Алистер Маклин: Dead Halt

“Put the weapon down!” Kingsland ordered.

“Easy, Killen,” Graham shouted, holding up his hand as Killen looked anxiously over his shoulder.

Kingsland moved slowly toward Killen. “I want you to put the screwdriver down. Very slowly.”

“Back off, kid,” Graham hissed furiously. “Just back off.”

Kingsland’s eyes flickered toward Graham. “I’m trained–”

“Back off!” Graham yelled and swung the Beretta on Kingsland. “You take another step and I’ll put you down.”

Kingsland froze.

Graham turned back to Killen. “She wouldn’t go with you even if I did get you the car. So then what would you do? Kill her? You do that and I’ll empty this Beretta into you. And I promise you it’ll only be the last bullet that will kill you.”

“I’ll kill her, G-man, I swear I’ll kill her.”

“Do it,” Graham retorted. “Or don’t you have the guts?”

“Wait,” Kingsland shouted, staring at Graham in disbelief. “Killen, we’ll get whatever you want. Just don’t harm the woman.”

“The kid doesn’t have the authority to get you anything.” Graham slowly raised the Beretta until it was in line with Killen’s head. “I’m going to count to five. If you haven’t released her by then, I’ll kill you. It’s your choice, Killen.”

“You kill me and she dies,” Killen replied, blinking his eyes furiously as the sweat streamed down his face.

“One.”

Killen swallowed nervously as he stared at the Beretta in Graham’s hand.

“Two.”

“You wouldn’t do it,” Killen said, adjusting his grip on the handle. “She’s your partner. You wouldn’t risk her life like that.”

“Three.”

Graham fired. The bullet took Killen in the forehead. The screwdriver sliced across the side of Sabrina’s neck as he fell. She knocked his hand away and stumbled backward, the blood pouring from the gash on her neck. She dropped to her haunches then pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it against her neck. Kingsland immediately holstered his automatic and hurried toward her but she recoiled when he tried to help her to her feet.

“Leave her,” Graham snapped then turned to the policeman who was crouched over Killen, trying to find any signs of life.

The policeman finally shook his head then got to his feet and began to disperse the group of onlookers who had been alerted by the sound of gunfire.

“Kingsland, radio in for an ambulance.”

Kingsland glared at Graham but knew better than to argue. He ran off toward the unmarked police car.

Graham crouched beside Sabrina then tilted her head back gently and eased the handkerchief away from her neck. “It looks worse than it is. But we’ll get you over to a hospital all the same.”

“That was some shot,” she said, wincing as she pressed the handkerchief against her neck again.

“Yeah, some shot,” Graham retorted, helping her to her feet. “I nearly got you killed.”

“You’d have got me killed if you’d let the count go on to five. It was obvious Killen was desperate. I could feel it.” She put a hand on his arm. “I’m still alive, aren’t I? That makes it some shot.”

Kingsland returned breathlessly. “The ambulance is on its way.”

“Good,” Graham replied.

“This is far from over, Mr. Graham. Not only did you show a blatant disregard for your partner’s life, you also threatened my life when I was trying to negotiate with Killen. Then, on top of all that, you didn’t even give Killen the chance to surrender. You shot him without warning. You can be sure all this will be going in my report.”

“I’m sure it will,” Graham said contemptuously.

“And I have a witness who’ll corroborate my statement.” Kingsland turned to the policeman. “You were here. You saw everything.”

“I saw Mr. Graham save his partner’s life.”

“You heard him tell Killen he’d count to five. He didn’t even give him a chance to surrender.”

“Count?” The policeman shrugged. “I didn’t hear any count.”

“What are you talking about?” Kingsland demanded.

“You may be the one who’s just graduated from some fancy college but I’m the one with twenty years’ service behind me,” the policeman said coldly. “This is the real world, not one of your textbook simulations. Wise up, kid, or you won’t last very long in this business.”

Kingsland glared at the policeman then strode off. “Thanks for the support, pal,” Graham said to the policeman.

“You had to make a split-second decision. And that’s what this game’s all about, isn’t it?” The policeman looked around as more workers emerged from the warehouse to get a closer look at Killen’s body. “Excuse me. I’d better get something to put over the body.”

Graham crossed to where Sabrina was sitting on a wooden crate, the blood-soaked handkerchief still pressed against her neck. He sat down beside her. “How you doing?”

“I could be a lot worse,” she replied, watching as the policeman draped a tarpaulin over Killen’s body.

Graham looked at his watch. “I don’t think we’re going to make the Colonel’s briefing at this rate. I’ll call him from the hospital and tell him we’re going to be delayed.”

“That’s guaranteed to put him in a good mood. You know how he hates to be kept waiting.”

“I still can’t believe he’s back at the helm again. He may be a cantankerous old fossil at times but he’s still the only person capable of saving the organization right now.”

“As long as it’s not already too late.”

Graham and Sabrina arrived forty minutes after the briefing was due to have started.

“I’m sorry we’re late, sir,” Graham said. “I hope you got my message: Sabrina had to get some medical attention before we flew back from Milford.”

“Yes, I’ve heard all about the incident at the docks,” Philpott replied, then looked at Sabrina. “How is your neck?”

Sabrina’s hand instinctively went to the scarf she was wearing. “It’s nothing serious, sir. Just a few stitches.”

“How did you hear about it, sir?” Graham asked.

“I received a call from a senior official in the local FBI. He tells me you threatened to kill his man and that you shot a suspect without warning.”

“They sent down a fresh-faced kid straight out of the academy, sir,” Sabrina cut in before Graham had a chance to defend himself. “He was playing it by the book. If Mike hadn’t intervened when he did Killen would almost certainly have stabbed me. Mike saved my life, sir. I don’t think he has to explain himself for that.”

Philpott nodded slowly in agreement. “No, he doesn’t. I’ve since spoken to a Sergeant Kelley of the Milford Police Department.” He looked at Graham. “He spoke very highly of you, Mike. From what I can ascertain, you took a decision under pressure when Sabrina’s life was threatened. Sabrina’s alive so, as far as I’m concerned, that’s an end to it. Now sit down, both of you.”

Graham and Sabrina exchanged suspicious glances as they sat down on the nearest sofa. Philpott was being unusually understanding. It was a far cry from the often dictatorial Philpott of old. Had the heart attack mellowed him?

“Is something the matter?” Philpott asked.

“No, sir,” Graham replied with a quick smile.

Philpott opened the folder in front of him. “I’ve received some good news and bad news in the last hour. I thought it best to wait until you were all here before I told you. The bad news is that the powers – that in London – have decided that Eastman won’t stand trial.”

“So the bastard walks,” Graham hissed angrily.

“What choice did they have? Imagine what the Press would have made of it had it ever come out that Scoby’s assassination had actually been masterminded by a senior officer in the anti-terrorist squad. It would have destroyed public confidence in the British police.”