The Sister(211)

‘Move away down the passenger side and get in,’ he commanded.

The gap between them was six feet. You’ll never do it.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ the other man sneered. ‘You, Sister, out! I know you no longer have the stone. Where is it? Tell me!’ he said, aiming the pistol. ‘Or I’ll kill him.’

He knows where it is. Her thoughts came from Miller’s head.

The seer looked from one to the other. What sort of trick is this?

Her eyes flickered behind her veil. Miller saw himself through her eyes.

The gun swept round to aim at her. ‘Last warning. Where is the stone?’

A shadow formed. Taekkyon! His mind emptied in the blink of an eye. He took two steps, ducking under the pistol arm as it swung to follow him. His hand coming around from below, he gripped the seer’s wrist, knee against calf, folding the leg backwards, at the same time forcing the gun hand away from him. Miller stepped up onto the lowered thigh using it as a springboard and drove his knee straight up into his adversary’s face. The gun went off. Birds scattered from nearby trees. The Sister fell to the ground.

Oh, no – she’s been shot! Fearful, he rushed to her stricken form. Dropping to his knees beside her, he cried her name. She didn’t move. One leg had folded and tucked half beneath the upper calf of the other; he unfastened the silken cape, looking for a wound, and finding none, pressed his ear against her chest, listening for a heartbeat.

‘What are you doing, man?’ She pushed his head away. ‘I fainted, that’s all! I can’t bear violence.’

With no time for ceremony, he yanked her to her feet and then crouched by the unconscious man, searching his pockets for the car keys. Finding them, he threw the gun over the hedge. ‘Quick, get in the car.’

The car screamed in reverse gear as he swung it into the passing point. Backwards, forwards, back again, turning enough to face forwards, he then drove as quickly as the car’s suspension would allow them to go. Shadows gathered about him.

‘I thought you'd laid them to rest,’ he said, grinning.

‘So did I,’ she said, a hint of a smile on her lips.





Miller dropped her off an hour later, at the airfield. One of Kale’s bodyguards met them in the car park, and they followed him to where a private jet awaited her. After helping her aboard with her luggage, Miller embraced her.

‘Will I ever see you again, Sister?’ he asked.

She rested her forefinger on his chest, right above his tattoo. ‘Si Dios quiere,’ she said, and even though her hand was gloved, and he was wearing a jumper and shirt, her touch burned into him.

‘I’ll see you again, Sister,’ he whispered and walked back down the steps onto the concrete taxiway.

She watched his back as he descended, smiled enigmatically and turning, entered the plane.

A female flight attendant introduced herself and showed her inside.

Kale emerged from the cockpit and took over, asking, ‘Isn’t your daughter coming with you?’

‘Rosetta is making her own way.’

Sister smiled as Kale’s face darkened. ‘But they’re after her too!’

‘I know,’ she sighed. ‘But you know how it is with the young.’

‘When did she leave?’

She knew there was a time for truth and a time for lies; there was only one option. ‘An hour ago.’

‘Excuse me.’ Kale turned on his heel. ‘I’ll be back in a moment.’

Taking a seat, she looked out of the aircraft’s window. Head down, Miller crossed the strip, on his way back to the car park. She blew a kiss after him.

The distant figure of Miller stopped abruptly and turned. The jet shone in the late evening sunshine, its whole length illuminated, radiating a beam, so bright everything else paled against it. It looks like Ryan’s pencil! Shielding his eyes, he squinted, looking for her at the window. Something in his perception changed, and he saw his tiny figure standing out alone, by the runway. The link forged all those years ago, no longer denied, still in existence.





He googled the telephone number of the nearest taxi firms while he waited. Only when the plane was airborne did he call a cab. His finger poised above the keypad to make his next call, he hesitated. If she’d wanted the police involved, she would have told you.

Selecting Tanner from his contacts menu, he telephoned him.

‘John, it’s Miller. Look I’m sorry about the last few days.’ He held his mobile away from his ear while Tanner turned the air blue with a tirade.

‘Stella’s on the train with Kathy, heading for King’s Cross, I don’t know which train they caught, but they should be back in two or three hours, I would have thought. Any luck with finding Boyle, by the way?’

‘Don’t you read the papers? We’re in the middle of the biggest manhunt this country has seen for years,’ Tanner said. ‘Where are you?’

‘It’s a bit of a story, John, but if Boyle is still at large, it might be an idea to get the girls picked up from the station when they arrive, make sure they’re safe. I’ll call Stella and find out how far away they are and let you know.’

‘Between you and me, I think he’s long gone, but let me know what time and I’ll get someone to meet them.’