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Kylie grabbed a lady at the sink and said, “Do you have a cell phone? I’ve been kidnapped. There are men trying to find me. I just ran from them!”
She looked at Kylie in bewilderment, not believing the words. The woman at the other sink saw the bruises on her face and said, “I have a phone. I’ll call.”
She began dialing, and another woman said, “You go hide in a stall. I’ll take a look outside.”
She took one step toward the door and Kylie heard a commotion, the women in line shouting at something. The two men burst into the restroom, and Kylie screamed.
The woman with the phone shouted, “I’m calling the police!”
The lead man punched her in the face, knocking the phone to the floor. The other man reached for Kylie. Two women in line jumped on him, biting and clawing. He got one arm on Kylie’s sleeve and she ripped out of his grasp, running past him to the door. The first man took off after her, dialing a cell phone as he ran.
At the top of the stairs Kylie slammed into a wall of people, slowing her down. She fought her way forward, spilling pints of beers and generating shouts. She cleared the scrum and saw the door on the far side of the room.
Freedom.
She ran toward it and saw two men flying down the circular staircase. They would beat her to the exit. She felt the fear blossom inside her, panic flooding her body. She turned to run deeper into the bar when the first man tripped, going faster than his balance could hold on the narrow, twisting stairs. He spilled onto his face, sliding on the floor and tangling up his partner. She got a blessed two-second gap and raced to the door, slamming it open just as the two men stood back up.
She reached the street and began running in a blind panic, her brain fixated on one thought: escape.
* * *
We walked slowly through the crowd, Nick’s head on a swivel, looking left and right for Colin, but not seeing him. I got a call from Brett saying he was at an eastern door, then Retro, saying he was also at an eastern door deeper in. The place was simply too big for the force I had. With Nung at the main entrance, that left the western side completely open. I called him, saying, “Nung, penetrate inside. We’ve cleared the first bar area. Go down the western side and position on a likely exit.”
The pub had so many nooks, alcoves, and crannies that clearing them of suspicion was slow and tedious. I could see Nick growing antsy, moving faster. We left one alcove and moved to the next, another large bar area at the back of the building opening up. Nick started to look inside, then did a double take before jumping back into the first alcove.
I went in behind him, ignoring the two tables of patrons. “What did you see? Where is he?”
“Upper deck, above the bar. He’s staring over the railing with another man.”
I looked out and said, “The guy with the beard?”
“That’s him.”
I clicked my radio. “All elements, all elements, jackpot. I say again, jackpot. Subject is on the upper deck at the back of the pub. Six feet, Caucasian, blond hair, full beard, also blond. Two men next to him, both appear to be part of his team. One stairwell to the eastern side of the bar. Acknowledge.”
Not waiting, I turned to Nick and said, “You stay here. He knows you on sight, and I’m not putting you in danger.”
He started to say something, and I leaned in close. “Don’t fuck with me on this.”
He nodded, and I left at a fast walk, seeing Retro and Brett crossing the floor. I glanced up and saw Colin arguing with the man to his left, waving his arms up and down.
We reached the stairwell at the same time, Brett in the lead. I looked behind and saw Nung running toward us. I said, “Guns out,” and we started to climb, winding our way up. Almost at the top, a man appeared in front of us and Brett said, “Back up, shithead. Hands high.”
The man yelled in what sounded like Russian, then attempted to draw a gun. Brett drilled him between the eyes, the noise from the suppressor overshadowed by the hum of the bar. He slid down, sitting on the steps like he’d passed out, blocking our way forward.
Brett grabbed his shoulders, and I slid my hands under his feet. We hoisted him up, then flipped him over the side of the narrow stairwell. He hit the ground and I heard a girl scream just as I cleared the stairwell to the balcony, right behind Brett.
There were four men on top, three with weapons out, and Colin standing with his hands in the air. For a second there was a pause, nobody wanting to start the gunfight. The man next to Colin snarled and aimed his weapon right above Colin’s beard. Colin shouted, “No! They aren’t with me—” and the man pulled the trigger. Then all hell broke loose, like the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, bodies diving and guns going off all over the place. It lasted for a long four seconds, but they had no cover standing by the railing. We cut all three down.
I rose from behind the couch I’d dived over and said, “Give me an up.”
Miraculously, everyone was unhurt with the exception of Nung. He’d taken a bullet through his bicep, but it hadn’t hit bone. It also didn’t faze his nonchalant attitude. He said, “This may increase my payment.”
Brett started working on him and I surveyed the deck, checking behind couches and overstuffed chairs, looking for Kylie. She wasn’t here.
My earpiece crackled. “Pike, Pike, this is Koko. I think I just saw Kylie running down the road.”
I looked at Retro, and he’d clearly heard the same thing. I said, “Say again?”
“I’m staged on Camden and a girl just went running by. She went into some large bazaar selling T-shirts called Camden Market. I swear she looked just like—”
Nothing came through, then “It’s her. It’s her. There are four men running down the road. They all just went into the same market.”
I said, “Let’s go. Retro, give me a lock-on to the market she’s talking about. Brett, lead the way. Nung, you got Nick. Get him out of here and somewhere safe. Call with a location, but be prepared for a little bit of a stay.”
We barreled back down the stairs and I heard sirens on the street to the west. I said, “Eastern door. Eastern door. Nung, go get Nick and get out of here.”
The crowds saw our weapons and parted like they were escaping from zombies, girls screaming and guys stumbling all over themselves to get out of the way.
We hit the street, Retro staring at his phone. He looked up and pointed. “That way. Camden Market.”