Without remorse - Tom Clancy [171]
'Don't even think it, Billy,' Kelly said in a conversational tone.
'Who the fuck-'
'On your face, spread-eagle, or I'll shoot that little dick of yours right off.' Kelly altered his aim. It was amazing how much importance men placed on that organ, how easily a threat to it intimidated. Not even a serious threat, what with its size. The brain was much larger and easier to hit. 'Down! Now!'
Billy did what he was told. Кеllу pushed the girl back on the mattress and reached in his belt for the electrical wire. In a few seconds the hands were securely wrapped and knotted. The left hand still held a pair of pliers, which Kelly took and used to tighten the wire yet more, drawing a gasp from Billy.
Pliers?
Jesus.
The girl was staring at his face, eyes wide, breath heavy, but her movements were slow and her head was tilted. She was drugged to some extent. And she had seen his face, was looking at it now, memorizing it.
Why do you have to be here? This is out of the pattern. You're a complication. I ought to ... ought to ...
If you do that, John, then what the fuck are you?
Oh, shit!
Kelly's hands started shaking then. This was real danger, if he let her live, then someone would know who he was—a description, enough to start a proper manhunt, and that would - might - prevent him from accomplishing his goal. But the greater danger was to his soul. If he killed her, that was lost forever. Of that he was certain. Kelly closed his eyes and shook his head. Everything was supposed to have gone so smoothly.
Shit happens, Johnnie-boy.
'Get dressed,' he told her, tossing some stuff in her direction. 'Do it now, be quiet, and stay there.'
'Who are you?' Billy asked, giving Kelly an outlet for his rage. The distributor felt something cold and round at the back of his head.
'You even breathe loud, and your brains go on this floor, got it?' The head nodded by way of an answer.
Now what the hell do I do? Kelly demanded of himself. He looked over at the girl, struggling to put panties on. The light caught her breasts and Kelly's stomach revolted at the marks he saw there. 'Hurry up,' he told her.
Damn damn damn. Kelly checked the wire on Billy's wrists and decided to do another loop at the elbows, hurting him badly, straining the shoulders, but ensuring that he wouldn't be doing any resisting. To make things worse, he lifted Billy by the arms to a standing position, which evoked a scream.
'Hurt a little, does it?' Kelly asked. Then he applied a gag and turned him to the door. 'Walk.' To the girl: 'You, too.'
Kelly conducted them down the steps. There was some broken glass, and Billy's feet danced around it, sustaining cuts. What surprised Kelly was the girl's reaction to the body at the bottom.
'Rick!' she gasped, then stooped down to touch the body.
It had a name, Kelly thought, lifting the girl. 'Out the back.'
He stopped them at the kitchen, leaving them alone for an instant and looking out the back door. He could see his car, and there was no activity in his view. There was danger in what came next, but danger had again become his companion. Kelly led them out. The girl was looking at Billy, and he at her, motioning with his eyes. Kelly was dumbfounded to see that she was reacting to his silent entreaties. He took her arm and moved her aside.
'Don't worry about him, miss.' He pointed her to the car, maneuvering Billy by the upper arm.
A distant voice told him that if she tried to help Billy, then he would have an excuse to -
No, goddamn it!
Kelly unlocked the car, forcing Billy in, then the girl into the front seat, before moving fast to the left-side door. Before starting the car he leaned over the seat and wired up Billy's ankles and knees.
'Who are you?' the girl asked as the car started moving.
'A friend,' Kelly said calmly. 'I am not going to hurt you. If I wanted to do that, I could have left you with Rick, okay?'
Her reply was slow and uneven, but for all that, still amazing to Kelly.