Brett Battles - The Silenced

“You mean like he’s doing right now?”

She squirmed uncomfortably. “At some point Palavin decided that the risk of leaving the body in the wall was less than attempting to get it out on his own. Ironically, MI6 realized that even though we had told him no, there was always a chance that if the body was found it might blow back on us. It took a couple of years, but it was finally decided to have the body removed. Only we didn’t want Palavin to know, so we made sure the closet tomb looked the same.”

“Then, the body he wants me to remove isn’t even there?” Quinn said.

“Not for almost two decades.”

The return call came twelve minutes after Annabel’s conversation with Fedor.

“Hello?” Quinn said.

“Mr. Quinn?” It was the same voice that had called him not long after Wills had been gunned down.

“Yes.”

“We spoke yesterday,” Palavin said. “I was told you would be expecting my call.”

“I appreciate you getting back to me.”

“Perhaps we should put yesterday’s conversation behind us. It was a very stressful day for everyone.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Quinn gave it a beat, then said, “Do you still need your project completed?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Can I assume you’re willing to reconsider?”

“I’ve had a conversation that leads me to believe you’re on the level. So I’ll do your job, but my fee has just gone up.”

There was a pause. “Gone up how much?”

“A hundred and twenty thousand. U.S.”

Quinn could hear the other man clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “You have me in a difficult position. And I don’t appreciate people trying to take advantage of me.”

“I’m not taking advantage. I’m just being practical. With Wills’s murder, the risks have increased.”

More silence. “I’ll give you eighty.”

“I’ll go as low as a hundred thousand, but any lower and I walk.”

“Fine, Mr. Quinn. One hundred thousand. I’m not happy about it, but I guess I can understand. I’ll wire it to you as soon as the job is done.”

“You’ll wire it to me now.”

Palavin took a deep breath. “Very well.”

Quinn gave him the account number, then said, “To confirm, you want the package removed and delivered to you, correct?”

“Correct. I will give you a place and a time where my associate will meet you once you let me know when you will be in possession of… it.”

“It’ll be tonight,” Quinn said.

“Tonight?” The Ghost sounded surprised.

“I already did the preliminary work before yesterday’s events. We’re ready to go. I anticipate having the package ready for you before midnight.”

“That’s excellent,” the Ghost said. “We will call you this evening with the drop-off location.”

“Perfect.”

Quinn disconnected the call.

“So?” Annabel asked. “Did he believe you?”

“Everyone believes in greed,” Quinn replied.

“Hungry?” Nate asked, standing in the doorway.

Liz was lying on the bed, curled in on herself, her eyes staring at the wall.

“What’s going to happen to me?” she asked. “Am I going to have to live on the run like this forever? And what’s going to happen to Mom? Is she going to have to give up her home? She’s too old for this.”

“You shouldn’t worry about any of that right now. Your brother is going to take care of things.”

She turned to him. “How can I not worry?”

He wasn’t sure what to tell her. He certainly didn’t have an answer. So he said, “Let me get you something to eat.”

“I just want to sleep.”

He nodded. “Sure. Okay, I’ll come back later.”

As he started to turn away, she said, “No. Lie with me. I think that’ll help.”

He smiled. “That I can do. Just let me put the food away first.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

In the kitchen, he gathered the meats, cheeses, and vegetables he’d set out to make sandwiches, and returned them to the refrigerator. He then got a glass and filled it with water.

He was carrying it across the living room when someone knocked on the front door.

He stopped and looked toward the entry, but made no other move.

Another knock. Not pounding, and not a polite tap. Something in between.

Nate remained still, listening. But the exterior hallway was carpeted and the door was thick, so he picked up nothing.

Just as the visitor knocked for a third time, Liz stepped out of the bedroom.

“What’s that-”

Nate held a finger to his mouth, quieting her, then motioned for her to go back into the bedroom. She complied with the first part, but not the second.

Five seconds passed, then ten. If there was to be a fourth knock, it should come within the next fifteen seconds. But those silently came and went.

Though still uneasy, he smiled, and held out the glass. “Thought you might be-”

With a loud crash, the front door splintered inward, flying open.

Nate dropped the glass and raced forward. Grabbing Liz, he carried her into the bedroom, where he dropped her back to her feet, then slammed the door closed.

“Help me,” he said, as he began to push the meager dresser in front of the door. Liz quickly joined him.

Once it was in place, Nate raced to the window and threw it open. The drop was two floors. Ankle-breaking height, especially if you didn’t know what you were doing.

He glanced back, then pulled a sheet off the bed.

“Tie this end around your waist,” he said. “Tight.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked, grabbing the end of the sheet and looping it around her body.

“It’s too far for you to jump, so I’m going to lower you enough so you can drop down without getting hurt.”

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.”

They could hear people running in the apartment.

“Come on. We don’t have time.”

Someone slammed into the bedroom door.

“Climb out,” he said. “I’ll lower you as far as I can, then let go.”

“You’re not going to make it!”

“Don’t worry about me. Just get down, and get the hell out of here. I’ll find you later.”

“Where?”

“Westminster Abbey.” It was the first place he could think of.

Another slam. This time the door cracked.

“Please, Liz.”

She looked reluctant, but climbed over the sill. Nate held tightly to the end of the sheet as he lowered her as fast as he dared.

A third slam toppled the dresser.

“Stop!” someone shouted.

Nate didn’t even look back, he just kept lowering Liz. Only a few more feet and it would be enough.

“He’s letting her down into the alley,” the voice behind him said.

“Roger.”

Nate tensed. The second voice wasn’t from someone in the room with him. It had come over a radio.

Movement at the end of the alley caught his attention. He looked over and saw two men running toward the back of the apartment building. There was no other exit. Liz was trapped. A second later someone grabbed Nate by the shoulder and pushed him to the side. Nate held tight on to the sheet, unwilling to let it go.

“She’s far enough down that the fall won’t kill her,” the man at the window said.

“You can let go now,” another voice said, this one behind Nate.

Nate’s fingers dug into the sheet.

“Let it go!”

The man at the window shoved Nate, spinning him around. There were two men standing in the middle of the room, both with guns pointed at him.

“Let. It. Go!” one of them said.

“Not a chance,” Nate told him.

He saw the muzzle flash, and felt the impact, but he never heard the gun go off.