James Bond Anthology (243 page)

I put on my white overalls. Heaven knew they were impersonal enough, and I put my money into one of the pockets – just in case. Just in case of what? There would be no more escapes. And then, feeling sore and weak as a kitten, I dragged myself over to the lobby.

It was eleven o’clock. The rain was still holding off and a three-quarter moon sailed through fast, scudding clouds, making the forest blink intermittently with white light. Sluggsy was framed in the yellow entrance, leaning against the door, chewing at his toothpick. As I came up, he made way for me. ‘That’s my baby. Fresh as paint. A little sore here and there, mebbe. Have to sleep on your back later, huh? But that’s just what’ll suit us, won’t it, honey?’

When I didn’t answer, he reached out and caught my arm. ‘Hey, hey! Where your manners, bimbo? You like some treatment on the other side, mebbe? That also can be arranged.’ He made a threatening gesture with his free hand.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything.’

‘Okay, okay,’ he let me go. ‘Now just get on back there and make with the pots and pans. An’ don’t go getting my gauge up. Or my friend Horror’s. Look what you done to that handsome kisser of his.’

The thin man was sitting at his old table. The first-aid box from the reception desk was open in front of him and he had a big square of adhesive across his right temple. I gave him a quick, frightened glance and went behind the serving counter. Sluggsy went over to him and sat down and they began talking together in low voices, occasionally glancing across at me.

Making the eggs and coffee made me feel hungry. I couldn’t understand it. Ever since the two men had got in through that door, I had been so tense and frightened I couldn’t have swallowed even a cup of coffee. Of course, I was empty from being sick, but in a curious and, I felt, rather shameful way the beating I had been given had in some mysterious fashion relaxed me. The pain, being so much greater than the tension of waiting for it, had unravelled my nerves and there was a curious centre of warmth and peace in my body. I was frightened still, of course – terrified, but in a docile, fatalistic way. At the same time my body said it was hungry, it wanted to get back its strength, it wanted to live.

So I made scrambled eggs and coffee and hot buttered toast for myself as well, and, after I had taken theirs over, I sat down out of sight of them behind the counter and ate mine and then, almost calmly, lit a cigarette. I knew the moment I lit it that it was a foolish thing to do. It called attention to me. Worse, it showed I had recovered, that I was worth baiting again. But the food and the simple business of eating it – of putting salt and pepper on the eggs, sugar into the coffee – had been almost intoxicating. It was part of the old life, a thousand years ago, before the men came. Each mouthful – the forkful of egg, the bit of bacon, the munch of buttery toast – was an exquisite thing that occupied all my senses. Now I knew what it must be like to get some food smuggled into jail, to be a prisoner of war and get a parcel from home, to find water in the desert, to be given a hot drink after being rescued from drowning. The simple act of living, how precious it was! If I got out of this, I would know it for ever. I would be grateful for every breath I breathed, every meal I ate, every night I felt the cool kiss of sheets, the peace of a bed behind a closed, a locked, door. Why had I never known this before? Why had my parents, my lost religion, never taught it to me? Anyway, I knew now. I had found it out for myself. Love of life is born of the awareness of death, of the dread of it. Nothing makes one really grateful for life except the black wings of danger.

These feverish thoughts were born of the intoxication of the food and of eating it alone behind the barricade of the counter. For a few moments I was back in the old life. So, light-headedly, and to hug the moment to me, I lit the cigarette.

Perhaps a minute later, the mumble of the voices died. Behind ‘Tales of the Vienna Woods’ coming softly from the radio, I heard a chair being drawn back. Now I felt panic. I put out the cigarette in the dregs of my coffee and got up and began briskly turning taps and clattering the dishes in the metal sink. I didn’t look, but I could see Sluggsy coming across the room. He came up to the counter and leaned on it. I looked up as if surprised. He was still chewing away at a toothpick, flicking it from side to side of his thick-lipped, oval mouth. He had a box of Kleenex that he put on the counter. He wrenched out a handful of tissues and blew his nose and dropped the tissues on the floor. He said in an amiable voice, ‘Ya gone an’ given me a catarrh, bimbo. All that chasing aroun’ in the woods. This trouble of mine, this alopecia thing that kills the hair. You know what that does? That kills the hairs inside the nose too. Together with all the rest. An’ you know what that does? That makes your schnozzle dribble bad when you got a cold. You given me a cold, bimbo. That means a box of wipes every twenty-four hours. More, mebbe. Ya ever think of that? Ya ever think of people have no hairs in their snouts? Aargh!’ The hairless eyes were suddenly hard with anger. ‘You gashes are all the same. Just think of yerselves. To hell with the guys that got troubles! You just go for the good-timers.’

I said quietly, under the noise of the radio, ‘I’m sorry for your troubles. Why aren’t you sorry for mine?’ I spoke quickly, forcefully. ‘Why do you two come here and knock me about? What have I done to you? Why don’t you let me go? If you do I promise I won’t say a word to anyone. I’ve got a little money. I could give you some of it. Say two hundred dollars. I can’t afford any more. I’ve got to get all the way down to Florida on the rest. Please, won’t you let me go?’

Sluggsy let out a hoot of laughter. He turned and called across to the thin man, ‘Hey, get out the crying towel, Horror. The slot says she’ll hand over two Cs if we let her scram.’ The thin man gave a slight shrug of the shoulders, but made no comment. Sluggsy turned back to me. His eyes were hard and without mercy. He said, ‘Wise up, bimbo. You’re in the act, and you’ve been given a star part to play. You ought to be tickled to be of so much interest to busy, important guys like Horror and me, and to a big wheel like Mr Sanguinetti.’

‘What is the act? What do you want me for?’

Sluggsy said indifferently, ‘You’ll be wised up come morning. Meanwhiles, howsabout shuttin’ that dumb little hash-trap of yours? All this yak is bending my ear. I want some action. That’s sweet stuff they’re playing. Howsabout you an’ me stepping it together? Put on a little show for Horror. Then we’ll be off to the hay and make with the bodies. C’mon, chick.’ He held out his arms, clicking his fingers to the music and doing some fast steps.

‘I’m sorry. I’m tired.’

Sluggsy came back to the counter. He said angrily, ‘You’ve got a big keister giving me that crap. Cheap little hustler! I’ll give you something to make you tired.’

Suddenly there was an obscene little black leather cosh in his hand. He brought it down with a dull whack on the counter. It left a deep dent in the formica. He began to move stealthily round the edge of the counter, humming to himself, his eyes holding mine. I backed up into the far corner. This was going to be my last gesture. Somehow I must hurt him back before I went under. My hand felt for the open cutlery drawer and suddenly I dipped in and flung, all in one motion. His duck wasn’t quick enough, and the silver spray of knives and forks burst round his head. He put a hand up to his face and backed away, cursing. I hurled some more and then some more, but they only clattered inoffensively round his hunched head. Now the thin man was moving fast across the room. I grabbed the carving knife and made a dash for Sluggsy, but he saw me coming and dodged behind a table. Unhurriedly, Horror took off his coat and wrapped it round his left arm, then they both picked up chairs and, holding the legs out like bulls’ horns, they charged me from both sides. I made one ineffectual slash at an arm, and then the knife was knocked out of my hand and all I could do was to get back behind the counter.

Still holding the chair, Sluggsy came in after me and, while I stood facing him, with a plate in each hand, the thin man leant swiftly across the counter and got hold of my hair. I hurled the plates sideways, but they only clattered away across the floor. And then my head was being bent down on to the counter top and Sluggsy was on me.

‘Okay, Horror. Let her go. This is for me.’

I felt his powerful arms round me, crushing me, and his face was against mine, kissing me brutally, while his hand went up to the zip at my neck and tore it right down to my waist.

And then came the sharp sound of the buzzer at the front door, and everyone froze.

PART THREE | HIM

10 | WHASSAT?

‘Kerist, whassat?’ Sluggsy had backed away and his hand was inside his leather jacket.

Horror recovered himself first. There was a cold snarl on his face. ‘Git over behind the door, Sluggsy. Hold your fire until I tell you. You,’ he spat the words at me, ‘get yourself into shape. You’ve got to front for us. If you don’t do it good you’re dead. Understand? You’ll be shot. Now get over to that door and find out who it is. Tell ’em the same story you told us. Get me? And take that silly expression off your face. No one’s going to hurt you if you do what I say. Pull that zip up, dammit!’ I was struggling with the thing. It was stuck. ‘Well, hold the damn thing together across your chest and get moving. I’ll be right behind you. And don’t forget, one wrong word and you get blasted through the back. And the guy, too. Now scram over there.’

My heart was beating wildly. Somehow, whatever happened, I was going to save myself!

There was now a loud knocking at the door. I went slowly over, holding the top half of my overalls together. I knew the first thing I had to do!

When I got to the door, Sluggsy leaned sideways and unlocked it. Now everything depended on the speed of my hands. I took hold of the door handle with my left hand and, as I turned it, my right hand let go of the overalls and dived down to the chain and unhooked it. Somebody cursed softly behind me and I felt the prod of a gun in my back, but then I had swung the door wide open, crashing Sluggsy against the wall behind it. I had gambled that, without knowing if it was perhaps the police or a road patrol, they wouldn’t shoot. They hadn’t. Now all depended on the solitary man who stood on the threshold.

At first glance I inwardly groaned – God, it’s another of them! He stood there so quiet and controlled and somehow with the same quality of deadliness as the others. And he wore that uniform that the films make one associate with gangsters – a dark-blue, belted raincoat and a soft black hat pulled rather far down. He was good-looking in a dark, rather cruel way and a scar showed whitely down his left cheek. I quickly put my hand up to hide my nakedness. Then he smiled and suddenly I thought I might be all right.

When he spoke, my heart leaped. He was English! ‘I’m sorry. I’ve got a puncture.’ (An American would have said ‘a flat’.) ‘And I saw the Vacancy sign. Can I have a room for the night?’ Now he looked at me with curiosity, seeing that something was wrong.

This was going to be tricky! I might easily get us both killed. I said, ‘I’m sorry, but the motel’s closed. The Vacancy sign was on by mistake.’ While I said this, I crooked the index finger of the hand at my chest, inviting him in. He looked puzzled. I had to give him a lead. ‘Is the puncture so bad that you can’t get as far as Lake George?’

‘Couldn’t possibly. I’ve already come a mile on the rim. The cover’ll be gone by now.’

I imperceptibly jerked my head backwards, bidding him to come in. ‘Well, the insurance men are here from the owner. I’ll have to ask them. You wait there.’ Again I beckoned with my finger. Then I turned and took two steps inside, keeping close to the door so that neither of them could bang it shut. But they were standing back, hands in their pockets, looking different kinds of hell at me. The man in the raincoat had taken my hint and he was now well inside. When he saw the two men, his face somehow sharpened, but he said casually, ‘I expect you heard all that. Any objection to my spending the night here?’

Sluggsy said contemptuously, ‘Kerist! A limey! What is this, the United Nations?’

The thin man said curtly, ‘No dice, friend. You heard the lady. The motel’s closed. We’ll give you a hand changing the wheel and you can be on your way.’

The Englishman said easily, ‘It’s a bit late at night for that. I’m heading south and I doubt if there’s anything on this road this side of Glens Falls. I think I’d prefer to stay here. After all, the Vacancy sign’s on.’

‘You heard me, mister.’ Horror’s voice was now tough. He turned to Sluggsy. ‘C’mon. We’ll give the guy a hand with his flat.’ They both took a step towards the door. But the Englishman, bless him, stood his ground.

‘It happens that I have friends at Albany, quite important friends. You wouldn’t want to lose your motel operator’s licence, would you? The sign said “Vacancy”, and the place is lit up. I’m tired and I claim a room.’ He turned to me. ‘Would that give you any trouble?’

I gushed, ‘Oh, no! None at all. It won’t take me a minute to get a room ready. I’m sure Mr Sanguinetti wouldn’t want to do anything to lose his licence?’ I turned wide-eyed and innocent towards the two gangsters. They looked as if they were just about to pull their guns, but the thin man moved away and Sluggsy followed him and they talked for a moment in whispers. I took the opportunity to nod urgently and appealingly at the Englishman and he gave me another of those reassuring smiles.

The thin man turned round. ‘Okay, limey. You can have the room. But just don’t try and lean on us with that Albany guff. Mr Sanguinetti has friends at the capital, too. Mebbe you got a point with that Vacancy sign. But don’t push your luck. We’re in charge here and what we says goes. Right?’