Klempner
Although I can hear chaos from down the stairs, up here now, it’s quiet. There’s no-one in the dance room.
In the pool room, the only sound is the crunching of glass under my boots. I carry on to Finchby’s office.
All empty?
It seems so.
The time?
Time to go.
Except… as I’m about to turn and leave a girl, I see her; barely a teenager, some variety of Asian, Indian perhaps. Streaming tears, she skitters out from behind the desk, making for the kitchen.
I follow her and she cringes back into the corner. I offer my hand. “I’m not going to hurt you. You have to leave.”
She babbles at me in I’ve-no-idea-what language, then abruptly, her face swings up to mine and fingers outstretched, leaps up at me, clawing at my face. Reflexively, I jerk back, and she bolts past me and out, back the way I came.
Fuck!
I dash after her, but in the few seconds, she’s gone, vanished.
Where did she go?
Out?
Or somewhere deeper inside?
I check my watch… Three minutes…
Christ!
I have to find her… If she’s on the stairwell, perhaps I’ll hear her. I turn for the bar, heading for the stairs up and down, and there…
Fuck.
Baxter.
I reach for my Glock… And it’s not there.
Damn… When did I put it down?
Baxter flashes brows. And the knife in his hand. “Going somewhere?”
“I was planning on leaving.” I slip the knife from my belt. “Your friend Finchby has already left the building. I believe the money may be with him.”
“I’m not going to weep over Finchby. And I didn't do it for the cash. Well… mainly not for the cash. And I have my half anyway.”
We circle, eyeball to eyeball.
Make the first move?
Wait for him?
I move slowly, watching for the twitch of the hand. The nudge of the shoulder. The tell that he's going to stop talking and...
He slashes out… moves fast…
But it’s a feint and we both know it, calculated to draw a reaction from me.
Testing me…
My speed…
My reactions…
Younger than me...
How much by?
Ten years?
His knife...
maybe eight inches. Well
Well used…
Left-handed…
that gives
practice against right-handers. I've
out. Hard. Fast. Teeth bared. Pupils
he follows through, but I grab him by the arm. We grapple. His blade to
close, I smell
Sweat. Sour.
sour scent of
Not excitement.
Fear.
I'm overreaching… off-balance… and I
grins, then grunts as I lash for his neck but as he swings
my advantage, I bully forward, reaching for his blade, slashing out with my
hand and he
The other knife...
Ambidextrous?
Just well-practised. As he swerves away from my right hand, my left hand
rib cage and
Got you, you bastard…
it’s her. The
blind to me and Baxter, she charges between us
back, my
Drinks slops?
Blood?
In slow motion...
arms wind-milling for
I go down...
on top
…
gasp as his blade slices
The rasp of
metallic
Whose?
Mine…
me, grinning maniacally, he hovers, enjoying his moment, the knife
the vein, he reaches into his jacket, he takes out
My Glock?
and aiming for my forehead, he
use
got the balls
on my elbows I swing round wildly, one way or
There are none.
barrel of my own fucking gun and to Baxter’s
Is this it?
this time… this is how
died over the years, I’m
I
Live by the sword…
works at these moments.
think
the gun looms close and huge. The rest of the world vanishes around me. My peripheral vision
My throat tightens…
drips honey and contempt in equal measure… “A hero with a gun
know that
its owner.
matching skirt just clears the crotch and the zip-front leather vest
and frames a
“Mitch?”
it. I
So does Baxter.
might have been full of women
never seen her dressed like this, not even in her ‘professional’
pose. And with an eye on Baxter that dares him
silver loop. She hooks a finger into the loop and tooth
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!