Yesterday's chapter was a bit short... I shall endeavor to make up for it today. --elle

Chapter 81

Paris, the night before

Most of the lights on the main library floor were out. The historians and researchers were all supposed to have left hours ago. Amy had slipped her identity badge into Louise Cannon's purse and pocketed the older woman's during their regular lunch.

When Louise checked out through the scanner… it would read that Amy had left… but Louise would be the one the guard would remember. Hopefully it would be enough. Burt had told her she needed to get the transponder code… and do some exploring of the lower levels.

"Don't get cute," he'd told her. "And don't get daring. Find what you need and get out of there." He'd kissed her then and held her… as if worried he would lose her.

"Hey," she'd told him with a lightness she hadn't felt. "I belong in there. I'm one of the new order's workers. I may not be in the inner circle… but others I may meet won't know that." She bit her lip. "Trust me. I can do this… and none of your people can."

She was right. Any of Burt's people would be immediately killed if seen. Amy was a familiar face… and a known Watcher.

Once certain that the library was deserted… Amy crept out of the stacks where she'd hidden… grabbed a clipboard and pen… and headed purposely toward the elevator. Once in the car, she punched the button for Mischkov's office on the top floor. He kept the codes in there. Exiting the elevator she moved resolutely down the corridor and into the shadows once she'd reached that floor. It was still occupied. The main thing, she knew, was to act as if she belonged here.

Mischkov exited his office and spoke momentarily with his secretary about forwarding calls to his cell phone and left. He'd seemed unusually abrupt as he'd left. Amy held her breath until the elevator doors closed and he was gone.

Peeking out at the secretary, Amy was relieved to see her closing things down. The secretary's voice carried into the hallway. "The old buzzard finally left. Yeah… I'll be home soon. I swear I'm gonna ask for reassignment. I hate these late hours." She punched a code into the office phone that would apparently forward calls to Mischkov and grabbed her purse. Only the security lights remained on once she'd left.

Amy counted to ten afterwards before daring to move. Cautiously she crept through the hallway and into the outer office. She closed the door behind her and crossed to Mischkov's office. Slowly she opened it. Within the darkened office… the only light was from a small electric fountain bubbling softly on a credenza. The drapes were open and outside security lights cast shadows through the wide windows. Amy leaned against the closed door and waited to allow her heart to stop pounding so loudly.

Pulling the small electric torch from her pocket, she gripped it in her teeth as she jimmied and then opened a locked file drawer to sort through some folders until she found hers. She pulled it out and glanced through it. It was a copy of her personnel folder… but with some extra information. There were photos of the twins… and of Burt in addition to ones of her meetings with Joe. She saw a page containing information about her mother and her dead "father." Evidently the truth of her relationship with Joe was still unknown. Amy breathed a sigh of relief. As far as Mischkov was concerned… Joe Dawson was only her mentor and former sponsor in the Watcher Organization and nothing more. The years that the two of them had been estranged evidently were still working in her favor… at least as far as the Watchers were concerned.

She continued to sort through the file… finally noticing a number lightly penciled onto the folder itself. Amy smiled. "There you are!" Swiftly she copied the code onto her clipboard and then closed the file and returned it carefully to the drawer. Her fingers ran over some of the other names she saw on other files. "This goes deeper and farther than we thought," she murmured. Quietly she closed the file drawer… and managed to get it locked again with the small tools Burt had given her.

"Don't ask," he'd chuckled when he'd handed them to her. "Part of my misspent youth." At any rate… they'd done the job. Amy just prayed the Avril Mischkov would not notice anything amiss tomorrow.

Amy shoved the tool kit back into her pocket with the torch. Standing… she smoothed her clothes and crossed to the office door. Inching it open… she peered through the crack… and satisfied no one was there, opened it and crossed to the outer office door. This time she was not so lucky.

In the hall outside was one of the security guards… making his sweep of the floor. And this office was next!

Amy quietly closed the door and raced quietly to the secretary's desk… hiding beneath it and pulling the chair in as far as she could. When the door opened and the light snapped on… Amy closed her eyes and held her breath… certain that at any moment she'd be seen.

The guard opened the door to Mischkov's office and looked around… then retreated. He paused at the door of the outer office and came back in. Amy prayed.

Evidently satisfied that nothing was wrong… the guard left, closing the door behind him.

Amy shivered under the desk. This called for a count of one hundred she was certain. Once finished… she rose unsteadily… aware that she thought her knees would collapse beneath her at any moment. Amy leaned on the desk and gulped in air. Finally feeling calmer… she crossed one more to the door and opened it a crack.

Sighing with relief… she saw no one there. Amy exited the office and crossed to the stairwell and slowly began descending the flights. She checked the exit door on the main floor and knew it would offer an escape. Then she descended to the lower levels. She didn't even know how many there were… and these exit doors she found did not open. Evidently the elevator with its special code key was the only way in… a code key she did not have.

On the lowest level… Amy peered cautiously through the small window in the door to see white-coated figures wheeling two patients on gurneys through the hallway. With no way in… and no authorization to even be in this part of the building… Amy decided she'd gathered all she could. Evidently some of the immortals were here… she couldn't think of who else would be kept down here. She climbed back to the main level and exited onto the library floor.

She grasped Louise's ID in her hands as she strode purposely through the scanner and out the main door. The guard barely looked up as she passed and then returned to his nap.

Once out of the building… Amy crossed to the wooded area on the edge of the parking lot. Two hands grasped her and pulled her into the shadows.

"You're safe… let's get you out of here now."

Amy stared at the man. "Where's Burt?"

"Following Mischkov, I'm Phil Roberts."

Amy nodded. Burt had mentioned Roberts to her. "I'm more than ready to leave," she whispered gladly and accompanied him to the nearby van. Inside she saw a young woman dealing with some electronic surveillance apparatus. Evidently Burt had called in some favors with some of his contacts. These people meant business… and they apparently knew their stuff. The van was on the Rue Royale before Amy relaxed. She gave Roberts the address. "You're to drop me off and get back."

"Yes ma'am…" Roberts said. "Those are our orders."

Amy nodded and prayed that Burt's night would go as smoothly.

-----

"He keeps those drapes closed twenty-four-seven."

Burt peered through the telescope. "Uh huh… what about the mikes?"

John Keller grinned at his boss. "We had a team up yesterday window washing. We managed to set them on the window exteriors. But…"

Burt looked at him. "But what? Aren't you getting anything?"

Keller nodded with a slight grimace. "He lives alone and doesn't seem to do too much talking when he gets in. We've managed to tape a few phone calls he's received… his side of the conversation anyway… but he really doesn't say much. Too bad we couldn't get into the apartment to set a phone bug."

"He uses a cell phone," Burt turned the volume up as he heard a sound rather like a whip. "What the hell?"

Keller shook his head. "That went on for a while last night too."

"What's he doing?"

"No idea, sir."

Burt grabbed a slice of pizza and settled down for the duration. He was determined to get this guy's number and figure out a weakness. "Sounds like he's hitting something or someone."

Keller agreed. "But what? Or who?"

The sounds went on most of the night, stopping only for a phone call. "Yes…" they heard Mischkov say. Then there was a long pause. "Understood." A few moments later the whipping sound continued. An hour later… it stopped and the mike on the bedroom window picked up the sounds of water running.

"Shower? Looks like he may have an early appointment." Keller suggested.

"In that case," Burt rose and stretched. "I'll be below following him."

When Avril Mischkov exited his building… he'd glanced up and down the street warily… then he'd climbed into his car and driven off.

Burt was cut off momentarily by a garbage truck. But soon he was out and moving swiftly down the street. He could just barely see Mischkov's car three blocks ahead in the pre-dawn gloom. When it vanished… Burt realized the Watcher strongman was likely not returning to the main offices. But where?

Sitting hunched over his steering wheel while waiting for the light… Burt suddenly realized just who lived in this direction… "Damn!" He turned against the light and roared down the street. Once again he came up against a garbage truck blocking his way. By the time he reached his father-in-law's building… it was just in time to see both Joe and Mischkov disappear within.

Hurriedly he called Roberts. "I may need some help!" Giving them the address… Burt parked just down the street and crept up a narrow alley, which backed up to Joe's small patch of yard.

Climbing the tall wooden fence… he alighted into the yard and crossed to peer through the small kitchen window. Through it he could see a posturing Mischkov. Burt crouched down against the wall. It would be better to wait for backup… but he feared what Mischkov might have planned for Dawson.

Burt expertly screwed on the silencer and cocked his Walther PPK as he inched closer to the kitchen door. It was locked. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys… quickly finding the one for Joe's apartment. Slowly he inserted the key and… hardly daring to breathe… turned it. The key was for the front door… but with luck it would fit this lock as well. Luck was with him. It did.

Softly and slowly turning the doorhandle… Burt inched the door open and then peered through the crack… he could already hear Joe's muffled screams. There was no more time! He raised his weapon and took aim. Inching the door open he slowly stepped into the kitchen.

He'd gotten three steps in before the floor squeaked. Mischkov pulled back from what he was doing to stare into the kitchen. Burt fired, hitting the big man in the chest.

Mischkov staggered and then brushed one hand over his chest as he stared at Burt dully.

Mischkov grinned and began to pull his own weapon out.

Realizing the man must have body armour on… Burt fired off another round toward the man's head. Mischkov ducked and fired in Burt's direction. Burt fired once more… and this time he heard a thud! Cautiously he crept into Joe's living room and kicked Mischkov's weapon away. Blood was pouring from the side of the enforcer's head. Burt knelt to check his pulse.

Just as he did so. Joe let out another shriek of pain and began to struggle in the chair to which he was bound. Replacing his weapon in his holster… Burt turned to check on his father-in-law.

Joe's face was reddened and sweat was pouring from him. His mouth worked back and forth as garbled cries issued from his mouth. Burt pulled a knife to cut the duct tape holding Joe's hands. As soon as they were free… Joe raised them to his head and continued to cry out. He panted harshly.

"Joe… it's me… what did he do?" But Joe just shook his head and wailed. Burt noticed the small wooden box on the table… the two vials… and the syringe. He picked up the syringe. Joe let out a harsh moan and looked at him wild-eyed… as if that were all he saw or understood. Burt closed the box and dropped it into his pocket. "I need to get you some medical attention." He didn't want to wait for Roberts… seconds might make the difference.

Pulling Joe to his feet… Burt had him lean on him for support. "C'mon Joe… we need to go and we need to go now!" Gradually Joe seemed to understand and followed Burt's lead out of the apartment. Burt positioned him in the front seat and climbed in behind the wheel. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

Joe grabbed his arm. "Safe house!" he managed before his voice broke up again.

"He called someone to attack the safe house?" Burt paused. "Amy was to head there." Swiftly he pulled out and raced for the safe house… praying he'd be in time.

Behind in the apartment… Avril Mischkov groaned and sat up slowly. Absently wiping the blood from his temple with the back of one hand he breathed shallowly. He'd been surprised… and he wasn't often surprised. Slowly he regained his feet and found his gun. As he leaned over to pick it up… he noticed a photo of Amy Meyers' children on the desk. That wasn't surprising… it was the frame that made him smile. "Grandpa!" Mischkov whispered with a leer. Obviously the Meyers woman was closer to Dawson than her records indicated. Mischkov picked the photo frame up and tapped it against his hand. He knew the twins had recently been shipped to Liverpool to spend time with their grandmother. Perhaps all was not lost. Surely either Dawson or Amy Meyers would tell him what he wanted… if he had the twins.

Mischkov dabbed his immaculate white handkerchief against his bleeding temple. He would let his underlings handle the safe house… while he made a short trip to England.

Outside he heard a vehicle pull up. Raising his Luger to the front door he paused… and then swiftly pulled the trigger at the man who entered… hitting him right between the eyes. As this man fell… Mischkov fired off a shot at the woman behind him. Her face registered surprise even as she fell dead.

Staggering a bit… Avril Mischkov exited Dawson's rooms and stumbled to his car. If he left now… he thought he could hit the Chunnel before the traffic got too bad.