the Hunted (1977) (30 page)

"Tell them I want to see all three of them," Davi
s said. "If I come out, I don't want anybody stayin g back there behind the wall. All three of them hav e to come out."

Mel shrugged. It didn't make any difference t
o him. He looked at Mati and said something an d Mati started back toward the fence. They had give n Mati something to do.

"You understand? All three of them," Davi
s said.

Mel was nodding. "He'll tell them."

"They give me the money and I'll give the
m Rosen." Davis waited, making sure the lawye r heard him. "I'll even bring him out."

Mel was alert again, studying the windows.

"You mean when you leave, they won't have to g
o in and get him?"

"I said I'll bring him out."

"Well--what does he have to say about that?"

"Nothing," Davis said.

Mel hesitated. "I don't quite understand."

"You don't have to. Go tell them."

"Just a minute," Mel said. He hurried back toward the stone fence.

Davis looked over at Tali. "You ready?"

The girl nodded, holding on tight to the shotgu
n resting on the window ledge.

"There are some other ways," Davis said, "bu
t none that I like. Is it all right with you?"

The girl nodded again, afraid to speak.

"Then let's do it," Davis said.

He lowered the Mauser, resting it against th
e windowsill next to the girl, and walked over t o where Rosen's body lay on the floor.

They came with the lawyer and Mati walking i
n front of them: Valenzuela and Teddy carrying th e submachine guns at their sides; Rashad in the middle with a canvas athletic bag. The rest of the money would be in the bag, if Davis wanted to see it.

And a gun, Davis thought, watching them. H
e was holding Rosen in his arms, the body ben t enough to appear natural from a distance, the hea d stiffly erect against Davis' shoulder. He tried not t o look at Rosen's face. He stepped over the couc h blocking the doorway and crossed the patio to th e yard.

They saw him now. They were looking at him
, the five of them coming across the grass from th e fence, Davis approaching them from the deser t house to meet where the money was. The five me n arrived first. Mati walked aside. The lawyer wa s more subtle. He began picking up hundred-dolla r bills as he moved away from them.

Valenzuela, at about thirty feet, said, "What'
s the matter with him?"

Davis didn't answer. He approached to withi
n ten feet, almost to the open briefcase, before sinking to one knee and lowering Rosen's body to the ground. He remained there, looking up at them. H
e wished the two with the machine guns were standing together and not separated by Rashad. Their clothes were dusty and stained with sweat marks.

They were dark figures with the sun behind them.

The sun was all right, it didn't bother him. It outlined them cleanly. They had not taken their eyes off Rosen. Davis remained on one knee, his lef t hand resting on Rosen's hands.

"Well," Rashad said, "here we are." He wa
s holding the canvas bag in front of him now, hi s hand inside the opening. Looking at Rosen's face , the closed eyes, he said, "What'd you bother for?"

In the moment before it happened, Davis coul
d see it happening.

He said, "We bring out our dead."

He lifted Rosen's hands, drew the Colt .38 fro
m beneath the compress bandage, and shot Rashad i n the chest as the man's hand was coming out of th e bag. Davis saw him punched sideways, but couldn'
t wait to see if he was going down.

He shot Valenzuela in the stomach and in th
e chest as the Uzi was pointing at him, the Uzi goin g up in the air as Valenzuela was socked hard an d Davis knew he was out of it.

Somebody was yelling something, the one wit
h the scarf tied over his hair like a pirate.

He shot Teddy in the face as Teddy was crouching to fire and saw his arms go up with the Uzi, his chest exposed, and shot him again, in the chest.

He had to get to Rashad because he wasn't sur
e of Rashad, and by the time he put the Colt on him , shit, he was a moment too late, the Colt pointing a t a Beretta. The Beretta fired first and Davis felt i t this time--not like the time getting in the Medeva c with the blood pouring out of his leg--he felt th e bullet tear into his thigh, the same leg, three time s now, leg wounds, three times and out of it, home , as he held the Colt on Rashad with Rashad lookin g at it and shot him four times in the chest. There.

One round left in the Colt and he didn't need Dr.

Morris' revolver stuck in his pants. It was uncomfortable. He pulled it out and dropped it on the ground. He was aware of the silence. He looked a t Valenzuela and the other one, knowing they wer e dead, and shoved the Colt into the shoulder holste r and tried to stand up, then had to try again befor e he made it. His leg didn't hurt yet, it was a reaction , seeing the blood and afraid to touch the leg, afrai d it might shatter if he stood on it; but he was all righ t now, he was up. He was sweating a lot.

Mati came over to him first and tried to hel
p him, offering to hold him up; but he was okay h e told Mati. He heard Mel's voice and heard Tali. Sh e was saying, "David . . ." coming out to them. It always surprised him when he heard her say hi s name.

Mel was picking up the rest of the loose bills, putting them in the briefcase. He took the canvas bag from Rashad, trying to do it without touching him.

Mel said, "Wow," reverently, then said it a fe
w more times. "I don't believe it. Christ, I was standing right there--you know how long that took?

About eight seconds, no more than ten." H
e walked over toward Davis, looking down at Rosen.

"I'm very sorry about Rosie, but--well, what ca
n you say, uh?" Now he was looking at Davis.

"Are you all right?"

"I will be."

Davis looked at Tali and smiled at her worrie
d expression. He was stooped slightly, holding hi s thigh, pressing his hand against it. In a minute he'
d go in the house and take a look and get it cleane d up. The bullet was still in his leg and he'd have t o go to the hospital in Eilat, but it didn't hurt at al l right now. He'd worry about the hospital later.

"When I say the company is gonna be mos
t grateful to you, that's an understatement," Me l said. "And I know they won't question my givin g you this. In fact, we spoke before about gettin g these funds back home, which we can discuss agai n later on. Sergeant, with my deepest gratitude." H
e extended a pack of hundred-dollar bills to Davis.

"What's that?"

"Ten thousand dollars," Mel said. "You earne
d it."

Davis said, "All this, it's the money that was sen
t to Rosen, right?"

Tali stepped in. "You brought it to the hote
l yourself. You saw it."

He said to Mel, "So it isn't company money anymore, is it?"

"Well, insofar as it's recovered money," Mel said.

"Recovered from what?" Davis said. "The
y took Rosen's money from you and gave it to me.

What I want to know is, how come you're offerin
g me some of my own money?"

"Now wait a minute," Mel said. "All we're really talking about is a reward. And I mean ten big ones, not a few bucks."

Davis reached over and took the briefcase fro
m him, brought his hand up bloody from the wound , and took the canvas bag.

"I don't think I need a reward," Davis said.

"Why don't I just settle for what's mine?"

Mel wasn't sure if he was serious and tried t
o smile. He said, "Hey, come on. You can't just wal k off with a hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars, for Christ sake."

"Why not?" Davis said.

It seemed that simple. Why not?