1 + 2

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  "I hear someone coming," Johnson said. "Get ready!"

  They tensed as seconds then minutes went by, and for a moment, they thought it was a false alarm till a sound grabbed their attention. A small object clanged down the second set of stairs like a tin can, and it landed at the bottom of the steps, rolled in their direction, and hissed opened, spraying white smoke. The fog-like substance thickened till it created a cloudy wall, and then a wave of bullets fired from the stairs. They ducked around the corners, taking cover, and after the metal barrage, they blindly shot into the smoke. They heard a muffled cry and someone fall to the concrete floor, and a large hand fell out of the smoke, holding a Glock 19.

  "Did we get one of them?" Daniels asked.

  "Looks like it," Andrews answered. "Be careful though, there's still a second Closer out there."

  "Do not shoot," Natasha yelled as she came out of the smoke, holding her side.

  "Raise your hands and kneel," Andrews shouted.

  She lifted her hands and knelt as if in pain as blood covered her one hand and side. "Do not shoot," Natasha repeated and glanced at the man beside her. "My brother!" She bowed her head and sobbed. "You have killed my brother."

  Andrews and Daniels cautiously moved toward them as the smoke slowly dissipated, and Johnson covered them from the corner. Natasha continued sobbing then she lifted her head and wailed then her cries turned to laughter. Andrews and Daniels stopped about six feet from her.

  "Fools!" she yelled and dove to the floor.

  The smoke dissipated enough that they could see a third figure had appeared at the top of the stairs.

  Andrews looked to the man on the floor. He was dirty and wore worn clothes. "He's a vagrant," he said and yelled, "Johnson, it's a trap!" Andrews raised his gun, but it was too late.

  Nikolai turned his Tommy on them and opened fire from the top of the stairs. His attack took down Andrews and Daniels.

  Johnson opened fire as Natasha threw a second canister across the hall toward him, and the white smoke blocked his view. He pressed the button on his earpiece and yelled, "Andrews! Daniels! Are you all right?" There was no answer, so Johnson franticly repeated, "Andrews! Daniels! Are you all right?" There was still no answer.

  They had been tricked. The hand that fell out of the smoke didn't belong to the Closer. They must have kidnapped a bum then forced him to hold the gun and walk down the steps, and they fell for it. Johnson grabbed his duffle bag and cursed, "Hathor!"

  The poor guy was hidden by the veil of smoke, and they shot him. The female Closer must have smeared his blood on her hand and placed it to her side as if she had been shot, and now his men were dead. He ran for the platform and then in the direction of Melissa and the children; he had to reach them before the Closers did.

  Chapter Forty-three

  The Subway Train

  6:39 P.M...

  Silence... For ten minutes, no noise sounded across the tunnel passage to the second platform. The gun blasts and shouts had long since died down and everyone feared the worse. The eerie stillness numbed the senses and filled Kat, Kim, and Melissa's thoughts with nightmarish scenarios of the bodyguards' fates. The subway train they were in consisted of ten cars, and each one was connected to the next by two doors that opened into each compartment. The length of each car was thirty feet, and each car had two sets of sliding doors on the side that opened to the platform. Large windows covered both sides of the car, an aisle ran down the middle, and padded seats facing the aisle covered both sides. Poles stood on each side of the sliding doors so passengers could stand and wait for their stop. Melissa, the two children, Kat, and Kim hid in the fifth car from the front. They had opened all the connecting doors running through the first through the tenth car, and the doors that exited the subway train were all shut. Kat glanced at Melissa who held Bonnie as Chad sat close to them, and the silence continued.

  Kim sat, staring at her PPK as she ejected the gun's magazine three times; it was full.

  "How's your ammo?" Kat asked, noticing her fidgeting. She was usually so calm and cool, but Kat guessed even assassins could fear death.

  "I have plenty," Kim answered. "There's more magazines in my knapsack." She glanced at that woman, seeing the look of concern. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

  Kimberly's view...

  It's agonizing, waiting for someone to kill me. I don't know how that woman existed in this fear inducing state for a year. I don't think I could have, and if it had been me, I probably would have offed myself a long time ago.

  End Kimberly's view...

  "It will be fine," Melissa added, trying to encourage the others. "Johnson and his men know what they're doing." She tried to convince herself. "It will all be fine. They'll take care of the Closers and then come for us, so everything will be fine. None of us will die."

  Footsteps echoed across the tunnel passage as someone ran toward the second platform from the first, and Kat along with Kim hurried to the front car and looked out the window. They watched the curve, waiting for the person to appear. Johnson rushed around, glancing over his shoulder, and he slowed as he saw the second platform and the subway train then he searched for the group. Kat and Kim pried open the first car's set of sliding doors to the platform. They glanced around the area and checked for the Closers, and they saw no one else.

  "In here," Kat yelled as she waved him over.

  Johnson glanced once more over his shoulder and entered the first car as he panted from running. He was getting too old for this. Johnson swallowed hard and informed the two women, "The Closers got Andrews and Daniels." He paused, catching his breath. "They aren't far behind, so we only have minutes."

  Kat couldn't believe it as her emotions welled up in her. Sadness, hurt, and confusion pressed on her, but she pushed them aside because she didn't have time to deal with them. Kat could grieve when everyone was safe, so she motioned behind her, telling Johnson, "Melissa and the children are in the fifth car. Go back and stay with them and give yourself a little time to rest."

  He started to go and paused. "Watch out for the Closers. They like to play dirty." He headed back.

  Kat waited till he left and turned to Kim. "Are you ready? We have to stop them here. "

  "I'm ready? But are you, Ms. High And Mighty?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I'm not the one who won't kill. The only way we're going to stop the Raven and the Wolf is if we stop them cold, and I do mean make corpses out of them." She pointed her finger at Kat. "You'll have to take someone's life. You won't stop them by merely wounding them. I know their kind, and I have dealt with their kind. The Raven and the Wolf are too dedicated to their work, or more like, they enjoy it too much to be stopped by a flesh wound." That woman didn't respond to her statements so Kim questioned, "Are you listening to me? You can't hesitate. You have to kill them, if not for my sake then at least for Melissa and the children's."

  "I'll do what has to be done," Kat responded. "I'll protect everyone."

  "Isn't that statement a little late?" Kim's anger rose in her voice. "Daniels and Andrews are dead. You didn't protect them." She turned her attention back to the tunnel passage. "They might still be alive if you had taken the shot outside of the safe house and killed the Life Closer on the roof."

  "Don't you think I know that?" Kat snapped. "I keep replaying the event in my mind. I know I could have easily aimed for her head."

  Kimberly's view...

  "For Ares' sake!" I throw up my hands. "Then stop your whining about killing and take out the Raven and the Wolf. How else are you going to protect us?"

  I'm taken aback by my own words. I'm relying on that woman to save me. The Raven and the Wolf have rattled me, but even if that's the case, I still wouldn't normally believe anyone would save me. I have to get my head on straight.

  Katharine's view...

  "I'll find a way to protect everyone," I answer.

  I'll find a w
ay for everyone's sake, and I'll do it without taking a life. There's a reason I shouldn't take a life, and I know it deep inside. I can't complete the Gamma Phase, and if I do, it'll change everything. I stare at my gun. I won't take a life even if it cost me my own.

  "You'll find a way?" Kimberly utters. "For our sake, I hope you do, otherwise, we'll end up like Andrews and Daniels."

  Chapter Forty-four

  Here They Come

  7:07 P.M...

  In between platform one and two...

  The twin Closers stopped before the curve and looked to one another. Gore still covered Natasha's hand where she smeared blood from the vagrant's bullet wound, and Nikolai no longer held the Tommy. He left the empty submachine gun back at the hall where they killed the two bodyguards.

  "We let one escape," she said. "It was sloppy of us. He is most likely with the Mark."

  "Do not worry, my sister." Nikolai removed a Glock 25 from his shoulder holster; he had taken the Glock 19 from the vagrant and placed it in the holster on his back. "It does not matter if they know we are coming. We will complete the Closing. We will return home."

  She stroked the side of his mask with the back of her hand, smearing a little blood on his WM-D. "Let us bring doom then." Natasha removed the second canister from her satchel. "What do you think, my brother? Are they in the subway train or have they escaped through another tunnel?"

  "I would be on the train, if I were them, and it gives them some protection." He turned to his sister and pointed. "Tasha, how many more of those do you have?"

  She looked to the canister. "Five. Why?"

  "It is time for another wall of smoke. We cannot make it too easy for them to kill us."

  On the subway train...

  "Hades... I hate waiting." Kim impatiently stared out the window to the curve. "I would never make it as a bodyguard." She tapped her foot anxiously. "Being a Closer is much easier," she told Kat. "All I have to do is show up at the spot, wait maybe an hour or two, and bang! The job's done."

  "Not so loud. Do you want everyone to hear?" Kat glared at her. "And how can you say easy? Killing someone isn't. Every time you take a life it does something to your soul." She turned her attention back to the curve. "Anyway, I thought you hated your job. I thought you hated what you do for a living."

  "What are you babbling about?" she asked as she gave that woman a you don't know what you're talking about look. "I don't hate my job."

  Kat knew she lied to her again. She questioned her, "If you like what you do, why don't you smile? Why do you always look so miserable?"

  Her dismal expression worsened as she said, "I don't look miserable." Agitated over that woman's comments, she added, "And mind your own business! I never asked your opinion." Kim tapped her foot faster.

  Kimberly's view...

  That woman can't be right, no, there's no way she's right.

  I can't help but consider her statement. Am I doing something I hate? I do blame my father for getting me into the business. Is it because I despise my job?

  Sure I don't have a life; I have no friends and really no family, but does that make me miserable? I convince myself that it doesn't.

  Katharine's view...

  Maybe I should drop it, and we can talk about it later. I stare at Kimberly's nervous foot. She has enough to think about right now, and there's no need to make her feel worse than she already does.

  End Katharine's view...

  Kim noticed her looking at her and stopped the distracting thumping as she said, "Sorry."

  "Don't worry..." Kat rubbed her left thumb nail against her index finger and rubbed it red. "We all have bad habits."

  "Bad habits aside," Kim said. "I never said I liked my job. I don't hate it, but I don't like it."

  "Oh..." Kat couldn't believe it. "That's too bad."

  "Too bad? For Ares' sake!" Kim shouted and lowered her voice, "What's too bad?"

  Kat started to answer, "That..." She paused, realizing Kim honestly didn't see it. Kat answered, "It's too bad that you lie even to yourself."

  "I don't! Hades! I don't..." Kim stopped herself.

  Kimberly's view...

  I know myself, and I haven't become so used to deceiving others that I also lie to myself. For Ares' sake! I've let that woman get to me for even considering the notion.

  I blurt, "I didn't want to tell you so you wouldn't get all freaky around me, but of course I enjoy killing people! Why else would I be doing it?"

  End Kimberly's view...

  Kat put a finger to her mouth and uttered, "Shh..." She glanced across the cars in the direction of Melissa, Johnson, and the children then turned back to Kim. "Don't talk like that. The others might hear you."

  "Fine, but it's not like it's going to matter. We're probably all dead unless we can take out one of those Closers, and I do mean kill them."

  "Quiet," Kat ordered.

  "Why are you yelling at me again?" Kim asked. "I didn't say anything about me being a..."

  "Closers," Kat interrupted. "They're making their move."

  "Oh..." Kim turned to where Nikolai and Natasha stood, and they were out of range of the handguns, at least out of her range. She yelled at Kat, "Shoot them already!"

  Before Kat reacted, Nikolai and Natasha threw the canisters at the subway train, and smoke engulfed the cars. "I don't like this," Kat said.

  Kim gave her a frustrated look as she said, "You're not supposed to like this." She shook her head in a this is ridiculous manner. "What kind of statement is that? If you don't have anything useful to say, I would suggest you keep your opinions..."

  "Go back and help Johnson," Kat interrupted as she started to pry the side doors open.

  Kim looked to Melissa, remembering her Closing. "I would prefer to stay with you."

  Kat pried the doors open and said, "Please, go back and help Johnson." She had turned her attention back to Nikolai and Natasha. "I have a feeling he'll need you."

  "Fine, but what are you going to..."

  Kat raced from the car into the smoke.

  "Wait! Don't go out there by yourself!" Kim griped, "Idiot!" She made her way to the back, staying low so not to stand out as a target as the smoke rose up to the windows. "What's that woman thinking?"

  Chapter Forty-five

  Protect Melissa And The Children

  7:25 P.M...

  White smoke rose, engulfing the subway cars and the surrounding area, and all the windows were closed, and the front car's platform facing doors were the only ones open. Smoke floated in, filling the front half of the empty car as Melissa huddled with the children in the last car. Johnson squatted beside them and peered out a platform facing window. Silence hovered over them like fog in a graveyard, and it was eerily foreboding and concealed many horrors. The connecting door slid open with a squeal, and Kim entered hastily and shut the door. Johnson aimed his weapon at her, making sure she wasn't one of the Closers and quickly looked back out the window. He couldn't see past the wall of white and that made him on edge.

  "This is the same tactic the Closers used at the stairs." He was angry over the loss of his men. "They made us believe they had been shot." He repeated the drama over and over in his head. "And we fell for it!"

  Kim squatted beside a different window. "We'll be prepared for any trickery."

  "Where's Kat?" Melissa asked.

  Kim glanced at the front car. "She stepped out for a bit."

  "Oh." Melissa sounded worried and said nothing more to frighten the children.

  "No really," Kim said. "Katharine went to deal with the Closers, so she's fine." She faked a smile. "No worries."

  Melissa believed her or at least, pretended to for the sake of the children. Melissa softly spoke to the children, "Did you hear that? Everything is going to be fine."

  Kimberly's view...

  I look to Melissa and the children and consider what Voice is up to. The Regulat
or sent me on this Closing and then sent the Raven and the Wolf after me like it was some sort of test. I consider that Voice is watching to see what I'll do. I pull on my left earlobe. If I complete my Closing and kill Melissa, will Voice cancel my Closing?

  End Kimberly's view...

  Johnson shifted his legs, cramping a bit in his squatted position as he glanced out the window again and said, "Yes, we can't fall for their trickery. We have to hold our..."

  Large hands smashed through the window, sending shards flying, and the huge hands dragged Johnson through the window, cutting him on jagged pieces of glass left in the frame. Kim heard Melissa and the children scream as she shielded her face with her gun hand and leaned away from the clear projectiles. Johnson yelled before disappearing, and Kim stood and ran to the window. She couldn't see Johnson in the smoke. Kim would shoot, but she was afraid she'd hit Johnson and for now, she needed him to watch her back.

  Kimberly's view...

  Hades! Where's that woman? She left me alone with these people and... I realize I'm the only one with Melissa and the children and that there's no bodyguard to protect the Mark. Glancing at Melissa, I debate whether or not to complete the Life Closing I was assigned. If I do, I'll have to deal with that woman, and she might kill me for completing it no matter what she says about not taking a life. I don't want to get in a battle with her; I still need her.

  Hades! The things I do for that woman and lately, I've been going against my nature.

  I wave for the three and say, "Melissa, it's time." I move to the opposite side of the car and slide open the door to an empty sidewalk as I continue, "Take your children and run and don't stop." I step to the sidewalk and search the area over the barrel of my gun.

  The smoke thins, and I see a clearing as Melissa and the children creep out to the sidewalk, and I order, "Go as deep into the subway tunnel as you can. We'll hold the Closers here."

  End Kimberly's view...

  Melissa lifted Bonnie into her arms and grabbed Chad by the hand, and they fled. Kim ran with them for about a minute, covering them as they ran through the thinning smoke.