The Nostradamus File

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Selena knew something was wrong when Nick wasn't back in a few minutes. She called Ronnie and Lamont. Now the three of them stood at the end of the hall by the ice machine.

"They can't have taken him far," Ronnie said. "How long's it been? Ten, fifteen minutes?"

"That's time enough." Lamont paced back and forth. "Look, I was down in the lobby. If they'd gone out the front, I would have seen them."

"Plenty of other ways. Back entrance, the laundry, through the kitchen."

"That would cause a stir," Selena said. "You know he wouldn't go without finding a way to stop them."

"If they had a gun in his ribs…" Ronnie said. "No, he'd find a way around that."

"They had to knock him cold," Lamont said. "If he'd been conscious there'd be signs of a fight."

"Hard to go unnoticed if you're dragging someone through the kitchen," Ronnie said.

"Maybe he's still in the hotel," Selena said.

"If he is, they couldn't take a chance on being seen in the elevator." Lamont stopped pacing. "Either the stairs or he's still on this floor."

"It would have to be a room close to the ice machine," Selena said. "Same reason. They wouldn't risk dragging him down a long hall like this. Someone might see it."

"If they've got him out in the city we won't find him," Ronnie said. "'Our only shot is if he's still here."

He looked at the long row of doors. "Selena, take the right. Lamont, you take the left, I'll go down the middle. Look for marks, anything. If they dragged him it might show up on the rug."

They began working their way quietly down the corridor. Ten doors down on the right, Selena held up her hand. She gestured at the floor. There was a soft indentation, barely visible, where something had been dragged across the threshold. She knelt down. There was tiny drop of blood on the carpet. She took out her gun and placed her ear against the door. Ronnie and Lamont came over, pistols in hand. There was a murmur of voices inside.

"That son of a bitch."

"You all right, Mister Anderson?"

"No, I'm not all right."

"What do you want to do?"

"We're wasting time. Wake him up and hurt him. He'll talk."

Selena stood and whispered in Ronnie's ear. "In there. At least two."

Ronnie nodded. He stepped back and wound himself around like a discus thrower and slammed his foot into the door. The frame splintered. He kicked again and the door flew open.

Selena took in the scene. Nick was unconscious, slumped over and bound to a chair with silver tape. A stocky man had a gun in his hand. A second, taller man stood near, reaching under his jacket.

Lamont fired first, past Selena's ear, the noise of the shot deafening. She felt the heat as the gun fired. She fired at the tall man, twice. He had a pistol in his hand and was bringing it up as she pulled the trigger. The bullets struck him in the chest and drove him back across the bed.

The stocky one got off a shot. Lamont grunted. Ronnie fired, three quick shots. The man staggered back against the wall and fell to the floor.

The room stank of gunpowder and sweat and blood. The tall man lay on the bed, leaking blood. He wasn't moving. His eyes were open. The man Ronnie had shot was crumpled against the wall, dead. Selena went over to Nick.

Lamont slid down in the doorway. He coughed and blood came out of his mouth. He clasped his hand across a bloody hole in his chest. Air whistled between his fingers, an unpleasant, sucking sound.

Ronnie knelt beside him. "Hold on, Lamont. Hold on."

Shit! Selena thought. She pulled out her phone.