better.
He parked outside the right address on Västmannagatan and leaned back.
His cell phone rang in his jacket pocket.
“
Get going,
” Roland Gentz said.
“I need the nurse’s flight number. Have I got time?” Koen asked.
“
Just get to Arlanda and follow her the minute you see her
.”
Roland gave Koen Sophie’s flight details.
“And then bring that old man with me?”
Roland was silent for a moment, then said, “
Yes. I sent you a list, didn’t I? Is it too much for you?
”
“No.”
“
Are you sure? You need to concentrate, Koen. Can I rely on you?
”
“Yes!”
He sounded like a teenager.
Roland sighed. “
Listen. This is a chain of events, Koen. Everything has to work just-so. Can you handle it? Give me an honest answer.
”
“Tell me again,” Koen said sluggishly.
“
Once you’ve finished the job in the shop, that will send everyone running. They’ll go to ground, and gather in the same place. That’s what we’re hoping. You need to find out where, that’s the priority. You do that by following Sophie from the airport. Do you get that?
”
“I get it,” Koen muttered.
Roland spelled out the rest: “
Then, when you’re finished, you bring that man back here to us. You’re very important, Koen. Both Ralph and I are very appreciative of all that you do.
”
A flash of happiness ran through Koen as he ended the call; then he yawned, wiped his face with his hands, and opened the car door. He went around to the trunk. It was empty. On top of the spare tire under the floor was a jack, a wheel brace, and a Mini Uzi with an extended magazine. He tucked the weapon inside his jacket and crossed the street toward the shop.
Koen looked in the window. It was small and fairly unassuming, and contained beautiful things. Strongly colored textiles, spears, shields, ceramics—all sorts of things—old, ethnic, historical.
A little bell rang when he opened the door.
He saw a dark-skinned woman with a lot of thick hair. Proud, attractive. Behind her stood a man, tall, sinuous, smiling. The man was standing on a stool, rearranging things on one of the top shelves.
“Hello,” they said to Koen in tandem, cheerily.
He felt welcome, and realized he was smiling as he opened his jacket and pulled out the Uzi.
The man on the stool threw himself instinctively at the woman, landing on top of her and shielding her with his body.
Koen fired. And everything became very ugly.
Sophie paid the taxi driver in cash and was just getting out of the car when her cell rang. She answered.
“
Daphne and Thierry have been murdered, they were shot in their shop an hour ago….”
Sophie headed for the door, her legs still carrying her even though she had fully understood what Leszek had just told her.
“
Sophie?
”
She managed to tap in the code, open the door with her back, and walk across the narrow carpet leading to the elevator.
“
Sophie?
” Leszek asked again.
She opened the door to the elevator.
“Angela and the boys?” she asked, pressing the button for her floor. The elevator began to rise.
“
They’re safe. Where have you been, Sophie?
”
She tried to pull herself together. “Nowhere. What happened?”
“
They were found on the floor. Thierry had his arms around her, he was trying to protect her. There were a lot of shots, that’s all I know.
”
An image conjured up by Leszek’s words flashed through her mind. She tried to suppress it. Leszek went on talking and she tried to listen in spite of the panic that was assaulting her from all sides. Leszek clarified the situation to her.
Everyone could have been exposed
.
She understood what that meant.
Run!
The world came back. Sophie made a call to Albert as she unlocked the door and the security gate inside, but it went to voicemail. She hurried into the bedroom and opened the closet. From the back she pulled out her pre-packed case. It contained all she needed for a few days, as well as her real passport. The fake one was
He parked outside the right address on Västmannagatan and leaned back.
His cell phone rang in his jacket pocket.
“
Get going,
” Roland Gentz said.
“I need the nurse’s flight number. Have I got time?” Koen asked.
“
Just get to Arlanda and follow her the minute you see her
.”
Roland gave Koen Sophie’s flight details.
“And then bring that old man with me?”
Roland was silent for a moment, then said, “
Yes. I sent you a list, didn’t I? Is it too much for you?
”
“No.”
“
Are you sure? You need to concentrate, Koen. Can I rely on you?
”
“Yes!”
He sounded like a teenager.
Roland sighed. “
Listen. This is a chain of events, Koen. Everything has to work just-so. Can you handle it? Give me an honest answer.
”
“Tell me again,” Koen said sluggishly.
“
Once you’ve finished the job in the shop, that will send everyone running. They’ll go to ground, and gather in the same place. That’s what we’re hoping. You need to find out where, that’s the priority. You do that by following Sophie from the airport. Do you get that?
”
“I get it,” Koen muttered.
Roland spelled out the rest: “
Then, when you’re finished, you bring that man back here to us. You’re very important, Koen. Both Ralph and I are very appreciative of all that you do.
”
A flash of happiness ran through Koen as he ended the call; then he yawned, wiped his face with his hands, and opened the car door. He went around to the trunk. It was empty. On top of the spare tire under the floor was a jack, a wheel brace, and a Mini Uzi with an extended magazine. He tucked the weapon inside his jacket and crossed the street toward the shop.
Koen looked in the window. It was small and fairly unassuming, and contained beautiful things. Strongly colored textiles, spears, shields, ceramics—all sorts of things—old, ethnic, historical.
A little bell rang when he opened the door.
He saw a dark-skinned woman with a lot of thick hair. Proud, attractive. Behind her stood a man, tall, sinuous, smiling. The man was standing on a stool, rearranging things on one of the top shelves.
“Hello,” they said to Koen in tandem, cheerily.
He felt welcome, and realized he was smiling as he opened his jacket and pulled out the Uzi.
The man on the stool threw himself instinctively at the woman, landing on top of her and shielding her with his body.
Koen fired. And everything became very ugly.
Sophie paid the taxi driver in cash and was just getting out of the car when her cell rang. She answered.
“
Daphne and Thierry have been murdered, they were shot in their shop an hour ago….”
Sophie headed for the door, her legs still carrying her even though she had fully understood what Leszek had just told her.
“
Sophie?
”
She managed to tap in the code, open the door with her back, and walk across the narrow carpet leading to the elevator.
“
Sophie?
” Leszek asked again.
She opened the door to the elevator.
“Angela and the boys?” she asked, pressing the button for her floor. The elevator began to rise.
“
They’re safe. Where have you been, Sophie?
”
She tried to pull herself together. “Nowhere. What happened?”
“
They were found on the floor. Thierry had his arms around her, he was trying to protect her. There were a lot of shots, that’s all I know.
”
An image conjured up by Leszek’s words flashed through her mind. She tried to suppress it. Leszek went on talking and she tried to listen in spite of the panic that was assaulting her from all sides. Leszek clarified the situation to her.
Everyone could have been exposed
.
She understood what that meant.
Run!
The world came back. Sophie made a call to Albert as she unlocked the door and the security gate inside, but it went to voicemail. She hurried into the bedroom and opened the closet. From the back she pulled out her pre-packed case. It contained all she needed for a few days, as well as her real passport. The fake one was
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