#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Ms. Odin's Closing

  8:21 P.M...

  Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

  The subway...

  Katharine's view...

  I franticly run across the sidewalk and through the tunnel that leads away from the second station, and it seems to go on forever as if I'll never reach anyone in time. The area darkens the further I go, and I round the second curving tunnel. I have to find Melissa before Kimberly does. She promised not to kill her until we took care of the Raven and the Wolf, and now with them gone... I quicken my pace, step onto another platform, and come to a second subway train at a third station, and with each second that passes, I imagine the worse. Kimberly might have already completed her Closing, and all I'll find is a corpse with two children wailing beside it or worse, I might find three corpses.

  "Melissa!" I shout, desperate to find them, "Chad!"

  I search through the train's windows, looking for the family, and my heart skips a beat when I don't find them. I think I failed. I think I really messed up.

  I turn around in a full circle, searching the area as I wonder if it was wrong of me to try to save both Melissa and Kimberly. Kimberly called me naive for placing a would-be Closer next to her Mark, but I couldn't stand it if either of them got hurt. I had to try and save both of them, and then I realize I did... I really messed up... and now Melissa's probably dead, and Chad... he's... I put a hand to the train and start to cry as I collapse half-way to my knees. Guilt washes over me like the waves a squall pushes over a ship at sea, and I think I'm going to drown in them, but then...

  "Here!"

  I look up and nearly lose it when I see Melissa push open the door of the front car and carefully make her way to the platform as she questions me, "Have the Closers been eliminated?"

  Her voice's the sweetest thing I've ever heard, but I manage to contain my relief and answer, "The Raven and the Wolf will bother you no more." I motion to the tunnel as I wipe my eyes as if I've been crying. "Quickly, let's go back to Johnson."

  I realize everyone's not safe just yet, so I glance around the area, but I don't see Kimberly.

  Ushering the children onto the platform, Melissa must notice my anxiousness for she questions, "Is something wrong?"

  "No," I answer, trying to hide my apprehension as I search the area again for Kimberly. "Everything's fine."

  "If nothing's wrong, why are you hurrying us?" Melissa asks me.

  I have to come up with something fast. I don't want to scare the children, so I say, "Johnson's hurt. We need to get back to him and get him to a hospital."

  "Oh," Melissa says, and then she continues ushering the children back the way we came.

  "Are you looking for your friend?" Chad asks as he watches me.

  I halt and so do the others as I question, "You've seen her?"

  "Yes," Chad answers, and then he motions in the other direction. "She ran past here about five minutes before you did."

  Melissa comforts Bonnie as she states, "I almost said something as she ran by us, but she never called out our names. I thought since she didn't say our names maybe we still needed to stay in hiding."

  "It's best to be on the safe side. Come on." I herd the group towards the tunnel. "Let's hurry."

  I lead the group, wondering why Kimberly didn't call out their names. I want to believe that she felt like she needed to give them a chance and not murder Melissa right away. We start through the tunnel when someone calls out my name.

  "Katharine."

  I inwardly gasp, recognizing the voice. I never even considered this point in time, but now I have to face it, I'll have to face Kimberly.

  I say, "Melissa."

  She states, "Yes."

  "You go on without me." I turn, seeing Kimberly standing behind us. "I'm going to talk with my partner."

  "Are you sure?" Melissa asks still skittish.

  "Yes, it's safe to go on ahead. I would have Chad watch Bonnie once you get there. Johnson isn't in the best of shape, he'll need your assistance getting out."

  "I will," Melissa answers, and then she and the children continue through the tunnel.

  "Melissa," I call after them.

  She pauses, turns, and says, "Yes."

  "Don't wait for me and Kimberly to get Johnson out. It might take us a while. No matter what he says, get him out now. His wounds are serious."

  Melissa nods and goes on with the children.

  I wait before facing my trial of fortitude, buying Melissa and Chad time to get out, and once they're out of my sight, I take a deep breath and move towards Kimberly. I know this won't end well as Kimberly patiently waits for me. I stop several feet away from her.

  "I see you sent them on ahead that was a wise move." Her arms are down at her sides and she holds her gun as she says, "I assume the Raven and the Wolf are no more."

  Sadness presses against my heart as I consider the ending of our story. Is this world so dark and evil that blood must constantly be shed? I wait a few seconds before answering her, buying Melissa and the children even more time; time they need. I hear their footsteps move on into the distance as they hurry off to Johnson, and I finally answer, "They won't bother Melissa."

  I grasp the Glock 25 in my left hand and the Beretta in my right. I don't want to have to use them, and dread grips my soul as I question, "What about the other Closer? What about the Phoenix?" My eyes grow dismal, fearing the answer as I ask, "Do we have to worry about her?"

  "For Ares' sake!" Kimberly snaps. "What do you think?"

  "I think something terrible's about to happen. I think... I think I might have to go against my pledge to myself, and I'll have to... I'll have to..."

  A knot forms in my stomach as I'm unable to finish the sentence even in my mind. I know my words are powerless against Kimberly's work ethic, and I raise both guns. I wish Life Closers didn't exist. I wish... I wish it didn't have to end this way.

  I state, "I'll stop you. No matter what, I'm going to stop you."

  Kimberly's view...

  I see now... All that woman's talk about not taking a life was a lie. I notice the sadness in her face, then I remember her attempt to murder Topa, and I believe she'll hesitate when it comes down to it. When she hesitates, she'll give me the opening I need to take her down. I can't stake my life on it, so I'll have to act as though she'll shoot to kill. I hate this though, I hate up close Closings. They're messy.

  Katharine's view...

  I struggle with my conscience. I don't want to become the killing machine the Council hopes for, but I can't let Chad get hurt. I'm determined to stop Kimberly, but merely wounding her won't keep her from her Closing. I insist, "I won't let you hurt them."

  "Them?" Kimberly acts insulted as she states, "I have only one target. I'm not sloppy. No one else will die."

  "I'm not talking about death!" I shout. "If you kill Melissa, you'll hurt the children. They'll experience the same heartache as you did when you thought your mom abandoned you. They'll experience that same heartache you have now knowing Theresa was murdered! Why can't you understand? They'll lose a mother. Didn't that hurt? Didn't that make you die inside? How can you let another child suffer through that?"

  "How dare you bring my mom into this!" Kimberly fists her left hand and shouts, "She has nothing to do with this!"

  "Doesn't she?" I grit my teeth as a lump forms in my throat. I try to keep my voice calm, but it's coming out indignant. "Would you have become a Life Closer if Theresa had lived?"

  "Of course I..." Kimberly pauses and then questions, "What does that matter? I have a job to do, and no amount of talking will change my mind. I'm a professional. Emotions or conscience can't interfere with my assignments."

  The knot tightens in my stomach, and the lump in my throat doubles in size. I drop the Glock down to my side and level the Beretta on to the person I thought would be there for me; I level it at her heart. I'
ll have to do it. I'll have to kill Kimberly. One shot and it will be over. I'll kill Kimberly and save Melissa.

  Kimberly's view...

  I was right before... That woman's actually aiming at me. I can try to shoot first, but I still have to lift my gun, and I'm not sure how fast that woman is, so I guess the question is, will she try to kill me? Will she complete the Gamma Phase my mom spoke of and warned me of?

  I tell her, "You know what I am and what I must do."

  I'll be ready either way; I won't hesitate to kill that woman, but maybe I can mess with her head and throw her off her game. It might give me a chance against her, so I say, "There's no stopping me. Unless you commit the thing you fear the most. Unless you..."

  Katharine's view...

  "Why must it come to this?" I interrupt her as my small voice yells at me and pleads with me not to take a life. "Why is there so much killing in this world?"

  "Idiot. You've had several minutes to take me out and save Melissa and yet you keep talking. Do you honestly think you're going to change my mind? Do you believe your words will sway me to a different path? Do you think I have a heart you can reason with? You do understand I don't. I'm a cold blooded killer, so do you really think you can change my mind?"

  "Yes, I have to for both our sakes." Yearning for release from the anguish attacking me, my eyes burn as if on fire, and I insist, "This is not the person you were meant to be!"

  Kimberly's view...

  Who does that woman think she is? She doesn't know me, and I'll make her pay for her do-gooder attitude. I ask, "How would you know what I was meant to be?" I bring my gun up as the dark side of myself raises its vicious head. "Now..." I cock the hammer, toying with that woman; I want to see her squirm over her convictions. I no longer think about my own life only that I want her to suffer. "If you're going to stop me, do it now! Or I'm going to kill Melissa!" I wait to see what that woman will do. I take pleasure in seeing her wrestle over crossing a line I myself bloodied long ago. "Do it! Do it before I do!"