Mikkel Birkegaard - The Library of Shadows

Katherina peered under the table and found what she was looking for. She bent down and lifted out the wastebasket. From the wastebasket she removed a number of printouts similar to those lying on the table, folded them up and stuck them in the back pocket of her jeans.

'They won't even notice they're gone,' she said, putting the wastebasket back on the floor.

The monitor on the table was blank, but a quick tap on the keyboard brought it to life. Slowly an image emerged, but Jon was disappointed when it turned out to be a command to enter the computer by typing in a name and password.

'We could use Mehmet's help right now,' he said.

Pau was still standing in the doorway, nervously shifting his feet. 'Shouldn't we get going?'

Jon nodded. 'We're not going to get anything out of this, anyway.'

He went over to Pau and picked up his sports bag. At the next door he nodded to his companions before he pressed down the handle. Pau turned off the light in the room behind them before Jon pushed open the door. It was dark, but Jon could feel a soft carpet underfoot when he stepped inside. After fumbling a bit with the torch, he switched it on and then located the light switch inside the door.

He was standing with his back to the room, Pau stood in the doorway with the crowbar in his hand and Katherina had taken a few steps inside on the carpet. Her eyes were fixed on the far end of the room, displaying both surprise and horror.

'Campelli,' they heard. 'How nice of you to drop by.'

Jon recognized the voice at once.

It was Remer.

'Get out!' shouted Jon, and took a step towards the door, but Pau didn't budge from the entrance. Instead, he broke into a big grin, and without hesitation he swung the crowbar at Jon's head.

Jon was so surprised that he didn't manage to fend off the blow, and a fierce stab of pain shot through his skull.

Katherina threw herself over Jon's unconscious body. He had dropped like a rock with the blow, as if all his muscles had been loosed at once, leaving gravity to do its work. Blood was pouring from his forehead where the crowbar had struck and running down his cheek onto the carpet. He groaned faintly.

Katherina turned an angry face towards Pau. He stood there with a triumphant smile on his lips and his weapon raised, ready to deliver another blow.

'I don't think that's going to be necessary,' said Remer from the other end of the room.

Pau's smile vanished and he lowered the crowbar.

'I'm sure Katherina here realizes the game is up.' Remer came closer as he spoke and Katherina turned to look at him. He was wearing a black suit with a grey shirt but no tie. His gaze rested on her with no sign of emotion.

'Because youare Katherina, aren't you?' he said.

She didn't reply, just turned her attention back to Jon. She stroked his forehead without touching the blood.

'I hope you didn't hit him too hard,' said Remer behind her. 'We need him.'

'He'll live,' said Pau. 'Couldn't be more than a slight concussion.'

'That's exactly what we don't need,' said Remer angrily. 'I told you not to hurt him.'

'I didn't have a choice,' Pau protested.

Remer sighed loudly. 'Do you think you can manage to take care of the girl while the rest of us get ready?'

Pau muttered a reply and Katherina felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Come on, Princess. We've reserved a place for you.'

He pulled her to her feet with his left hand while he held the crowbar in his right. Katherina tried to twist out of his grip but couldn't do it. Two men came into the room and knelt down on the floor next to Jon. One of them was Kortmann's chauffeur, but not once did he look at Katherina. They each took hold of Jon's arms and dragged him out through the door they had just entered by.

Pau led Katherina into the office where he shoved her down onto a swivel chair. Jon was hauled further along the hall and the door closed behind them.

'Where are they taking him?' said Katherina, staring at Pau.

'Not far,' replied Pau and smiled.

Without taking his eyes off her, he reached into a cupboard and took out a roll of duct tape. He turned her round, and she heard him place the crowbar on the cement floor.

That was her chance.

She tensed all the muscles in her body but the instant she was about to leap up from the chair, Remer came into the room. He was holding a gun in his hand. It wasn't especially big, just a little black model with a dark wooden grip, but its very presence changed everything. Even though Katherina knew the Shadow Organization wouldn't stop at murder, up until now the killing had been done by less direct means, as far as she knew. It had been achieved by using the powers – a weapon appropriate to the context – and not with a cold revolver, which seemed strangely out of place in the world of the Lectors.

Pau grabbed Katherina's arms and taped them together, binding them to the back of the chair. Remer sat down at the desk in front of the window and placed the gun on a stack of papers, as naturally as if it were a paperweight. He leaned across the table towards a microphone and pressed a button to turn it on.

'You'd better tie him up properly,' he said, casting a swift glance at Pau. 'We wouldn't want him to get hurt.'

Pau turned Katherina around and taped her legs to the frame of the chair. She glared at him, but he avoided looking at her.

'So you were part of it all along?'

He laughed. 'Don't think I enjoyed it,' he said, sneering at her. 'All your naive piss about reading experiences, literature and "the Good Story". It drove me crazy.' He gave Remer a sidelong glance. 'But now it's over. I've done my job.'

'What about the bookshop?' asked Katherina. 'What about Iversen? And Luca?'

Pau stood up and leaned forward with his hands on the armrests of her chair. He put his face very near to hers. There was loathing in his eyes. He was so close Katherina could hear him grinding his teeth.

'As far as I'm concerned, you can all go to hell.'

Katherina spat in his face and then lurched forward in her chair, but Pau managed to jump back just in time. He straightened up with a grin, wiping his face on his sleeve. Then he took a piece of tape and pressed it hard over her mouth. He stepped back, crossed his arms and regarded his handiwork with a smile. Then he laughed and disappeared into the corridor.

Katherina twisted and turned her arms, trying to loosen the tape, but to no avail. It just bit into her skin, and she would have screamed in pain if Pau hadn't taped her mouth shut. In despair she slumped, noticing that tears were welling up in her eyes. How could they have been so naive? Pau's return should have aroused suspicion, at least enough to keep him out of their plans. But they'd been too concerned about Kortmann's death. She shook her head, as if to shake off the tears. She had to stop it; now was the time to focus all her energy on getting out of this situation. She let her eyes sweep over the room, looking for something she could use.

Remer was studying the computer monitor on the desk and not paying any attention to what was happening at the other end of the room. Katherina was able to pick up only scattered fragments of what he was reading, but it sounded like sheer nonsense. Technical terms, numbers and phrases she'd never heard before, all blended together. Every once in a while Remer peered through the window and signalled to someone in the adjacent room.

From her position Katherina couldn't see directly through the pane, but she sensed that a light had been turned on and that someone was moving around in the room behind the glass. She had no doubt about who had been tied up in there.

By bracing her feet against the base of the chair, she tried to stretch out the tape around her ankles. It gave ever so slightly, just enough to revive her courage.