Chapter Sixty-two

Near Baggley-Cliff

Wednesday

He strained to see a road sign. "Okay, only another two kilometers and we'll be in Baggley-Cliff. I remember this stretch—lots of curves and side roads. I'll try not to land in one of those ditches and drown us."

"Yes! What happened? That van—"

Over the pounding rain they heard the van doors open and slam shut. Rome grabbed his SIG out of his waist clip. "Down, Elizabeth!"

He saw she had a 9 mm Glock. Well, of course she did. "Keep your head down, I'm going around the back of the car."

The others turned their fire on him, just as he'd hoped. He flattened himself behind the back tire an instant before a bullet struck the ground beside him. A dozen bullets ripped into the side of the car; another struck the tire, which hissed out air. He leaned out, fired back, fear and rage hot in his belly, until his magazine was empty. He slammed in his only other magazine and fired again, but he knew that soon, once it was empty, it wouldn't matter what he did. When Elizabeth was out of ammunition, they'd simply walk up and shoot both of them. He'd failed.

"You bastard!" It was a woman's voice.

The man picked up the H&K, pulled the black hood off his head. It was Khaled Aziz.

He yelled, "Stay down, both of you, or I'll finish it. Put pressure on those wounds so you don't bleed to death."

Rome ran to the bullet-ridden passenger door, jerked it open. "Elizabeth?"

She said, "That man who shot them, it was Khaled. What's he doing?"

"He's checking the two he shot in the backs of their legs."

Khaled came running up, pulled a cell phone from his jacket pocket, and gave his name and location, all in a calm voice, as if he did it every day. He punched off his cell, gave both of them the once-over. "We'll have help momentarily. Elizabeth, your neck—how bad?"

The woman yelled out, "No! Yusuf!"

The woman was yelling curses at them. Was it Adara Said?

Khaled said in an emotionless voice, "I really didn't want him dead, Adara. He should have listened to me and stayed down."

"I'll kill you, you bastard. He'll kill you."

Rome said, "Who is that, Adara? Your brother, the imam?"

Khaled leaned close. "It's over, Adara. Who's going to kill me?"

She spit up at him, hissed, "Go to hell," and turned her face away.

Khaled said, "I was an idiot not to check Yusuf for another weapon. I could have gotten you killed, Lady Elizabeth. Thank you for putting him down, Rome." He frowned. "But you know, I liked him. A pity the choices he made."

Khaled shook his head.

Rome leaned in, checked her wound again. He closed his eyes a moment, then kissed her forehead. "Hang in there, kiddo."