AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alex shot him between the eyes and let his body fall to the ground.
He listened to the night, before checking the cottage for any other uninvited guests. He grabbed cash and passports, throwing a jacket over his light weight sweater and headed for the meeting point and Sarah.
He jogged, gun out and ready. He saw no signs of a struggle and convinced himself that Sarah had avoided her assailant’s bullets. He passed no one in the first five minutes of his journey. No curious locals or police were sent to investigate. Granted, their closest neighbors were some distance away. Gunshots echo and carry. It was strange they’d drawn no attention. Or was it simply being ignored? You can’t tell what you don’t know.
He came to the outer streets of the township and slowed his pace, passing himself off as a tourist on the way to meet friends or acquaintances. He jammed the gun into his pocket, his finger still on the trigger. He reached the wall and entered the heart of the city, making for the cathedral in the center of Beaune. Rather than approach from the front entrance, he walked through the laneways until he reached the back. He kept to the side of the road, reaching the cathedral and using the majestic church as a shield, slowly making his way to the rendezvous point on the side facing the garden.
Alex slipped across the front portico, careful to keep his tread light. A figure stood between the wall and the hedge. Even in the dark he could tell it wasn’t Sarah. He glanced around again, the male had his back to Alex, peering into the darkened thoroughfare leading to the priory. The slightest rustle from the hedge drew his attention and Alex saw the glint of the gun in his hand. He didn’t hesitate. One shot was all he needed.
He approached the body, kicking the gun away to be safe. He scanned the hedge, trying to see what had drawn the dead man’s attention.
Sarah!
She was lying face down. He could smell the blood and patted her body, finding the wet stain at her side.
He shook her and got no response. His heart beat wildly in his throat. He felt for her pulse. She was alive. Alex quickly surveyed his surroundings. Down on the street he could see some people had gathered and were looking in his direction. He needed to move and fast.
He pulled her from the hedge and turned her over. She was breathing. He gathered her into his arms and went in the direction of the priory and then out into the street behind the cathedral. He needed to find somewhere safe so he could make a phone call and get them out of Beaune.
ChapterTwenty-One
Sarah’s mind swirled with thoughts and ideas she couldn’t quite grasp. She had no sense of time or place. No sense of what was real and what she’d conjured up. She was warm, she must be inside. Not under a hedge in a churchyard. Had she ever been?
She remembered being at the house with Alex. They’d eaten dinner, had a glass of wine on the sofa…
At least she’d remembered the plan. She’d even remembered to put her shoes on. What a strange thing to think about. The fear had raced up her spine, distracting her from any clear thought. She’d grabbed her gun from underneath the side table, pulled her runners onto her feet and moved into position. Just like they’d practiced. She’d tried so hard to control her breathing, but the shaking came from deep within her core. It wasn’t a drill.
There were two, maybe three men. All armed. They had split up, hoping to divide and conquer.
Take a breath, flick the switch.
Crouched low, she’d edged her way back from the living room through to the kitchen, both hands gripping her weapon. She couldn’t see anyone. But she’d known they were outside. Or had they made their way inside?
The leg of the island bench had halted her crab-like progress. No sound disturbed the usual evening hum. She couldn’t see Alex but knew he’d gone back through the bedroom and out the window. With her stomach flat to the floor, she’d pulled herself across the worn boards, careful not to scrape her gun and give herself away. All she’d had to do was get out of the house and get to the meeting point. There was a door that led from the kitchen to the front verandah, its hinges moaned at the slightest touch. She removed the panel below the sink.
It had come away without sound or effort and she pulled herself through. The earth was cold and hard. She’d tried not to think about the closeness of the decking above her as she lay pressed to the ground, silently inhaling dirt as she’d fought to stay in control of her mind and body.
Flick the switch!
The whine of the kitchen door had been the only warning that her assailant stood directly above her. Always be aware of your surroundings, Alex said. She’d closed her eyes.
Keep it together.
The ground was cold but she’d dismissed it. The porch decking had grazed her buttocks and shoulder blades, reminding her to keep close against the ground. She’d opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the pale moonlight. The slats gave little away. She’d focused, turning her face and finally making out the darker outline of the feet that stood six inches from her head to the left. If he looked down, would he see her?
Her gun had been in her right hand. There was no way she could’ve angled it in his direction, there’d been no room to turn. All she could do was wait him out and pray he didn’t look down.
She’d listened to the silence and realized so was he. The door moaned sharply as he whipped it open; the shades of gray to her left evened out. She’d quickly pulled herself to the edge; it had taken her three measured inhales and exhales to free herself from the porch.
She’d given herself to the count of ten to get up and run. At six she’d heard the sound of muffled gunfire. She’d been up and running before she could consider who had fired. Reaching the cover of the trees, she stood to catch her breath.
More gunshots had shattered the stillness. She’d thought they sounded suppressed but it was hard to tell. Neither she nor Alex had silencers on their weapons. The shots were not his?
The fence line she’d needed to follow was a few meters to her right. She’d waited for something to cover her movement. A moment passed. A distant hum sounded, a motorbike perhaps? Sarah had waited another moment as the hum progressed to a low rumble. There was a fairly tight corner coming on the path of the bike. The rider would need to drop a gear to avoid sliding out. She’d waited.
The rider changed gears and the engine quietened momentarily as the bike leant into the corner. As it accelerated, Sarah had made her move. Grateful for all those morning runs, she dragged the cold air in and out of her lungs as she sprinted, her feet barely skimming the ground.
Another crack let her know she had not evaded her pursuer. She ran faster. Past the turn that was the most direct route to the rendezvous. She’d known if she ran a little further towards the other side of the town, she had a better chance of losing him. Then she could’ve doubled back. The closer she got to the town center, the more people she could hide amongst as well.
