Read Online Assignment - Budapest by Edward S. Aarons - Free Book Online

thready under his anxious fingers. She was still alive.
    “Dee,” he whispered, “Dee, forgive me. I had to do it.”
    A faint whisper of breath between her lips made him wonder if she had heard his anguished words. He was no longer conscious of the pain from his own wound. He wriggled out of his coat and folded it and lifted her head to rest upon it, and then he took his handkerchief and made a rough bandage over the bleeding bullet hole, ripping at her clothing to get at it. Leaving her, he went to the telephone and dialed the operator, knowing that Art Greenwald would be listening in.
    “There’s been an accident,” he said tersely, and he gave Deirdre Padgett’s name. “Send a doctor and an ambulance at once.”
    When the operator rang off, Durell held the line open for a moment, and Greenwald said: “Sam? You all right?”
    “It’s Deirdre. Korvuth was here.”
    “Damn it, how could—”
    “We need some men, fast,” Durell said. “He’s in the woods nearby. Zoltan Ske is dead. No sign of the girl. And Korvuth got away.”
    He hung up and went back to Deirdre. As he knelt beside her again he saw that her eyes were open and watching him steadily, and he felt a vast wave of relief and thankfulness wash over him, leaving him shaken and uncertain. “Dee, can you hear me?”
    “Yes, Sam,” she whispered.
    “You’re going to be all right. I’ve sent for a doctor.”
    “Yes, I heard you.” Her voice, her eyes were remote. “Thank you.”
    “I’m sorry, Dee. So sorry.”
    She turned her head away from him. Her mouth shook and he thought for a moment she was crying, but he couldn’t be sure. He looked down at the blood on his hand from his own wound, conscious of a dull throb of pain now.
    “I had to do it. You understand that, don’t you?”
    “Did you get—did you kill him?”
    “No. He got away.”
    She turned her head suddenly to look at him. Her eyes were cold, bright, incredibly angry. “Then you’re wasting time, aren’t you? Why bother to help me? You want to get out there and hunt him down, don’t you? Don’t waste any sympathy on me. You don’t have to pretend anything. You’ve called for a doctor, and now you can go and do what you really want to do. Hunt and kill. It doesn’t matter who else gets hurt, does it? I don’t matter, and you don’t count yourself as of any value to anyone, either, do you? Certainly not to me. And you—”
    He touched her lips with her fingers. “Please, Deirdre.” She looked away from him again. “Leave me alone,” she whispered.
    Her eyes were closed, but he knew she was still conscious and able to listen to him. But he did not know what he could say or do to make her understand. He had never felt so helpless in his life. He had never known such torment as he knew now, looking at her, hurt and helpless, because of what he had done.
    “Deirdre, listen to me. Don’t turn away from me, honey. He was going to kill you. I had to do it. I had to take the chance, don’t you understand? I’m sorry you got mixed up in it—I had men here to protect you, because this man wanted to hurt me through you. He’s dangerous and he’s got to be stopped. I’m not important and neither are you, compared to the damage and destruction he may do. I had to stop him, even if it cost—at whatever cost,” he said gently. “He was counting on the fact that I would do as he asked to save you. But I knew he meant nothing he said. I knew he would fire, anyway. I had to call his bluff.”
    “You didn’t care if he killed me,” Deirdre whispered.
    “It isn’t that,” he said desperately. “Deirdre, you know I love you. I know I’m doing a poor job at explaining it, but you’ve got to understand. I’d give anything if I could have prevented this happening. We were lucky. You’re going to be all right. We’ll still get him. Now, look, don’t try to answer me now. I’ll see you tomorrow. You’re going to a hospital, and when you feel better, we’ll talk