Assassins Hunted

by Rachel Amphlett

  ‘That seems a bit extreme,’ argued Nathan. ‘After all, the communiqué I sent was probably one of hundreds they have to read every day.’

  She shook her head. ‘Don’t make excuses for them. What if your report was deliberately ignored?’

  ‘Why would they do that?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Eva. ‘I’ve never worked with any of you before. So, I don’t know if I can trust them.’

  ‘If you don’t trust them, then why do you trust me?’ asked Nathan, his voice uncertain. ‘Why are we even having this conversation?’

  ‘I have to trust you,’ she said. ‘You’re the only one left in the Section that knows the systems and can get me the information I need. And you tried to warn them my life was in danger. So, I figured you’re one of the good guys. Quite possibly the only one left.’ She turned and blew a low whistle at Alex.

  When he drew closer, she leaned down and took his arm. ‘Go and check the window,’ she said. ‘Unlock it, but don’t open it out all the way. Just a little, understand?’

  Alex nodded, then hurried to do as he’d been instructed.

  She held out her hand to Nathan. ‘Give me your mobile phone.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You can stay here, if you want.’

  Nathan sighed, reached into the pocket of his jeans, then handed over his phone. He watched Alex cross the room, then turned back to Eva and pointed at his phone in her hand. ‘What are you going to do with that?’

  Eva grabbed a towel from a neat pile next to the sink, unravelled one of the larger ones, and removed the memory cards and batteries from both his phone and her own. Next, she placed the parts on the square of material before covering them with the other half of the towel. She pulled open the cupboards until she found a complimentary steam iron, then glanced up to see Nathan staring at her, his mouth open, and winked.

  She then smashed the contents of the towel with two precise blows.

  Nathan held up his arm to shield his eyes from the pieces of plastic that escaped the material and shot through the air, then glared at her. ‘Wasn’t that a bit extreme?’ he hissed.

  ‘Not really,’ said Eva, holding up the iron and examining the now-pockmarked surface. ‘I never liked ironing.’

  Eva ignored the glare Nathan gave her, and used the towel to collect the remnants of plastic that had managed to escape across the countertop.

  She bundled the towel, then knotted the top of it and threw it across the room to Alex, who caught it with a grin on his face.

  ‘What’s the point of keeping that?’

  ‘I don’t want anyone putting them back together,’ she said. ‘I’ll scatter the parts.’

  Nathan folded his arms across his chest. ‘Don’t you think you’re being a bit too paranoid?’

  ‘No,’ said Eva. ‘I don’t. There’s a man downstairs. I noticed him when you were getting the room keys.’

  ‘What man? Where?’

  ‘In the bar, off to the left of the reception desk.’

  ‘Where do you know him from?’

  ‘I’ve seen him somewhere before, a long time ago.’

  ‘You weren’t just a diplomat’s fiancée, were you?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘And you haven’t been in witness protection either, right?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Why is he so important? Why run?’

  ‘He used to be a trained killer,’ said Eva, her tone patient. ‘Wet work. Unsanctioned hits, that sort of thing.’

  ‘You say “used to”,’ Nathan persisted. ‘What if he’s just working in a different role now?’

  ‘I doubt it very much.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘Because he isn’t meant to be here,’ said Eva, peering through the net curtains. ‘He’s meant to be dead.’

  Chapter Nine

  Eva edged along the wall alongside the window, the net curtain billowing in the gentle breeze.

  The scent of exhaust fumes mixed with the cold air that blew through the open window, freezing now that she had moved away from the sanctuary of the hotel room’s reverse-cycle air conditioning.

  Lifting her gaze to the opposite building, she watched and waited until she was sure no other surveillance was apparent; the windows of the building opposite were sparse and appeared to mark the rear of offices converted from an eighteenth-century residence, while the street below was deserted.

  She checked her watch.

  Two o’clock.

  The locals would have finished their lunches, and with any luck their guard would be down, muted by good food. And, with luck, not the sort of time for her enemies to draw attention to themselves.

  It was as good a time as any.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Nathan, and beckoned to him.

  ‘You go first,’ she said. ‘Straight down the fire exit and crouch behind the bins at the bottom, near the wall, okay?’

  ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I’ll wait until you’re halfway down, then I’ll send Alex. Keep him with you,’ she said. ‘When you’re both down, I’ll follow.’

  She saw the flash of concern in his eyes, reached out and put her hand on his arm. ‘Please. Trust me.’

  He leaned out the window and peered down the length of the building to the cobblestones below. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, and then his brow creased. ‘Where are we going once we leave here?’

  ‘Train station,’ said Eva. ‘We need to put as much distance as possible between ourselves and Berlin.’

  ‘They’ll be looking for us, won’t they?’

  Eva nodded. ‘Of course. But hopefully by the time they realise we’ve gone, we’ll have a good enough head start. Even if they check the CCTV cameras at the station, we’ll be long gone.’

  ‘They’ll know which train we’re on,’ he protested. ‘They’ll be checking the CCTV cameras at all the stations leading out of the city.’

  ‘They’ll know which train we left on,’ she corrected him. ‘We’re going to have to be smart about this, Nathan, and that means we change trains a few times to make sure we shake them off.’

  His gaze rested on the locked door to the hallway. ‘Are you sure about this?’ He turned back to her. ‘Absolutely sure?’

  ‘Yes.’ She shrugged. ‘If I’m wrong, we get told off for slipping past our security detail. If I’m right…’ Her eyes fell on Alex. ‘We stay alive for a bit longer. Hopefully long enough for me to work out what the hell is going on.’

  Nathan sighed. ‘Okay.’

  She stepped aside as he brushed past her and watched him clamber over the low windowsill and onto the steel fire exit.

  He edged across the narrow platform, then began to lower himself down the steps. He stopped as he was about to slip from view. ‘You never asked how I found out about the threat on your life,’ he said.

  She held his gaze. ‘But I believed you anyway,’ she said.

  She saw his jaw clench, and then he began climbing once more, the sound of his feet on the steel treads floating up to where she stood long after he’d disappeared from sight.

  Alex joined her, his fingers wrapping around hers as he leaned forward, copying her stance.

  She swallowed, wondering how much he remembered; whether he recalled the terrifying ordeal that had been their escape three years ago, or whether the whole experience had been consigned to some deep part of his memories.

  She gave his hand a quick squeeze. ‘Come on, Alex – it’s your turn.’

  She helped him over the windowsill, casting her eyes around the surrounding buildings and street below.

  Please let this work.

  ‘Go,’ she whispered.

  Once Alex was safely on the platform, he dropped into a crouch and crawled towards the ladder. He turned, stretched one foot tentatively towards the first rung, and glanced up at her.

  ‘Go,’ she urged.

  He nodded, then settled his weight on the ladder and began to slip from view,
his hands gripping the sides of the metal structure as he descended.

  She waited until the top of his head was out of sight, then followed, holding onto the windowsill until she’d found her balance on the steel structure.

  She hurried across the platform, peered down the first ladder to make sure Alex was clear, then turned, placed her hands on the handrails either side of the treads, and began to lower herself.

  She was halfway down the ladder when she heard the unmistakable bark of gunfire.

  Her head jerked up at the sound, a fraction of a second before she picked up speed, sliding down the last four rungs of the ladder rather than waste time climbing.

  She reached the second platform as a second shot resonated through the open window from the floor above. She took a moment to lean over the fire exit to check Alex’s descent.

  He was almost at the last platform, Nathan’s face peering up at him, beckoning him. His eyes met hers, and she quickly put her finger to her lips before gesturing to him to get Alex to hurry.

  That done, she turned and moved towards the next ladder, her fingers wrapping around the handrails before she dropped in a fast, controlled slide using the instep of her new ankle boots to slow her descent.

  She fled across the third platform moments before a splintering crash reached her ears.

  Chapter Ten

  Parkes tested the weight of his gun in his hand, then pressed against the right-hand wall of the elevator as it completed its short journey to the sixth floor.

  As the doors slid open, he reached down and selected the button to keep the doors open, gambling on the agents’ inquisitive nature and heightened senses. They’d be expecting their colleague, so he reckoned their first instinct would be concern when he didn’t appear from the elevator.

  Sure enough, he heard a muffled curse, then the footfalls of the agent that had lost the argument coming closer.

  The man’s pace was steady, assured, and not the sound of someone expecting to be attacked.

  Parkes brought the gun up to chest height, and waited.

  The agent stopped before reaching the elevator.

  ‘Dave? Everything okay?’

  Parkes let out a groan.

  The agent fell for the ruse, and stepped into view.

  Parkes didn’t hesitate; he shot the agent in the chest, then dropped to a crouch and sprang from the confines of the elevator, firing as he did so.

  The second agent fired once, a shot that went wide and ploughed into a ceiling panel before he cried out, sinking to the floor, his hand against his stomach.

  Parkes ran forward, and as the agent raised his head, shot him between the eyes.

  He spun on his heel, returned to the elevator, and used the gun to jam the door open. He’d still have to contend with the other three, but putting one out of action was better than nothing.

  He reached down to the first agent he’d killed and picked up his gun, noting with a satisfied grunt that it still held a full magazine, and removed a key card from the agent’s pocket. He jogged to the door of the room the second agent had been standing outside, and swiped the card across the locking mechanism.

  He entered the room, and quickly deduced that it hadn’t been used.

  He moved swiftly through the suite, checked the bathroom and bedrooms, and then returned to the living area, his senses alert.

  A sound from the adjoining room caught his attention, and he ran out the door into the hallway, and tried the next room.

  Locked.

  Parkes stood back and aimed the gun at the lock, then turned his head and fired.

  Splinters of wood showered his hair, covering his jacket.

  He brushed away the detritus, then raised his weapon once more when the door refused to open against his weight.

  Two shots obliterated the top of the chair that had been placed under the handle, and he aimed a low kick at the door.

  His eyes immediately picked up the net curtains flowing in the breeze.

  He raced to the open window, craning his neck to peer down the fire escape that hugged the wall, and then cursed.

  Chapter Eleven

  ‘Move!’

  Eva grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled him along the alleyway towards the back of the hotel.

  Beyond the exit from the alley, cars flashed by on a busy street, and pedestrians hurried back and forth, oblivious to Eva, Alex and Nathan as they emerged as one onto the pavement.

  ‘Here,’ said Eva, and led the way to a subway entrance.

  ‘Won’t there be cameras?’ said Nathan.

  ‘I hope so,’ said Eva. ‘We’ll use those to our advantage – send them on a wild goose chase with any luck.’

  She reached the bottom of the stairs, then followed the subway signs to the nearest platform.

  Her eyes flickered over the signs, her brain translating the German easily.

  ‘This way – hurry!’

  Eva picked up Alex, and held him tight to her chest as she ran towards the platform that headed north.

  As they reached it, a roaring sound began to emanate from the tunnel, and a hot wind preceded the headlights of a train. It slid to a halt, and Eva and Nathan stood to one side as passengers disembarked, before climbing on board.

  Eva selected a seat that gave her a view of all the exits and sank into it, turning Alex in her arms.

  As the train pulled away from the platform, Eva glanced across the aisle to Nathan.

  He was panting, his hair slicked to his forehead.

  She pulled Alex closer on her lap and peered over his fair hair at the passengers at the other end of the carriage.

  A couple of tourists pored over a map at the far end, pointing and laughing as they compared the pages in their hands with the route displayed above their heads, while an old woman glared at them from four seats away, then rose to her feet and shuffled towards the doors as the train began to slow once more.

  Eva caught Nathan’s attention. ‘Two stops,’ she said. ‘Then we have to hurry, understand?’

  ‘Got it.’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I didn’t realise I was so unfit.’

  ‘You have to keep up.’ Eva shifted Alex from her knee, but kept a hand on his arm. ‘We’re not out of trouble yet.’

  ‘Okay.’

  The train gathered speed once more.

  Eva had no idea how much back-up the Section would send their man, but she wasn’t going to underestimate them.

  Nathan leaned forward. ‘Those were gunshots, weren’t they?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And you think it was the man you saw in the lobby?’

  ‘Yes, I do.’ Eva gave up struggling with Alex and let the boy climb across to the seat next to hers. ‘And those two agents that were posted outside our door won’t have stood a chance.’

  ‘But, why?’

  Eva swallowed. Nathan’s face was distraught. How could she even begin to tell him what she’d done, what she’d kept hidden? And now someone had discovered her, and she was on the run again. Her gaze fell to the small figure beside her, and she fought down the ache in her throat that threatened tears.

  She was so damn tired of running.

  The train burst out of the tunnel, bright sunlight piercing the windows, making her squint.

  ‘Get ready,’ she said, then cleared her throat and steadied her voice once more. ‘We’re getting off here.’

  The train slowed and through the window, she noticed the urban sprawl had thinned a little, pockets of houses and apartment blocks replacing the busy metropolis.

  As they disembarked, Nathan reached out and took Alex’s hand before Eva could. He glanced up apologetically, but she shook her head. The gesture had been so natural, she didn’t have the heart to reprimand him.

  She wondered what his history was. With the rush of them being sent to the hotel, and then the sheer panic of their escape, she realised she’d never had the chance to ask him about his background.

  She still trusted him though. There was som
ething about him that meant she simply couldn’t believe he’d cause her or Alex any harm.

  At least, she hoped so. It was what her instincts told her, and they hadn’t been wrong so far.

  Especially about the Section.

  How else had their attacker found them?

  ‘What do we do now?’

  Nathan’s question interrupted her thoughts, and she realised both he and Alex were staring at her, expectant looks on their faces.

  ‘We cross the platform,’ she said, and led the way towards a footbridge that crossed the tracks. ‘Then we get on a train that’s heading south and get as close to the Czech border as we can.’

  Nathan picked up Alex and hurried up the steel steps after her. ‘Why didn’t we do that in the first place?’

  ‘There were CCTV cameras at the subway we entered,’ she explained. ‘There are only a few here, and they probably won’t get to check these for a couple of hours or more. They’ll be expecting us to head north, to go back to the UK.’

  ‘And we’re not?’

  ‘No. We’re not.’

  Alex wriggled in Nathan’s arms, and he set him down at the top of the steps. The boy reached out for Eva’s hand, evidently determined to walk down the stairs on his own rather than be carried.

  She smiled a little. He was at the age where one moment he’d be all grown up, determined to forge ahead on his own, before changing his mind and reverting to the little boy that she loved so much.

  ‘Look,’ she continued, ‘they’ll be watching all major stations and airports for us. If I was them, I’d be banking on my heading north so I’d put most of my manpower there. Of course, they’ll be checking south of the city as well, but I don’t think it’ll be as heavily patrolled.’

  Nathan frowned. ‘You’re absolutely convinced it’s the Section that did this?’

  ‘Whose idea was it for us to be placed in a hotel in the first place?’

  ‘Miles.’ Nathan exhaled. ‘Shit.’

  Alex giggled.

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘It’s okay. He’s heard worse.’ Eva smiled. ‘Sorry you got dragged into this. You’re a bit out of your depth, aren’t you?’