The Consorts of Death

55

One of the rear doors of the taxi opened.

Hans called out: ‘Guys! Don’t…’

Jan Egil shot first, but the range was too great. He missed. Hans Haavik threw himself to the side and down, and by that time the two men had managed to turn back in our direction. Two continuous salvos sounded like a sudden crackle of fire in the darkness.

I heard Jan Egil groan before I could swivel round. He toppled backwards, hit in the chest by one of the shots. Instinctively, I continued in the same direction, as if to reach out for him, when I was hit myself, a sledgehammer blow in one shoulder. I was spun round, I slid down the side of the car and landed on the ground with a thump, where I lay on my back staring into the air. I could see stars, but they were in the sky, high above. For a moment I felt nothing, as if my whole body were numb. Then came the pain, it was like a chainsaw cutting through me from my left shoulder down to my heart. The whole thing could not have taken more than a few seconds.

From afar I could hear the sound of a car door being slammed shut and then running footsteps.

‘Careful,’ I heard Hans shout, but the footsteps just continued. They were coming closer. Now they were by me. Light steps, like on cotton. The stars grew, to become suns, but they were no longer in the sky; now they were in my head.

I heard her voice. ‘Varg! Oh my God! This was never meant to happen. I never knew… He tricked me too, from beginning to end!’

I tried to see her through the sun dance, but all I saw was a reflection in her round glasses. ‘Ce-cilie?’

She turned away, her face a white pallor. ‘Ring for an ambulance! Do you hear me, Hans? You ring! Now!’

‘What’s going on? What are you doing here?’ I heard the echo of my own voice.

‘It’s all a terrible misunderstanding. I thought Hans was seriously worried about you.’

‘But…’

‘It wasn’t until this evening that I realised who I… what sort of person I have… You have to believe me, Varg! I had no idea what he was doing on the side!’

‘Doing… you don’t mean… you and Hans…’

She nodded vigorously. ‘Hans and I have been together since we met again in Oslo. He convinced me that Johnny boy was a danger to you and him, and that was why I… but when I overheard the conversation about where he would meet you two…’

‘Overheard…’

‘And overheard him say that on no account must either of you escape alive… I demanded to go with him, but he refused point blank! He just shoved me away, refused to let me come. It was then I realised how completely he had pulled the wool over my eyes… I’ve rung the police, too…’

‘The police?’

‘Yes, it’s over now, Varg. It’s all over…’

I tried to focus on her. But she seemed to float slowly up and away. It was becoming harder to see her. The pain inside me was growing. It filled the whole of my body now. I felt something hot and wet against my cheek. At first I thought it was blood. Later I realised it was tears. But they were hers, not mine.

‘How’s Jan Egil?’ I mumbled, but she didn’t answer.

Now I could hear the sirens, a long way off. But they had nothing to do with me. I was beginning to sink, slowly, calmly, as if I was lying and floating on an upward airstream. I was being lowered into a vast, dark void. I rolled over and lay face down. The pain was receding, and everything felt nice and cosy. Far below I saw the circular light, glittering silver water, which I was on my way towards in the first, and only, perfect swallow dive of my life.