He looked to her. “The book told you this?”
“No, it is just a feeling that I have.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just know there will be a gathering, but until that day the protectors must keep the book hidden.”
“Did you learn anything else?” He pulled back on the reins, slowing his mount further. Xi Shi’s horse matched its pace.
“Nothing I can put into words, but there are abilities the book has endowed me with. I don’t fully understand them all, but I know they are there.”
They rode in silence until they reached the edge of the town. The road became a stone path, splitting the village in two. The houses and buildings flanked the road, but were also divided by channels. Small boats tied to piers floated listlessly in the still waters. The moon was now above them. Xi Shi stared into its reflection as they passed over an arched bridge which spanned a central waterway running perpendicular to the road. The only sounds here, the clips and clops of the horses and the gentle lapping of water against the bridge.
Only a few homes still had lanterns lit, but in the distance the port seemed to be teeming with activity. She got the feeling it might not be the sort of place one ventured into alone.
Wang Xu pointed ahead of them. “If I remember correctly, there’s a tavern near the docks. We may be able to inquire about a ship for hire there.” He reached into a satchel and pulled out a dark cloak. “Here, drape this over yourself, and let me do the talking. It would not be good for you to be recognized.”
She draped the cloak over her head, doing her best to keep her face in the shadows. There was definitely more activity here. Soon the sounds of men unloading boats and the smells of the sea surrounded them. Wang Xu seemed to be guiding them toward a broken down, wooden building at the edge of the pier. Raucous laughter and shouting emanated from the place, and every so often men would stumble in and out. Wang Xu held up a hand and brought his mount to a halt. She followed his lead.
“Let’s tie the horses up here. Remember, keep your head down and let me do the talking.”
After they dismounted she did her best to fashion the cloak into a proper robe. Finding nothing to clasp it with, she held it in place with her hand.
They continued on foot, largely unnoticed as they approached the tavern. A name was carved on a timber above the door, The Jade Dragon. She wondered where the name came from. There was certainly no jade anywhere to be found on the building, and the exterior was hardly befitting of anything so grand as a dragon.
The inside, lit with lanterns strung along the length of the ceiling, hinted at a larger space than first met the eye. The lights jostled, casting shadows that made the occupants look even less savory than they probably were. Xi Shi didn’t notice many women here, and the few that sat scattered about the place didn’t look much cleaner than the men.
Wang Xu passed through first, pausing just inside the doorway. She came in behind him and a little to his left. He seemed to be scanning the room. She hoped he would find what he was after soon. The men at the table closest to the door were getting louder and louder. After a moment it became evident to Xi Shi they were having some sort of dispute. She couldn’t quite make it out through their drunken slurs, but she had the feeling one of the men had insulted the other. Wang Xu didn’t seem to be paying them any attention. He just kept scanning the room.
The din grew louder until at last one of the men stood up quickly and hurled a mug at another man. The man, who had received the contents of the mug splattered across his face, tipped the table up and pushed it towards the other man. Wang Xu managed to step out of the way, but Xi Shi wasn’t quite so lucky. The man fell backwards and slammed into her, grabbing at her cloak as he struggled to stay on his feet. She gripped the edge, but it was too late. The man fell to the floor and took her cloak with him.
The room grew silent and all eyes fell on Xi Shi.
Fury and Flight
The hallway erupted into chaos as soon as Ana stepped through the door. Two more men charged at her, determination drawn on their faces. She was fairly certain they had orders to take her alive. She decided she was going to make them work for it.
The younger of the two men ran ahead of the other, pulling a pistol from a holster underneath his jacket. Apparently they had no qualms about shooting her in the legs.
Sounds of activity erupted from the floor above. Ana dropped to one knee, brought the SIG Pro to bear, and then fired off a shot that shattered the man’s kneecap. The momentum caused his leg to bend backward at an unnatural angle. He fell to the floor a few feet from her, writhing in pain. She jumped up, kicked the gun from the fallen man’s hand, and then threw herself against the opposite wall just in time to avoid the second man’s gunfire.
As the man prepared to take aim, Ana rushed him. His wide eyes told her he wasn’t prepared for such a move. He stepped back, but not fast enough. She dropped her shoulder and rammed her elbow into his ribs, pushing him into the wall. He grabbed her hair with his left hand and pulled her head back. She flipped the gun in her hand and brought the butt down hard across his face. Blood streamed from the corners of his mouth and his jaw went slack. She let him fall to the floor.
Each end of the hallway was identical to the other, but she figured the door the two men had come out of would probably be her path to escape. The man with the shattered knee let out soft and sickening moans behind her. She rested the heel of her boot just above his knee, which immediately got his attention. His eyes pleaded with her.
“You’re going to tell me the best way out of here, and if I don’t believe you…” She pressed down lightly on his knee. “Well, you get the idea.”
He nodded his understanding. “The garage is on the east side of the house. You’ll have to go down the hall and up to the first floor. Take a right when you get to the top of the stairs. You can go through the kitchen and out to the back of the house.”
“How many more armed men are there in the house?”
“Five.” His eyes betrayed him. She put pressure on his knee. “Okay, okay! Ten more men, but you’ll have a better chance of avoiding them if you go through the kitchen.”
She took her foot off of his knee and knelt down beside him. “Where can I find the keys to the cars in the garage?”
“There’s a metal box on the wall next to the door. You’ll find keys in there.”
A tear escaped the man’s eye. She knew the pain must be excruciating.
“I believe you. Now just sit tight. I’m sure one of your friends will be along shortly.” She stood and turned to leave.
“Miss?”
“Yes?”
“Why in hell do they want you so badly?”
“Because I’m the only one who can stop them.”
She left him in the hallway, wondering whether or not he was second-guessing his chosen career path.
***
Just as the man said, the kitchen was to the right of the stairs. So far her progress had been unmolested, but she had a bad feeling they were gathering outside to seal off her escape.
A man, who resembled a head chef in an upscale restaurant, dropped a platter when she charged through the door. He backed up against a large center island, nearly climbing on top of it. Apparently my reputation precedes me, she thought.
She waved the gun at him. “You’re going to take me to the garage.”
“I’m just the cook, Miss.” He slid away from her, his backside pressed firmly against the counter.
“I know you’re just the cook, and as long as you take me to the garage, you won’t get hurt. Now hurry up. There isn’t much time.” She pointed toward the opposite door with the gun.
The man complied, running a trembling hand through his thin black hair. They passed by a blond, pimply teen who had been washing dishes. He looked as though he was going to say something, but a glance from the cook seemed to convince him otherwise. Instead he backed up against the sink, giving them a wide berth.
“Don’t worry, he should be back in a minute.” She smiled at the teen. He just nodded in reply.
The cook opened a door that let out into a large dining room. Sunlight spilling from towering latticed windows blurred her vision momentarily. When her eyes adjusted she noticed several men sitting at an impossibly long table. They seemed to be as surprised as she was. She pointed the gun in their direction, but it became obvious to her these were just more of the kitchen staff taking a break.
“As you were.” She prodded the cook forward. “Which way to the garage?”
He pointed to a side door, seeming reluctant to continue. “Please, Miss, I have a family. There’ll be men with guns waiting for you outside. I don’t get paid enough for this.”
She could see he was shaking. “Fair enough.” She turned to the other men at the table. “Here’s what I want you to do.” She walked to the door, putting a hand on the knob. “When I give you the signal, I want each of you to pick up a chair and throw it through the window.”
Their looks said they weren’t thrilled with the idea, but they seemed willing to comply in order to be done with her. It was obvious these men had no real idea of who their employers were, and Ana didn’t feel right causing them any harm.
When each of the men had a chair, she gave them the signal. They heaved in unison, shattering the windows outward from the dining room and onto the manicured lawn beyond. Ana waited until she heard the sounds of several men running toward the back of the house to investigate. She took a deep breath, brought the pistol up, and then pushed the door open.
The ruse worked. There appeared to be a clear path between the house and the garage. She scanned the area looking for signs of activity. One of the six garage doors was open, revealing several expensive looking automobiles. The Horsemen were obviously accustomed to lives of wealth and privilege.
Within a matter of seconds she was sprinting toward the garage, her boots kicking up bits of gravel from the driveway. She didn’t bother looking back when she heard the shouting. Instead, she dove toward the open door and rolled inside. She chanced a quick glance around the frame. Three men had already come from the back of the house. Apparently they were on to her little distraction. She fired off several rounds and watched them dive for cover. Only one of the men was seriously hurt, but at least she managed to slow their advance.
The metal box was exactly where the man said it would be. She opened it up, revealing several rows of hooks, each with a set of keys. There were enough hooks for twelve sets, but there were only five cars in the garage. She grabbed a key and pressed the remote. A wine colored, capable-looking sedan flashed its lights. Before she could make it to the car, gunshots echoed through the building. An overhead light fell on top of her, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her gun flew out of her hand and skittered across the concrete floor, coming to rest under the second car.
Another one of the house goons lunged toward her. She was on her knees when he kicked her in the stomach. The force of the blow knocked her into the nearest car. He was about to land another kick when she caught his foot, twisted it and pushed him backward. He stumbled, but didn’t completely lose his footing. It gave her enough time to get to her feet.
The man took on a defensive stance. There was definition beneath his neatly pressed shirt. He was thick and had a more experienced look than the first two men she encountered.
He stayed a step back and kept his fists in front of his face. “If you come back peacefully I won’t have to hurt you.”
“That takes all the fun out of it.” She sneered at him.
“I was hoping you’d say that. I owe you one for Will.” He moved back and forth like a boxer.
“Will?”
“You remember, the boy whose kneecap you blew off.” He returned her sneer.
“Couldn’t be helped I’m afraid.” She took up a defensive stance of her own.
The spontaneity of his attack surprised her. Without another word, he swung. She managed to block and keep his left from smashing into her head, but the force threw her against the car. He moved in fast. She tried to bring her knee up, but he turned his waist and avoided a nasty shot to the groin. He feinted to the left and when she countered, he made contact with his right. The force of the blow sent her over the hood of the car and onto the floor on the opposite side. Everything was upside down. She blinked several times until the room came back into focus.
The man came around the car before she could get back up. He kicked her again, pushing her on her back, down on the floor. His face was a portrait of satisfaction. It probably wasn’t the first time he’d thrown a woman on the ground, she thought. As he pressed his booted foot into her stomach she rolled her head to the side. The gun. It was so close. She stretched her left arm back and out, flailing for the pistol.
“What are you after, pretty one?” He dropped to one knee and pressed a thick hand over her chest. He grabbed at her arm with his other hand.
The gun was just out of reach and he had her pinned to the floor, her arm splayed out over her head. His hand groped at her breasts while he pressed her to the ground. A sickening smile formed on his face. For a split second she almost wished the others would come. Maybe they’d pull him off of her, but probably not. More likely they’d take turns with her until the boss returned.
He tore at her shirt, exposing her delicate skin. When he leaned in a little closer, she grabbed at his hair with her right hand. She missed, but managed to catch hold of his collar. Cinching the material like a rope, she used the leverage to bring her right leg off the ground. Her knee caught him in the ear. He winced and loosened his grip. Pushing off from his arm, she strained until her left hand gripped the butt of the gun. He caught her arm. She fired, grazing his shoulder. It was enough to get free from his grasp. She fired again and again until the gun was empty and the man was slouched against the rear wheel of the car.
Shouting from outside the garage snapped her back to action. She reloaded the gun, pressed herself to the ground and looked out underneath the first car toward the open door. Two sets of feet. She took aim and fired, hitting one of the men and then shooting him in the shoulder when he fell to the ground. The other man took cover.
The keys to the wine colored car were near to the spot where she had dropped the gun. She fished them out and opened the door. Her side ached and her jaw felt like it was in a vice. She dropped into the seat and pulled the door closed.
There wasn’t time to rest, but she felt she needed to sit a moment and regain her thoughts. The Eye of Jupiter was somewhere in Berlin. What was the address on the little slip of paper she’d found after Lee died? She struggled to remember, but her mind was fuzzy. She fumbled in her pockets. No paper. Doctor Gabriel must have found it when they moved her to the room downstairs. She pushed out with her mind. Nothing. Again she pushed. A faint response.
Digamma?
“Where are you?” A note of hope in her voice.
The book didn’t answer, but she could feel it reaching out to her, awakening something in her. It was as though a signal was being amplified, tuned. She couldn’t so much see where the Eye was, as she could feel it. It had locked on to her and was sending out waves of energy. She focused on the waves, seeking out the center.
The car roared to life. She dropped it into reverse, punched the gas, and launched it through the garage door. Wood snapped and creaked and shattered, sending splintering debris out onto the driveway and the startled men approaching her. They dove out of the path of the car, giving her time to roll down the window and shoot the back tires of the other cars in the garage.
A moment later she spun the stocky sedan around the circular drive and out onto the country lane, kicking up clouds of dust in her wake. She continued to reach out to the book, reading its pulses of energy like a ship guided by a lighthouse. She just hoped she wasn’t too late.
Trapped
Once Hannah was inside the room, she realized why it was so dark. Only a single lantern sat in the center o
f the table and there were no windows. The floor was concrete and the walls were brick. In fact, to Hannah, the space seemed more like an alley than a room.
Perhaps noticing her obvious confusion, Jacques spoke. “This used to be the alley between the restaurant and the tailor’s shop next door. We bricked in the ends, extended the roof and added a few hidden doorways.”
“But the space is so small. Shouldn’t it be longer?” Hannah studied the walls.
“There are four rooms such as this one that span the alley. Each one has a hidden entrance. We mainly use the others for storage.”
“Storage?”
Jacques stood up and motioned for her to take a seat next to a burly man in a green cap two sizes too small for his head. “Why don’t you have a seat and let me get to know you a little better before we start trading secrets.”
Sixth Seal Page 20
