Broken Angels

94

Byrne sighted down his pistol. Inside the candlelit room, the man onstage stood behind a coffin. A coffin with Nicci Malone in it. A large crossbow aimed a steel arrow at her heart.

The man was Will Pedersen. He had a white flower in his lapel.

The white flower, Natalya Jakos had said.

Take the shot.

Seconds earlier Byrne and Vincent had approached the front of the schoolhouse. Jessica was inside, trying to negotiate with the lunatic on the stage. She was working her way to the left.

Did she know that Byrne and Vincent were there? Was she maneuvering out of the way to give them a clear shot?

Byrne raised the barrel of his weapon slightly, allowing for the distortion of the path of the bullet as it passed through the glass. He wasn't sure how the slug would be affected. He sighted down the barrel.

He saw Anton Krotz.

The white flower.

He saw the knife at Laura Clarke's throat. Take the shot.

Byrne saw the man lift his arms, the rope. He was going to trigger the crossbow mechanism. Byrne couldn't wait. Not this time. He fired.