"What do you want?"
Lehmann's question surprised him. To be like you, he thought, but what he said was different. "I don't want to be here forever. I..."
He stopped and turned in his chair. Six men had come into the room. Two of them had been talking when they came in, but on seeing Lehmann and Soucek there they had fallen silent. As Soucek watched, the Madam came out and, with a glance across at Lehmann and himself, leaned close to one of the newcomers and whispered something to him. Then, with a broad, false smile, she came across again.
"Well, we are busy tonight!" she said with an excessive gaiety that struck Soucek as rather odd. Then, looking at their glasses, her smile widened again. "You want fill-ups?"
Soucek turned and looked down at the glasses. They were empty. He looked up at Lehmann, surprised, but the albino's face was blank.
"Why not?" said Lehmann tonelessly, lifting the glasses and handing them to her.
Soucek watched Lehmann a moment longer, then turned in time to see the Madam usher the men out through a door she hadn't used before. She was the last to go through and as she did, she turned, taking an almost furtive glance back at them.
As soon as she was gone, Lehmann was on his feet and crossing the room toward the exit.
"What's happening?" began Soucek, jumping up. «
Lehmann turned suddenly, like an acrobat, his balance perfect. "Just sit there," he said softly. "Pretend nothing's happening. If she asks, tell her I've gone for a piss. And whatever you do, don't touch the drink. It's drugged."
at the door Lehmann paused, slipping to one side as it irised open. No one. He went through quickly, using the far wall of the corridor to stop and turn himself, his gun out and searching, then relaxed. The corridor was empty.
Crouching, he set the gun down, then took off his wristband and turned it inside out. Quickly he tapped out the contact code. At once the tiny screen came alight, bloodred. There was a moment's vague activity, then the screen's color changed and a miniature of Haller's face stared back at him.
"What the hell time . . . ?" Haller began, then saw it wasn't Becker. His manner changed at once. "What is it?"
Lehmann spelt out the situation, gave the location, and told him what was needed. "You've got eight minutes maximum. Bring Becker. Go in at the front. And remember, no noise."
He cut contact, put the wristband back on, and picked up the gun. Then, pausing only to look back along the corridor, he began to run. There would be a back entrance. Sealed maybe. Guarded probably. But he would face that when he got there.
It was a narrow side alley with three ceiling lamps. He stood in part shadow, looking down. There was one man, his back to him, expecting nothing yet. Unhesitant, Lehmann moved quickly between the distinct pools of light and came behind the man silently, wrapping the fine, hard wire about his neck with a graceful looping of his hands. The man's cry of surprise and pain was cut off sharply, almost before it fonned. Lehmann let the lifeless body fall, the wire embedded deep in the flesh.
He tested the door's frame for weaknesses, pushing at it, then leaning hard against it. Moving back from it, he took a breath, then kicked twice, in two separate places. The door fell inward, the crude latches snapped off.
Quickly he moved through the dust cloud, conscious of the noise he'd had to make. Almost at once he was facing one of the Madam's girls who had come out of her room to see what was happening. He grabbed her, one hand about her mouth, then pushed her back into the room, looking about him. She was alone. With a quick, strong movement, he snapped her neck and lay her down. Then, shutting the door behind him, he went back for the dead man.
He had been lucky so far. No one else had heard, and no one had seen the corpse lying there in the shadows by the door. Quickly, grunting with the effort, he dragged it inside, then set the door back in place behind him.
Would they be missing him yet? Getting suspicious? It was almost five minutes now since he'd gone for that piss. Was Soucek all right?
He put the dead man in with the corpse of the whore, then came out again. For a moment he stood there, listening. Things seemed okay. He took a breath, then went on, half running down the long, dark passageway, following it around. There was a door to the left. He paused, lifting the flap. Peck was inside, naked, on his back, a busty blonde riding him vigorously. Lehmann dropped the flap silently and went on.
At the door to the reception area he stopped again, listening. He could hear Soucek's voice, and the Madam's. All seemed fine. He went through.
He saw the relief on the Madam's face, and knew at once what she'd been thinking. "IVe changed my mind," he said, before she could say anything. "There's a girl down the end there, I..."
He saw her smile widen and again could read her thoughts. You like to watch. He looked away, as if he had been caught out, and stood back as she pushed past. Soucek had stood up. Lehmann nodded and signaled for him to come.
As she opened the door Lehmann came behind her and put his hand over her mouth so that she couldn't cry out. He felt her tense, could feel the sudden fear in every muscle of her body. She was staring at the two corpses wide-eyed.
"You can join them or you can help me," Lehmann said quietly. She nodded and he released his grip. She was breathing heavily, trying to control herself.
"Just do what you were going to do. Give us three minutes, then send them in."
She turned, surprised. Her mouth worked silently, its hideous rouge making ugly shapes, then she nodded. She made to step past him, but he reached out and held her. "Remember," he said, drawing her up with one hand until her face was just beneath his. "Say a thing and you're dead. Those others, they're dead anyway. My men are coming here now. But you . . . you can live. If you do what you're told."
She swallowed, then found her voice. "Okay. I'll do what you say."
He pushed her away, disgusted by the foulness of her breath, the painted corruption of her face. He would kill her when it was done.
When she was gone, Soucek turned to him. "What do you want me to do?" he said quietly. He had drawn his gun.
Lehmann reached out and took the gun. "No noise. Use your knife. Or this." He handed Soucek a garrote with short matt-black handles. "Or best of all, use your hands."
Soucek stared at him. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. Now no noise. Understand?"
"Why?"
Lehmann glared at him. "Just do it. Right?"
Soucek nodded, chastened by Lehmann's look.
They went out and down the passageway. At the turn, Lehmann stopped and pointed over to the right. "There," he whispered. "In that doorway. They'll not see you when they come around." He turned and pointed back a little way. "I'll be there, ahead of them. When they're past, you come up behind them. You should be able to take two of them at least."
Soucek's eyes widened, then, remembering what his informer, Mas-son, had said about Lehmann's ferocity, nodded and got into place in the doorway. He had only moments to wait.
One of them came through on his own and stood there, listening. Distinct sounds of sexual pleasure were coming from several of the rooms now. Soucek, from his hiding place, saw the man hesitate, then turn back to the door, beckoning the others through.
They moved quickly, as though this had all been planned and rehearsed. But as they turned the corner Lehmann came at them. One went down at once, a knife in his throat. A second followed a moment later as Lehmann kicked high and shattered his nose. From behind them Soucek moved quickly, thrusting with his knife, then swinging his blade high, catching the one who was turning back on him in the chest.
There was the faintest groan from one of the men, but otherwise it was a strangely silent struggle, a violent, desperate conflict, fought in the deep shadow of the passageway, as if in the blackest of nightmares. In less than a minute it was over.