Kill Me if You Can - James Patterson [44]
“Are you firing me?” the Ghost said.
“Why would I fire you?” Chukov said. “Two assassins are always better than one. But just a reminder—only one of you gets paid.”
Chapter 53
THE GHOST HUNG up on Chukov.
He looked around the room. It was exquisite—highly polished antique furniture, lush draperies made from the finest Venetian fabrics, a luxurious handcrafted marble bathroom, all counterpointed with state-of-the-art electronics, including a forty-two-inch flat-screen LCD television, high-speed Internet, and a relaxing Jacuzzi.
The Danieli was expensive but well worth it. Especially with Chukov footing the bill. And now, the Ghost thought, it turns out he’s hired a backup.
Krall. Despite what he had said to Chukov, the Ghost knew Marta Krall was anything but slow and stupid. Contract killing was more than her profession, it was her passion. She was the queen of the slow death.
She had once put eighteen bullets into an undercover DEA agent over the course of three days. The man died from shock and blood loss four times, but Krall revived him each time with a makeshift crash cart to keep the party going. The Jamaican drug lord whose operation had been infiltrated by the narc happily paid a premium for the additional pain and suffering.
The Ghost stood up and looked out the window at the lagoon directly below. The view was spectacular. Venice was incomparable—a thriving cultural center surrounded by water. He only wished he had the time to stay and enjoy it.
He stretched out on the brocade silk spread that covered the king-size bed and stared up at the crystal chandelier.
He closed his eyes and tried to think like Marta Krall would think. Where was she? What was her next move? How could he stay one step ahead of her?
The door to the room burst open with a bang. Before he could move, a woman bounded into the room, leaped onto the bed, and pinned him down.
And then she kissed him. Hard.
“Jesus, Katherine,” he said. “You scared the living shit out of me.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again.
“I tried your cell, but it went straight to voice mail,” Katherine said. “Who were you on the phone with?”
“The Antico Martini,” he said. “I was just confirming our dinner reservation. I want to make sure it’s extra special.”
“I don’t care where we eat,” she said, “as long as it’s just the two of us. You’re a real catch, Matthew Bannon. I wouldn’t be surprised if another woman came after you.”
“What woman would possibly want to come after me?” Matthew asked, smiling at the irony.
“Sweetie, you look a little pale. Are you sure you’re okay?” she said.
“I’m fine,” he said quickly. “Just a little tired. It’s a lot of hard work being a tourist.”
“Okay,” Katherine said. “But you had me worried. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Book Three
The Diamonds
Chapter 54
I SWORE THAT everything I was going to tell you would be true. It has been. I actually did serve in the Marines. I am an art student at Parsons in New York City. And I’m definitely in love with my professor Katherine Sanborne. But I did leave a few things out. Such as—
I’m a hired killer.
It’s not exactly something I signed up for on Career Day at my high school. My father was a Marine, and I more or less decided to follow in his footsteps—at least for four years. The night I got out, my dad took me for a beer.
I knew he wasn’t too happy about my going to New York to become an artist, and I figured he was going to try to talk me out of it.
“So, what did you learn in the corps?” he asked.
“Nothing that you hadn’t already taught me,” I told him and smiled. “Is that what you’re fishing for?”
“Don’t be a wiseass,” my father said. “I’m trying to be serious here. The Marines taught you a lot. I just asked what you learned.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but he was definitely very serious.
“I guess I learned how to push myself