by Kim Baldwin
“Great, thanks,” the American said.
Kris turned her attention to the streets they were passing. They had several blocks to travel, enough time for her to replay in her mind her night with Angie. She’d been an amazing lover, and though they’d only been apart an hour or so, Kris’s heart began to beat faster at the thought of seeing her again. When they’d been dancing together, she’d envisioned their lovemaking as heated and fierce, a quick and hungry joining. But though it had certainly progressed to that in the wee hours before dawn, it had begun as the most exquisitely tender and sensual experience she’d ever known, an unhurried and undeniably sexy mutual appreciation of each other before they finally came together.
With every passing hour, the prospect of Angie’s imminent departure weighed more heavily on her heart. How unjust it felt to finally feel love, to have at long last met someone who seemed to care about her in earnest, only to lose it all so quickly. She wondered whether Angie would be any more forthcoming today about her life and her plans, in light of what had happened between them. Perhaps that was why she suddenly wanted them to spend the day together.
Kris thought about how she could broach the topic of their connection in the future. She hadn’t asked Angie if she could visit her in America, but she could do her Web design business from anywhere, so why not? Much would depend on how the whole financial situation turned out, once the estate sold. She’d have to ask her uncle if he’d heard back anything yet from Professor Bayat about the diamond. She didn’t really count on the diamond to take care of all her financial problems, but it certainly could help.
The Rijksmuseum came into view in the distance, and she turned to the cute American, still standing beside her, gripping the pole. “Our stop is coming up. That’s it, there.” She pointed to the massive building, a gabled, red-brick structure in the Dutch neo-Renaissance style. “Unfortunately, the main building of the museum is closed for renovations until next year, but the major pieces, like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch are on display in the Philips Wing. There’s still plenty to see. The entrance is around the back. I can show you where, if you like. I’m meeting someone there.”
“I’ll take you up on that,” the woman said.
They got off the tram together and headed toward the Philips Wing. Kris paid no attention to the crowds of tourists around them speaking every language imaginable, nor the chill wind from the west. Her mind was firmly on the night before and all the ways she and Angie had touched each other. Even her mother’s cold dismissal couldn’t dispel the sense of euphoria that had enveloped her.
The two of them got in line behind a dozen others, and she began to scan the crowd for Angie. She was a little surprised to recognize the man who had taken her seat on the tram. He was waiting in line a few people behind them, and looked less than enthralled. Kris wondered why people who were bored by art visited a museum. It was something to talk about, she supposed, and it implied a deeper, more sensitive personality than one might imagine. The dark-skinned man looked like the type who needed all the help he could get in that department.
*
The nearest parking Allegro could find was in the underground lot of the Marriott a few blocks away, so she left the Audi there and jogged to the museum. When she neared the rear entrance, she spotted Kris and Domino, standing together, talking. Azizi was a few people behind them in line. They were almost at the entrance. Domino’s choice to make contact with Kris instead of simply observing her was a red flag. Clearly she had judged Azizi’s threat as immediate.
Kris saw Allegro and waved. “Over here.”
When she reached her, Allegro gave her a quick kiss. “Hi, beautiful.”
They grinned at each other.
Kris linked her arms around Allegro’s waist. “I could get used to you calling me that.”
“Good, ’cause I like calling you beautiful.”
Kris glanced toward the entrance. “We should be indoors soon. It’s not too busy.”
“Sweet. That means we should be able to find a place where I can thoroughly kiss you.”
Kris’s smile got wider. “Is that a promise?”
Allegro avoided Domino’s eyes. The line moved forward. “Do you trust me enough to take you to a secluded place?” she asked playfully.
“I’ll take my chances,” Kris said.
They reached the desk and Allegro asked for two tickets. Before they headed off, Kris turned and smiled at Domino. “I hope you enjoy your day.”
“Thank you,” Domino replied. “I hope you guys find that place to…get away,” she added, looking at Allegro.
For the first hour or so, they ambled through the exhibit of Dutch Masters, with Allegro always aware of the Afghan, who kept with them as they moved from room to room, but stayed at a distance and pretended to be absorbed in the art. There hadn’t been much of a line at the entrance, but the earlier rain had driven a lot of tourists inside, so most of the time they had ample company, including the occasional security guard. Allegro was aware, all the time, of Domino keeping an eye on them all from the periphery. As Azizi edged nearer, maintaining a distance of only a few yards, Domino compensated by sticking very close to him.
On the second floor of the exhibition, they came to a fairly quiet room with only a half dozen other tourists and no guards. The wall on their right was sealed off with a floor to ceiling curtain, and a sign in several languages read: DO NOT ENTER. RENOVATION AREA. ACCESS TO AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
Allegro glanced discreetly at Domino and then back to the curtain. Moments later, a loud crash echoed through the room, and as heads swiveled to find the source, Allegro put her arm around Kris’s shoulders. Everyone’s attention was on Azizi and the metal trashcan rolling away from him, spilling its contents on the floor. Domino did a fairly credible job of looking as shocked as the rest of the tourists, stepping far enough back that no one doubted the Afghan was responsible for the disturbance. Red-faced, he bent over to pick up the can, mumbling apologies.
Allegro quickly pulled Kris behind the curtain, into the prohibited area. They were in another large exhibition room, stripped of its art and full of work materials, but dark and dusty—obviously not a priority for workmen at the moment. Allegro could hear no sounds in the dark rooms beyond.
“What are you doing?” Kris asked.
“I told you I’d find a quiet place.” Allegro grinned.
“But we’re not allowed to be back here. It could be dangerous.” Kris moved toward the curtain, but before she could get out of arm’s reach, Allegro grabbed her elbow and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Come on, live a little. This is exciting,” she said in her naughtiest voice. “You said you trusted me.” She gave Kris a quick wet kiss on the neck. “Follow me.”
Taking Kris’s hand, she led her across the long, dark room. They were just inside the adjoining room when Kris pulled at her to stop, glancing nervously about as though she expected them to be discovered at any moment, but she made no further move to leave. “Are we here to make out or explore?”
“Shhh. You don’t want them to hear us, do you?” Allegro whispered, stroking her finger along Kris’s mouth.
“We could go back to the house,” Kris whispered. “We’ll have plenty of privacy there, and to tell you the truth, I have been thinking about undressing you all day.”
Allegro pulled Kris to her and kissed her soundly, mostly to keep her from going anywhere, but also, she had to admit, merely because she couldn’t stop herself. Kris kissed her back with equal enthusiasm, and the small shopping bag she’d been holding slipped from her fingers and hit the floor. Their lips parted at the noise.
Kris stooped to pick up the bag. “Can we go home now?”
Allegro’s keen hearing picked up the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps in the next room. She stiffened. It was too dark to see anyone.
Kris, still pressed against her, felt the change and froze too. “What is it? Is someone coming?”
Allegro put her ha
nd over Kris’s mouth to quiet her. They stood very still for a few seconds until she was sure the footsteps were gone.
“We should really get back to the museum,” Kris whispered.
“This way,” Allegro said, steering her further into the dark recesses of the renovation area.
“Where are we going?” Kris asked, clearly exasperated.
The sound of someone stepping on broken glass in the room they’d just left startled them both.
“We’re trying to find our way back out, sir,” Kris blurted out in Dutch before Allegro could stop her. “We got curious.” When there was no immediate reply, Kris continued, “Hello, sir. Can you show us out?”
Allegro heard the faint but unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked and footsteps coming their way. She bent over and swiftly removed the Walther from her boot. “Let’s go,” she whispered, pulling Kris across the room.
“Where did you get that, and what the hell’s going on?” Rising fear was evident in Kris’s tone.
“There’s no time to explain now, but you’ve got to trust me, Kris. There’s a guy out there with a gun and he’s not security.” Allegro maintained a firm grip on Kris’s arm and continued to pull her along.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Kris jerked free. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny anymore, Angie.”
“Please keep your voice down.” Allegro took Kris’s arm again. “Do you see me laughing? This is no joke. He’s dangerous and he’s after you.”
“Who is he? What does he want with me?”
“I’ll explain later. First, I have to get you out of here. Now please stay with me.”
“This is crazy.” Kris fought their forward momentum and managed to jerk free again.
Allegro roughly grabbed her by the wrist. “Damn it, I don’t have time for this.” Her tone changed completely, from soothing to stern. “You’re coming with me now. End of discussion. Now move.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Who the hell are you?”
“Not now, Kris. Please let me get us out of here.” Allegro’s cell phone vibrated in her pants pocket. She tucked her gun into her waistband so she could retrieve it without letting go of Kris’s wrist. She flicked the phone open, careful to keep it between their bodies so the glow of the display didn’t give away their position.
Domino’s text message read: He=armd. 3scrty grds+u. cnt #.)! which she translated as: He’s armed. Three security guards are with you. Can’t take him out. Leave now.
“Fuck,” Allegro muttered under her breath, and quickly messaged back, one-handed: TX @ EMG, which Domino would translate as: Leave and get a cab waiting at emergency exit.
She pocketed the cell and reached for her gun again as she tugged Kris along in search of an exit. They hadn’t gotten very far when they heard security guards shouting, asking whoever was there to come out.
“It’s not me he’s after. I knew you were in trouble,” Kris said, keeping her voice low. “Are the police after you? What have you done?”
Allegro heard footsteps very close to their left and turned to aim her gun. When the sounds ceased abruptly, she pulled Kris into an alcove where she could get a better view of who was coming.
“I can’t believe I’ve been harboring a criminal,” Kris said.
“I’m not a criminal,” Allegro responded, her mouth close to Kris’s ear.
“Then who are you? And why is someone chasing us?”
“I’ll tell you later. First, I need to get you out of here alive.”
“Alive?” Kris’s voice trembled.
“Just trust me, Kris.”
The footsteps started coming their way again. Much closer this time.
“Don’t move,” she ordered, and released her hold on Kris.
She could barely make out a silhouette edging slowly toward them, but she could tell by the way he was stopping to check around the corners that he didn’t know where they were. It was only a matter of time before he reached them. Allegro braced herself and prepared to move. She couldn’t tell if the man approaching was Azizi or a guard, but either way she couldn’t let him find them. She estimated he was no more than six feet away when she heard Kris’s plastic bag knock against the wall.
The silhouette froze. “Wie is daar?” Who’s there? A guard.
Allegro jumped him as he came to the front of the alcove. In one quick move, she put her arm around his neck and hit him with the butt of her gun on the back of his head. He slumped to the floor. She dragged him behind the alcove, out of sight, and rejoined Kris. “Which part of don’t move was open to interpretation? You must suck at surprise parties.”
Kris was clearly in no mood for humor. “Did you kill him?” Her voice was strained.
“I gave him a hell of a migraine, but he’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
She led Kris though several more rooms. They’d taken a winding horseshoe turn, and were headed back in the direction of the Philips Wing when she saw a green neon sign ahead indicating an emergency exit. She heard the distant voice of another guard holler in Dutch that he’d spotted a man with a gun heading to the emergency exit.
“The man with the gun is coming this way,” Kris volunteered.
“I know. I heard it, too.”
“But he said it in Dutch,” Kris said. “I thought you didn’t speak Dutch.”
“Later,” Allegro said as they reached the exit.
Posted on the large steel door was a sign that said NOT IN USE. She tried it anyway, but it was locked. She cursed under her breath as the sound of the footsteps pursuing them neared. He would be on them any second. Allegro grabbed Kris’s arm and started running. She could hear the footsteps break into a run as well. Another floor-to-ceiling curtain loomed ahead, light spilling through around its edges. A low hum of subdued voices filtered through from the other side. They’d come full circle, to another open exhibition room in the Philips Wing.
“We’re going back in, so look normal,” she told Kris. “Don’t panic, and don’t run.” She glanced through the edge of the curtain to make sure no guards were about, then led Kris out, through the crowd of tourists to the middle of the room.
“Cameras to your right,” she said in a low voice. “Keep looking down and away.”
Kris followed her instructions while they stood still for a few moments. Allegro scanned the room and spotted what she was looking for next to the restrooms, a door to the fire exit. She took Kris by the elbow and steered her across to the door. Fortunately there was no alarm. She pushed Kris through and they started to run down the stairs. They’d taken the first turn and were halfway to the ground floor when they heard footsteps on the concrete stairway. Allegro looked up and saw the Afghan peering over the rail as he closed the distance.
“Go!” she hollered at Kris as she drew her gun from the back of her waistband and raced after her. She’d only gone two steps when she heard the ping of a bullet hit the railing beside her hand. She hadn’t heard the shot, which meant Azizi was using his silencer.
“Oh, my God, he’s shooting,” Kris yelled.
“Keep going,” Allegro barked.
She returned fire when Azizi rounded the turn in the stairs. She got him on the shoulder, but could tell from his minimal response that it was probably only a flesh wound. He had his gun up, ready to fire again, but this time he was aiming at Kris, a couple of yards ahead of Allegro. Without thinking, she leapt down the stairs, putting her body in the line of fire, and nearly knocked Kris over. They landed near the door to the street.
“Son of a bitch,” Allegro said through gritted teeth as a bullet pierced her leg.
She fired back toward Azizi as they scrambled up. Kris pushed the door open and they made it outside into a narrow alley behind the museum. It was raining again, a downpour this time. Allegro kept her gun at the ready, glancing back for their pursuer, as they bolted down the alley. The cab was waiting half a block away. Domino stood on the opposite curb. They reached the car just as Azizi came running out into the street. His eyes lo
cked on Allegro’s.
“The Marriott hotel, please,” she told the driver, and they pulled away.
She heard Kris gasp. “Angie, your leg,” she whispered urgently. “It’s bleeding.”
Allegro glanced down at the widening stain of scarlet on her right thigh. At the center of the circle was a small tear in the brown corduroy of her trousers. “It’s nothing. Only a flesh wound.”
They rode in silence, watching the police cars race by in the direction of the museum. The cab let them out at the front of the Marriott and Allegro led them to the underground parking garage, making sure they weren’t followed. She took her duffel bag from the trunk and settled Kris in the passenger seat. As she got in the driver’s side, she put the duffel on Kris’s lap, then raised the lever to push her own seat back as far from the wheel as it could go. She unfastened her trousers and wriggled them down past her knees.
“I need to take care of this,” she said, inspecting the wound. It didn’t look too bad; the bullet had taken a small chunk of flesh from her outer thigh, halfway between her knee and hip.
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?” Kris asked, pale-faced.
“There’s no time for that.”
“We need to go to the police.”
“That’s out of the question. We can’t involve them,” Allegro said firmly. “I’ll explain later.” Reaching into her bag, she dug through it for gauze and antiseptic fluid. She poured some of the fluid straight out of the bottle into the wound. The sting was unbearable and she shut her eyes for a few seconds, waiting for the pain to subside.
“Here, let me,” Kris offered.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve done this before.”
Kris took the duffel and placed it on the narrow bench behind their seats. Then her hand closed over Allegro’s, where it loosely gripped the gauze. “Please. Let me help. All right?”
