A/N: Howdy my dearest readers! Chapter 10 here! Soooo much happening this chapter - hopefully you all like what I had in store for these two... Thankyou so MUCH to my dear reviewers, followers and favouriter's, especially Alexandra the Dreamer and Dangly Legged Owl.
Remember to Read, Review, Follow, Favourite and Most Importantly - ENJOY! :)
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'Okay we've got to think here.' Wallander said calmly, pulling his team together.
'Think! What do you think I've been doing for the last half an hour?' Magnus exclaimed angrily, 'We've got to get a move on, who knows what that man could have done to her by now!'
'Magnus, you've got to calm down,' Lisa interjected, 'You're not helping anyone by not thinking straight. Kurt?'
'Alright.' Wallander spoke up, 'We don't have much time and we've got to think of possible places Nordby could have taken the girl - if he did so at all. From what Magnus says - that Anja isn't answering her cell-phone; we can assume he is responsible for her disappearance.'
'Why would he have wanted to take her anywhere?' Nyburg asked, confused, as he tapped the rubber end of his pencil against the desk, 'I can't quite see what she's got to do with any of this.'
Anne-Britt looked up from her place at the table, 'Her father contacted her a couple of weeks before her death, he told her everything apparently - about the drug business and the money.' she said seriously, her blue eyes thoughtful, 'Nordby probably thinks that she knows where it is, and he'll try and get her to tell him.'
'That's ridiculous!' Magnus spat from his corner, startling the others from their musings. They had forgotten he was still there, quiet and brooding as he was in the corner, 'Hanell's already told us Fahlstrom deposited the money in that account he had set up!'
'But Nordby might not know about that Magnus,' Lisa said impatiently, 'and if you were him then wouldn't it be logical to find out from the daughter? He want's to know what her father did with the money, and he'll use her to find out.'
Magnus said nothing and simply glared at his coffee cup. He felt so useless, so impotent, able to do nothing to help her; and it was all his fault.
'Okay, now we have to think about this logically then. Where would he have gone?' Anne-Britt mused once more as the phone rang and Nyburg heaved himself up with a sigh to answer it. It would have once been Magnus' job; but front the dark look on his face, he was in no mood to answer phone calls.
'Sir, a call just came through about that silver Sudan - number plate XLS-JUK, you were asking about before.' Nyburg said, and the others in the room all turned their gazes in his direction, 'says they saw it heading East along Österleden three quarters of an hour ago.'
'Österleden...' Magnus murmured to himself before the realisation hit him, and he looked up at the others, his eyes bright, 'That's on the way to Anja's old home.'
There was a pause as the others considered his words, 'Yes Magnus but he could have gone anywhere, why would he have gone there?' Kurt said shortly, 'Does he even know she lives there?'
Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Magnus got to his feet and began pacing the room 'Do you remember the break-in at Anja's house? I'll bet that was him.' he said, his thoughts whirling through his head, 'That would explain how he knows where she lives AND if he was looking for a large stash of money which he thought she would have known about, he would have taken her there.'
When he looked over at his colleagues, they were all looking at him with expressions of doubt on their faces. 'Oh come on guys! I know this!' Magnus said in exasperation, they were wasting precious time, 'Kurt, I've heard you say often enough that you have an instinct, you just KNOW. Well I know, and I am TELLING you, that's where he's taken her.'
Wallander frowned at the younger man, his dark eyes considering as Magnus stared pleadingly at him. Finally, when Magnus had just about given up hope of a response, the ruffled detective spoke, 'Alright.' he said, standing back from his chair, 'Lets go.'
• • •
Anja stared around the room apprehensively, she would know this place anywhere - it was her old home before any of this had ever happened. A slow raking sound of stone on metal slowly came to her attention, and for the first time, she noticed the man in the corner, watching her with black eyes.
Her breath caught in her throat and Anja swallowed shakily, unsure if she was more afraid of the madness she saw in his eyes or of the fighting knife he was sharpening. 'Well, well, well, look what we have here.' the man said, and Anja jerked as he stood and prowled over to her with a purr, his voice silky smooth, 'the little songbird awakes. How...convenient.'
The man stopped, just out of her line of vision and Anja turned her head to follow his movements, always keeping him in the corner of eye. 'What do you want from me?' she croaked, more terrified than she ever had been before.
The man cocked his head, and stared at her. 'Oh I think you know my pretty.' he snarled viciously, 'I want my money, and you're going to show me where you've hidden it.'
Anja's eyes widened in momentary surprise. Didn't he know about the bank account? Her mind was whirling as she absorbed everything. He must be under the impression that she had somehow hidden the money somewhere in her home.
Her expression must have changed somewhat because the man's eyes narrowed,'Oh, so you do know what I'm talking about.' he said, his voice once again changing to that sickly purr. 'Good...good...I guess there will be a use for you then. Not like your father.'
Anja jerked her head in his direction at that, her eyes widening in fear as he stroked the blade of his knife. 'Oh yes,' he sneered, 'I do not like it when people cross me. Especially when it's in regards to my money. Speaking of which,' he growled, stalking towards her, before grabbing her hair and forcing her head back 'where is my money?'
'I...I...' she choked, unable to breathe properly.
The man leaned down close to her ear, 'Think carefully about what you're going to say next.' he whispered threateningly as he let her head go.
Gasping for breath, Anja thought quickly as oxygen flooded her brain once more. There was no way he was going to let her go if she told him, and no-one knew where she was. She was the only one who could help her now, 'The-ere's a-a se-ectret pane-el' she stammered, her eyes downcast, the picture of a demure, terrified innocent 'I ha-ave to op-pen i-t.'
The man glared at her suspiciously before nodding. 'Fine,' he said, cutting her bonds and letting her fall to the ground, writhing in pain as blood flowed once more into her hands and feet. 'But don't even think about making any wise moves, because so help me if you do, I'll make you squeal like a stuck pig.' he snarled, subtly moving his knife into his other hand in a silent threat.
Anja nodded, her breath stuck in her throat as she pushed down tears that were threatening to spill. Cautiously, she got to her feet and looked around. Suddenly finding what she was looking for. The rotted floorboard in the lounge room floor that she had innocently covered to make the room look more presentable. If Anja didn't know it was there, she would never have seen it, and she fervently hoped this man hadn't either.
Covertly sidestepping the board, she made her way to the wall closest behind it, and took a deep breath, aware that what she was about to do was the most risky action she had ever undertaken. 'Here,' she said, hoping her voice didn't give herself away, 'You have to push here.'
With that she pretended to heave at the wall and as she watched out of the corner of her eye, just as she had hoped, the man fell for it and unwittingly stalked towards her trap. With a screech and a cry of pain, he fell through the floorboard, the wood slicing through his leg. Anja moved faster than she ever had before, kicking the knife from his hand and racing towards the door.
When she looked behind her, he had pulled himself from the hole, dripping blood, his eyes full of pain and hate. Almost in slow motion, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun she hadn't seen.
Anja's mind shrieked in terror as he cocked it, ready to fire. Suddenly she heard movement from the front door, everything went into fast forward. Magnus was there, his gun raised and his eyes wide as he saw her. Then the crazed man was there, gun in hand, pointed at the man she loved. And she knew what was going to happen before they did.
With a unearthly shriek, Anja leapt up and in front of Magnus, just as the gun went off, and her back exploded in pain.
• • •
Another gun went off once, twice, three times, and Nordby fell to the ground, while, disbelieving of what had just happened, Magnus stood still in shock. It was when Anja crumpled to the ground that he finally moved. As other officers went to Nordby, Magnus ran straight to where Anja lay, face-down on the floor. 'Anja. Anja! Oh god.' he stopped short when he pulled his hand away from her back, covered in blood. Quickly he turned back to the others, sighting Anne-Britt and calling out to her in desperation, 'Quick! Get a paramedic over here quickly!'
With that, he all but ripped off his jacket and pressed it to the wound, trying to stem the blood flow. Gently, he turned her over and cradled Anja in his arms. When he pressed his fingers to her neck he felt her pulse; her heart beating slowly, and fading. 'Anja,' he said softly, stroking her cheek with one long finger, 'Come on, I'm here now, it's alright.'
As eyelids opened, those captivating green eyes stared up into his blue ones once more. 'Magnus.' she managed to croak out, before a cough stopped her from saying more.
Magnus almost cried in relief when he heard her voice, 'Now what did you think you were doing jumping in front of that bullet woman?' he growled, but his eyes soft and kind as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers.
'Saving your life you twit,' Anja replied with a pained smile, before coughs wracked her body once more, it was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe, 'You're...not wearing...bullet...vest.' she managed to gasp out before she clenched her eyes closed in agony.
Magnus took one look at her pale and almost bloodless skin, and panicked, 'The paramedics will be here in a minute. Don't you dare die on me,' he whispered forcefully, rocking her body gently in his arms.
Anja smiled up with him, her eyes glazing over, 'Wouldn't dream of it.' she choked out, her breath hitching in her throat as her eyes flickered shut.
A/N: MUAHAHAHAHAHHAH Oh the proverbial life and death cliff-hanger! Will she die and Magnus have his heart broken? To never love again? Or will she survive and they live happily ever after? You'll just have to wait and see! Reviews please people! Hmmm...Maybe I'll do a deal, If I get MORE than 5 I'll post the last chapter super fast, instead of in a week like I planned ;) Yes?
