CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Rand's pistol held six rounds. He knew that. The Glock 17 was a popular model. He didn't know how many bullets were in the chamber but at this distance, one was enough. She was holding it competently. Her hands were steady.
Athos remained a statue before her as she raised the gun and pointed it at his face, her own a hard mask.
"The talking is over. Are you sure I can't tempt you to join us?" she said, tilting her head and smiling a vicious smile. "One last chance," she singsonged.
He held still, breathing shallowly through his parted lips.
"I think I'll pass on this occasion," he murmured, looking down at his feet and wiping his palms on his thighs.
As soon as Athos looked down and moved his hands, a shot rang out from the treeline.
A bullet passed through the window behind Rand as Athos threw himself to the floor, the momentum sending him sliding across the polished surface.
The window held for a few seconds, pristine with a hole dead centre. Suddenly, glass shards began to fall to the floor in a shower of noise, the outside world intruding, the echo of the shot reverberating through the tall pine trees behind where Aramis stood, the rifle still braced against his shoulder. Then, the whole window fell as one like a deadly waterfall.
As the noise lessened, Athos groaned as he rolled over and lay on his back, trying to catch his breath. After a moment, he lifted his head and surveyed the carnage around him, rubbing his shoulder and flexing his hand, where he had landed heavily on the floor, the momentum of his dive pushing him along, away from the impact of Rand's body hitting the floor. Sitting up, he stared at, rather than into, her dead eyes, for he was sure she had no soul. She lay on her front, her head turned toward him, the side of her head gone. He was half relieved and half admiring at the shot Aramis had taken through the glass.
After a few seconds, Aramis, sure she was staying down, lowered his weapon and walked across the lawn, stepping through the devastated window, the rifle propped on his shoulder.
"That was close," he said, lightly.
"You obviously found a weapon," Athos said, heaving out a final sigh.
"You were right, Chef is a hunter" Aramis added, patting the rifle. "Another one for the freezer," he stated, looking down at Rand's body.
"And Kramer," Athos murmured, nodding toward the door, beyond which Kramer lay. That was the worst of this whole affair. A man such as he, with all his knowledge and experience, snuffed out by a mad woman, who thought nothing of killing innocents.
"You're bleeding," Athos suddenly said, indicating Aramis's left bicep.
"It's fine," Aramis said. "Flesh wound." he added, pulling out the balaclava from his belt and clamping it over the wound in his upper arm. "I confused them. This bought me time," he added, removing the balaclava and raising his arm to look at the damage.
Athos smiled. "Lucky I didn't bump into you." He almost had. That scenario didn't bear thinking about.
"Your shoulder?" Aramis said, breaking into his thoughts. Aramis held out his hand, which Athos grasped, being pulled to his feet.
"I'll live," he said. "No time for a controlled roll," he added, ruefully.
"Sorry about that."
"It's a learning curve," Athos shrugged.
"Noted. I wasn't hesitating, Athos," he added softly, standing on the broken glass, obviously thinking back to the warehouse but talking about now. "You looked like you were talking."
"We were having a moment," Athos agreed.
"The crazies do like to talk," Aramis smiled. "I took her down from an angle. If I hadn't …"
"The bullet would have gone through her and through me," Athos finished. He turned and looked at the wall, where a chunk of plaster had been blasted off, leaving a hole into the room beyond. Athos suppressed a shudder, thinking of the ricochet in the basement.
"And I could see from her body language," Aramis continued. "She was relaxed."
"She was enjoying herself," Athos replied. "I wanted to hear her out. She sent her sister Irena to her death in the warehouse, or didn't stop her. You are vindicated in hesitating."
Aramis propped the rifle against the wall and stepped further into the room, leaning over the body. "So, not an innocent," he said.
"By no means. Irena was one of them, though obviously she had no idea about the fire she unleashed. I would say "lamb to the slaughter," but she was no lamb. And I have it from Dannika's own mouth - 'Cause before family,'" Athos confirmed. "I can see why you hesitated."
"You thought I'd hesitated in the warehouse because she was a woman. I saw it in your eyes when I visited your room in the hospital."
"Why did you come that day?" Athos frowned. "You could hardly walk."
"I wanted to explain," Aramis said, softly.
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I realised I couldn't give you an explanation. I was unsure that I was right. Right up until I took the shot, when it was her or you. I wasn't sure. And then, I was."
"What made you shoot?"
"Our signal," Aramis replied, referring to Athos running his hands down his thighs as he faced Rand.
"But I didn't know you were here," Athos explained. "She told me you were dead," he added, plaintively, his eyes suddenly stinging.
Aramis nodded slowly, seeing his friend begin to struggle and reaching out to grasp Athos's shoulder.
"So …how did you know to signal? he asked gently, as Athos slowly came back to himself.
"The wolf," Athos explained. "It turned its head and looked up, and I hoped it was you he was looking at. Did you know the wolf was close by?"
"Wolf? No, I was watching her," Aramis shook his head, indicating the body.
"We both cut it fine, didn't we," Athos stated, blowing a breath out.
"Just a little," Aramis smiled, patting his shoulder. "To be honest, I didn't know we were still using that signal," he added.
"What? We always use that signal!"
Aramis held up both hands and grinned sheepishly. "Duly noted."
"You are joking?" Athos asked, incredulous.
"Just a little," Aramis laughed, and Athos relaxed, shaking his head.
"So I won't be investigated for dereliction of duty? Aramis asked.
"No, Aramis, you won't," Athos replied, running a hand through his hair. "And I am sorry I didn't see what you saw that day."
"That's why I'm the sniper," Aramis smiled brightly. He looked down at the body of Dannika Rand.
"I presume she's dead?" he asked.
"Of course she's dead. She was shot by the best, my friend," Athos replied, leaning against the wall.
Aramis was his friend. Of course he was. He had just saved his life, but more than that, he had hesitated in the warehouse because there was a line between cold-blooded killer and a man of conscience, and he was the latter. He did not take death lightly.
Athos held out his hand and Aramis took it, pulling him into a hug. After a few moments, Athos winced.
"Are you alright?" Aramis frowned, taking a step back.
"Just about," Athos huffed. "There's another body in the cellar. I call him Karate Man."
"Ah," Aramis smiled. "Extra training needed?"
"Probably."
"Kramer told me you couldn't call me friend," Aramis suddenly said quietly, realising that he just had.
Athos bristled and stepped back. "He should not have done," he said, fiercely.
"Well, I did trick him into telling me," Aramis smiled. "It's alright, Athos. I rocked your confidence."
"Something like that."
"I rocked my own," Aramis conceded, running a hand through his hair. "Treville wants a cohesive team," he said.
"He has one," Athos replied, calmer now. "If we can bring Porthos in line."
"Now that may be a task too far," Aramis laughed, scratching his head. He grew serious then, looking over his shoulder at the treeline. "One more thing …"
Athos sighed, wearily. Would this never end? "What?"
"It's not over, Athos," Aramis said, picking up the rifle.
/
