They exited the room. Search the rest of this floor or move upstairs? Will took a step forward a split second before a shot rang out and grazed his shoulder. It had come from somewhere up the staircase. Though it could have killed him had he not moved, the shot had given him his answer. More armed men were upstairs to protect Schreiber. Momentarily wincing from the injury, Will raised his weapon and took slow steps toward the base of the stairwell. Alfie moved to his left and aimed his weapon to one side of the stairs. Will focused on the other side. They took another step. Three men appeared at the top of the stairs.
Will shot one of them.
Alfie another.
The third was knocked off his feet and slammed against a wall by a high-velocity sniper round.
Keeping their guns trained on the top of the stairs, they took one step at a time, paused, then another step.
Kronos watched Will and Alfie move cautiously up the stairs. His thermal imagery showed them as white figures; if they got too close to other men, he’d have difficulty distinguishing them. He scanned the top two floors. Previously, he’d seen momentary flashes of white on both floors-men moving quickly-but now there was nothing. Schreiber’s guards had retreated to the rear of the building, putting too many walls between him and them to be spotted. His only hope was for Will and the older man to stay this side of the house and lure out the guards. He trained the crosshairs ahead of their steps and focused.
Halfway up the staircase, a corridor ran off down the center of the second floor. It was narrower than the first-floor corridor, though similarly contained closed rooms on either side. At the far end was a tall window giving a view of the Alps. Alfie got to his knee, aiming his weapon down the corridor. Will kept his gun pointing toward the top floor. They stayed like this for two minutes and saw no one.
Will whispered, “Think they’re all on the third floor, rear of the house, out of sight of Kronos.”
Alfie got to his feet. “Best we go and say hello, then.”
There were twelve steps up to the third floor, covered by a luxurious carpet. At the top of the stairs, they could see a ceiling and the entrance to another corridor. They took two steps, waited in case armed men appeared or grenades were tossed down, and continued. Two more steps. Stop. Keep the guns trained ahead. Listen for any noise. Be ready to spin around in case they attack from below. Fingers on triggers at all times. Three steps. Keep breathing calmly even though hearts are pounding. Step, step, stop. The landing now fully visible and a few feet of the corridor. Step. Remember, they’ll have the element of surprise. Step. And we don’t know a fucking thing about the layout of the top floor. Step, step.
The corridor.
Different design from the others.
Wider.
Double oak doors seventy yards away at the other end.
Only two doors on the left of the corridor, both big, and one on the right.
To avoid detection by Kronos, the armed guards would either be behind the door at the end or in the room on the right.
Or they’d be in both of those places.
Alfie moved forward a few paces, keeping low, his MP5 at eye level, then stopped.
Will moved past him and stopped after a few paces.
They both got to their knees.
And waited.
Sweat dripped down Will’s face as he kept his gun pointing at the door on the right. Alfie would have the end door covered.
Nothing happened.
Will frowned. Had they killed all the guards? Perhaps there was no longer any danger.
Chunks of brick and plasterboard raced across the corridor as hundreds of bullets ripped through the end of the right hand wall. Will and Alfie dived to the ground as bullets came closer to their position. Within three seconds, the entire length of the corridor was being shot up by guards on the other side of the wall. Alfie crawled to Will, squinting to shield his eyes from dust. The noise was incredible, causing their ears to ring. As bullets raced inches above their prone bodies, both men were braced for death.
The firing stopped.
A second later, the door on the right swung open.
Stun grenades.
Shit, no!
Will and Alfie pulled their triggers as white light and deafening noise engulfed them.
Disorientation.
Can’t see anything.
No idea what our bullets are hitting.
Kronos shot the first man who appeared in the entrance to the room. Two more tried to step over the body. He shot them both. Quickly, he changed magazines. The flashes of light he’d seen had almost certainly come from stun grenades, and that meant Cochrane and Alfie were blind for at least ten seconds. A shotgun-carrying guard forward-rolled into the corridor, expertly got to his knee, and took aim. Kronos fired, and the man’s neck snapped. The assassin moved his crosshairs back over the entrance. Only one thought was in his mind.
You know I’m here, and I’ll kill anyone who shows himself to me.
Will breathed deeply, nearly collapsed as he got to his knees, shook his head wildly, and grabbed Alfie. “Can you move? Think?”
“I. .” Alfie blinked fast. His breathing was shallow. “Been. . been a while since that’s happened to me.”
Will stood and helped his colleague to his feet. “Cover the end of the corridor. I’ve got to clear the room containing the hostiles.”
Alfie shook his head. “Two-man job.”
“No, Alfie. I. .”
“Two-man job, and you know it!”
Will was about to respond, but Alfie walked ahead, his gun aiming at the first doorway.
Damn it, Alfie, don’t!
He silently cursed as he moved quickly alongside Alfie. They stopped next to the entrance. Will thumped his chest and sliced a hand through the air to indicate that he’d be covering the center and right side of the room, that Alfie should cover the left and center of the room. They inserted fresh clips, Will looked at Alfie, both nodded, and they ran into the room.
Big room. Furniture. Target ahead. Fire. He’s down. Change angles. Three more targets. They’re firing. Stand still. One burst. Move. Two bursts. Targets down. Sector clear. Spin around. Alfie’s sector. Two tangos left upright. Alfie drops one of them. Fire. Will drops the other. Move. Sweep room. Check behind cover. Tables, chairs, sofa, desks. Nothing.
Room clear.
Smoke and the smell of cordite hung in the air. Will ran to Alfie. “You okay?”
The retiree smiled. Close to his feet were four men, three of them killed by Alfie. Behind him were the bodies of the other three men killed by Will. “Told you. Two-man job.”
Will was about to walk out of the room, then froze. How would Kronos know they weren’t hostiles who’d killed their assailants? They could be shot the moment they stepped into the doorway. He looked at Alfie, who was motionless, staring at the entrance. Clearly he’d had exactly the same thought.
“This is a big call, son.”
“A bloody big call.” Will desperately tried to decide what to do.
Kronos tensed as he saw one man walk out of the room holding his gun with two hands high over his head. A shorter man followed him, also holding his weapon above his head. Clearly, both knew he was watching them through his rifle’s sight. Their size matched that of Will and the old man, but he had no way of discerning their features. They could be Schreiber’s men, trying to trick him.