Sonata (Butcher and Violinist 2)

Rafael got to my side, pointing to the hallway in the other direction. “We’ll take the Lion that way.”

Kazimir had been close to the corner where either he would turn to the escalators or the way we hoped. Crowds of people rushed back and forth distorting our view of him.

Once we got a clear space to see, Rafael shot in the air Kazimir’s way and ducked.

We kept moving forward, using the people as our camouflage.

Kazimir couldn’t see us, but the van followed in the direction we’d wanted.

Come on, Lion. Your prey is over here.

A lot of makeup counters were in the center of this path. Regular clothing shops outlined the hallway. Kazimir’s war van drove slowly down the hallway, honking at people to get out of the way. And he was twenty feet from us.

I pointed my gun, getting a good aim at his head, pulled. Nothing came out.

Goddamn it.

“I might have one more.” Rafael dragged me into the lingerie store. “Let’s hide in here.”

“Good.” I held the gun, ready to use it as a metal pipe to slam into the Lion’s head.

You want to play, kitty. Come on.

We ducked behind a large display of bras decorated in pastel colors.

Crouching.

My phone buzzed.

I pulled it out. “Yes?”

“Giorgio just arrived,” Louis said. “He’s ten feet from us.”

“Good. Get Eden in. Go ahead. We’ll get out.”

“Fuck that. We’re coming to get you both.”

“Eden and Gwen out first.”

Louis cut our arguing. “Then, I’ll send the bikes your way.”

“Good.” I hung up, spotted Kazimir’s van passing the store, and dragged Rafael down.

Rafael whispered, “What did Louis say?”

“Giorgio’s close to them. He sees him. Louis is going to send the bikes for us.”

“Shit. Just bikes. You see that fucking canon on the van.” Rafael peaked from the display. “Louis better send the military.”

My heart hammered.

This was the first time I’d had to catch my breath.

People screamed.

The van honked further away.

“We may be able to run back to the escalators.” I leaned out and couldn’t see Kazimir.

“No way. I’m out of bullets. Let’s just hide behind these bras until the bikes come.”

A dark chuckle came from me.

Rafael gave me an odd look. “What?”

“Can you imagine, if my father and yours saw us right now.”

He cheered up a little. “They would shoot us themselves.”

And then tires screeched.

I looked out from the display.

The van was rushing back.

Shit. Someone must’ve told Kazimir about Giorgio’s van or perhaps his men spotted Eden and Louis.

Kazimir clearly had people all over the place, which was to be expected.

The van came close to our direction. It was heading back toward the escalators but hadn’t passed us yes.

“No. We can’t let them go that way.”

“What do you want to do?” Rafael asked.

More feet closed in between us. Kazimir’s still stood on the passenger side, but now he was on my side.

Maybe I can grab him.

Kazimir was now ten feet.

I shook my head and rose. “We can’t let him get to the escalators.”

Rafael stood with me. “So, we’re going to do what?”

“Be creative.” I looked around, grabbed a large mannequin, and ran out there. The heavy thing had on a velvet gown that slapped my face with feathers.

“Lion!” Too fast to think, I launched the mannequin at Kazimir. It rose in the air and crashed into the passenger door.

He fell off.

The van screeched and swerved to the side, slamming into a wall. The guy manning the mounted gun fell off the van’s top.

Score one for the French.

Following me, Rafael slung a mannequin into the window and shattered the glass.

I grabbed another one. “Did you get the driver?”

“If God loves me.”

Score two.

I ran back out.

Kazimir and five men, charged our way with guns.

I slung the mannequin at them. “Rafael!”

“Yeah?”

“Run!”

“Shit!” Rafael dropped the mannequin and ran back into the lingerie store.

Fast, I followed. “Not that way.”

Still, I rushed after him to the back.

Rafael gestured several feet away to an opening. “There’s a way out here.”

“How do you know that?”

“I fucked a lot of salesclerks here.”

Figures.

The lingerie store was bigger than I thought. It had been connected into three different stores, that had entrances connected at the side, so customers could walk throughout each area without leaving the main store.

It didn’t matter.

Kazimir and two men followed.

Shots rang. We ducked behind hangers of panties and lace stockings. With the guns in the closed the space, we rushed forward. They were still close. More shots came. Not one hit. But the store would be demolished. Bits of mannequins splattered, and the lights shattered, blinking off and on.

We rushed into the next section. It looked more like sleepwear and beauty products.

We crouched below, waiting for them.

“Bikes should be here soon. We just have to keep him busy.”

“You get the Lion.” Rafael took a metal hanger off the rack, slid the pajama set off, and held it like a massive hammer. “I’ll get the others.”