Алистер Маклин - Seawitch

Roomer’s face went very still. ‘I don’t look forward to the prospect of having a mentally retarded person as a sister-in-law.’

She was shocked and the shock showed. Her voice was a whisper. ‘I don’t really know you, do I?’

‘No. We’re the men who walk down the dark side of the streets. Somebody has to look after the people on the dark side. We do it. Do you know how much your father offered us to take you home?’ Roomer smiled. ‘I’m afraid I’m not much good in that department at the moment, but Mike will take care of it.’

‘How much did he offer you?’

‘Whatever we wanted in the world. A million dollars to take you home? A hundred million if we’d asked for it? Sure.’

‘How much did you ask for?’ Her face wasn’t registering much in the way of expression.

Roomer sighed, which, in the low physical state he felt, wasn’t too difficult. ‘Poor Mike. To think that he regards you as the pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow. Maybe he’d better get off that rainbow – insubstantial things at the best of times. Poor me, too. I’m going to have to live with you too, even at second hand. Let’s be corny. Your father loves you. We love you. To pile cliché upon cliché, there are some things that can’t be bought. Pearls beyond price. Don’t make yourself an artificial pearl, Marina. And don’t ever again insult us in that fashion. But we have to live on something, so we’ll send him a bill.’

‘For what?’

‘Ammunition expended.’

She crossed to his cot-side, knelt and kissed him. Roomer seemed too weak to resist. Dr Greenshaw was severe. ‘Lady Marina, he’s not only having a blood transfusion, there’s also the factor of blood pressure.’

Roomer said: ‘My blood pressure is registering no complaints.’

She kissed him again. ‘Is that apology enough?’ Roomer smiled and said nothing. ‘ “Berserker”, you said. Can anyone stop him when he’s like that? Can I?’

‘No. Someday, yes.’

‘The one person is you. Yes?’

‘Yes.’

‘You didn’t.’

‘No.’

‘Why?’

‘They carried guns.’

‘You carry guns.’

‘Yes. But we’re not evil people who carry guns to do evil things.’

‘That’s all?’

‘No.’ He looked across at Melinda. ‘You see?’

‘Please.’

‘If Kowenski and Rindler hadn’t been such damned lousy shots, she’d be dead.’

‘So you let Michael loose?’

‘Yes.’

‘You’re going to marry her?’

‘Yes.’

‘Have you asked her?’

‘No.’

‘You don’t have to. Sisters talk.’

‘Mike?’

‘I don’t know, John. I’m a running coward, running scared.’

‘Well?’

‘He kills.’

‘I’ve killed.’

‘He’ll kill again?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘John.’

He reached out, took a lock of her gleaming black hair, picked out a single thread. ‘That.’

‘You mean?’

‘Yes.’

‘I have to see.’ She kicked off her high-heeled shoes.

‘So much to learn. Sit.’

She sat on his bed. Dr Greenshaw rolled his eyes heavenwards. She was wearing navy-blue jeans and a white blouse. Roomer reached up and undid the top button of her blouse. She looked at him and said nothing. Roomer said: ‘You do the rest. Navy or black jumper.’

She was back in thirty seconds, wearing a navy polo. She looked enquiringly at Roomer, who nodded. She left the sick-bay.

In Lord Worth’s living-room he and Mitchell were seated in adjacent armchairs. The wall-speakers were on. When Marina came in Mitchell waved her to urgent silence.

Over the speakers Durand’s unmistakable voice sounded testy. ‘All I know is that the deck lights went out some minutes ago and came back on a minute ago.’ Marina glanced at Mitchell, who nodded. ‘But you’ve all the light you need to hand.’

‘Have you neutralized the radar scanner yet?’

Marina had never heard the voice before, but the tightening of Lord Worth’s lip showed that Cronkite’s voice was no stranger to him.

‘It hardly seems necessary now.’

‘It was your idea. Do it. We’ll leave in ten minutes, then there’ll be about fifteen minutes’ flying time.’

‘ “We’ll leave”? That mean you’re coming too?’

‘No. I’ve more important things to do.’ There was a click: Cronkite had ceased to transmit.

Lord Worth said uneasily: ‘I wonder what that devious devil means by that?’

‘We’ll just have to find out the hard way.’ Mitchell looked at Marina. ‘Where are your shoes?’

She smiled sweetly. ‘I’m a quick study. Shoes make too much noise out on the platform.’

‘You’re not going out on any platform.’

‘I am. There are gaps in my education. I want to see how killers operate.’

Mitchell said in irritation: ‘I’m not going to kill anyone. Go get your bag packed. You’ll be leaving soon.’

‘I’m not leaving.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I want to stay with Daddy – and with you. Don’t you think that natural?’

‘You’re leaving if I have to tie you up.’

‘You can’t tie my tongue up. Wouldn’t the law just love to know where the guns stolen from the Mississippi armoury are?’

Lord Worth looked slightly stunned. ‘You’d do that to me? Your own father?’

‘You’d tie me up and force me aboard that helicopter – your own daughter?’

‘Talk about logic.’ Mitchell shook his head. ‘With respect to Lord Worth, he appears to have fathered a nutcase. If you think–’

The wall-speakers crackled again. It was Cronkite’s voice. ‘Well don’t just hang around. Stop that radar.’

‘How?’ It was Aaron and he sounded aggrieved. ‘Do you expect me to climb that damned drilling rig–’

‘Don’t be stupid. Go to the radar room. There’s a red lever switch just above the console. Pull it down.’

‘That I can do.’ Aaron sounded relieved. They heard the sound of a door closing. Mitchell kicked off his shoes, turned off the light in the living-room and eased the door open a crack. Aaron, his back already to them, was heading for the radar room. He reached it, opened the door and passed inside. Mitchell moved after him, pulling out his silenced gun and held it in his left hand. A soft voice behind him said: ‘I thought you were right-handed?’

Mitchell didn’t even bother to curse. He said in a resigned whisper: ‘I am.’

Aaron was just pulling the red lever when Mitchell made his soundless entrance. He said: ‘Don’t turn round.’

Aaron didn’t turn round.

‘Clasp your hands behind your neck, then turn and come here.’

Aaron turned. ‘Mitchell!’

‘Please don’t try anything clever. I’ve already had to kill three of your friends tonight. A fourth isn’t going to give me a sleepless night. Stop right there and turn again.’

Aaron did as he was told. Mitchell withdrew his right hand from his coat pocket. The braided leather strap attached to his wrist by a thong was no more than five inches long, but when it struck Aaron with considerable force and accuracy above and behind the right ear it was apparent that five inches was quite long enough. Mitchell caught him as he fell and eased him to the deck.

‘Did you have to do that–?’ Marina choked and stopped speaking as Mitchell’s hand clamped itself none too gently over her mouth. She flinched as he shook the strap before her eyes.

‘Keep your voice down.’ The whisper was intentionally savage. He knelt over Aaron, removed and pocketed his gun.

‘Did you have to do that?’ she said in a low voice. ‘You could have tied him up and gagged him.’

‘When I require advice from ignorant amateurs I’ll turn to you immediately. I haven’t time for folde-rols. He’ll just have a half-hour’s peaceful rest, and then all he’ll need is an aspirin.’