Read Online The Secret of Excalibur by Andy McDermott - Free Book Online
Authors: Andy McDermott
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his chest.
4
N ina leapt to her feet - partly in shock, but also in case the sniper was lining up a second shot on her .
But the laser spot flashed away and was gone. Nina ran to the window. A hole as wide as her finger had been punched through the glass. Beyond it, on the roof of the International Centre, she saw the sniper - a woman, hard-faced, ragged hair dyed bright orange - swing up her rifle, then duck away behind the edge of the building.
‘Hey!’ someone shouted from behind her. ‘He’s stealing your laptop!’
Nina spun to see the big man charging for the exit with her MacBook and the disc, his huge hand making the machine seem no bigger than a paperback.
Rust—
One look told her that he was dead, eyes wide and still, mouth half open as if about to speak. But he would never speak again - and whatever he had been about to share with Nina was now heading out of the door.
‘Call 911!’ she shouted as she started after the bearded man. ‘I mean, whatever number it is here, call the police!’
The hulking thief ran deeper into the hotel. Nina pursued him. The young guy followed, eager to prove himself a hero. But his steel faltered somewhat when he realised just how big his target was. ‘Did you call the police?’ Nina demanded, seeing the phone still in his hand. He fumbled with the keypad, slowing slightly as his attention was diverted.
Ahead, the big man reached a junction. He too slowed, looking each way, first in confusion, then frustration, before going right.
Nina rounded the corner to find herself in a clone of the corridor she’d just left. A maid was closing the door of one of the rooms, her housekeeping trolley angled across the passage. The bearded man yelled something in a foreign tongue - Russian? Nina thought - as he stumbled into it, scattering spray bottles of cleaning products. The maid shrieked.
The man looked back, saw Nina and her companion running after him—
And picked up the entire trolley, hoisting it almost effortlessly and flinging it down the corridor at them.
‘Jesus!’ Nina threw herself against a door. The slight recess gave her just enough space to dodge the angular missile - but the young man was less lucky, looking up from his phone a moment too late. The trolley smashed into him and knocked him down, its remaining contents flying everywhere.
Nina straightened, but the bearded man wasn’t finished. Now he picked up the maid and hurled the screaming woman at her. This time Nina had nowhere to go. Both women tumbled to the floor amongst the debris.
Their attacker let out a satisfied grunt at the chaos, then turned and ran again.
‘Son of a bitch !’ Nina gasped as she struggled upright. The maid seemed more shocked than hurt, but the young man was moaning, clutching a broken wrist. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked the woman, getting a confused nod in reply. She pointed at the injured man. ‘Help him!’
His phone lay amongst the scattered soaps and shampoos, screen glowing. Nina snatched it up and broke into a pained run after the giant.
He reached another junction, frustration now evident as his head snapped from left to right and back again. He was lost, Nina realised - trapped by the bland conformity of the corridors, and apparently unable to read the signs directing guests through the maze.
He looked back at her and scowled, the scar on his forehead twisting the lines of his skin. Nina slowed. If he changed tactics and attacked her instead of running, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
But instead he turned away, going left. Wrong way , she thought, reading the sign as she ran after him. If he couldn’t find the exit, there was a chance he could be caught before he got away or hurt anyone else.
But she needed help, someone who could take down the overmuscled giant . . .
Chase was guiding the Focus through the traffic, his grandmother sitting beside him with a bag of shopping on her lap and several more lined up on the back seat, when his phone
4
N ina leapt to her feet - partly in shock, but also in case the sniper was lining up a second shot on her .
But the laser spot flashed away and was gone. Nina ran to the window. A hole as wide as her finger had been punched through the glass. Beyond it, on the roof of the International Centre, she saw the sniper - a woman, hard-faced, ragged hair dyed bright orange - swing up her rifle, then duck away behind the edge of the building.
‘Hey!’ someone shouted from behind her. ‘He’s stealing your laptop!’
Nina spun to see the big man charging for the exit with her MacBook and the disc, his huge hand making the machine seem no bigger than a paperback.
Rust—
One look told her that he was dead, eyes wide and still, mouth half open as if about to speak. But he would never speak again - and whatever he had been about to share with Nina was now heading out of the door.
‘Call 911!’ she shouted as she started after the bearded man. ‘I mean, whatever number it is here, call the police!’
The hulking thief ran deeper into the hotel. Nina pursued him. The young guy followed, eager to prove himself a hero. But his steel faltered somewhat when he realised just how big his target was. ‘Did you call the police?’ Nina demanded, seeing the phone still in his hand. He fumbled with the keypad, slowing slightly as his attention was diverted.
Ahead, the big man reached a junction. He too slowed, looking each way, first in confusion, then frustration, before going right.
Nina rounded the corner to find herself in a clone of the corridor she’d just left. A maid was closing the door of one of the rooms, her housekeeping trolley angled across the passage. The bearded man yelled something in a foreign tongue - Russian? Nina thought - as he stumbled into it, scattering spray bottles of cleaning products. The maid shrieked.
The man looked back, saw Nina and her companion running after him—
And picked up the entire trolley, hoisting it almost effortlessly and flinging it down the corridor at them.
‘Jesus!’ Nina threw herself against a door. The slight recess gave her just enough space to dodge the angular missile - but the young man was less lucky, looking up from his phone a moment too late. The trolley smashed into him and knocked him down, its remaining contents flying everywhere.
Nina straightened, but the bearded man wasn’t finished. Now he picked up the maid and hurled the screaming woman at her. This time Nina had nowhere to go. Both women tumbled to the floor amongst the debris.
Their attacker let out a satisfied grunt at the chaos, then turned and ran again.
‘Son of a bitch !’ Nina gasped as she struggled upright. The maid seemed more shocked than hurt, but the young man was moaning, clutching a broken wrist. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked the woman, getting a confused nod in reply. She pointed at the injured man. ‘Help him!’
His phone lay amongst the scattered soaps and shampoos, screen glowing. Nina snatched it up and broke into a pained run after the giant.
He reached another junction, frustration now evident as his head snapped from left to right and back again. He was lost, Nina realised - trapped by the bland conformity of the corridors, and apparently unable to read the signs directing guests through the maze.
He looked back at her and scowled, the scar on his forehead twisting the lines of his skin. Nina slowed. If he changed tactics and attacked her instead of running, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
But instead he turned away, going left. Wrong way , she thought, reading the sign as she ran after him. If he couldn’t find the exit, there was a chance he could be caught before he got away or hurt anyone else.
But she needed help, someone who could take down the overmuscled giant . . .
Chase was guiding the Focus through the traffic, his grandmother sitting beside him with a bag of shopping on her lap and several more lined up on the back seat, when his phone
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