Blood Codex

Chapter 59

Crowley emerged from the small round hole into the lime kilns behind Lindisfarne Castle, immediately met by the cold, wet breeze. It felt good. Landvik had a head start, but the man had to get up to the secret door in the fireplace of the Ship Room, then down through the castle. And hopefully he would be slowed by whatever flesh wound Crowley had scored on him. There was a chance Crowley could catch up.

He made a dash for the small parking area where they had left their car, hoping to get there before Landvik, but the Norwegian was just ahead of him. There was a deep scarlet stain across the man’s hip. It looked like Crowley had winged him in the love handle on the right side of his body. Lots of blood, but nothing life-threatening. Though Landvik had one hand pressed hard against the wound, and the other hugged tight to his body, no doubt cradling Mjolnir inside his jacket. Crowley raised the pistol, blinked the rain from his eyes, and fired just as Landvik dived for his car. The bullet pinged off the black vehicle’s roof, the handful of tourists braving the weather screaming and scattering in horrified shock.

Landvik pointed his weapon back and squeezed off more shots without looking, making Crowley dive for cover, then the Norwegian was in the driver’s seat and the engine gunned into life.

Landvik’s car sent up a spray of mud and gravel as it carved a sharp turn and sped out onto the narrow road back across the island. Crowley ran for the Land Rover and gave chase. Flickering blue lights were heading their way and he realized the mayhem back at the priory was catching up. Three police cars were hammering along, heading directly for Landvik’s car.

Crowley smiled, thinking the man was caught now, but the smile withered as Landvik’s arm emerged from the driver’s side window and his gun kicked and flashed. The police cars braked and swerved, one windshield shattering into a crazed web of safety glass. Landvik skidded onto the grass and drove hard around them all, fishtailing as he went. Cursing, Crowley followed. As he powered past the police cars frantically trying to turn back, he reached out of his own window and fired off two quick shots, managing to shoot out Landvik’s rear screen, but the man drove on.

They sped back among the buildings of the small village, faces of shocked tourists zipping past all around as they leapt aside from the speeding vehicles. Crowley gritted his teeth and dropped the pistol into his lap. Too much chance of hitting an innocent bystander to fire from a moving car now, so he put both hands on the wheel and concentrated on sticking close to Landvik’s tail. The flickering blue lights of the three police cars, one with its shattered screen now kicked clear, filled his rearview mirror as they joined the chase. The faces of the two officers of the car without glass were pictures of pure fury, concentrated in their pursuit.

They shot through town and along the beginning of the causeway, the grassy hill to their right as they approached where the low-lying roadway crossed the mud flats. But it wasn’t mud flats any more. Crowley grinned, finally letting himself relax at the sight of the ocean on both sides, already washing hard across the road. Small white wavelets kicked up and foamed, the level of the causeway itself lost under the churning dark water.

“Dead end, you bastard!” he cried.

But his pleasure was short-lived. Landvik either didn’t see or didn’t care, and drove the black car hard along the causeway, water spraying up from the wheels to either side in two wide fans. Crowley shook his head, stunned the man would take such a risk, and followed him. Crowley’s car was large and designed for off-road use, at least, but Landvik’s wasn’t. The water rose up faster, Landvik’s car sending up walls of spray to either side, but he kept going. The water curved up over the hood as well now, drenching the car, almost obscuring it completely. Crowley felt the drag of the ocean against his own wheels and decided not to risk his life any further. He stopped, hit reverse, and backed up as quickly as he could. The vehicle shifted and bucked uncertainly, then his tires rose back onto dry road. He watched in amazement as water slowly engulfed Landvik’s vehicle. The blue lights of the police cars filled the road behind and Crowley climbed from his seat into the pouring rain, arms held high to show he was not a threat. He left his stolen pistol on the passenger seat.

Landvik’s car slowed to a stop and the door popped open as the vehicle was lifted and turned by the tide. The man clambered out, still clutching the hammer, his face a mask of concentration and determination. He tried to swim for it against the rapid current. The last thing Crowley saw was the man’s blond head sinking out of sight beneath the churning waters.