle on the stern line. Her front faced Mick, so I knew he had no shot.
Mick confirmed it. “No shot here. You, Aug?”
It was fifty-fifty for me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hold the rifle steady. Too risky for Simon. I pounded on the dock. “I don’t think so. She’s a pretty small target, kneeling down like that.”
“Maybe we let her go then,” Mick said.
“No way,” I replied.
“Think about it, Chase. We have her. We’re all alive. Her story won’t hold water against all of us. Stanley will probably make it. The four us will tear apart her story. Stanley will admit he planted the evidence on your computer at the request of Eva. It’s over. We win.”
“It’s not, not by a long shot. We can’t let her get on that boat with Simon.”
“She said she’s no child killer.”
“No,” I snapped. “We let her on that boat with my son and he dies. Guaranteed.”
“I don’t think so, buddy.”
My mind raced. “I do. We’re all alive, and that’s the problem, Mick. Think about it. She’ll likely be monitoring the police scanners, so she’ll discover we made it out alive. Karla was already calling for backup. As soon as Eva learns we made it out, she’ll know it’s over for her. And if she finds that out while holding Simon, she’ll kill him, then disappear forever. That will be her revenge. There’s no question in my mind. She won’t let this go without avenging her father. Think of the lengths she’s already gone to.”
Mick didn’t respond. He knew I was right.
Eva finally released the stern line, then she stood, holding the rope in one hand and the gun in her other. Simon’s head dipped forward slightly. I still only had a partial side view of her. Still a risky shot.
“I’m going out there, Mick, no gun. She’s not freeing Simon.”
“Don’t you dare. It’s a death sentence. She’ll shoot you immediately.”
“Maybe, maybe not. She’ll be shocked at least. I’ll try and get her to talk for a second, try and distract her. She may turn and give you an angle.”
“It’s too risky.”
“Maybe, probably. If she does shoot me, you know what’ll happen. Her head will tilt back from the recoil. That’s your opportunity. Simon’s head is already drooped forward. When—”
“It’s too dangerous, Aug, stay put.”
“When her head goes back, Mick, there’ll be a safe distance between her head and Simon’s. Take the shot. I trust you.”
A brief pause, then he said, “You don’t have to do this.”
“I have to. It’s the greatest good, laying down my life for my son’s. If I die, there’s no other way I’d rather go.”
“Stop that talk. We can come up with a better plan.”
Even though Mick couldn’t see me, I still shook my head. “We don’t have time, buddy. We have to do this now. Bury her when she shoots me. And then clear all our names.” I paused and cleared my throat.
“Make sure Simon grows up right,” I said. “Take care of him, Mick. I’m trusting you for that. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be a surrogate father for him.”
A split second of silence from my best friend. “Of course I will. At least take your rifle and get her on the defensive.”
“I can’t have her put a gun to my son’s head. No way. She’s likely to kill him now that we’ve got out. I need her attention on me. If she sees me with the rifle, she’ll immediately think about killing Simon.”
“At least take Frank’s gun. Put it behind your back.”
“I will.”
I stood and left the rifle behind. While walking toward the boat, I stuffed Frank’s handgun into the back of my waistband.
“There’s a better way, Aug, there must be.”
“No time to figure it out, Gabe.” I ripped out the earpiece and dropped it onto the dock.
“Eva Russo,” I shouted.
Right before getting into the boat, Eva stopped and turned. I took a tiny bit of joy from her expression. Her lips were slightly apart and her eyes jumped. She stood speechless.
Suddenly she jabbed her gun in my direction. “Stop right there, Gary.”
I didn’t, because Eva wasn’t turning. She stood parallel with the edge of the dock, not moving. Mick had no shot, so I side-stepped to my right, to get her to turn toward me and give Mick a decent angle.
She didn’t turn.
Instead, she shot me.
I dropped to my knees. She’d winged my left shoulder. I wasn’t sure if she’d meant to wing me, or if she was just a bad shot.
“I told you to stop,” she said. “Who else made it out?”
I didn’t answer. The gunshot had stirred Simon. I saw my son move for the first time all night. He started wriggling in the carrier. Eva had removed his blindfold.
I watched and waited for his eyes to flutter open. Before I died, I wanted to look into my son’s eyes. If my last vision was Simon’s face, I’d die in peace.
But I didn’t get to see his big, blue eyes.
Eva shot me again.
I flopped onto my back. She’d shot me in the left shoulder again, about two inches below the other bullet. She was a good shot.
“I asked, who else made it out.”
I struggled to sit up. “You’re going to kill me anyway. Why would I tell you?”
“No, I’m not. That would be too easy. I’ll kill your boy and let you live. You need to experience pain and suffering like my father, for the rest of your life.”
She pulled the gun off me and pointed it at Simon’s temple.
“NO,” I screamed.
Mick suddenly jumped into view with his palms extended. He’d had his gun stuffed behind his back. He pulled it out and pointed it at Eva and moved side to side, trying to make himself a tough target.
Eva was stunned at Mick’s sudden appearance. I could see it on her face. The shock caused her to make a mistake. Her one and only mistake. The one I had been waiting for.
She turned toward Mick.
Instinctively, I reached around with my right arm and whipped out Frank’s pistol. Taking aim at the side of her head, I used her slightly larger than normal ears as a target. In my peripheral vision, I could see Mick moving erratically.
Her gun coughed.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Mick drop, but I kept focused on Eva. The energy from the gunshot transferred from her hand to her forearm, then up her arm and through her shoulder. I watched her head kick back, just like I knew it would.
I concentrated on the middle of her ear, tracking it backward a few inches. When her head reached the farthest point from Simon, I pulled the trigger.
The bullet drove through the middle of her ear. Pink mist sprayed from the other side of her head, clouding my vision for a moment.
When the pink mist cleared, my body finally relaxed.
Eva’s lifeless body dropped to the dock.
But I didn’t get to celebrate, not for long. Because everything changed a moment later. I saw it coming, the unintended consequence.
The momentum from my bullet carried her body backward.
Eva plopped onto her butt, right near the dock’s edge. The stern line was already floating in the water. The boat was unmoored and slowly drifting away from the dock. I gasped and held my breath.
With my son strapped tight to her chest, Eva Rus
so’s body toppled backward off the dock and plunged head-first into the Pacific Ocean.
CHAPTER 36
Iscrambled to my feet and charged toward the ocean.
While my damaged left arm swung erratically at my side, my right arm pumped as fast as it could. When I reached the dock’s edge, I launched into a dive, barely missing the boat. I broke the water’s surface with my good arm.
Fortunately, the raging warehouse fire lit up the ocean’s surface, so I could see a few feet underwater. I spun left, then right, looking for Eva. Finally spotting her, I swam toward her sinking body. When I reached her, I grabbed a swath of duct tape with my right hand and stopped her body’s descent. I knew I couldn’t rip Simon free with one hand, so I kicked with everything I had and headed to the surface.
After breaching the water, I spun Eva around and checked on Simon. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t breathing. I wasn’t sure if he’d fallen unconscious again, so I tried mouth to mouth, but I kept sinking with every breath. Treading water and holding up two bodies with one hand was next to impossible. Simon’s mouth dipped underwater every few seconds.
Trying not to panic, I wedged my good shoulder under Eva and scissor kicked to keep everyone above water. The strategy worked for thirty seconds. After that, my legs couldn’t keep up the pace and we started sinking again.
Desperate, I tried ripping the duct tape with my mouth. With every bite, however, I took in water and sank a little farther. All I wanted was to rip Simon free and watch Eva sink to the bottom of the Pacific, but I couldn’t do that. Each kick got harder, like I was drowning in a pool of cement.
After twenty, maybe thirty seconds, my thighs started aching, burning, like someone was holding a torch to them. Another twenty seconds later I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I was still kicking. I looked down and confirmed that they were moving, but just barely.
Soon my entire body was submerged, even though I continued to kick. I held my right arm straight over my head and wedged my palm in the middle of Eva’s back. I knew if she was above water, Simon was safe. My heart and will were committed to saving Simon. Unfortunately, my legs weren’t.
The Greatest Good Page 30