“No.A long life—no Stefan, but no doctors either.Is the priceshe paid.Her heart is sick for long, long time before the raiderscome.Not your fault, boy.”
“It was!I brought them there.I...”
“Hush.She says the same.No fault.Just her Roma fate, shesays—out in the firelight, under the stars.”Gunari looked withsuch contentment at a point across the room that Laurie helplesslyglanced there too.There was nothing—nothing for him anyhow, butGunari smiled.“And now she says is time for her stupid son to comehome.”
He wasgone.Laurie watched the loss of him in Sasha’s eyes, the severanceof the link.Laurie’s heart was beating fast, the old weight ofguilt trying to lift: taking off finally when Sasha’s fire-darkgaze found his, Gunari’s absolution mirrored there.“No fault,”Sasha whispered.“Just fate.”
Out inthe night, something changed.It was barely a sound, too faint andfar off to have much significance.Just an alteration of thesilence...Elizabeth registered it first.She turned towards thedoor.“Agent Kucharski...”
“I hear it,” Kucharski said grimly.“So does Nico—don’tyou?”
Yes.Nico was grinning wildly.“I hear,” he croaked, new couragesteadying his aim.“The others coming back.Ah, you traitor—Ideliver you and three hostages to Stefan Petrica’s men.”
“For God’s sake.They’re not Stefan’s men any more.They’re amonster with its head cut off, that’s all.”
“You like to believe this, don’t you?This is why no outsiderwill ever bring the Roma warlords down.”Nico took two long boldstrides towards Kucharski, who moved to shield Elizabeth.“Here helies, shot by his bitch.His legendstartshere, not ends.”
Down onhis knees, half forgotten in the dust beside Gunari’s corpse, Sashalifted his head.“Yes,” he said softly.“I understandthat.”
“Be silent,bittijuk.What would you know?”
Sasha released the dead man’s hand.He laid it down tenderly:pushed up onto his knees and then his feet before Laurie could stophim, hands spread wide.“Iambitti juk.Stefan’s pup.Nobody knows better thanI do what he meant to men like you.”
“I said shut up.”
“I know how he kept you loyal.He hunted me from one side ofEurope to the other.Every little bit of a life I built, he rippedit down.But I didn’t open my mouth against him until he came aftermy lover.Do you know why?”
“You sold him out.”
“Yes, I did.”Nico was starting to listen, and Sasha pressedon, low and soft.“Every word burned me to say.In my dreams I sawhim every night—being strung up by a lynch mob in the forestbecause I’d betrayed him.He was my father.And I remember how hecould be, Nico.I lived with him in the mahala.I remember how hedrew fatherless men to him, how he could be with them.Tender withthem as with children, handing out bread andtocanitastew from his fire.How hewould talk with them, and make each one feel as if their allegianceto him was the one thing keeping him from despair.Wasn’t it sowith you too?”
“Shutup, youlittle bastard.”
Thatwould do.Sasha had used the fleeting troughs of darkness in thecandles’ dance to get close enough.Nico’s eyes were full of bittertears.He gave a twitch of fright when at last he saw how Sasha hadclosed the gap: reflexively swung the gun away from Kucharski.Sasha took his moment.He shoved Nico’s arm up, leapt into theinstant of imbalance.Nico was twice his weight but went down twiceas hard, dragging Sasha with him.Sasha used him as a crash pad,got hold of his wrist and held tight.The weapon barked once—again,both shots harmless and high, knocking plasterwork out of theceiling.How many in the chamber?Sasha hadn’t seen the make,couldn’t be sure of a full load.Couldn’t risk the assumption ofanything else—he slammed Nico’s fist off the ground one more time.Three...
Afourth, but not from Nico’s gun.The big enraged body jerked andwent still.Sasha rolled away, pounced up onto his hands and knees.Kucharski was standing a few yards away, both feet planted, thepistol he’d taken from Elizabeth held squarely in his hands.“Sorry,” he said, clicking the safety back on.“Youokay?”
Sashadidn’t know.He didn’t care.His head was filled with reverb andrage.“You didn’t have to.”
“What?”
“Ihadhim.You didn’t have to kill him.He was just a footsoldier.You didn’thave to—”
“Sasha, he did.”
Sashatwisted round.Laurie was there, half his lovely face daubed inscarlet.Sasha thought he must have crawled to get to his side.Sasha forgot about Nico.He crouched to seize Laurie into his arms.“I tell you what, though,” Laurie said conversationally, addressingKucharski over Sasha’s shoulder.“Next time, don’t cut it so bloodyclose.You nearly took Sasha out too.”
Kucharski released an explosive sigh.“I’llnext timeyour arse foryou, you little...”He shoved the gun under the belt of his jeans,strode over to Nico, checked for a pulse then rolled the big bodyuntil he found the pistol.“Six years training with special-forcesweaponry.Six years learning how to shoot the bollocks off a ratand leave the fucker standing.Neither of you has the smallestidea...”
“No, I don’t,” Laurie agreed cheerfully.He was enjoying thetirade—enjoying the sight of John Kucharski generally, his friendand Sasha’s, returned from the grave.Laurie felt glassy andunreal, but the sensations weren’t too bad, and the arm which hadbeen hurting so much had gone numb.“You’re alive.”
Kucharski straightened up.He came and leaned over them,examining them in the uncertain light.“If I am, it’s in spite ofyou two idiots.You’ve got a facial wound, Fitzroy.Are you brightenough to know that?”
“I’m fine.”
Sashareanimated from his stasis of shock.“He’s not.Kucharski, helphim.”
“A nick and some powder burns.He’s okay.Might not be sopretty any more...Can he walk?”
