London Escape (19 page)

“Ah, look who it is,” V calls out suddenly.

I freeze when he spots me cowering in the doorway. His voice echoes off the concrete walls of the room and my heart thunders in my chest as he steps out from the shadows. The agent’s gun keeps him from coming closer to me, but even in the dim light I can see his eyes. Dark, narrow, and focused on me. He’s smiling widely at me and I know, as I always know, something is about to happen. 

There’s nothing else I can do now that I’ve been spotted, so I step into the room. The other mystery agent doesn’t turn when I step up behind him. He keeps his gaze on V. He must sense my presence, because he calls out to me.

“Do not move.”

I obey, though he really didn’t need to warn me, and freeze on the spot. But that doesn’t stop me from frantically looking around the office for an escape. I quickly realize the only exit is the door I’ve just come through. My overwhelming curiosity has faded as quickly as it came. Now I only want one thing: escape.

“Put down the gun V,” the agent says in a tight voice. Something about his voice sparks my memory, and I look at him in alarm. Squinting through the shadows I can only see his outline.

V steps closer into the dim circle of light in the middle of the room. For the first time I see he’s holding a gun as well, though it hangs loosely in his hand at his side.

“Well, this is nice, isn’t it? I love a good family reunion,” V smirks. “Hello, Katherine.”

“Kit!” the agent says suddenly. He takes two steps to the left, his sights never leaving V, but turning enough so I can see his face.

Shock does not describe the emotion that courses through my body at that moment, the moment I spot his familiar blue eyes and set jaw. I recognize him immediately, but at the same time the man in front of me is a total stranger.

“Dad!” The room is suddenly spinning, and I’m reeling with confusion.

This must have been exactly what V wanted, because he’s now moving toward me.

“Kit, don’t move,” my dad warns again.

I don’t think I could move if I wanted to, so I obey. My heart is racing, my palms sweaty. My dad is now glancing nervously between me and his enemy. I’m wishing with every fiber of my being I hadn’t come into this room. If not for my own curiosity I could be safe outside with Jason. Now I am here, staring death and danger in the face once more.

“You’ve gone too far this time V,” my dad is saying, focusing on V with a steely gaze.

“Oh really? How so? All I did was buy a necklace for my client. Your little girl and her boyfriend were the ones who caused all the trouble stealing from me,” V responds calmly, still inching toward me and the door.

“Stay where you are!” my dad commands him.

“Or you’ll do what? Shoot me in front of her? Really, William?” V says placidly.

“You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“Oh as a matter of fact I do. It’s pretty clear you’re capable of a lot William.” V is staring at me now with a grin on his face. Ice runs through my veins as he takes another half a step closer to me.

“No one is going to get hurt, just turn yourself in now,” my dad promises.

But V has other plans and I know it. He’s now so close the three of us form a triangle. My dad is to my left. V is directly in front of me and still getting closer.

 “I’ve known a lot of liars in my life, believe me, William. But you are by far the absolute best,” V says, shaking his head slowly. He’s now confirmed what I always expected. He isn’t going to go quietly. My eyes are locked on the gun in his hand as he raises it finally to point straight at my dad.

My dad doesn’t respond but he’s clenching his jaw so tightly I can see his cheek twitch.

“And your lovely daughter,” our enemy continues. Now he swings the gun away from my dad, and waves it casually in my direction. “She’s almost as good as you. I nearly believed her little sad story about running away from home. All this lying must run in the family.”

Simultaneously my blood runs cold and hot. Cold from fear and hot with anger at his accusation. My fingertips start to tingle with anticipation.

“Now, I suppose he’s told you all about your mother, hasn’t he?” V asks innocently, still facing me.

There it is again, the implication that I knew nothing of my mom, just like Peter had said. Like there is some secret truth everyone knows but me. Despite the severity of the situation, my curiosity piques once more. I open my mouth to ask a question.

“Kit,” my dad cuts me off. But I’m sure my face has already given me away.

“Aha, I guessed wrong! William, William.” V shakes his head sadly from side to side. “You really should be more honest with your own child. I guess you can’t help it, can you? That’s the first thing they teach you at Halcyon, how to lie convincingly.”

The word Halcyon echoes through my mind and I quickly remember another of Peter’s assertions. Again the true identity of both my parents is brought to question. But the implications about my mom flee from my mind as I watch V threaten my only living family with a deadly weapon. Instinctively I want to fight back. To stop all this before it ends badly. I’m the only one in the room unarmed, but I have other resources. The way I see it, my dad and I outnumber V, but we are going to have to work together to get of this alive. Again, I know what to do without pausing to decide.

I stiffen my shoulders and speak up for the first time since I came into the room. “You’re no better than him, V. You’re a criminal and a liar yourself,” I say accusingly.

“Kit, don’t,” my dad warns me again.

V looks at me in surprise, anger apparent on his face. “Me, lie?” He points to his chest with his gun. “I’ve never lied, little girl. I’ve never been anything but honest. I told you I would silence you and your friend, and I meant it. Just remember: lies and deception are in your blood.”

“Really, you were going to kill two teenagers who got in your way, even after you got what you wanted?” I taunt, trying to ignore his last statement. The more I angered him the less he paid attention to my dad.

“I would have liked nothing better. Teenagers annoy me. Especially the children of my life-long enemies,” he grinds out. He’s now holding his gun limply at his side, momentarily distracted.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my dad stepping closer.

“Really, what would you have done?” I press him further, my tone implying I still don’t believe his threats.

“Why don’t you come over here and I’ll show you,” V says, eyes narrowing.

I open my mouth to reply, but it’s cut off by my own scream as V lunges for me. I’m shocked by how quickly he gets a hold of me. I thought I had been succeeding in making him lose his focus, but the opposite was true. I had just given him more time to form his plan. We wrestle for a moment as he tries to take control of me. I fight back as much as I can, writhing and clawing. But in a second he grasps my injured arm and twists it behind me. My shoulder screams with pain and my vision goes blurry for a moment. His grip on my arm is the only thing that keeps me from collapsing onto the floor. He holds me tightly on my knees.

When I finally look up, I’m only five feet away from the barrel of my dad’s gun, which is still aimed straight at V.

My dad’s face is an impassive mask. His eyes do not meet mine, but he says quietly, “Katherine, do not move.”

Again, I have no choice but to obey. I can feel the cold steel of the gun pressed into the back of my head.

“What now, V? You call the shots,” my dad says in a tone that suggests he’s been in this kind of situation before. The thought is comforting, but not enough to still my erratic heartbeat. 

“Now you are going to let me walk away with the jewels,” he says. His voice is rough in my ear. We are no longer playing games.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“I think you’ll find that you can,” V counters, jerking my arm again.

I try not to give him the satisfaction of crying out in pain, but a quiet sob escapes my lips.

“If you’re not careful I might decide to take my little hostage with me,” V continues.

“Let her go.” My dad’s voice is deadly calm. My breath is coming in short, loud gasps and I’m terrified of what V is about to do.

V begins to step toward the door, dragging me along on my knees. “If I know how Halcyon works, and believe me, I do, you haven’t even contacted the police yet. You always like to take care of the dirty work first, don’t you William?”

“Leave the girl, V,” he says again. His voice is tight, but still somehow calm.

V ignores him and pulls me another two feet toward the door. I’m half-blind from the pain in my shoulder now. Sheer terror is coursing through my veins as I realize I’m about to be V’s prisoner once again. For the first time, I look up through my hair and address my dad.

“Daddy… please.”

My plea seems to undo him. “Let her go, or I will kill you!” he barks, showing emotion for the first time.

But V doesn’t waver. “You should have never gotten her involved in this William. You should have protected her, just like you should have protected Claire in Moscow.”

For whatever reason, the mention of my mom’s name sets him off. Since he can’t fire his gun he takes a great leap at V. Before he reaches us, V sees him coming and pulls me to me feet, shoving me hard in my dad’s direction. I go crashing into him, successfully blocking him from getting a hand on V, who races out the door and down the hall. My dad is cursing as he hauls himself to his feet. He doesn’t even stop, but bolts after V. Gunshots echo down the hall and I instinctively cover my head.

Several breathless moments later, there is silence. I’m still curled up in a ball on the floor, my heart beating erratically. I’m too shocked to cry or even stand so I just lay there, hugging my knees to my chest.

Minutes pass and finally I hear footsteps coming slowly back down the hall. I don’t think I’m crying, but there is a choking sound coming from my throat instead. I know only one of them has returned, alone, but I am too afraid to look up and see who has come back for me.

“Are you alright?”

In my stupor, his voice seems unfamiliar. I look up at him. Through my blurry vision I see his blue eyes and haggard face. My strength comes back in a surge and I jump off the floor and into his arms. It’s several seconds later when I realize he’s hugging me one-armed. I draw back and eye the gun still clutched in his hand.

“V?” I ask hesitantly.

My dad shakes his head grimly. “He got away. He had a car waiting out back.”

“Oh,” is all I can say. Though I wanted V gone, I can’t exactly admit to wishing my dad had killed him.

“Dad, what—” I begin suddenly.

“Not now, I’ll explain later.” His voice is gruff and business-like, almost unrecognizable.

Instinctively I draw back a few steps, realizing once again this is someone I don’t know.

“Let’s get you outside.” He starts to reach for me, but thinks better of it. Instead he nods toward the door. I follow him down the hall and out into the light.

Once outside my dad hurries off to find his partner. There is someone laying unconscious on the sidewalk while two EMTs attend to him. I immediately forget about what just happened. Helplessly I fall to my knees beside Jason’s prone form and take his hand.

“He’s going to be alright,” the EMT assures me.

I have to take his word for it as I’m quickly pulled away by another EMT.

I sit silently in the back of the ambulance while they check out my numerous injuries. A few police cars have now arrived on the scene. Several run inside to secure the building while my dad goes to talk to the officer in charge. I see him flash an official-looking badge, which just adds to my confusion about who he really is and who he works for.

My dad’s partner, the one who took Jason from the basement makes his way over to me.

“How is she?” he asks the EMT.

“She has a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, and a mild concussion. But other than that she’ll be fine,” says the female technician who is fitting my arm with a sling.

It’s easy for her to say. Somehow I don’t feel fine. She’d popped my shoulder back into the socket just a moment ago and I’d nearly passed out from the pain. But now, after a shot of something wonderful, the pain has lessened.

“Rodriguez,” says the agent, holding out his hand.

My right arm is the one in the sling, so I awkwardly shake his hand with my left hand. “Kit.”

“I know,” he says simply.

Suddenly I know where I have seen him before. He was the man I saw talking to my dad at the Barrons’ party the night this all begin. He must know I recognize him, because he smiles halfway.

He helps me out of the back of the ambulance so they can load Jason in. Even though I know he is going to be okay, I still feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest as the ambulance drives away.

“He’s going to be fine,” Rodriguez echoes what the EMT said about me earlier. I want to laugh. No one is going to be fine. Not Jason and especially not me. Not after today.

“I’m supposed to take you back to the hotel,” he says, showing me to another generic black car. Before I get in, I cast one more look over my shoulder at my dad. He’s still talking to the police as they bring out the Things, now both conscious again and in handcuffs. Surprisingly I’m relived to see them walking, but only because I’m not ready to face the fact that my dad could actually kill someone. He must feel my gaze, because he turns and meets my eyes. His last words echo in my head, “I’ll explain everything later.” I don’t foresee any explanation that could help me understand what has just happened.

I tear my gaze away and get into the back seat of the car. Rodriguez shuts the door behind me and gets into the driver’s seat.

“Don’t worry about him.”

I look up in surprise. Rodriguez is looking at me in the rearview mirror as we drive away from the scene.

“We’ve been hunting that son of a—” he stops, shooting another look at me. “We’ve been hunting V for a long time. Your dad is just angry he got away.”

“Yeah, he got away because of me,” I say, voicing my fear at last.

“We’ll find him. It’s too bad about the jewels though. But your dad won’t stop looking for him.”