Maric stood in front of him with a paper package under one arm. His eyes went wide at the aborted assault. “Stop! It’s just me.”
Goran lowered his fist. Alina came out from behind the door.
“We thought you abandoned us,” she said.
“Abandon you? What for?” He entered the room. Alina showed him the newspaper. Maric mused aloud, “Seems you two are wanted terrorists from Serbia. The militia has started a citywide manhunt for you. They blocked all streets, trains, as well as the airport.” He put down the paper. “That’s going to make our getting out of town very difficult.”
“Blocked all the streets?” Alina said. She sat on the rumpled bed. “That’s going to make it impossible for us to escape.”
Maric shook his head. “I said difficult, not impossible. Leave it to me. I’ll get us through the blockades.”
“So, you’re still willing to help us?” Goran asked. “With all this, you would put your life and family on the line?”
“I have no family,” Maric answered. “There’s just me. And yes, I still want to help you.”
He opened the paper sack and emptied the contents on the bed. Alina stared at the two automatic Glock-40 pistols and a box of ammunition. Each gun had three spare clips.
“Where did you get these?” she said, checking the slide action on one of the guns. “I thought you were a respectable businessman.”
“I am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know people who aren’t. I thought you might need these before this night is through. Now, after reading that paper, I’m sure of it. That’s why I got this.” He pulled out his own gun, a nickel-plated Sig Sauer with a pearl handle.
“That’s not part of our plan, Maric,” Alina said. “If we do this right, no one has to be shot. I appreciate your eagerness, but a gun will only get you killed. I don’t want you to get hurt because of us.”
“Oh, but I am neck-deep in it now,” he said. “If I’m to haul the drugs out of Plovdiv, then I am just as much a part of this as you.”
“Who said anything about hauling it away? Why don’t we just burn it and get out of there?”
Maric shook his head. “First, they’ll shoot us. Then they’ll just put the fire out before it spreads. No, our best chance is to pose as delivery. That way, the guards won’t suspect a thing. We’ll drive in, hitch up, and drive away. Simple.”
Goran nodded and looked at Alina. “Could work.”
“Could work?” Maric said. “It will work. And if it doesn’t, then we always have these.” He held up his gun.
“I said no shooting,” Alina said. “We do this the right way or we don’t do it at all.”
“I agree with her,” Goran added. “We’re just trying to stick it to Oric, not kill a bunch of guys who are only following orders. If things don’t turn out the way we want, then we bail. It’s not worth getting killed over.”
Maric glared at them. “Okay, fine. We’ll do it your way. If any trouble comes up, we get out of there fast.”
~~~
Back at the hotel, General Oric asked his ever-present captain, “Everything set up?”
“As you ordered,” Captain Dzadzic replied. “Dimitrov has all avenues of escape blocked with troops. Had to pull in regular army, though. Too many places to patrol for the police.”
Oric nodded. He felt terrible. Even with the pain pills, his shoulder and leg hurt miserably. He had hardly slept during the night.
Someone knocked on the door rapidly. “General Oric! General Oric! Open up.”
With Oric sitting in the chair, the captain opened the door. A young lieutenant ran into the room.
“We’ve found them!” he said, practically dancing. “We’ve got a lead. A man working at a motel made positive confirmation this morning. He said they’re still there.”
“What are you waiting for? Get some men over there fast!”
“Already on it, sir. I dispatched a squad the minute I got confirmation. They should be arriving any minute now.” The lieutenant handed the captain a radio, who then gave it to Oric. A well trained officer following the chain of command.
“I thought you might want to be in constant contact with them.”
Oric groaned to his feet. “You were right. You did a good job.”
He pressed the radio’s call button. “This is General Oric. Who’s in charge there?”
A man’s voice replied, “Lieutenant Kojcic, sir. We’re almost there. Just a few more blocks.”
Oric was already heading for the door. The captain and lieutenant followed close behind.
~~~
Alina gathered up her clips and shoved them in her back pants pockets. The gun went into the waistband. Goran followed suit.
“Let’s go,” she said. “Goran and I were talking that we should get moving ten minutes ago.”
“That’s right,” Maric said, looking at his watch. “We have to be in Plovdiv by five. We can just make it if we hurry.”
“But what about the roadblocks? What’s your plan?”
“How much money do you have?”
Alina pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket.
“Oh, my God! Where did you get all that money?” Maric stared, wide-eyed.
“Yes,” Goran added, “where did you get all that money?”
Alina’s voice was curt. “Let’s just say the man I got it from doesn’t need it anymore and leave it at that.”
Maric took the bills and they walked outside. The trailer from Maric’s cab was gone.
“Ditched my load early this morning,” he said to no one in particular.
They piled in. Alina again took the rear cot—which was now missing the pile of dirty clothes.
“Thought I’d tidy up the place, what with company,” Maric said with a smile.
~~~
Lieutenant Kojcic, who sat in the passenger seat of the lead van, called in to General Oric. “Sir, we’re turning into the parking lot of the motel now.”
“Good. Keep me posted.” His voice sounded thin coming from the radio. “I’m on my way.”
The parade of black vans came to a screeching stop, honking their horns when a red semi truck cab pulled out in front of them. Finally, the truck cleared and the two lead vans stopped in front of a ground floor room. The other two split up, one on either side of the door.
Four men came out of each van, all armed with AK rifles up and ready. The lead soldier kicked in the door without hesitation and eight men poured inside.
The lieutenant pressed the call button on his radio. His voice was less excited than before. “We’re too late. They’ve gone.”
Silence was his only reply. Knowing the general’s mercurial temperament, he could imagine the fit Oric was throwing.
Eventually, Oric’s voice came over the radio. “Search every room. There’s a chance the clerk was wrong which one. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
~~~
All three people in the truck cab looked at the line of vans waiting to get into the parking lot. Alina knew who they were.
“Just act natural,” Goran said to Maric. “Take your time as if nothing’s wrong. Don’t want to spook those boys into following us.”
Maric nodded. He turned left, heading south. He checked the rear view mirror. “Those vans are pulling into the motel. We don’t have much time.”
“How do you know that?” Alina asked. She looked through the back window. “They didn’t see us.”
“No,” Goran said, “but they saw the truck. Soon as they start asking around, they’ll know it was us—and they will come hunt us down.” He turned to look in the mirror. “There’s no way we can outrun them in this.”
Maric suddenly turned right.
“What are you doing?” Alina said.
“Throwing them off our trail. If they do come after us, they won’t think to look in the back streets.”
“Good idea,” Goran said.
They drove the backstreets of Sofia for another ten minutes, though generally still he
ading south toward Plovdiv.
Maric looked at his watch. “We have to be going. We can’t stall any longer. It’s going to be hard getting to Plovdiv on time at this rate. I’ve got to get back on the main road.”
When he came to the intersection, he looked both ways, especially north. Oric’s men would be coming from that direction.
“I don’t see anyone. I think we’re clear,” Alina said.
Maric turned right, going through his progression of gears.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Alina commented. “There’s still the matter of those road blocks.”
Maric gave a nonchalant wave of his hand. “I said leave that to me. I’ve got it covered.”
“Well, whatever your plan is better work fast because I see them straight ahead.”
Chapter 13
An immaculately dressed Oric prowled through the filthy motel room, looking at everything but seeing nothing. He stopped to feel the day-old bread. He sniffed the tuna fish. It was still fresh.
“They can’t be far,” he said.
“Sir, I found this.” The captain walked up to Oric holding an empty bottle of hair color.
“So it seems like our blonde vixen has turned her hair black.” Oric nodded. “Makes sense.”
He looked at the rumpled bed sheets and shook his head. “Here we are looking all over the city only to find they were just a few kilometers away.”
“Sir,” Captain Dzadzic began, “with all due respect, we can’t think about that now. What do we do to find them?”
Oric nodded. “Yes, you’re right.” He fell silent for a moment, then whirled into action. “Captain, I want you to go to the registration desk. That clerk saw them. He must have seen them leave. Be as persuasive as you need to be, but bring me back some useful information.”
He turned to Lieutenant Kojcic . “Did you find anything when you canvassed the area?”
“No sir. They’re not here.”
A private stepped up. “Uh, General, I think I may have something. A truck, a big one, awakened one of the guests here. He said it made all sorts of racket starting up and getting out of here.”
“We know there was a truck. We saw it coming in.”
The captain returned with the clerk in tow. “Yes, but did you know there were three people in that truck? Two men and a woman.” They all turned to look as he escorted the night clerk into the room. “This man says he saw them getting into a red semi truck and then take off.”
Oric smashed a fist into the wall, punching a hole through the thin dry board. Then he wheeled around. “Get on them! Captain, get that truck. Kill everyone inside. Don’t try to stop or negotiate, just kill them.”
“Sir!” Dzadzic saluted. He indicated the two lieutenants. “You two, take separate vans. I’ll take the lead. The last van stays behind with the general.”
He spun on a toe and headed for the door. “Let’s go, people. We’ve got a job to do!”
~~~
A Bulgarian soldier held up a hand and waited for the big rig to stop. He approached the driver’s side and spoke to Maric in Bulgarian. Maric replied, digging out his passport and showing it to the man. The soldier looked at it, then at Maric, and nodded. After he handed the passport back, he pointed to Goran and Alina, who did not attempt to hide. Maric spoke rapidly, indicating the direction they were going. The soldier shook his head. He indicated the two and held out his hand. Maric pulled out Alina’s wad of cash and held up a hundred-mark bill. The man looked at it, then shook his head. Maric then pulled out two more bills and held them out to him.
The soldier, now looking interested, shook his head once more. He did, however, step closer to the truck. He whispered something to Maric, who gave him the entire wad. Maric said something and raised both hands. The soldier counted the money, then nodded, waving them through. Maric accelerated through the opening barricade.
When they were clear, Goran asked, “What was that all about?”
“Never met a Bulgarian soldier who didn’t need more money. They pay them next to nothing.” He looked back at Alina. “Told you it would work.”
“Yeah, but did you have to give him all my money? You didn’t even negotiate.”
“I didn’t have time to negotiate. Unless you missed it, we’re in a hurry.”
“But now we don’t have any money to eat or sleep.”
Maric smiled. “Don’t worry. Things have a way of working out.”
Goran glanced behind them. “Uh, I think we’ve got company.”
Maric looked in his mirror. Alina turned around to look out the back window and frowned. Three black vans passed through the barricade.
“Yep, they’re onto us.” Maric mashed the pedal to the floor. The big diesel engine lugged laboriously. Maric looked at Goran. “Sorry, she’s built for power, not speed. There’s no way we’re going to outrun them.”
Goran and Alina already had their guns out, pulling and releasing the top slide to cock and load a round into the chamber.
“We know,” Goran said.
The three vans came at them single file, swerving around traffic to catch up. Maric did the best he could to outdistance them by dodging around a line of cars, escaping onto the emergency shoulder lane when necessary. His front fender scraped the guardrail separating the oncoming traffic, sending sparks traveling in their wake. Maric winced. He seemed to love that truck. Made sense, Alina thought. He must have lived in it most of his life.
The vans pressed relentlessly closer. The side door on the first van slid open and two men leaned out, their machinegun rifles at their shoulders.
“Here they come!” Alina said, looking through the rear window. “On your left.”
“Got ‘em,” Maric nodded, watching the mirror. He slowed down.
“What are you doing?” Goran shouted.
“Drawing them in closer.” He winked at him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. Old Maric always has a plan.”
“Look out!” Alina yelled as she leaned forward and shook his shoulder, pointing to the front.
Maric had taken his eyes off the road too long. Now he was right on the tail end of a passenger car. His head snapped forward and he jerked the wheel hard right, but it was too late. He clipped the car in the right rear. The driver lost control, fishtailing wildly before spinning into a series of circles. The lead van following them slammed on its brakes but still crashed headlong into the swirling car. Three more passenger cars careened into the melee. Others skidded to a stop. The entire scene was a pile of wrecked cars, screeching tires, and blue smoke.
Maric took a deep breath and said, “Uh, that was not my plan.”
“Well, it worked out well,” Goran said. “Only two more to go.” He looked back at Alina. “Are you ready?”
“What do you think?”
She touched Maric on the shoulder. “Sorry about this.”
He glanced back at her. “About what?”
The sound of her gun hitting the rear window answered his question. On the third try, the thick glass shattered. The rush of incoming air blew fragmented bits across the cab. Her hair tossed in a frenzy of motion. Goran rolled his window down, easing the inner pressure and letting the air flow through.
“Thanks,” she said, smoothing back her disheveled hair.
Goran managed a smile. “Better than breaking it.”
Maric snapped, “You got that right!”
The two remaining vans finally made it around the carnage and were gaining fast. One van took the right side of the truck while the other went for the left. The men on the left appeared in the cargo door with their guns ready. A third rolled down his window, aiming a pistol. When they were even with the rear tires, Alina pointed her gun out the window and fired.
Her shot missed. She had not taken into account the huge wind drag on the bullet caused by their high speed. Adjusting her sights, she narrowed in on the man in the passenger seat. She fired again.
The man clutched his chest and collapsed back into t
he van.
The two men in the sliding door opened fire. Alina ducked. A stream of bullets hit a staccato rhythm along the back of the truck.
The van on the right had no sliding door on their side of the truck, making it difficult for the men to shoot. A soldier peered over the top of the van. Buffeted by the high wind, his cap blew off. He watched it go and then brought up his AK.
Goran fired through his open window. His shot hit the top of the van and ricocheted off into the distance. The man leaning over the top flinched. He pulled back slightly. Someone on the inside must have been holding him. Otherwise, he would have fallen off. After regaining his balance, the man aimed at Goran.
Alina was having a hard time with the van on the left. Both gunmen were shooting now. Bullets sprayed around her, but Alina stood her ground. She sighted and fired three rounds in rapid succession. Each bullet punched a hole through the thin sheet metal of the van but none hit the soldiers—at least, none that she could see.
More bullets ripped through the cab from the other side. She turned to see Goran empty his clip at the man leaning over the roof.
“Hold on!” Maric shouted and swerved hard left.
The van driver on that side jammed on his brakes to keep from being mashed into the guardrail, buying Alina time. Now aiming downwind, she fired ten quick rounds at the open door.
A soldier went down. He dropped his rifle on the highway. It clattered and bounced along the pavement before bounding up to embed itself into the windshield of an oncoming car. Then he too slipped out the door. His body hit and rolled. Hurling along at eighty kilometers per hour, the pavement ripped skin and broke bone with each impact. Each limb tumbled at awkward angles.
Goran ejected his empty clip and quickly slammed a fresh one home. He called to Maric, “Can you get me closer to the van on the right?”
Maric nodded and veered the truck right, hitting the van. The impact did not dislodge the soldier, but he slipped and almost lost his grip on his rifle. He reached for it, catching it by the strap at the last second.
Goran fired at point blank range. A red mist blew out the cavity blown through the man’s skull. He went instantly limp and fell from sight.
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