Taking her mug of coffee with her, she made her way to the stables and was relieved to find him with his sleeves rolled up, forking straw into one of the stalls. He was wearing jeans and a pair of working boots that had belonged to Mrs. Devis’ deceased husband. His hair was sticking up, and he was sweating.
“Morning, Jock. You look as if you were born to all this.”
He straightened and pressed a hand into the small of his back. “Morning, Kat. Yeah, I must admit, I like all this stable stuff. I had an enormous breakfast, and I’m full of beans… Literally.”
Kat laughed. “You always had a good appetite.”
Dore tossed the pitchfork into a mound of straw and grinned at her. “Yeah, I am a bit of a gannet. You, on the other hand, don’t seem to eat. Look at you. You’re drinking coffee before breakfast. Come and eat something, Kat. There’s a beautiful ham in the fridge. I’ll fry you some eggs.”
Kat followed Dore back into the house and sat at the kitchen table while he sliced ham, then put a griddle pan on the stove and cracked a couple of eggs into it. She loved to watch Dore cook. He was like an older brother, always looking after her. It had been like that from the moment they met. They had shared tents in North Africa, cabins on fishing trawlers, eaten roasted goose in the forests of eastern Poland, Dore never making a pass at her. She knew he loved her, that if she ever kissed him, he’d probably devour her. Were all Scotsmen like that, or was it just Dore?
“I’m worried about the CIA.”
He glanced at her, casually, as if he could hardly be bothered, basting the eggs as they crackled in the pan. “You don’t trust Preston?”
“Oh, I trust Preston. He’s from the old school. He has a sense of loyalty and honor. No, I meant the CIA in general. They’re connected to London.”
“You mean MI6.”
“Exactly.”
This time, Dore stared at her, hesitating before sliding the eggs onto her plate. “Do you know something I don’t? The CIA has no reason to contact London about us. They don’t know we’re here, let alone who we are.”
“I’ll bet Delany knew we were here. He didn’t say anything, but I swear to God he was humoring me. He was very charming. He even offered to show me around the house, before showing me his shark tank.”
Sitting down at the table, Dore poured himself a coffee.
“Think about it, Jock. Before the attack, Delany would have researched anyone connected to Harry, especially someone like me, who’s English and appeared out of nowhere. Delany was very successful. Successful people are extremely cautious, especially if they’re about to rob someone like Harry.” She paused to fork a piece of ham into her mouth. “It just felt as if he knew who I was. He was too accommodating to a complete stranger.”
He scratched the stubble on his jaw. “You’re pretty good looking, Kat. Maybe he just liked you. You looked really stunning last night.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think it was that. There was something foxy about him. If he had CIA connections, he would have checked me out, just to be on the safe side. All he had to do was photograph me and fax it to them, with the info that I was English. If the CIA contacted MI6… Bingo… MI6 has a lock on us.”
“Well, I have to say, that’s hard to argue. What d’you want to do? We’re not short of money; we can disappear again. We could fly down to Mexico for a couple of weeks.”
“Mexico… That’s not a bad idea. Shall we go for one last ride?”
“Sure. I’m beginning to quite enjoy it.”
Finishing her breakfast, she changed her shoes for riding boots and fished out her gun. Not the Baby Browning; the .45 caliber M1911 that she’d kept since the Hitler mission. Then she went into Jock’s room and dug out his Browning Hi-power. They were heavy guns, but better safe than sorry. Jock was drying her plate when she went into the kitchen again.
“Holy shit, Kat. We’re going riding, not hunting.”
“It’s just in case, Jock. You know me, I feel naked without my jewelry.”
Strapping on the holsters, they headed for the stables, but Dore was still shaking his head as they saddled up the horses. They decided to ride up to Blackstone Ridge, take the Saddleback Trail, and work their way round to the south. That way, they’d have a clear view of the surrounding countryside and all the connecting roads. If anything unexpected happens, they’d have plenty of warning.
Setting off at a brisk canter, they crossed the lower fields and headed into the hills. It was a warm and beautiful spring day with a soft wind blowing in from the south. They made their way between groves of cottonwood and maple, the long grass waving in the breeze. They could smell honeysuckle and fresh grass, and every so often, a pheasant would cry out.
It took an hour to reach the ridge, but they weren’t in a hurry and slowed the horses to a walk when they found the Saddleback Trail. Kat would have forgotten all about the gun she was wearing if it hadn’t been so heavy, but she could feel it pressing against her hip. Dore looked terrific with his working boots and the Browning jutting out from its holster, like something from an old western movie.
“So do you enjoy riding?” she asked, more for something to say than a real desire to know.
“Aye, I do. I feel like stretching my legs occasionally, it’s a nice feeling, and this horse is well behaved. You have horses in England, don’t you?”
“I’ve got stables and lots of land, but we haven’t had horses since before the war. There was no one to look after them. If we ever get back, I’ll buy some.” Kat said.
“We’ll get back. That nuclear device won’t stay a secret forever.”
“It’s no secret now, we’ve had it since 1945. But… If the world ever found out that Kat’s Commandos accidentally found a fully functioning German Atomic Bomb and Hitler’s plan on dropping it on London, it would be a huge embarrassment for the Allies. After Kat’s Commandos destroyed it, Germany’s Atomic Bomb is now only speculation and rumor…”
“You think they’d kill us for an embarrassment?”
“I hate to say it, but yes, I do. Politicians love their little secrets. And as long as the team is alive, their little secret is in jeopardy.”
“Well, I hope you’re wrong,” he replied, shielding his eyes and squinting into the valley, “because I don’t like the look of that.”
Twisting around in her saddle, Kat followed his gaze. What must have been two miles away, on the winding road that accessed the ranch, four cars had parked up beneath a stand of trees, their windshields glinting in the morning sun. There was no reason for anyone to park up there. The land on either side was mainly forest.
“Maybe they’re taking a piss,” Kat suggested.
“Maybe,” Dore conceded. “If they’re pissing, they’ll be gone in five minutes.”
“You want to wait?”
“Yep.”
Dismounting, they wandered over to the edge of the ridge and waited, but when ten minutes had elapsed, and the cars were still there, Dore turned to face her.
“What do you want to do?” Kat asked when she saw Dore checking his gun.
“I don’t know. Maybe we should stay on the trail until we reach the Holden ranch, then phone Preston. Maybe he knows who those guys are.”
“Not a bad idea. It’ll take an hour to reach the Holdens. If the cars are still there, we’ll know something’s up.”
As Kat had thought, it took just under an hour to reach Holden’s ranch. Kat had met Betty Holden, so it wasn’t a problem using their phone. The warm-hearted woman made coffee, and they chatted about the new foal at the Devis ranch. Preston wasn’t answering the phone, so the issue of the cars was not resolved. They would have to take their chances. Half an hour later, they were riding again.
All was quiet when the ranch came into view, and when they finally reached the stables, they found Jack Berry, the old ranch hand, shoeing one of the horses. Kat kept a wary eye out as she and Dore removed the saddles from their horses and led them into the paddock.
It was Dore who first caught movement in the trees beyond the creek. When he warned Kat, she couldn’t see anything, but he swore blind there was someone out there.
They were approaching the barn when the first bullet struck, then it was followed seconds later by a barrage
of bullets. At least half a dozen men were racing across the corral, and firing as they went. They dived into the barn, but by the time they’d drawn their pistols, the attackers had taken cover.
“Holy shit!” Kat screeched. “Where the hell are they?”
“There are eight of them, two by the water tower and six behind the outhouses.”
“Four cars, but only eight men? There must be more.”
“Maybe they’re still in the trees.”
Another hail of bullets peppered the barn, and then two men made a run for the water trough. Kat shot the first man in the face, killing him instantly. Dore downed the second with a single shot.
Someone called out. “Give it up, guys! There’s no way you’re getting out of this!”
Kat yelled back, “hey dickwad, I’ve got a big ass gun with a magazine full of whoop-ass. Come and get some!”
After a minute of waiting, the gunfire began again, this time more intensely, bullets ricocheting all around the barn. Dore shot another man, and then another. Then two more cars swerved into the courtyard, six men piled out, Kat shooting two of them in quick succession. Then all hell broke loose. Bullets were flying everywhere. The new attackers had machine guns.
“This is ridiculous!” Dore said, glancing at Kat. “We need to surrender!”
“Give up? We just got started!” she yelled back.
“We have to Kat! They’ve got bloody machine guns, and we’re almost out of ammo. We’ll be killed!” Picking up an old white shirt, Dore tied it to a pitchfork. Carefully extending the white flag out the barn door, he began waving it.
Dore shouted, “Hold your fire! We’re coming out.”
The gunfire stopped.
“See?” he said, stepping out the open doorway. “They don’t want to kill us after…”
But at that moment, a barrage of gunfire opened up and peppered Dore with a volley of bullets. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Grabbing Dore’s gun, she leaped to her feet and raced towards the stables, firing both pistols as she ran. Bullets pinged all around her, but she made the first stall without a scratch. It was safer in the stalls. They were old and made of logs. One of the gunmen broke cover, firing as he ran, but Kat shot him, sending him sprawling.
“Only four to go,” she muttered.
Firing off four more shots, she quickly reloaded the M1911, but she never got to fire it. In a shower of gunfire, she felt a sharp stab in her shoulder, then one in her leg, then another in her stomach. And then the whole world erupted, burning timber, straw, and debris flying all around her. Kat was struggling to hold on to consciousness; she only knew she was alive because she hurt so much. From the corner of her eye, Kat saw a shadow darkening the doorway.
Kat’s life was draining from her as a smiling young man poured gasoline on her and then set her on fire with a zippo lighter. With her last ounce of strength, Kat tilted her .45 lying by her side at the man and emptied all its remaining rounds into him. "Gotcha… Mother fucker... Too weak to scream from the intense pain of melting flesh, Kat was being cremated alive.
CHAPTER FIVE
K at woke to sunshine streaming through a shuttered window. But it wasn’t normal sunshine; it was brighter, and when she looked around, she saw that everything was white. The walls were white, the super-clean furniture was white, so were the covers on the bed she was lying in. She was wearing a white nightdress, and a beautiful, young blonde woman stood over Kat, and she, too, was wearing all-white. The whole room was a symphony of white.
“Good morning,” the young woman said in an angelic voice. “How do you feel?”
For a moment, Kat wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t hurt, and she was breathing okay. She looked down at her body, but a white sheet covered it, so very gingerly, she touched her shoulder. Nothing, there was no pain and no sign of a bullet wound. It was absolutely normal… except that it shouldn’t have been. She peered at her hands and arms. They should have been charred and blistered, but they were perfectly smooth. How long had she been here?
“Where am I?” she asked the girl. “Am I dead? Everything is all clean and white… Wait. Am I in… am I in heaven?”
The girl burst out laughing, a young, girlish laugh that seemed to chime-like music. “Good heavens, no. We did talk about it, but Haddy didn’t think you’d fit in with all those goody-goodies and their silly wings.”
The girl was obviously joking, but something strange was going on. Why didn’t she hurt? Why wasn’t she wounded? Even if she’d been here for weeks, she should have scars for life. And why was the skin on her hands and arms so smooth?
“So, where am I?”
The girl sat next to the bed. “You’re in Hell, Kat. We couldn’t exactly send you to Heaven, now could we? You’ve killed too many people.”
She sat up. “But… but everything’s white, and you’re beautiful.”
The young woman laughed again and stood. “Ah, that’s because Hell isn’t what you think it is. All that fire and brimstone shit is made up by the church to scare people into putting their hard-earned money into the collection plate... It’s fear porn if you ask me… Nope, Hell is just like the normal world… although a bit cleaner.”
“So… who are you? You look like an angel.”
“My name is Giselle, and I’m your guide,” she said, scooping up a pair of white jeans, a pale blue t-shirt, and a white denim jacket. “I’m here to help you settle in. Get dressed, and I’ll show you around.”
But when Kat climbed carefully out of bed and pulled off the nightdress, she noticed something strange about her body. She still had breasts, but the nipples were missing. Kat’s arms and legs were perfect, but the hair between her legs had vanished. Moreover, her vagina had disappeared. There was nothing there. She was like a grownup doll.
“Hey, where’s my…”
“Ah! That’s gone, I’m afraid. That sort of stuff’s not allowed down here.”
“It’s not?”
“Believe me; it’s a blessing in disguise. Just imagine, never again suffering your monthly.”
“You mean I’m going to live for all eternity without sex?”
“Not all eternity. As I said, Hell isn’t what people think it is. It’s really just a stop-off post. After a hundred years or so, you get reincarnated and start again. If you continue to make horrible mistakes in your life, you come back here again. Some people are on their twentieth stay. Doesn’t matter; you have all eternity to get it right. Wait till you meet Caligula; he’s been here dozens of times.” She laughed. Giselle laughed quite a lot. “Not that he remembers being Caligula. You only remember your last incarnation. If you were to remember all your past lives, all those memories would drive you insane.”
Pulling on white underwear and the white jeans, then slipping her feet into white sneakers, Kat looked around the room. There was a coffee table by the window and two easy-chairs… white, of course… and on the far side of the room, a chest of drawers. Otherwise, the room was fairly basic.
“Is this where I live?”
“Nah. It’s a sort of wake-up room. When new arrivals wake in an all-white room, it has a soothing effect and helps people in adjusting to the fact that they have died. You’ll get your own place soon enough.”
Kat looked astonished. “What kind of place will I get?”
“Depends on what kind of job you do. More money you make, the nicer place you can afford. Just like the normal world.”
“And this is Hell? Doesn’t sound all that bad.”
Giselle pulled a humorous face. “Wait till you’ve been here for a hundred years or more, doing the same thing… It can get pretty tedious.”
“I thought you said we’d be reincarnated.”
“Yes, but not immediately. In fact, it feels a bit random to me. I’ve been here for two hundred years, and I’ve done nothing wrong, yet I’m still here. I was a dancer in my last life, and my husband was lovely. I’d quite like to be alive again. I might even make it to Hollywood.” She shook her head. “Because I’m a guide, I’m probably necessary. It’s so unfair.”
Kat thought about her time in Poland. “Maybe you should buck the system. Make yourself unpopular.”
“It’s not a bad idea. Shall we go?”
Outside, Kat was surprised to find how normal everything looked, but it was also incredibly clean. There was no litter on the sidewalks, not even a crumpled up candy wrapper. The sun was shining, cars were whizzing by, and people were waiting for the walk sign to cross the road. Curiously, it reminded Kat of a small town in New Jersey, except that everything was surreally clean. The window frames and doors of houses looked freshly painted, the hedgerows and shrubs neatly trimmed. There were no weeds in the flowerbeds, and the lawns were tidy and mown. Even the traffic lights were polished and gleaming. It was like “Toy Town.”
Crossing the road, Giselle led her past a busy Dunkin Donuts, across a crowded parking lot and into a surprisingly large Denny’s, which felt really weird. A Denny’s in Hell? Hell seemed very up-to-date. Moreover, when they sat down and ordered, the coffee tasted great, so she ordered an apple pie.
“Is all of Hell like this?” she asked, munching on the pie.
“No, of course not. There are industrial areas where they make things, offices, especially in the city. To the west, although a long way away, there are mines where the demons send people who misbehave. As I said, Hell is just like the real world.”
“Are we on a different planet?”
“Not exactly. We’re in a different dimension, just like Heaven. It’s hard to explain. You know how there are reports of near-death experiences, and the dying person travels towards a bright light?”
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