Sigma One (42 page)

He knew he'd catch hell if Stearns found out he'd left the two prisoners alone, but he couldn't help that. He'd be quick, and out before Stearns returned. Before rounding the corner, he took one last quick glance at his two charges to see they were still shackled and then went in. Burt saw him desperately reach for his zipper just before he went out of sight.

Burt had purposefully delayed going into the men's room with the agent, but not for the reason he had given him. He had to go as well, but it wasn't to the point of pain--not yet anyway.

He wanted some more time with Debbie to explain why he couldn't tell her everything earlier. He owed her that, and now that they were alone, he hoped he could plot an escape.

He turned to her and grabbed her shoulder making her face him. She was still pissed.

"Debbie, honey, you know I'd tell you if I could. You know that!"

"No I don't! I don't know that at all! There's just been too much happening with you--with us--that's needed explaining, but when I try to get close to you to help, you push me away. Don't you see? You're doing that now. By not telling me what you know or why they want you here you're driving me farther and farther away. Is that what you want?"

She was almost to the point of tears when she finished. She had tried to be patient with him, but she was scared--not only for him--but also for her own safety. She was caught up in whatever Burt had done and was afraid what the agents were going to do to her. She had never been in such a situation before: kidnapped, held at gunpoint, handcuffed. She had a right to know why!

Burt didn't know what to say. He looked away from her and stared across the room to search for Stearns while he tried to think. His eyes darted left, then right. It was then he spied Kamarov seated in front of a slot machine only three feet away from Debbie. Something about the stranger caught his attention. Maybe it was something he saw in his eyes. He didn't know. All he knew was that the stranger was the only one near enough to help them.

Burt looked back at Debbie. He knew he couldn't answer her question and tell her what he knew, not yet anyway. And if his current plan worked, maybe he wouldn't need to. The only way out was to try and escape, and the stranger just might be the key.

Burt looked at the brass railing to which he and Debbie were bound. The two inch diameter rail looked too sturdy to bend and there weren't any seams he could dislodge. But as he traced the rail to the floor, he saw that it was secured with only three brass screws. It might be weak enough to break at that joint if he could just get enough momentum. That's what he needed the stranger for. He knew being bound as he was to Debbie he could never get far enough away from the rail to generate enough speed to dislodge the rail from its mounting with his own weight--but with the stranger's weight combined with his, he might not need to. The trick would be getting the stranger to cooperate.

He had to act fast. Gunter would be out in a minute or two and then possibly their only opportunity for freedom would be gone. He knew he couldn't just ask the stranger for his help. The only way would be to lure the stranger into a fight, catch him off balance and pull his body into the rail from behind. Then with both their bodies used as a battering ram, the rail just might give. He hoped so anyway.

Burt didn't have time to work out the details. Instead, he moved quickly down the rail dragging Debbie with him. He stopped adjacent to Kamarov who was now silently feeding quarters into the slot machine in front of him. Kamarov was staring straight ahead and looked to Burt as if he were mesmerized by the flashing lights of the machine.

Burt reached out and grabbed Kamarov by the back of the neck digging his fingernails into his flesh as he did.

     Kamarov winced and then spun around quickly. "KGB" was the only thought that flashed through the Soviet's mind before Burt pulled him off balance. He fell into the railing and Burt lunged on top of him like a linebacker trying to recover a loose ball. Their combined weight initially didn't budge the rail. It only made it dig into Kamarov's back.

In desperation at this first failed attempt, Burt jumped back as far as his handcuffed arm would let him. He lunged forward again before Kamarov could move. This time it worked. The rail stalled, then gave way as the screws holding it to the floor ripped out. There was the sound of someone scraping his nails on a blackboard as the screws pulled loose.

Both of them hit the floor hard knocking the wind out of Kamarov and shaking Burt up as his teeth slammed together on impact. Debbie, still attached to Burt's wrist, followed right behind.

At the very instant they hit, Burt slid his hand between the rail mounting and the floor and freed himself and Debbie. He was just standing when he looked across the room and saw Huxley and Stearns.

Both men started to run toward him, Huxley yelling something Burt couldn't quite understand over the din created by the slots.

The stranger looked up white-eyed with fear. To Burt's surprise, in a very thick Eastern European accent, the stranger uttered the simple word, "Huxley!" and then scrambled to his feet almost as fast as he had earlier. The stranger ignored him seeing that Burt wasn't trying to subdue him. He didn't ignore Huxley, though.

Burt looked at the stranger and then quickly across the room to Huxley bearing down on them.

"Huxley," Burt said turning back to the stranger. "You know him?" he asked.

Kamarov didn't answer. Instead he pushed Burt aside and looked for his own escape route.

Burt reached over with his free hand and grabbed Kamarov by the arm, spinning him around. A split second later, he turned back to look at Huxley. He and Stearns were only sixty feet away; and Stearns had his gun out.

Huxley was shouting something which sounded like, "comin' off! Comin' off!" which he kept repeating over and over again as he sprinted toward them.

With each "comin' off," Huxley yelled, the stranger struggled harder and harder to free himself from Burt's grasp.

It was then Burt realized the stranger understood what Huxley was yelling. Burt saw it in his face.

Burt repeated his first question to the stranger. "You know Huxley, don't you? And you know what he's sayin'. "

Still Kamarov remained silent.

Stearns and Huxley had shrunk the distance to forty feet.

Burt lost his patience and shouted at the stranger. "I asked you a question!" Burt watched the stranger's eyes grow wider with fear as their pursuers got closer.

Still no answer.

Huxley yelled again. "Comin' off! Comin' off." Only this time something new was added. "Grayson" . Huxley was yelling "comin' off ....Grayson....Comin’ off."

It hit Burt instantly! "Comin'off" must really be "Kamarov” and must be the stranger's name.

And Huxley wanted both of them!

The distance was now only twenty-five feet. Burt could literally see the sweat on both Stearns' and Huxley's brows as they continued running toward them.

Burt stopped questioning Kamarov and began pulling him along with him as he started moving away from Stearns and Huxley. "In spite of your strange name," Burt thought, "anyone being chased by Huxley can't be all bad."

"Come on Kamarov, you're goin’ with us!" Burt yelled and then bolted forward.

Kamarov understood the American, and although he didn't know who the American was, it was obvious he and his female companion meant him no harm. Besides, they were going in the only direction available for escape from Huxley and the gun-toting agent.

Kamarov looked up and shook his head in agreement at Burt's suggestion to run.

Both men then turned their attention to their escape route. It was down a long crowded aisle lined with slot machines. Each machine had a LOLIT (little ole' lady in tennis shoes) seated in front of the one armed beggars.

Huxley and Stearns had closed the distance to fifteen feet and were right at the entrance to the bathroom when Burt, Kamarov and Debbie ducked into the aisle of slots. They didn't see what happened next.

Suddenly, Gunter stepped out.

It couldn't have been planned better by the directors of the Keystone Cops. Gunter stepped directly in front of Stearns and Huxley, and they couldn't stop!

They collided headlong with the chubby, inept agent and tumbled to the floor giving Burt, Debbie and Kamarov precious needed time.

Burt led the way through the LOLITS dragging Debbie and Kamarov behind him. When they were halfway down the aisle, he scanned in front of him.

Too late!

The aisle which appeared to bend to the right, dead-ended into a cul-de-sac lined with electronic poker machines and more LOLITS.

Burt immediately stopped, and was nearly bowled over by Debbie and the Soviet.

"We can't get out this way!" Burt cried out. "We'll have to turn around! We passed another row of slots back there which may work!"

"We'll never make it!" Debbie argued.

"Yes we will!" Burt answered as he pushed her aside and began to struggle back through the sea of LOLITS again.

Instantly, Kamarov and Debbie turned around and followed his lead. Neither expected his plan to work, but they had no alternative.Huxley, Stearns and Gunter got to their feet and entered the aisle Burt, Debbie and Kamarov were in. Stearns led the way, followed by Huxley. The two men then began to slowly pick their way through the LOLITS being as careful as they could not to jostle the blue-haired ancients on both sides of them.

Gunter, however, was not being nearly so careful, or nimble. In five steps he managed to knock over two of the old gals.

Quarters, drinks, and purses flew through the air.

The first LOLIT he knocked over, bounced to her feet and brought her knee to his groin before Gunter could do a thing to stop her.

He doubled over in pain and let out a loud groan.

The second LOLIT, seeing her attacker on the floor next to her, started screaming and pummeling him with her arthritic fists.

Burt, Debbie and Kamarov made it to the second row of slots just steps before Stearns and Huxley.

They turned the corner.

No LOLITS.

The path was clear.

They could see the door and the reflection of the huge fountain standing in front of the hotel. But to get there, they had to run past the Grand Daddy of all slot machines situated near thirty or so dollar slot machines.

Huxley and Stearns were nearly on them when Burt got an idea--a risky one, but an idea just the same.

He continued running and closed his eyes momentarily.

He linked! Not once, but thirty one times.

As they ran past, all the slots in succession began to spill their contents of coins out onto the floor. When Grand Daddy erupted, hundreds of lights flashed and sirens began to sound.

Instantly, the path behind them closed, as the hollow-eyed slot players and bystanders started falling to the floor to pick up the money. It looked like a Holy Rollers convention, except there wasn't a preacher and nobody was praisin' the Lord.

Stearns and Huxley were caught in the melee and could do nothing but watch as the trio continued their escape and went out into the night.

Eighteen hours had passed since their escape.

Burt and Debbie lay asleep in
each other’s arms on one bed, while Kamarov was sprawled out on the other.

Outside, a pimple-faced, skinny teenager on a skateboard swept his hair out of his eyes and rumbled his way past their window at the Sea Sprite Motel--a hidden little series of mustard-colored stucco buildings tucked away behind the Lighthouse Cafe one block south of Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, California.