Kiss & Die - Lee Weeks [125]
He heard Mia’s voice. ‘Where’s Mann? He’s not in his room. Find him, quick.’
Mann didn’t know why but he knew he had to get away. Turn left at the end of the corridor, first right, now stay, stay, stay…breathe…wait, listen. Shush…He slid down the wall and stayed there. Click, clack…click, clack…
He crawled along on his hands and knees, his eyes struggling to keep focused, he was seeing double on double. His bandaged hand was bloody now.
He turned a corner and looked down the empty corridor – he could see the empty reception. He stood, found his balance, lurched on his feet and very carefully inched forward.
Now Ruby came click-clacking down the corridor, the urumi coiled in her hand. She would finish him off. She would flail him to death whilst he was lying in his hospital bed. Ruby could be anyone; nurse, patient, saviour, murderer. Ruby was Ruby.
He felt a hand on his arm, guiding, supporting. A young police officer looked at him. ‘You all right, Inspector?’
‘Yes. Where’s your car? I’m borrowing it.’ He took the keys from the flustered young officer. He staggered outside and unlocked the car door. He slipped into the driver’s seat and managed to manoeuvre his body into a position where he could drive. He switched on the engine, slammed it into reverse and then sped forward and away from the hospital.
He got halfway back to his flat when he got a call. It was CK.
‘Hello, Inspector. I heard about your unfortunate accident this evening. I do hope you will feel recovered enough to accept an invitation from me.’
‘I’m busy right now.’
‘Nursing your wounds? I have a friend here who wishes to talk to you.’
Mann heard Ng’s voice. ‘Genghis…don’t do it. They will kill me anyway.’
CK took back the phone. ‘That’s enough talk from Sergeant Ng. What he meant to say was that we have rekindled an old acquaintance, him and I, and now we have made a deal. You sign your father’s estate over to me and I will give you his life in exchange. Friendship is a dreadful thing, just like the love one feels for a woman, a daughter even. It weakens a man. It makes him vulnerable. But, your friend’s fate depends on you. How much is his life worth to you? I have the document ready. You just have to sign it. It means I take everything out of your hands. You no longer need to worry about your conscience. It will be as if you never knew. How does that sound?’
Mann heard an awful sound of Ng screaming and choking.
‘Meet me on the top floor of the Piccadilly Club in Central.’ CK hung up.
Chapter 110
Mann went home to pick up the one weapon he would be able to conceal beneath his bandages: Delilah. This time she was modified, made special. He re-strapped himself to keep her pressed flat against his chest. He drank a large vodka to take away the pain.
He got back in the car and phoned Victoria en route.
‘Thanks for asking. I’m okay.’
‘I went with you in the helicopter, don’t you remember? I left you when you went in for your operation. I’m glad you’re okay. Thank you, Mann. They would have killed me on that roof if you hadn’t come. Someone set me up. I thought it was you at first. But then I realized you wouldn’t do that kind of thing. You feel something for me, don’t you, Mann?’
‘No. I can’t and I won’t. I am going to see CK. He has my friend, Sergeant Ng. He wants to exchange his life for my father’s estate. He wants me to sign it all over to him.’
‘Don’t do it, Mann. It’s a trick.’
‘I know but I am going to kill CK, Victoria. Don’t come near me as I may have to kill you too.’
He drove back into town and parked outside the Piccadilly Club. The street was being watched. He saw CK’s men everywhere. He would have a hard job getting out alive but then he wasn’t thinking that far ahead. He hoped his body would last long enough to do the job he came to do and to rescue his friend. He realized now that nothing meant more than that to him. He had weathered so many storms with Ng’s help. He would lay down his life for him now if