Robert Crais - The Watchman

“They’re moving her. I’m going to see what’s up.”

Pike closed the phone, then made his way back across the slope to the far side of the yard, then to the walkway behind the house. Pike edged to the window, listened, then took out his gun. Pike didn’t have to jack the slide or check to see if it was loaded like they do on TV. Pike kept one locked in the box and good to go. He knew it was loaded because it was always loaded.

He raised up enough to peek in the corner of the window. Larkin, the big man, and Vahnich were in an empty bedroom. Larkin was back on the floor with the big man standing nearby. They were watching Vahnich, who had a laptop open. He was getting ready for Pike’s call. He had the girl ready to speak to her father, and his computer to confirm the transfer. After the transfer was confirmed, Vahnich would kill her. Vahnich or one of his men would likely cut her throat or strangle her, then they would drive to LAX and immediately leave the country. Pike wondered if Vahnich would do it himself.

Pike continued on to the carport. As he got closer, he heard the two men. He looked past the LeBaron. The two men had closed the hood, but were still by the car, talking. These two, Vahnich and the big man with Larkin, left two men who might be anywhere. Pike wondered if Cole could spot them from the other side of the house.

Pike drifted back a bit, then phoned Cole again, whispering.

“Where are you?”

“Front of the house. I’m in some holly, downhill from the drive. How about you?”

Holly bushes lined the property directly across from Pike.

Pike said, “You see the two men by the Bel Air?”

“Twenty feet in front of me.”

“Look at the LeBaron. Now look past the LeBaron.”

“Got you.”

“Vahnich plus one with Larkin, plus these two are four. Can you locate the missing two from your side?”

“Stand by-”

The two men by the Bel Air suddenly straightened and looked up the drive. Pike knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t see what they were looking at. He lifted the phone-

“What’s on?”

“Dunno. I’ll look.”

Pike raised up to see for himself just as he heard Cole’s reaction.

Cole said, “Oh, shit.”

Conner Barkley stalked down the drive.

Barkley came down the drive with an expression of blustery outrage, but the men were confused. They probably thought he was a neighbor and would have to shine him on, but Pike knew their confusion wouldn’t last.

Pike accelerated through the carport. He covered the distance silently and fast, knowing it would go bad. Barkley looked at him, and both men turned to see what Barkley was looking at. Pike hit the nearest man with his gun, but the second man lurched sideways, barking out a shout-

Something behind Pike exploded and another man shouted as Cole pushed through the hedges. The two missing men were at the front door, one behind the other, the first man firing again-bam, bam-when Cole shot him in the chest; the shooter crumpling even as the man behind him shoved the door closed on his dying friend. Pike knew he would run to the back of the house.

All of it happened in glimpses: Barkley striding closer on abnormally stiff legs; Bud Flynn appearing at the top of the drive; Cole moving on the second man in a two-hand stance-

– only now the second man was on his knees with his hands up, staring at Cole.

Pike started for the house-

“Larkin-”

Cole said, “Go-”

Pike ran back the way he had come. Inside, the front shooter would be screaming about what happened; Vahnich would be confused, then afraid; he would make one or both of his hitters return to see what was happening; and then Vahnich would make a decision-

Middle of the day, a bright sunny day, and the world was gone to hell. Their only choices were bad-bad for Vahnich, bad for the girl, and bad for Pike. Vahnich could shoot it out in a hostage situation, or run. Vahnich didn’t know how many people were on him, whether he was surrounded, or whether the police were involved, but the hostage card was a loser; if Vahnich stayed he would be trapped. Running was the best of the bad choices, so they would run-out the back and into the neighborhood, run and gun if they had to, invade a home in broad daylight, steal a car, and pray-but it was their last, best, and only chance.

Pike ran hard for the end of the house, and heard more shots as he ran. One shot would have been an execution, but multiple shots gave him hope. They were shooting at the front door to stall off a breach; this meant they were going to run.

Pike believed Khali Vahnich would kill Larkin, but he wouldn’t kill her until they were outside the house. Vahnich didn’t know what he would be facing and might need her as a shield. If the way was clear, he might kill her just before he went over the fence, but he wouldn’t kill her before. He would kill her to punish her father, and he would kill her to punish Pike.

Pike took cover in the orange trees beyond the house just as the window came up. The big man climbed out first, dropped to a knee, then said something into the window. They pushed Larkin through; she fell straight down and landed with a sharp gasp. Vahnich landed on top of her, and then the final man came out, a short muscular guy with a bandana tied around his head, everyone tangled together, and then Vahnich pulled her close.

Pike steadied his gun against the orange tree.

When Cole came around the far side of the house, the bandana saw him, popped off one shot, and Cole fired back. The bandana went down with a high keening whine, but pushed to his knee and fired again. Cole dropped for cover as the sliding glass doors flew open, and Bud Flynn came out, gun up and ready. Bud must have forgotten himself.

He shouted, “Police!”

The bandana swung toward Bud, and Pike shot him in the head.

Vahnich and the big man saw Pike, and Vahnich jerked the girl in front of them for a shield as they scuttled backwards toward the slope. The big man fired at Flynn, then Cole, but the shots were wild and pointless.

Pike said, “You’re done.”

Bud was behind a heavy clay pot, shouting.

“Drop your weapons! Drop’m now !”

Conner Barkley came through the doors. He had no gun and did not look for cover. Maybe he didn’t know that’s what you were supposed to do. He stormed past Bud into the yard and stopped-out in the open, in front of Bud, and alone.

Spittle flew from his face when he shouted.

“You let her go! Let my daughter go! ”

The big man shifted out from behind the girl to fire. He only moved an inch or two, but the sight picture was perfect, like a dot on top of an i . Pike shot him before he could fire, and the big man fell like a sack.

Bud was still screaming, but he had crabbed sideways so he wouldn’t shoot Barkley.

“Drop your weapon, goddamnit! Put it down! You’re done, you sonofabitch! Down!”

Barkley was screaming, too; screaming as if he was having a tantrum.

“You let her go. Let GO !”

Pike stepped out from behind the orange tree. Vahnich caught the movement and angled to watch him, keeping the girl between them. Vahnich had drawn himself as small as possible behind her, and peeked from behind her head. His gun was pressed hard into her neck, but Pike couldn’t have that. He moved into the open, set himself, and lined up on Vahnich’s eye. He found the rhythm of Vahnich’s fear. The eye moved, the gun moved; the eye and the gun became one.

Pike said, “Dead man.”

The first kiss of sirens whiffed up the hill. Bud and Barkley were still screaming. Pike did not see Cole but trusted he was on target. He did not look at Larkin because she might see his fear. Pike saw only Vahnich’s eye and the eye looking back.