His head throbbed from the beating, but an adrenaline rush made his pain irrelevant. His body was on automatic, taking opportunities and responding when it had to. With one hand, he held the canvas bag, with the other he gripped Lena’s wrist, trying to keep her in step with his pace. They raced down the hallway, away from the senator’s office. The fire alarm blared. People were coming out of the offices and rushing for the exits. Ramon and Lena had a head start, but that would only help for a few seconds. The pursuers would be after them soon. If they kept running straight ahead, it would be over in no time. Cain would be coming soon, and he had a radio—he was probably calling his reinforcements now.
They turned at the end of the hall into a new passageway, past two closed office doors. The next door they came to was a Senate meeting room, its door ajar. Without hesitation, Ramon swung in.
“Come on. We’ve got to move.” He tugged on Lena’s wrist as he pulled the door shut behind him. The room was long and narrow with a large oak table at its center. It looked as if a meeting had just broken up, there were dirty coffee cups and used notepads scattered throughout. At the opposite end of the room was another door. They sprinted across the room and out the other side. On the way out, Ramon pulled the door shut.
Now they were in a different hall. Ramon stopped to consider their next move. His nose gurgled as he breathed, spraying a mist of blood into the air. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked both ways down the corridor. There were a few people at the end of the hall, moving rapidly away. Lena squeezed his hand tightly, her hands trembling.
“Which way should we go?” There was a quiver to her voice.
“I don’t know. Maybe this way.” He picked a direction and they started up again. His sense of direction was off. He thought they were on the west side of the building, but wasn’t sure. He didn’t know where they were or how they could get out. By now, all the exits would be covered. They were as good as trapped. But maybe in the confusion, they’d be able to slip out. For now they had to keep moving.
At its end, the hall opened out to the landing by the Rotunda, close to where they had been before finding the senator’s office. The Rotunda was walled off. Ramon remembered that the stairs to the ground floor were just around the curve.
“Let’s check the stairs.” Their footsteps echoed off the tile floor. The landing was empty. Their luck still held.
They were around the curve and about to start down the stairs, when Ramon heard the staticky burst of a walkie-talkie and a voice responding. Someone was guarding the stairs, waiting right below them. Lena’s eyes were wide with fear as they backed up and retraced their steps around the curve.
They couldn’t go down and they couldn’t go back. Cain and his men would surely be on them in moments. Around the curve on the other side, the building opened up to the House wing. There would be halls to run through or places to hide in there. But they didn’t have enough time. By the time they got across the landing, it would be too late. In the middle of the curve, a wooden door was built into the Rotunda wall. The sign on the door read - Restricted. They had no choice.
Ramon kicked the door. It was solid. It didn’t budge. The adrenaline sang in his head. His heart banged in his chest, and he knew he had to do something. He crouched down, then shot forward, hitting the door hard with his shoulder. He felt a jolt of pain as he connected. The door shook but held firm. He did it again. The wood splintered by the lock. He hit it a third time, and this time, the door caved in, swinging inward.
Ramon gripped Lena’s hand as they stepped through onto the balcony of the Rotunda.
The sprinkler system had kicked in and quickly doused the flames in Morgan’s office, but the room was still heavy with smoke.
“God damn it.” Cain stepped over the smoldering piles as he moved toward the door.
Tanner’s face was set hard. “I need to know what’s going on, Cain.”
Cain opened the shattered door and stepped into the hall.
“We’ll discuss this later, Lieutenant. But now we have a job to do and I expect you to do it.”
He glanced down the hallway in both directions before setting out. He chose the path to the right. It was already clear of people.
“Take the other way. The colonel will fill you in later.”
Cain moved down the hallway as the fire alarm shrieked. His clothes were soaked. He couldn’t believe it had happened again. He held his gun in one hand and the hand-held radio in the other. He moved at a trot, trying to sense where his rabbits would have run. Without stopping, he hit the button on the radio.
“All units, this is Alpha. We got a problem here. Initiate plan B. Targets are loose in the building. If you make contact, shoot to kill. We’re not taking no prisoners.”
He released the button and stuck the unit back in his belt. His men were scattered through the building on the lower level. They’d cover the exits first and then begin search procedures, starting at the bottom and working their way up. The rabbit got away again, but this time, he wouldn’t get far. He hadn’t expected this. This target was tougher than he’d expected. But with the manpower Cain had, there was no way his prey would get out alive.
He came to the end of the hallway. It branched out so there were three possible choices: left, right or straight. It had taken less than a minute for him to get out of the office, but it was enough time for them to disappear. They could have gone in any direction. He stopped and listened. All he could hear was the alarm’s blare. If he took the wrong path, it would kill valuable time. He backed up and looked around. Then he saw it. The carpet was a pattern of blue, silver, and gold. But looking closely, he saw specks of red. Fresh blood. The rabbit left a trail of blood for him to follow.
Cain smiled and followed the tracks. Now he was calm and in control. This was the end game—the most enjoyable part of the hunt. He turned and traced the blood down the new hallway. He walked past the meeting room before he realized he’d gone too far. He backtracked until he found the trail again, went through the room and into the other hall. The blood was heavier here. It looked like they’d stopped, maybe to plan their moves or collect their thoughts. Then the trail turned and went back toward the center of the building. He picked up his pace as the noise from the fire alarm suddenly stopped.
He was near the end of the hall, when he heard a banging noise. His targets were up ahead. Gripping his gun in his hand, he broke into a run. He heard another bang and then a crash. He came out at the landing by the Rotunda just in time to see his prey step inside, onto the balcony leading upward to the top of the dome. He sprinted the few yards and went in himself. They were around the corner, moving up along the curving stairway.
Cain smiled. This was perfect. The Rotunda had at one time been a popular attraction. But with the steep winding stairs, it was a potential accident hazard. They’d closed access years ago. There were no other exits. To get down, they’d have to get past him—they were trapped.
Lena had the urge to laugh. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t funny. They’d nearly been killed and the killer was close behind them. In the senator’s office, she’d nearly wet her pants from fear. She’d expected the bullet to take her. She’d been waiting to die. And now they were out again. She was still scared, almost terrified. But in some sick way, it struck her as hysterically funny. Or maybe it was just hysteria.
They rounded the curve and climbed higher. She glanced out as she ran. They were on a winding staircase adjacent to the balcony of the Rotunda. She looked across the chasm; the balcony wound around several more times before it ended. There had to be an exit somewhere along the way. But where? She glanced down and had to quickly look away. They were higher up than she’d thought. Even now the ground was far below.
The stairway was impossibly steep. She panted and her chest burned. The muscles in her legs tightened with fatigue, and her heart banged like a drum in her chest. There was no way she could keep up the pace.
“Stop… can we rest for a minute?” she whe
ezed.
Ramon looked back. His face was smeared with blood, his eyes wild. He was breathing through his mouth, his breath came fast.
“We can’t. You’ve got to keep going.” He tugged on her wrist again, pulling her along.
But it was too much. She couldn’t keep up. She needed to rest—just for a minute—then they could go on. She stopped.
“No… I just need a moment…”
Ramon stopped and glanced back nervously. “Okay, just for a second.”
That was when they heard it. a voice, calling out to them.
“Hello, rabbits. Wait for me.” It was Cain’s voice, taunting them. It came from the stairway just below them.
Lena moved forward. Resting wasn't an option.
Cain felt energized and alive. After the frustrations of the last months, this was a thrill. It was better than he’d imagined how it all tied up so nicely. The way it laid out, he would have a clean kill by the time they reached the top of the stairway. He would come down a hero and get back in the colonel’s favor at the same time. These were wanted killers here—they’d just killed a U.S. senator. He’d probably get a medal for catching them. Not that it mattered. Medals wouldn’t have much value in the near future.
He stopped and listened. They were around the curve, almost above him. He could take his time now. They weren’t going anywhere.
“Hey, rabbits,” he yelled. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
He heard the sound of scurrying feet above him. He smiled. It was perfect. He could almost imagine the looks of fear on their faces. Fear and the knowledge that it was over. They were about to die and he had won.
Cain turned to the railing, aimed his gun out across the chasm, and waited for his targets to come into view. A second later, he saw a flash of movement across the way on the balcony above him. He had a clear shot. It was a long distance for a handgun, but he knew he could make the shot. But that would ruin the fun. It would be much more satisfying to get them close up.
He turned back to the stairway and continued his climb up.
A new wave of fear washed over Lena. She wasn’t tired anymore, her head buzzed with adrenaline. She felt lightheaded and could taste the metallic tang of panic in her mouth. She couldn’t run fast enough. Hearing Cain’s voice made it so much more real. He was treating it like a joke. He wasn’t chasing them, he was coming up slowly. Taking his time. Now she knew it. There were no other exits. They were trapped.
Ramon ran a step ahead of her, scanning the balcony in front. They’d nearly sprinted around the curve, taking the steps two at a time. Maybe they could put some distance between themselves and Cain. But it wouldn’t matter. If they couldn’t find an exit, it was over.
They heard him again, his voice mocking. “Hey, rabbits, what’s up, Doc?”
Lena gulped in air. Without slowing down, she glanced past the edge of the balcony. They were over a hundred feet up. The people below looked like tiny dolls. An image flashed through her mind. She pictured herself stepping onto the edge of the balcony and launching herself into space, falling down to the floor of the Rotunda. She shuddered. No matter how hopeless their situation looked, she couldn’t give up. She blinked her eyes, trying to get the image out of her mind.
The rise in the flooring here wasn’t as steep, but it was on a steady incline. Lena stepped forward but misjudged the step and twisted her ankle.
“Ooww!” she cried.
Ramon stopped and bent down to her. “Are you all right?”
“It’s my ankle.”
“Can you walk?” Ramon put his arm around her, supporting her as he helped her to her feet.
“I think so.” They moved forward again. Slower now. She leaned on Ramon, keeping most of the weight off her ankle.
“I’m comin’ to get you, rabbits.” Cain’s voice sounded closer.
The radio on Cain’s belt buzzed. He yanked it out and hit the button. “What? ”
“Hey, Captain, can you hear me?” It was Ortman.
Cain felt a flash of irritation. “Of course I can hear you. What’s up?”
“Well, we’ve got the first floor secured, but there’s no sign of the targets.”
“I’ve got that under control. They’re as good as gone.”
“Oh, well, good. But we got another problem here, sir.” Ortman’s voice came out in a conspiratorial whisper. “The senate police are here and they kind of resent that we’re taking over. And there’re a couple of senators asking questions too.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll smooth it all out later. I’ll get the colonel involved.” Cain replaced the radio on his belt. He didn’t have time to worry about details. It would all sort out in time. But now he had to finish his hunt. He stopped again and listened. He could hear them running, up ahead, somewhere around the corner. There wasn’t much space left for them. They’d be at the end soon. Slowly and deliberately, he moved forward.
It should be easy, Cain thought. His targets would come to the top and have nowhere left to go. He’d have a clear shot. But the Mexican was crafty. He wouldn’t go down without a fight. Cain knew if the positions were switched, if he were being pursued, he’d set a trap. He’d do something to equalize the situation. He’d underestimated the rabbit before with disastrous consequences. He wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Cain reached down, rolled up his right pants leg, and took out his short-handled combat knife. The grip was tailored to fit the hand and the blade razor sharp. He expected to have a clean shot. But there was no sense taking any chances. He kept walking, around the curve, moving up.
He stopped for a moment and listened again. He couldn’t hear any sign of movement. They’d stopped. They’d run out of room. This would be where the rabbit would make his stand.
Gripping his knife in one hand and the gun in the other, Cain continued forward.
Helping Lena, Ramon rounded the corner. They moved slower now. Too slow. It wouldn’t be long before Cain caught them from behind. Besides, there was nowhere left to run. The balcony curved around for one more turn, but that was it. There were fewer steps here and the incline levelled off. They were as close to the top as they could get and he’d seen no exits along the way. This was the end of the line.
“He’ll be here soon. We can’t keep running,” Ramon said.
Lena nodded. “I know.”
He looked both ways, up and down the balcony. “Can you walk by yourself?”
She nodded her head. “I can walk.”
“I want you to get around the curve ahead. As far as you can. Can you do that, or do you need help?”
“No, I can do it.”
“Good. Get back as far as you can, then get down low and out of sight.”
Lena nodded then gripped the railing for support and pulled herself along.
“Ready or not, here I come.” Cain called out.
He was still a ways back. It sounded to Ramon as if his voice came from the area a full curve down. That meant they still had some time. At the pace Cain was coming, it would take another minute before he was on them.
Ramon quickly surveyed the area one more time. Cain knew they were here, and would be expecting a fight, but he wouldn’t know exactly where. Their only hope was to take him by surprise. That would be hard by itself, and impossible in an area as bright as this was. There were light fixtures along the outer wall spaced every five feet or so. Ramon pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around his fist for protection. He smashed his fist into the glass housing of the lamp closest to him. The housing shattered. Being careful not to cut himself, he did the same with the bulb. He repeated the process at each of the five lamps positioned around the curve. Looking back, he still didn’t see Cain.
He panted heavily. His nose had stopped bleeding and was beginning to clot. He had to breathe through his mouth now. At the edge of the balcony, rectangular columns of dark wood were spaced between the railings, three feet apart. There was a ledge on the railing just wide enough for him to stand.
He looked back. Still no sign of Cain. He bent down and picked up a piece of the shattered glass. He wrapped it in his shirt and put it into his pocket. Then, moving back in the curve, into the shadows, and stepped up onto the railing. The ledge was narrower than he’d thought. He barely fit. Suddenly, he felt unsteady. He had to bend forward so he wouldn’t fall back. He wanted to grip the outer column and hold on tight. But then Cain would see his fingers. He had to stay still, maintain his balance, and hope for a chance to attack. He took out the glass shard and gripped it in his shirt. Now it was time to wait. He took a deep breath, tried to relax, and not think about falling.
Cain smiled when he saw the broken lights. It was so transparent. He’d expected better. The attack would come as soon as he walked around the corner. The rabbit would be waiting for him in the dark. Crouching down, he’d jump out of the shadows in a kamikaze hit. A suicide strike. Cain savored the thought of it. It would be too easy.
He stopped for a second to take off his mirrored glasses. He was in full hunter mode now. He lightly gripped his weapons as he walked, his senses tuned to any movement, sound, or even smell. He was a predator by nature. Probably something in his genes. This was his element. This was fun.
Taking his time, he walked forward. As he reached the dark area where the lights had been broken, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. It was time. It would happen now.
He stepped into the shadow, squinting to see better. There were layers of shadow and light. He tried to make out the shape of a body in front of him. Then he heard the sound of a heavy breath escaping.
Living Proof Page 29
