The Perfect Witness (23 page)

“The Gates of Heaven.”

“What?”

“Natalie Walberg told me she wanted Simon’s ashes to be scattered at a place as close to the Gates of Heaven as I could find. I’d done missionary work in this area and remembered it.”

“The Gates of Heaven,” she repeated. “I like that.”

“It seems a particularly holy place to me. We’ll row through those waters and I’ll say a prayer and we’ll stream the ashes into that beautiful crystal water. Perhaps they’ll join with their Simon’s.”

“Perhaps. I hope so.”

“But it doesn’t matter,” he repeated, as they reached the canoe. “This is only the Gates of Heaven. They’re already inside and together.”

“Get in the canoe,” Mandak said curtly. “Sorry, Father. I have to get Miss Girard out of here as soon as possible. I’ve checked out the area as much as I can, and it seems safe, but everything could change in minutes.” He swung Allie into the canoe and turned to the sandy-haired young man standing beside him. “McKeller, you’ve done your job. Get back in your SUV and get out of here.”

McKeller nodded. “Right.” He turned to Allie, and said gently, “My condolences, ma’am.” He looked to be only in his middle twenties, and his brown eyes were warm and kind. “I wish I could stay. I’ll pray for them.”

“Thank you.”

“And I’ll also pray for you.” Then he was moving toward the SUV. “I’ll report in to Renata on the way back to the embassy and tell her so far, so good, Mandak.”

“Fine.” Mandak jumped into the canoe and took a paddle. “Father?”

“Coming.” Father Elwyn was already in the canoe and settling himself beside the two shiny stainless canisters. “Good to see you, Mr. Mandak. We always seem to meet at these regrettable occasions.”

“But you say they’re not really sad occasions.” Mandak was dipping the oar into the water. “I’m afraid you’ve never been able to convince me.”

“Give me time.” The priest smiled. “Miss Girard is also a skeptic, but she’s more open than you.”

“Because she desperately wants to believe. You’ve caught her at a vulnerable moment.”

“All our moments on this Earth are vulnerable. It’s just a matter of degree.” He unscrewed first one canister, then the other. Then he bowed his head. “Now shall we pray for the eternal souls of these two fine people?”

*   *   *

ALLIE WATCHED THE MIST OF
ash drift into the clear water, lie on the surface for an instant, then disappear. The priest’s words came back to her.

Maybe their ashes will merge with those of their son, Simon.

I hope it’s true. I hope you’re with him now. I know you’re with each other. God would make sure you stayed together.

I’m feeling a little lost now. I know you’re going to be happy with him, but will it be all right if I talk to you now and then?

Peace. Serenity. Love.

Maybe that’s an answer? I don’t think that’s wishful thinking. Okay, then that’s what I’ll do. I promise I won’t bother you too often.

The ashes were gone now, vanished beneath the clear lake waters.

“Allie.” Father Elwyn was smiling at her. “Remember. It’s only their bodies at the Gates of Heaven. Their souls have gone ahead.” His face was lit with loving kindness. “It’s true. Believe it. They’re together and you can be sure that those souls will see—”

His head exploded!

She screamed as brain matter flew in all directions.

“Down!” Mandak threw down his oar and pushed her to the bottom of the canoe.

A bullet struck the side of the boat.

The priest had slumped to the side and was lying over the edge of the canoe.

It wasn’t happening.

It couldn’t be happening.

His head exploding.

Just like the night her father had shot Jokman in the head.

Gates of Heaven. Gates of Heaven.

A barrage of shots were being rained on them from the bank. She could see nine or ten men firing rifles and handguns.

“We’ve got to get off this canoe. We’re sitting targets.” Mandak began to rock the boat. “When I tilt it, slide into the water and head for the far shore. I’ll be with you.”

But the priest would not be with them.

Dead.

Gates of Heaven.

“Now!”

She slid into the icy water.

A bullet struck the water next to her.

She went beneath the water and began swimming.

Mandak! Where was he?

There he was just to the side.

He was surfacing, heading for the far shore as he’d told her to do.

He shouldn’t have surfaced. She could see the bullets striking on all sides of him.

But then he was underwater, beside her, gesturing in the opposite direction.

He wanted her to go toward the bank from where their attackers had been firing.

Why?

Because he’d been leading those men in a false direction and wanted to double back to escape them?

Would it work?

No way of knowing.

Keep swimming. Take as few breaths as possible. She’d always been a strong swimmer.

Keep going.

Gates of Heaven.

Head exploding. Brain matter flying.

Father Elwyn smiling at her with loving kindness.

Keep swimming.

She could see the bank up ahead.

Mandak had already reached the bank and was waiting, treading water.

She warily surfaced beside him.

No shooters on this bank. They must have been drawn to the far shore.

“What’s happening?” she gasped. “Who are they?”

Noise, and crashing brush on the far shore.

“The tall man in the camouflage uniform is Aman Kobu, one of Praland’s officers. I don’t know the rest.” Mandak’s hands were on her waist, preparing to lift her. “Get out and run into the brush,” Mandak said. “Fast. Keep low. I’ll be behind you. We’ll circle around toward the helicopter.”

She nodded, and the next instant, she was on the bank and heading for the brush. It was only seconds until she was out of sight in the thick shrubbery.

“Run,” Mandak said curtly. “Low and fast. I’ll be covering you.”

She knew he had a gun, but he’d been in the water. Would it still fire?

She wasn’t going to question him.

Run.

Brush was scraping her face and arms.

Her shoes were wet and muddy before she’d gone a hundred yards.

She couldn’t hear Mandak behind her.

Keep running.

She was almost there.

A bullet splintered the wood of the tree next to her.

But the bullet came from in front of her, not behind, not from the far shore where there were screams and shouts.

Why would it—

“Down, Allie!” It was Mandak but he’d somehow managed to circle and get in front of her. He was only yards from the helicopter. “Down!”

She fell to the ground.

Another bullet whistled by her shoulder. She rolled to one side into the shrubs as she saw the shooter.

It was a brown-skinned man in loose jeans with a bare, tattooed chest. He was standing beside the helicopter, his white teeth gleaming as he let off another round of shots.

Mandak was dodging bullets himself as he weaved in and out to avoid them.

Then he was on top of the shooter, his knife slicing at the man’s throat.

But there was another man in a yellow shirt coming out from the other side of the copter toward the struggling figures with a pistol in his hand.

“No!” She instinctively jumped to her feet. She couldn’t stay here hiding. Gun. She had to have a gun. Where was—

She had slipped Renata’s gun into her jacket pocket.

And that jacket was in the helicopter. She ran through the brush and around the other side of the helicopter.

More bullets.

She glanced over her shoulder to see that Mandak had pulled the body of the man he’d knifed over his body to protect his body from the bullets of the new threat.

God, let her get to her jacket. Don’t let there be any more of Kobu’s men blocking her way.

She almost stumbled over the body of Thorne, the pilot, who was huddled beside the door. His eyes were staring straight ahead. He had a bullet in his forehead.

Don’t look at him. Don’t feel anger or sadness. Get the gun.

The next instant, she had the Luger in her hand.

She moved around the helicopter.

The shooter’s back was to her, and he was moving forward, toward Mandak, his gun still spitting bullets.

Stop him from firing at Mandak.

Don’t think about anything else but keeping Mandak alive.

No, now was also the time to think about Thorne, the pilot who had been murdered by that shooter.

Now was the time to remember the priest’s kind smile before they’d shot his head off.

She started firing.

She saw blood blossom, spread, on the back of the man’s yellow shirt.

The man whirled, his gun aimed at her.

She kept firing.

She blew off the hand holding his pistol.

He screamed.

She took another step forward.

Gates of Heaven. Gates of Heaven.

She aimed carefully.

She could see the fear in his eyes.

Gates of Heaven.

She shot him in the heart.

She watched him fall to the ground.

“Allie.” Mandak was on his feet. The next moment he was beside her, grabbing her arm. “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

“Thorne is dead,” she said numbly as he pulled her toward the door of the helicopter. “They killed him.”

“I was afraid they had. Kobu would have had to plug that exit.” He opened the door and lifted her inside the copter. “But it was safer to chance it than risk being run down on foot.” He started the engine, and the rotors whirled. “It was lucky they only assigned two men to guard—”

A bullet splintered the helicopter windshield!

“Shit!”

Allie could see Kobu and the other men pouring back around the edge of the lake toward them.

The helicopter lifted jerkily.

Another bullet struck the door.

“Let’s hope they don’t hit the gas tank,” Mandak said grimly, as they climbed through the torrent of bullets.

“Stop him!” Kobu was screaming frantically as he ran toward the helicopter. “Do you know what you’re doing to me? You fools, stop him!”

But it was too late. They were over the trees and out of range.

Mandak waited until he’d gained more altitude before he turned to Allie. “Are you okay?”

“No,” she said jerkily. “But I’ve not been shot if that’s what you mean.” She looked at him. “You have blood on your chin.”

“Not my blood.” He wiped his chin with his shirtsleeve. “It happens when you cut someone’s throat.”

“Does it?” She glanced away from him. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done that.”

“I know.” He muttered a curse as he banked the helicopter. “And you’ve never killed a man until today.”

“No. I’ve never done that either,” she said dully. “I thought he was going to kill you. I had to stop him.”

“And you did.” He said roughly, “And just look at you. It’s nearly made a basket case of you.”

“No, it hasn’t.” She reached up and rubbed her temple. “I can’t let that happen. That would destroy me. They killed that priest, they killed Thorne. They tried to turn something beautiful and sacred into pure ugliness. They tried to kill you, Mandak. It had to stop. I had to stop it.”

“And you did,” Mandak said quietly. “And, if you think it was the right thing to do, then give yourself a little time to answer all the whys. I wish to hell it hadn’t happened, but it did.” He took her hand and gently squeezed it. “And I’m grateful you think that my neck was worth the saving.”

“It had to stop,” she whispered. She pulled her hand away and looked out the window. “We’ve lost altitude. Why are we flying so low? What’s that road down there?”

“It’s the road that leads to Dar es Salaam.” His lips thinned. “I sent McKeller back to the embassy. I’m just checking to make sure he wasn’t on Kobu’s hit list.”

She tensed. She felt suddenly cold. Not again. Her eyes were straining on the snakelike road below them. “Phone him.”

“I will. But I’d feel better if I saw—”

“Smoke!” She saw the gray cloud of smoke before she saw the fire. “Around that next turn. Is it the SUV?”

“I can’t tell.” The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. “But it would be too much of a coincidence if it wasn’t.”

“Land,” she said. “He might still be alive.”

“I can’t risk you. Kobu’s men could still be down there. I’ll phone Renata to have one of her people in the area go check and see—”

“No. That might not be in time. Cruise low and see if you can see any threat.” Her hands clenched. “But regardless, we’re going to go down there and see if we can save him. No more deaths, Mandak.”

“Allie, the chances are that he’s already—”

“Did you hear me? No more deaths.” Her eyes were blazing into his. “You wouldn’t even think twice if I wasn’t with you. You know you wouldn’t. But because you think I’m so important because of that damn ledger, you won’t do it.”

His lips tightened. “Would it be too much to believe that it’s not all because of the ledger?” Then he was suddenly smiling recklessly. “I guess it would, considering what I’ve put you through today. So what the hell.” He banked the helicopter. “I feel lucky. Something has to go right today. Let’s go see if McKeller survived that bonfire.”

*   *   *

MANDAK DID TWO TURNS OVER
the wreckage before he landed several yards up the road from the burning SUV.

“Stay close,” Mandak said. “I want you within an arm’s distance from me.”

Thick smoke.

Heat.

Acrid chemicals.

Smothering.

Allie’s eyes were stinging as she got closer to the pile of burning metal. The gas tank had already blown, and the heat was almost overpowering.

Dear God, how could anyone survive this?

“The SUV was taken out by a short-range missile.” Mandak was examining the wreckage. “Kobu must have wanted to make a clean sweep of everything connected with the funeral service. He’s always been desperate to please Praland.” He stared thoughtfully at the flames. “That missile might have been be a good thing.”

“How?”

“If the SUV exploded immediately, Kobu’s men wouldn’t be likely to attack the vehicle or McKeller after the missile hit. They’d assume their job was done.”