Sheshook her head once, dark hair flying.“No.He’s not yours to kill.How can he be anyone’s but mine?”
“I’m not going to kill him.You heard what he said about theguns for Tajikistan, the stuff he’s got buried somewhere here rightnow.That’s the evidence I came here to find.Either one of thosewould put him away—properly this time.For life.”
“But life never really means life, does it?And even if itdid...”Her voice scraped.She returned her attention for oneburning instant to Sasha.“Even if it did, it’s not enough.Yes, Iheard about the guns.I heard what the boy said too.Alexandru?Will you to do something for me—one last thing?”
Sashawas watching her quietly now.His eyes were brilliant, every muscletensed where Laurie was holding him.He nodded.
“Take the gun from Stefan.No, Kucharski—keep still.The boy’sin a better position to do this.Stefan, hand it over, or I swearI’ll put a bullet through your skull right now.”
Sashamoved without hesitation.He carefully let Laurie go and reachedfor the weapon in Petrica’s fist.
Just fora second, Laurie thought it would work.Petrica was expressionless,not a ripple on his surface to show how he felt about being held atgunpoint by his wife and disarmed by his child.Just for asecond...Maybe even that vicious, dried-up heart could wish he’dkept them on his side.
Then he grinned.His free hand shot out and locked intoSasha’s coat.The gun muzzle jerked up—seeking the hostage-taker’starget, the soft place at Sasha’s temple.Laurie lurched forward.If the game was up, Petrica could take him too: would have to.There was nothing left of Laurie that could exist without Sasha.Laurie was quick.If all he had left was his flesh, he could be ahuman shield.It was such a corny line, and he didn’t have breathfor it anyway:you’ll have to shootthrough me...
Suddenvast movement behind him.Somebody else shifting air aside, makingthe candlelight jump.“No, Stefan!No more.This bad work stopshere.”
Gunari.Laurie had time to register his harsh face.Gunari thrust a fistdown between Stefan and Sasha—Laurie got the time to see that too,to understand that Gunari had shoved Sasha aside.Just a littleway.Enough.Then Stefan opened fire.
Luca hadused a silencer on his gun.Laurie’s memories were patchy of thatday but he recalled the spitting pop the weapon had made when Sashahad saved both their lives.In here, the two raw-throated pistolsroared like unleashed hell.Time twisted and broke—snapped into twodistinct strands.Event and echo.Something flashed beside Laurie’sskull, bright enough to blind him.Something thumped into hisshoulder.He fell, caught up in the avalanche of someone else’sfall.He landed on top, and that was it for events—beyond it wasonly reverberant silence.
Echo.There had been three shots in the flash and the fall.They weredone now.Laurie could count them.The echo strand of time wasdetailed, slow.Two guns had spoken.Stefan had fired twice, andthen...
“Gunari!”Laurie shoved himself upright.Tried to, anyway—oneof his arms was weak and numb and he could barely see for blood.That had been the avalanche: Gunari going down like rocks off amountain.Laurie jerked round, trying to find Sasha through thecrimson haze.
ButSasha was already with him.His arms were round Laurie from behind,closing tight.“Loz!Your face...”
Lauriecouldn’t see that his own face was a problem.Stefan Petrica’s wasdifferent, though.All of its lights—poetry, bloodthirst, hate—hadbeen doused.There was a hole in its brow.Laurie consulted theslow-flowing echo time again and found that he knew what hadhappened.It was easy: Stefan had shot Gunari down, and Elizabethhad fired back.Done a beautiful job of it too.He wanted to lookround, to find her and thank her for Sasha’s life and his own, butSasha’s grip was fierce, holding him still.Laurie stroked his arm.“I’m all right.”
“Are you?All this blood...”
“Not mine, I don’t think.”
“Some of it is.A bullet must have nicked you.Yes, righthere.”Sasha put cold fingertips to Laurie’s jaw and turned hishead.“Fuck.Missed your eye by an inch.Kucharski!Laurie’shurt.”
Two men down, your mother about to drop from the shock ofwhat she’s done, and it’s a scratch on my face that’s botheringyou.Laurie wanted to laugh, or to kisshim.“Just a minute,” Kucharski said, with the air of a mandistracted by trifles at a very wrong time.Nico was still on hisfeet, his pistol wavering wildly as he tried to cover the wholeroom and take in the change in his fortunes.Kucharski came roundbehind Elizabeth, gently disarmed her.“Okay.You’re done here.Ishould have bloody known, shouldn’t I—three months here undercover,drinking Stefan’s rotgut and listening to his bloody poems, and youblaze in and execute the bastard.”
“He was mine to kill!”Elizabeth swayed, and would have fallenif not for the arm he put around her.“Only mine.”
“All right.I suppose he was.Nico, you’re the last manstanding, aren’t you—let’s keep it that way.”Levelling Elizabeth’spistol, Kucharski returned him a steady aim.“Come on.You know whoI am.I can take you in now that Stefan’s gone, cut you adeal.”
Nico’sreply was no more than a furious rasp.Laurie couldn’t listen anymore.What had he decided, in the ringing aftermath of those threeshots?Two men down, yes.But not two men dead.Gunari’s chest wasstill lifting with the effort to breath.“Sasha...Gunari’salive.”
Not for long.Laurie didn’t need Sasha to tell him, thoughtheir eyes met on the message as Sasha let him go.Laurie scrambledround to lift Gunari’s shoulders off the ground.Movement wasdifficult, tight pain hampering his breathing on his left side, buthe didn’t have time to think about it.Something Sasha had askedhim a few weeks or a million years ago was coming back, clatteringround in his head.Do you know how manypeople end up getting shot with their own guns?The Makarov had gone the long way round to find its owneragain.Sasha pulled back the edge of Gunari’s jacket.He took asclose a look as the candlelight allowed, then folded the garmentback into place.He smiled at Gunari—spoke to him in Roma, soundsLaurie recognised.Comfort and reassurance.You’ll be all right, sweet and firmas if it were true.
Gunaristirred.Laurie helped him sit up a little, and he too took in theongoing standoff, Kucharski trying to stare Nico down.“InEnglish,” Gunari said weakly, “so polone can listen too.Nico willkill if he can.”
“It’s okay.Kucharski’s got him.”
“Yes, but others come.”
“Kucharski, are you hearing this?”
Kucharski nodded grimly.“Yeah.Half a dozen of them went offinto East Hill earlier tonight.We need to be out of here.Believeme, I’d just shoot this bastard if I didn’t need to pick hisbrains.I’m sorry Stefan dragged you into this, Gunari.What elsedo you want to tell me?”
“Nothing.”Gunari’s voice dropped to a whisper.“Words now onlyfor Sandru and polone.Is bad for men like me to settle.Restaurants and caravans in garden...No.Mama Luna knew this.Shelived free all her long life, never sold freedom to monsters likeStefan.A long, free life, polone—do you understand?”
Lauriedidn’t.“It was my fault she died.I’m so sorry,Gunari.”
