he didn’t move. Liam gave him an unfocused, confused glance and then continued to totter right up to him. ‘Hey I’ve told you, arsewipe , get lost,’ came the hissed order.
‘Fuck you,’ Liam offered in his best drunken slur as he stumbled backwards.
The guard lunged towards him and Liam reacted immediately, moving to his rear, grabbing the guard round the neck and silencing him with one swift slice from The Killer . The man gurgled briefly and then slipped to the floor. Liam arranged him in what he hoped looked like a drunken slump and then scanned the room numbers until he found 29. He knocked gently. When there was no reply he tried again, a little louder this time.
‘Yeah, who is it?’ a sleepy voice eventually asked quietly from the other side of the door.
‘We have a problem out here, sir,’ said Liam in a hushed tone to disguise his voice. It was a useful piece of advice that Turner had given him. All whispers sound much the same, so his quarry should believe that it was the guard at the door. Then, deciding on an all or nothing gamble he added, ‘ Mr. Moore needs to see you urgently.’
As the door opened a crack Liam knew he had guessed correctly about the other man’s presence and he hurled his weight at the door, flinging it open and throwing a very confused Mad Dog on his back. In one movement he was in the room, the door was closed behind him and he was on top of the prone man delivering a knock out punch to the face. He worked quickly, removing the rope from round his waist to tie his captive down and securing a gag at his mouth. He returned to the door and pressed his ear against it, but there was no sound from the corridor. Then he waited for the man to come round. It was taking longer than he’d anticipated, and Liam glanced anxiously at the illuminated dial on the bedside table. Shit, he really didn’t have much time if he wanted to get them both. Turner’s schedule hadn’t allowed for that.
Larry slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus in the dark room. Within seconds he realised that he was restrained in a sitting position, his arms tied behind his back and his legs tightly bound in front. When he found he couldn’t speak either, the pressure of a blade at his neck was no great surprise, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. ‘I’m going to pull that gag down in a second,’ came a low, unidentifiable voice from just behind his head, ‘and I’ll want you to answer some questions. But you will do it quietly, understand?’ He nodded quickly and felt the gag loosen as the pressure from the blade increased.
‘What room’s Peter Moore in?’
‘What the fu .. ’
‘Shush, quietly remember.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Larry hissed.
‘Sure you do, Mad Dog. Everyone knows Larry O’Brien and Peter Moore go way back.’
‘What? No you’re wrong. I’m Leonard, Leonard O’Barry . I don’t know who…’
‘You are Larry - Mad Dog - O’Brien and that false name is fooling no one. You even had to keep it as an Obie , didn’t you? Besides, I know you man and you know me.’
‘I don’t. Who the fu …’ The gag was tightened at his mouth again and the knife moved from his throat as he felt the man stand up behind him and then saw his shadow walk across the room. When the light flicked on he blinked at the glare and then stared in amazement.
‘Know me now, Mad Dog?’ Liam was rewarded by a wide-eyed, incredulous look of recognition as his captive attempted to speak. ‘You gonna keep that voice down if I let you talk?’
The bound man nodded quickly and Liam pocketed his knife, taking out the .38 in its place. The Killer would return quickly enough, but for now he wanted to look this man in the eyes and the gun made more sense for that. He loosened the gag.
‘Butch? Is that really you Butch?’ O’Brien stammered. ‘It can’t be. You’re dead.’
‘You must be seeing ghosts then.’
‘No Butch, I was told you’d been
‘Fuck you,’ Liam offered in his best drunken slur as he stumbled backwards.
The guard lunged towards him and Liam reacted immediately, moving to his rear, grabbing the guard round the neck and silencing him with one swift slice from The Killer . The man gurgled briefly and then slipped to the floor. Liam arranged him in what he hoped looked like a drunken slump and then scanned the room numbers until he found 29. He knocked gently. When there was no reply he tried again, a little louder this time.
‘Yeah, who is it?’ a sleepy voice eventually asked quietly from the other side of the door.
‘We have a problem out here, sir,’ said Liam in a hushed tone to disguise his voice. It was a useful piece of advice that Turner had given him. All whispers sound much the same, so his quarry should believe that it was the guard at the door. Then, deciding on an all or nothing gamble he added, ‘ Mr. Moore needs to see you urgently.’
As the door opened a crack Liam knew he had guessed correctly about the other man’s presence and he hurled his weight at the door, flinging it open and throwing a very confused Mad Dog on his back. In one movement he was in the room, the door was closed behind him and he was on top of the prone man delivering a knock out punch to the face. He worked quickly, removing the rope from round his waist to tie his captive down and securing a gag at his mouth. He returned to the door and pressed his ear against it, but there was no sound from the corridor. Then he waited for the man to come round. It was taking longer than he’d anticipated, and Liam glanced anxiously at the illuminated dial on the bedside table. Shit, he really didn’t have much time if he wanted to get them both. Turner’s schedule hadn’t allowed for that.
Larry slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus in the dark room. Within seconds he realised that he was restrained in a sitting position, his arms tied behind his back and his legs tightly bound in front. When he found he couldn’t speak either, the pressure of a blade at his neck was no great surprise, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. ‘I’m going to pull that gag down in a second,’ came a low, unidentifiable voice from just behind his head, ‘and I’ll want you to answer some questions. But you will do it quietly, understand?’ He nodded quickly and felt the gag loosen as the pressure from the blade increased.
‘What room’s Peter Moore in?’
‘What the fu .. ’
‘Shush, quietly remember.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Larry hissed.
‘Sure you do, Mad Dog. Everyone knows Larry O’Brien and Peter Moore go way back.’
‘What? No you’re wrong. I’m Leonard, Leonard O’Barry . I don’t know who…’
‘You are Larry - Mad Dog - O’Brien and that false name is fooling no one. You even had to keep it as an Obie , didn’t you? Besides, I know you man and you know me.’
‘I don’t. Who the fu …’ The gag was tightened at his mouth again and the knife moved from his throat as he felt the man stand up behind him and then saw his shadow walk across the room. When the light flicked on he blinked at the glare and then stared in amazement.
‘Know me now, Mad Dog?’ Liam was rewarded by a wide-eyed, incredulous look of recognition as his captive attempted to speak. ‘You gonna keep that voice down if I let you talk?’
The bound man nodded quickly and Liam pocketed his knife, taking out the .38 in its place. The Killer would return quickly enough, but for now he wanted to look this man in the eyes and the gun made more sense for that. He loosened the gag.
‘Butch? Is that really you Butch?’ O’Brien stammered. ‘It can’t be. You’re dead.’
‘You must be seeing ghosts then.’
‘No Butch, I was told you’d been
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