Read Online The Pandora Directive: A Tex Murphy Novel by Aaron Conners - Free Book Online
Authors: Aaron Conners
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I watched for several minutes, but the masked man didn’t show himself again.
I straightened up from the camera. The man was waiting for Emily. I needed to move quickly! I lowered myself to the roof and hurried toward the trapdoor. The faint sound of applause and whistling came from the direction of the Flamingo. Emily had finished her set. The man was going to kill her. I stumbled down the ladder and ran to the hole in the wall. Dropping onto my belly, I wriggled through the opening, struggled to my feet, and ran for the door. Bursting through Rusty’s front door, I sprinted across the street. I wasn’t going to get there in time. The bouncer had no time to react as I raced past him. Heads turned as I sped towards the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Gus Leach moving to intercept me. He was a step behind — I vaulted up the stairs. Gus was swearing a blue streak, his pounding footsteps at my heels.
I reached the door to Emily’s apartment. My hand had just curled over the doorknob when I was spun around and hit by a large rock. As I crumpled, Leach grabbed me by the lapels of my overcoat and slammed me into the door.
“I told you not come back here.”
“There’s someone in Emily’s apartment. He’s gonna kill her!”
Leach raised his fist.
“I swear to God, Leach! Someone’s in there!”
The Mutant hesitated, then pushed me aside. His hand went to the doorknob. It didn’t move. Leach glanced down at me, then back at the door. Taking a step backward, he lowered his shoulder and smashed through the door. A gunshot. Still dizzy from Leach’s right hook, I braced myself and started to stand up. A figure in black burst through the doorway and hurdled me. I staggered to my feet and followed the man down the stairs. At the base of the stairs, the emergency exit door slammed shut. I reached the door and flung it open. Ducking my head out and back, I caught sight of a man racing out of the alley, an object cradled in the crook of his left arm.
I followed the fleeing man onto Chandler Avenue, then back into the alley where the fire escape leads to my office. He ran down to the end of the alley and turned left. I followed and looked down the long passage that runs behind the Electronics Shop and the Brew & Stew. He was increasing his lead. Instead of following him, I doubled back and ran out to the street. I headed for the newsstand and dove for cover. Peering over the counter I saw nothing. I waited a minute, maybe two, then decided to move. As I straightened up I saw the killer come up from behind the Brew & Stew and dash across the street, toward the fence between the pawnshop and the Slice O’ Heaven. Without much effort, he scaled the fence and dropped into the alley beyond.
I moved as quietly as possible toward the fence. The sound of clanging footsteps was barely audible. He was climbing the ladder to a roof over Rook’s pawnshop. This guy obviously had done his homework in getting around the neighbourhood. I couldn’t understand why he wanted to be on the roof, but it was my neighbourhood, and I did know a way to cut him off.
I followed the hidden trail through Rusty’s and climbed the ladder to the roof. I opened the trap door slowly, fully expecting a bullet in the face. With a level of stealth that surprised even myself, I slipped out of the trap door and closed it behind me. Hunkering down behind a large swamp cooler, I listened for the sound of footsteps. I heard nothing, except the distant city sounds and excited voices drifting up from the direction of the Flamingo.
Until I heard the speeder. It had to be a Black Avatar. It sounded nothing like my little Lotus model. The engine had a deep throb of staggering power. Only the government and drug lords owned speeders like that. I searched the night sky. It took several moments to locate the speeder — it was flying with the lights off. The Black Avatar was no more than a hundred metres away, moving slowly, headed straight
I straightened up from the camera. The man was waiting for Emily. I needed to move quickly! I lowered myself to the roof and hurried toward the trapdoor. The faint sound of applause and whistling came from the direction of the Flamingo. Emily had finished her set. The man was going to kill her. I stumbled down the ladder and ran to the hole in the wall. Dropping onto my belly, I wriggled through the opening, struggled to my feet, and ran for the door. Bursting through Rusty’s front door, I sprinted across the street. I wasn’t going to get there in time. The bouncer had no time to react as I raced past him. Heads turned as I sped towards the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Gus Leach moving to intercept me. He was a step behind — I vaulted up the stairs. Gus was swearing a blue streak, his pounding footsteps at my heels.
I reached the door to Emily’s apartment. My hand had just curled over the doorknob when I was spun around and hit by a large rock. As I crumpled, Leach grabbed me by the lapels of my overcoat and slammed me into the door.
“I told you not come back here.”
“There’s someone in Emily’s apartment. He’s gonna kill her!”
Leach raised his fist.
“I swear to God, Leach! Someone’s in there!”
The Mutant hesitated, then pushed me aside. His hand went to the doorknob. It didn’t move. Leach glanced down at me, then back at the door. Taking a step backward, he lowered his shoulder and smashed through the door. A gunshot. Still dizzy from Leach’s right hook, I braced myself and started to stand up. A figure in black burst through the doorway and hurdled me. I staggered to my feet and followed the man down the stairs. At the base of the stairs, the emergency exit door slammed shut. I reached the door and flung it open. Ducking my head out and back, I caught sight of a man racing out of the alley, an object cradled in the crook of his left arm.
I followed the fleeing man onto Chandler Avenue, then back into the alley where the fire escape leads to my office. He ran down to the end of the alley and turned left. I followed and looked down the long passage that runs behind the Electronics Shop and the Brew & Stew. He was increasing his lead. Instead of following him, I doubled back and ran out to the street. I headed for the newsstand and dove for cover. Peering over the counter I saw nothing. I waited a minute, maybe two, then decided to move. As I straightened up I saw the killer come up from behind the Brew & Stew and dash across the street, toward the fence between the pawnshop and the Slice O’ Heaven. Without much effort, he scaled the fence and dropped into the alley beyond.
I moved as quietly as possible toward the fence. The sound of clanging footsteps was barely audible. He was climbing the ladder to a roof over Rook’s pawnshop. This guy obviously had done his homework in getting around the neighbourhood. I couldn’t understand why he wanted to be on the roof, but it was my neighbourhood, and I did know a way to cut him off.
I followed the hidden trail through Rusty’s and climbed the ladder to the roof. I opened the trap door slowly, fully expecting a bullet in the face. With a level of stealth that surprised even myself, I slipped out of the trap door and closed it behind me. Hunkering down behind a large swamp cooler, I listened for the sound of footsteps. I heard nothing, except the distant city sounds and excited voices drifting up from the direction of the Flamingo.
Until I heard the speeder. It had to be a Black Avatar. It sounded nothing like my little Lotus model. The engine had a deep throb of staggering power. Only the government and drug lords owned speeders like that. I searched the night sky. It took several moments to locate the speeder — it was flying with the lights off. The Black Avatar was no more than a hundred metres away, moving slowly, headed straight
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