Autoroute de Normandie, November 22nd
Pulling the Volvo to a halt, calmly, Gavin motioned for the pair of them to stay still as he slipped around the car and lifted the tailgate.
�Caerys.� He called, quietly, and she turned to face him. �Good, don�t focus anywhere, but look about and see if you can see that car.�
�Which car.�
�The fucking Merc that was following us!� he hissed, his hands moving smoothly and calmly through the gear in the boot as he rummaged.
�Dark blue?� she asked, quietly, hunkering down a bit to rest her chin on the back of the seat. Something in her voice told him it wasn�t quite the question it was supposed to be.
�That�s right.�
�Two rows back, to your left.� She explained. He nodded.
�Can you see how many there are?�
�Three, I think� what are we going to do?�
�Run away.� Sophie offered, in a hushed whisper from the front seat.
�Learn more.� Gavin corrected, slipping the boot shut. �We�re going to head in. Ladies, I�ll need you to go into the toilets and wait there for at least fifteen minutes.�
�Won�t that make them suspicious?� Caerys asked, as he gestured for the pair of them to get out the car.
�Probably not � we�ve been driving for a while, and without being able to see what you�re doing in there they�ve no reason to think they�ll have been noticed.�
�You think they�ll follow us?� Sophie asked, sounding more than a little panicked. Gavin stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her, part reassurance and part making sure she went where he wanted her to.
�Most likely.� He offered. �One will follow me, one will follow the pair of you as far as he can, and the third will remain with the car in case we sneak back past them.�
�So what are you going to do?� Caerys asked, as they walked through the sliding glass doors of the sprawling mall-like building.
�I�m going to double back.� He hesitated, briefly, checking Sophie�s manner. She didn�t notice, but Caerys did. �I�ll make sure their car�s in no state to follow us.�
And neither are they� Caerys silently added, watching the flat look in Gavin�s eyes.
�What about the one that will be following you?� Sophie asked. �And what if the one following us comes into the toilets?�
�They�re all men.� Gavin pointed out, though when he�d had the chance to check Caerys had no idea. �If they weren�t worried about creating a fuss they�d have shot at us already, so they�re not going to barge into the ladies� toilet. The one following me shouldn�t be a problem.� He came to a halt beside a bank of cash machines and turned to face Caerys. �I�ll see you both here in fifteen minutes.� And then he was gone, stepping into the slight crowd and seeming to disappear.
�Come on.� Caerys urged Sophie, wishing she�d spent more time memorising the three men from the car. As it was she couldn�t be sure that she could see any of them, but she tugged and urged the little French doctor into the rest-room anyway, pausing briefly in front of the full-length mirrored tiles of the wall to look at their reflection.
The large lump on Sophie�s forehead had split at some point, a slight scab forming between her large brown eyes, just visible beneath the heavy fringe. She still looked tired, and scared, wrapped up in her own arms and the rumpled, stained clothing she�d been wearing at the warehouse. Washed and dressed in clean clothing, Caerys didn�t feel much better, the strain showing on her face � devoid of make-up for the first time in years � she looked like a refugee in her mismatched, oversized clothes. Even the bulky shoes were beginning to give her blisters, and she�d only just put them back on to get out the car.
�Sorry, what?� Caerys asked, turning her attention back to Sophie as she muttered something in French.
�I said �what are we going to do�?�
�Wait?� Caerys shrugged, after a moment�s thought. �Unless you can think of anything better.�
The pair of them moved slowly between the stalls, ignoring the stares they received, and when Caerys could see no-one looking, she dragged Sophie with her into one of the cramped stalls and pushed the door shut after wiggling into the cramped space after her.
�Are you OK?� Sophie, hugging herself hard was trembling, looking pale in the harsh overhead lighting, and Caerys reached out to nudge her shoulder when she didn�t respond. Sobbing gently, she stumbled forward into Caerys chest.
�I just want to know what�s going on�� she finally muttered, between sobs.
�You and me both.� Caerys told her, quietly, hoping no-one was listening. It was France, who knew what they�d get away with, but she was reasonably sure two grown women in the same toilet stall would probably elicit some sort of comment.
�Who are they? What do they want? What about Christophe� oh God, Christophe, we have to go��
�Not yet.� Caerys reached out a hand to stop her opening the door, wrapping the other arm around the Doctor to hug her close. �Listen, I know it�s weird, but I think we�ve got to trust this Gavin� we don�t have anyone else.�
�How can we trust him? We don�t even know if that�s his name� he�s� he keeps guns, and kills people.�
�Maybe he does kill people, but so far he�s kept us alive, and he�s the only one that�s trying that at the moment.�
�Do you trust him?�
�I� I�m not sure I trust anyone, any more.� She admitted, quietly, resting her head back against the door. She didn�t want to see pity in Sophie�s eyes, she was free, finally, it was all good, now. It was all good.
�So why are you here?�
�Because I think he�s the best chance I�ve got� he�s� he�s on his side, and that means he�s not on their side, so I�ll stick with him.�
And he�s good, too. Better than they are� and that�s a mystery of its own.
Sophie�s tears slowly dried up, as Caerys watched the hands on the watch Gavin had given her slowly turn the fifteen minutes away.
Autoroute de Normandie, November 22nd
Gavin watched the short, stocky figure of the third man step away from wall as the two women emerged from the toilets hesitantly. The pair of them saw him staring at them � he was a lot more sloppy than either of the other two had been � and blanched as he advanced.
�Good afternoon.� Gavin muttered, stepping in behind him, not touching him to give anything away.
�You�� he started to turn, but Gavin jabbed a half-formed fist into his back, jolting his kidney and stopping him.
�Yes, me� now, you�re two friends aren�t going to be bothering any of us any more. Neither of them had anything helpful with them, though, and your car�s empty too� who are you?� Caerys and Sophie wandered a little closer, but he shook his head a little to keep them back out of the stocky figure�s reach.
�You have no idea.� It was meant to be a threat, from the tone.
�I know, that�s why I�m asking you� what�s going on? Which group are you with? And what do you want with us?�
�Kill me if you will. I tell you, I�m dead, but you can�t come get me afterwards. They can.�
�Oh, for God�s sake, another mystic dramatist.� He would have laughed, under other circumstances. �Go away before I have to hurt you.�
�If I don�t take her back they�ll kill me.�
�Well I�m not going to, I�ve got better things to do�� Stepping past him, Gavin walked up to the two women, gesturing them towards the main door.
�Won�t he follow us?� Caerys asked, quietly, as they lined up beside him.
�I hope so, I can�t do anything about him in plain view.�
�What are you going to do?� Sophie�s whisper barely carried.
�A piece of advice, Doctor; don�t ask questions if you aren�t sure you�ll like the answer.�
�Are they dead?�
�Head for the car.�
�He�ll follow you?� Caerys asked, as he turned to head along the side of the building.
�Probably.� Gavin nodded, looking back at her briefly. �If he follows you, I�ll see it.�
�What if he just runs?�
�He�ll find a nasty surprise at his car. Now, go.� Urging a slightly reluctant Sophie before her, Caerys headed for the car, and Gavin continued round the corner of the building smoothly. Stopping, he grasped the drainpipe and quickly scaled the nine foot climb to the roof, edging over to watch his pursuer stood outside the doors.
Switching views back and forth between the corner he�d moved round and the two women approaching the car, he obviously considered the women easy enough to find, and turned to follow the path along the wall. Stripping a small, flat package from his pocket, Gavin held it over the drainpipe until the figure emerged round the corner, then let it drop.
It burst at the sharp angle at the base, spewing a cloud of greenish gas as it did, and the figure staggered two steps before collapsing to the floor. Dropping easily to the ground, Gavin put on a pair of thin gloves to roll the body over, checking briefly for a pulse which he choked away, then rummaging through the pockets finding only the same anonymous pistol he�d found on the other two. Tugging the body into the long weeds that clustered out of sight of the public parts of the service area he tugged his gloves off, put them back in his pockets, and jogged across the car-park as rain began to fall.
�Are you alright?� Caerys asked, as he drew near. He just nodded, and opened the car, letting the pair of them in.
�I�ll sit in the back.� Sophie muttered, pushing past Caerys and hurriedly sliding across the seat to leave room.
�Cool!� Caerys slammed the door shut and hustled to the front seat with a smile. �Ah� leg-room.�
�How can you?� Sophie hissed.
�How can I what?�
�How can you just shrug off three people dying.� Gavin explained, clipping his seat-belt into place. �The good Doctor would like to believe that we could have talked our way out of things, that we are dealing with reasonable people.�
�We could have called for the Gendarmes.� She snapped, as Gavin put the car in gear and pulled away.
�The what?�
�Gendarmes,� Gavin explained as the car sped up to filter into the traffic. �French police.�
�Would that have worked?�
�Perhaps, perhaps not.�
�So you just killed them!� Sophie shouted, leaning forward a little in the back seat.
�Yes, because if it had worked and we�d lived, we�d now be stuck in a police station somewhere waiting for an official to decide what they�re going to do with us. I don�t know if you noticed, but half the people that were coming for us were military, and if they got hold of us in a police station we wouldn�t get out. Chances are they�ve already got the police out looking for us now.�
�Are we going to hole up somewhere?� Caerys tried to diffuse the situation.
�Not yet, I don�t know the country round here well enough to feel comfortable. We�ll pick up the Doctor�s son, then make a break across the channel.�
�Who are you?� Sophie interrupted again. �Who are you that you can just pick and choose who lives and who dies?�
�Like you do, Doctor?� Gavin snapped, his grey eyes staring back at her in the mirror. �People come to you when they�re under attack from whatever diseases you deal with, and they say �here, my life in your hands� and they trust you to do what needs to be done.
That�s what I do, but I do it for the people that can�t ask. I look for people whose lives are already in someone else�s hands, and I set them free.�
�So you�re a policeman? Who do you work for?�
�Does it matter?�
�Yes. People put their lives in my hands because I�m a Doctor, because my work is reviewed and assessed by other people. Who judges what you do?�
�I do.�
�That�s it? Just you, self-declared judge and executioner?�
�No-one else seems to be willing to do the job, Doctor. You won�t. You cry like a slapped child if I so much as put you in the same room as a gun. There are bad people out there, Doctor, people who won�t wait for someone responsible to say �here you go, do this�, people for whom personal liberties are an obstacle, not a goal. These people are after you � exactly how much protection is your pacifism going to be when the gun-barrel�s at your forehead? It didn�t stop them the last time, did it? DID IT?�
�Enough!� Caerys tapped his arm as his voice raised to a shout, and Sophie slumped back into her seat, crying again, as Gavin�s jaw set in frustration and he concentrated on driving.
Autoroute de Normandie, November 22nd
�Sophie�� a gentle hand on her leg shook her awake, and she started upright as the car slowed. Looking out the window she spied the familiar sights of Le Havre, and came awake.
�Quelle heur et il?� she muttered, rubbing her eyes.
�About three o�clock.� Gavin told her, without turning, keeping his eye on the traffic. �We need to find somewhere quiet to talk.�
�Can�t we talk here?� Caerys asked.
�I need to get my laptop out, too.� He explained, navigating a junction. �I need to look at a map of this place.�
�There is a park not far from here.� Sophie explained. �When are we going to get Christophe?�
�We aren�t.� Gavin told her, bluntly. �They�ll be watching him by now, if you�re right and they know who he is. I�ll get him, that�s what we�re going to talk about now.�
�Will you� He� I don�t want��
�I�m hoping to avoid having to kill anyone, Doctor. I generally try to avoid it when I can.�
�Really?�
�Forensic medicine is an incredibly capable field, after all.� Sophie�s scowl deepened, and Gavin pretended not to notice even as he felt a little guilty for baiting her. �Where�s this park.�
�Keep going, when the road splits go left.� She muttered, staring out the side window as Caerys tried to suppress a smirk.
�What will they learn from the three people back at that service station?� she finally asked, as the silence grew.
�Not much. One asphyxiated � obviously chemical poisoning, but with no obvious source as the grenade becomes part of the gas once it cracks. One appears to have shot himself in his car. The other was stabbed by a left-hander about five foot five tall with his own single-edged, flat-bladed knife.
They�ll have to assume that the three are linked � certainly the two that don�t look like a suicide � but hopefully they�ll come to the conclusion that the man in the car killed the other two then himself.�
�Is that likely?�
�No identification on any of them? No identification on the pistols they carry? If their details are on a computer system it will reinforce the idea that a criminal meeting went wrong somehow. If their details aren�t on the computer that will only arouse worse suspicions�
They�ll be working so hard to find links between the three they�ll not have cause to look elsewhere.�
�So� who killed the man that followed you?� Sophie finally asked, leaning forward a little. �You said he was five foot five and left handed.�
�No, I said that�s what the forensic evidence will suggest. I crouched, shortened my reach to get the angle of curvature right.�
�You�re right handed, aren�t you?� Caerys asked, recalling him coming through the window the previous evening with the rifle up against his shoulder.
�Ambidextrous.� He shrugged. �Here�s the split, go left� then where?�
�That�s�� Sophie just shook her head, trying to come to terms with the reality of Gavin�s cold detachment from what he�d done. �Ahead about two kilometres, it�s on the right.�
Avenue Jacques Anquetil, Le Havre, November 22nd
The bench was weathered and beaten, tucked away beneath the overhanging branches of a tree at the junction of two paths. Caerys laid out on the bench, eyes closed, listening to the gentle rustle of the leaves over her head, ignoring the occasional drip of water from the morning�s rain, and trying to tune out the muttered, stuttering conversation between Gavin and Sophie.
Freedom, she was discovering, wasn�t what she�d hoped it would be. She�d swapped direct control for indirect control, swapped a limited number of places she could be for a large number of places she daren�t be. It was freedom, but the price was high, and the gain was � so far, at least � minimal.
Her father was looking for her, she knew that much. Now someone else was looking for her � Sophie�s �Admiral�, probably.
And then there was Gavin. Sophie, she was reasonably sure, was caught up in things as much as she was, but Gavin�s participation confused her. She wasn�t used to having to think her way through things that weren�t school-work, and as she set to trying to puzzle her way through it, the voices on the other side of the bench began to rise.
�Some people are trying to sleep here, you know.� She pointed out, raising her head high enough to look over the table-top at them. Both turned to face her, Gavin�s furrowed scowl and Sophie�s slightly haunted, lost bewilderment both obvious.
�My son is danger, how can you just sit there?� Sophie managed, as Gavin turned back to his laptop, jotting notes on a pad beside it.
�I know.� Caerys swung her feet down to the grass, nodding, not without sympathy. �There isn�t much I can do about, though, I�m afraid.�
�But he can.�
�Right.� Caerys shrugged, not seeing the point.
�But he won�t!� Caerys raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Gavin who continued his work for a few moments before he noticed the stare.
�What?� he asked.
�Won�t help her son?� she asked. Gavin sighed, turning his scowl on Sophie for a moment before looking back.
�Won�t help her son yet.� He clarified. �Once I know where he is, how to get in, how to get out, I�ll make a start. She can�t do because she doesn�t know how. You can�t do it because you don�t know how. How about you explain to her that I do know how, while I put that knowledge to use.�
�Fair enough.� Caerys nodded, getting up. �Come on, Soph.�
�But he�s��
�Do you let patients tell you how to do their operations?� Caerys interrupted, taking her arm gently.
�That�s different, I�m��
�� an expert?� Caerys looked back at Gavin as he sat straight at the table, flitting back and forth between his pad and the screen. �I�m pretty sure he�s at least as good in his field as you are in yours��
�That�s what scares me.� Sophie hunched a little. �I�m not sure I want him going after Christophe��
�Do you really think he�d hurt Christophe? I don�t think he�s like that.�
�He�s going in with a gun. Trouble follows people like that� trouble�s followed us ever since he turned up. I don�t want him taking that sort of trouble to Christophe.�
�I don�t know about you, but I was in trouble before he turned up.� Caerys turned her gaze away, staring out into nothing. �I think I�ve always been in trouble��
�I don�t understand you, I�m� I�m terrified. Men with guns are chasing us � maybe chasing my son � but you�re� I don�t know what you�re thinking, but you�re calm.�
�I�m free, at last. I�ve not had my own life since I was born, and now I do.�
�No-one�s free.� Gavin�s quiet voice cut in, as he ghosted up behind them on silent feet. Caerys stared down at the gravel path, wondering how he�d done it. �We�re all held captive by our history, our morality.� He offered, with an ironic stress that wasn�t lost on Sophie, to judge by the way she flinched as he spoke. �None of us are free, we�re just biological machines updating our programme according to experience, and the executing it as best we can.�
�Does that make it easier to kill people?� Sophie asked.
�I never said it was easy.� He offered, opening the car door for them. �I do it well because I�ve practiced, because I plan well, and because I have a certain degree of talent, but that doesn�t mean that it�s easy.� He closed the back door behind them � Caerys shuffled into the back seat beside Sophie, sensing she needed the support � and then loaded up the boot again and headed round to the driver�s seat.
�What�s your plan, then?� Caerys muttered, as he went through checking his mirrors before starting the car.
�Get Christophe, then we need to shop for clothes � you two stand out too much dressed like that. Then��
�I meant your plan to get Christophe.� He stared at them both in the mirror, eyes narrowing slightly as he contemplated what to tell them.
�Basically, a fast sweep. One man, moving quickly, they�ll struggle to pin down where I am, especially if I can sow some confusion on the periphery before I make a move. I�ll try to get their attention one way, then sneak in behind them while they�re looking that way. Logic says they�ll be standing off him, hoping he looks like an unattended target.
I�ll take out the watchers while everyone�s attention is on the periphery, and then grab him and be on the way out before they look in again.�
�What if things go wrong?� Sophie asked.
�Then I�ll improvise.� He sighed. �I can�t promise you that things will go well, I can�t even promise you that they�ll be there � that�s your assumption, not mine. Tell me, would you rather he stayed there with them, or came with us?� She gnawed on her lip, tears welling in her eyes, and Gavin�s look just darkened.
�I�m sorry, Giselle, but that�s the harsh truth � there isn�t an easy choice here.�
�Who�s Gi�� Sophie started, but Caerys nudged her to silence at the look on Gavin�s face, as his eyes snapped back to the road. �Who�s Giselle?� she tried again, ignoring the red-head.
�A lady I knew who sounded a little like you.� He finally managed, quietly. �Does it matter, the truth is the truth.� Caerys chuckled, wryly and laid her head back on the headrest, closing her eyes.
�My father used to say that truth was what you made it.�
�You want truth?� Gavin asked, and his tone was different. Caerys sat up and Sophie straightened a little, too. �They�re back behind us.�
Rue de Verdun, Le Havre, November 22nd
�What!� Sophie turned before she realised Gavin might not want her to, but he didn�t say anything, keeping his eye on the mirror.
�What the hell�?� Behind them, two cars collided at speed, one of them emerging from a side road and cannoning into the pale Peugeot he suspected of following them.
�What does that mean?� Caerys spun back to the front as Gavin pressed his foot down a little, speeding up to gain some distance from the crash.
�I�m not sure.� He admitted. �It could mean both groups are still fighting each other��
�What�s wrong with that?� Caerys tried to force a smile. �Surely that�s a good thing?�
�In itself, yes.�
�How did they find us?� Sophie wanted to know.
�That�s the worry.� Gavin acknowledged. �They may have had lookouts on the Autoroute, but I didn�t see any.�
�What if they reported our license plate back at the service station?� Caerys wondered.
�I changed the plates.�
�You did? When?�
�Whilst the pair of you were in the toilets.�
�So� what does it mean?�
�It means they know we�re here. We have to hurry.� He braked, sharply, causing the cars behind them to honk and swerve as he slewed the car into the car-park of the Stade Jules Deschaseux.. �Sophie, you need to drive.� He told her, sweeping the wheel around to slide the car into a shadowy recess against the high wall of the stadium.
�What?� she looked up, eyes wide. �But what if� they��
�Listen!� he snapped, then took a deep breath and opened her door, crouching down and speaking more calmly. �Listen, the car needs to keep moving, they�re following it somehow. I�m not sure how, yet, I�ll have to work that out. Whilst they�re following the car, I can still get in and do what I need to do. I need you to get me close, drop me off and keep moving so they think we�re checking the area out.�
�How will you get back to us?� Caerys asked, as Sophie digested what he said and he moved to open the boot.
�We�ll agree a time and a place.� He said, slightly distractedly, sorting through various bags and pouches, slipping pistols, knives and grenades into place. �Be ready to change cars.�
�To what?�
�I�ll see what I can find. Sophie, time to go.�
�I� I can�t��
�Sophie,� Caerys muttered in her ear, �these are people that crash their cars into each other deliberately. I know some of them, if they think Christophe will give them a lever, they�ll take him � he needs you.� Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, Sophie slipped out of the car and half-ran, half-stumbled to the front.
Gavin slammed the rear door shut behind her, and returned to the back to roll himself into the boot, tying a length of rope to the locking mechanism and passing it to Caerys. �When I get out, you need to pull this closed. Sophie, drive, quickly.�
Route de Montvilliers, Le Havre, November 22nd
�We�ll meet here in fifteen minutes.� Gavin muttered, peering at the road signs as they moved through the quieter, residential streets. �Turn right here, Sophie.� She did so, slowing, and Caerys watched as Gavin eased the boot open far enough to roll out onto the roadway, quickly slipping into the hedge of the nearest garden boundary.
�Now where?� Sophie called, as the next junction came up on them.
�He�s gone.� Caerys told her, and the boot closed with an audible thump, and they drove away. Finally in the quiet of his own company, Gavin let himself relax a little. This was the easy part, this was all about training and experience and practice; this was what he was good at. He knew full well he�d been testy and edgy, knew he�d been baiting Sophie despite the difficult circumstances she found herself in, but she was so blinkered by her little world she couldn�t see that reality wasn�t like that. It must be hard for her, he knew, but life was hard sometimes.
He tried to avoid thinking of how much she sounded like Giselle, sometimes, and concentrated on shinning his way up the drainpipe at the end of the terraced row of houses to approach the target. The sight of the first guard � squat, hunched but obvious against the silhouette of a chimney � drove the trivialities from his mind, and he focused. The squat-nosed gun wasn�t that accurate over distance, but this wasn�t far, and he sighted easily through the reticules and pressed the trigger twice in quick succession, satisfied by the two quick spurts of blood that could just be made out on the chimney stack.
Hustling quickly, he was glad the body didn�t slide on the gently pitched roof, and hauled it up and over the ridge-tiles where it wouldn�t attract attention as he looked around the skyline. Three other figures were visible on other rooftops nearby, but none of them were close enough to be sure of a shot with the guns he had, so he forced himself to slide down the back of the roof, smiling to himself at the welcome sight of a dormer window.
Sliding a flat hook from his thigh-pocket into the frame, he jiggled gently for a moment, then pulled the catch mechanism and hauled the window open. The room beyond was, thankfully, empty, and he stepped out into the hallway to see a small girl in a nightdress stood, wide-eyed in another bedroom doorway.
He pressed a finger to his lips and she nodded once, watching him with awe as he edged towards the stairs.
�Annette,� a woman�s voice called from downstairs, �allez au ta chambre!� Gavin smiled gently at her and shrugged as she pulled a face.
�Tu n�es pas avec les autres?� she whispered, and Gavin�s eyes narrowed as he ushered her back into her room, and pulled the door closed behind her.
�Annette?� This time he heard the tension in the woman�s voice, and brought his rifle up to his shoulder as he eased onto the stairs. Three steps down he saw the barrel of a pistol appear at the foot of the stairwell, and jumped, turning, bracing against the walls to hold himself up above the firing line as the suppressor muffled the four shots to an abrupt hiss in the close confines. Holding his position he waited as the gunman�s face emerged to survey the damage it had caused, and the single shot he returned turned the woman�s whimper into a barely contained squeal of fright.
�Madame.� He spoke, quietly, as he emerged at the foot of the stairs, rolling the body over so the bullet-hole was out of sight. The woman in her mid-twenties was tear-stained and panicking, shackled into a dining chair with a pair of handcuffs. Gavin quickly stripped the key from the fallen body and released her.
�Allez.,� he urged her, �vite!� Satisfied that she was collecting the girl from upstairs and leaving, he turned his attention to the front of the house, looking out onto the street where Sophie�s baby-sitter lived. The house he needed to reach was almost directly opposite, which afforded him a short run across open ground to reach it. He quickly spied at least three gunmen in houses on the other side of the road, including the one he was looking to enter.
The fallen soldier had apparently been a sniper, judging from the long-barrelled rifle laid on a low wooden dresser by the window. Taking advantage of its presence � and hoping it�s owner had set the sights reasonably � he hoisted it to his own shoulder, took aim at the figure on the opposite roof, and pulled the trigger.
The loud retort was increased by the close confines of the room, but the shot was true, though it caught the attention of all the other gunmen in the opposite windows as the body slipped off the far side of the roof and out of sight. A second shot burst the upstairs window in the house opposite, and alerted some of the more observant gunmen to his position, forcing him to duck away from the glass.
He turned to run back upstairs, moving to the rear dormer again, onto the roof, and along the street a few houses to where another window jutted out from the roofline. Deciding speed was of more importance now than stealth, he burst through the flimsy glass and wood and quickly moved through the house � fortunately empty � to stand in the front room. The run to the house he needed was a little longer now, though not much, and he dipped into the side-pocket of his pack to draw out three of the flat-sided grenades.
Drawing the safety clips of all three he kept the handles depressed as he moved one to his free hand and eased the door open far enough to hurl it into the street, watching the billowing grey smoke belch forth. A second throw took another grenade beyond that one, though he didn�t see it land, and he stepped into the mist in a crouch.
Footsteps in heavy boots sounded nearby, but he didn�t panic. Moving his gun around to his back he drew the long-bladed sword instead, knowing that gun-fire would only give away his position. Treading quietly he eased his way through the smoke, hoping it would last long enough in the gentle night breeze, and lashed out twice with the blade as the boots drew near.
Suddenly the smoke began to thin as he approached the target house, and he launched the third grenade into the garden, masking his approach completely. Rather than head for the door, he leapt the fence � spinning neatly to slice into an unfortunate gunman that drifted too close � and made his way to the wooden trellis carrying climbing plants up to the second floor. Testing it, quickly, he shimmied up to the window his shot had broken earlier and swung himself in, sheathing the sword in the close confines and pulling instead the two pistols from the small of his back.
The dead rifleman at his feet lay twisted where he�d fallen, but it was the slight teenager on the bed that drew his attention. Bound at wrists and ankles, a large bruise had started to form on the side of her face, showing above the gag that kept her jaw locked open beneath sightless eyes. The small, round bloody bullet-wound in the middle of her forehead seeped slightly onto the white sheets, and Gavin felt his jaw clench as he firmed his grip on his pistols and headed downstairs slowly.
The hallway was deserted, but muttered voices came from the dining room. Peering briefly into the front room he saw a vague shadow showing at another door, and frowned. Two exits gave someone an opportunity to sneak around behind him. He dipped into his pack, drew out a slightly different charge and placed it on the wall, pulling the arming cord out and securing it at ankle height to the leg of the table. Then he emerged into the dining area, shooting on sight; three bullets found their mark, the third striking into its target before the first body hit the floor, but the fourth hit a soldier in the arm as Gavin was forced to duck out of the line of fire. Sliding under the table he fired once with each hand into the still-standing soldiers ankles, and a third time into his face as he fell. Spying the small, wide-eyed child pressed up against the nearby wall Gavin yanked him to the floor and lay across him as the trip-wire grenade went off and peppered his back with hot fragments through the thin dividing wall.
�Christophe?� he whispered, quietly, and the boy nodded once. �Ton mere envoyai moi. Ensuivez moi.� Looking at the hunched figures on the floor, and back to Gavin he nodded solemnly, once.
�Ils tu�es Natalie.� he intoned.
�Oui.� Gavin acknowledged the comment, thinking of the girl upstairs, hoping she hadn�t suffered before they�d shot her.
Chemin de l�Arsenal, Le Havre, November 22nd
Sophie and Caerys hunched quietly in the car, tension and worry forcing them both to silence as they returned slowly to the junction where Gavin had left them, eyes peeled for signs of the returning man. A large, black car screeched to a halt in front of them, forcing Sophie to slam her own brakes on hard, pitching them both forward against the seat-belts.
Both of them froze in panic at the sight of the bulky vehicle until Gavin emerged from the driver�s seat at pace, urging them both to get into the car as he moved to grab the remainder of his belongings from the one they were abandoning.
�Where did you get this?� Caerys asked, as he passed them. Sophie ignored him completely, dashing to the car where a small, round-eyed boy was looking out of the back window.
�Your father and his friends turned up and were having a discussion with Sophie�s associates.� He pointed out, wryly, the comment punctuated by a blast somewhere in the nearby streets. �I took the opportunity to borrow your father�s car while he wasn�t looking.� Caerys smiled at the irony and went with him to gather up the remaining things, slinging them into the boot of the new car as directed and moving to the passenger seat.
Before they could move, camouflage-pattern vehicles screeched round the corner in a convoy. One jeep slewed to a stop in front of them as the rest hurtled past, and a soldier with a rifle over his shoulder came to the driver�s window. In the back seat Sophie and Christophe were crying and weeping and gabbling quietly in French, leaving Caerys to watch the man stood in the back of the jeep with the big gun pointed right at the front of the car. She was reasonably sure her father had bullet-proof glass in the car, but she wasn�t sure how big a bullet it would stop, and paled slightly at the thought � surely her imagination, she tried to convince herself � that she could see the point of the round down the barrel.
Suddenly the soldier moved away, and the jeep backed away from them, leaving Gavin free to gun the engine and speed the car away.
�What did you tell them?� Caerys asked, as the electric window hissed closed.
�Just what you can hear from here, really. There were some explosions, some gunfire, and I decided to get everyone out of the area rather than wait to see what was happening � he understood.�
�He just let us go?�
�Why not? There�s no reason to assume we�re involved � they�ll be trying to cordon off the area, the last thing they want is civilians caught in the middle of it.�
�Eventually they�ll work out we were involved, wont� they?�
�Probably, especially given that some of them in the fight appear to have military connections. We�ll have to switch cars again soon.�
�What abo��
�Please, Caerys, let me drive. I don�t know this area that well��
�Sorry.� She shrugged, and turned to face the two figures in the back seat. �Hey.� She managed, after a few seconds of Christophe staring worriedly at her.
�Bonjour, Madame.� he finally managed, remembering his manners. �Comment ca-va?�
�I�m sorry, I don�t speak French.� She blushed, shrugging.
�Oh, uh� Good day, Miss.� He translated, in a halting, slightly accented English. �How are you?� Gavin laughed, quietly as Caerys turned a glare in his direction, but smiled when she turned back to him.
�I�m� I guess I�m OK, all things considered.� She decided, and meant it. �I�m Caerys.�
�I�m Christophe.� He nodded, making to hold his hand out, briefly, before shying back inside his mother�s protective grasp.
�It�s Christophe!� Sophie finally squeaked, her first words since they�d gotten into the car.
�Apparently.� Gavin agreed, and turned them off the main road into a car park. �Time to change cars� what would you like?�
�Ceux homme tu�es Natalie, Mama.� Christophe murmered quietly, as they got out the car, tears welling in his eyes.
�It�s alright, no-one�s going to hurt you.� Gavin assured him, sweeping past with a deep frown as he swung his gaze about the car park.
�I don�t think he was concerned for himself.� Sophie pointed out, crouching a little and wrapping him in a hug.
�He needs to be, now.� Gavin assured her, and moved off to find a suitable vehicle.
�Idiot!� Sophie muttered, which Caerys didn�t need to translate to understand. Instead, she turned to the boot of the car and began to unload the bags, ready to put into whichever car Gavin turned up in next.
�Excusez-moi, Mademoiselles.� a cultured voice called from nearby, turning the pair of them to face a weathered old man in a neat suit, gently smiling at them. �O� est Monsieur Connolly?�
�What?� Caerys asked, with a frown. Sophie straightened slowly, holding tight to Christophe�s hand.
�Monsieur Connolly?� Sophie picked up the man�s accent more than the words. �Do you mean Gavin?� The smile was all the answer he needed as he reached back behind him towards his waistband. Sophie dragged Christophe behind her and Caerys pressed herself back against the car, waiting for a gunshot.
Instead, when she looked, the old man was holding a golden amulet out at arm�s reach, his other arm out as well, and focussing past them both. She turned, and Gavin stood nearby, sighting along the barrel of a pistol.
�Hello again, Mr Camael. How did you find us?�