Night Kill (Private Investigator Andrew Knight Mystery Series) (26 page)

As planned Nick had managed to lose the police that were following him. He had just entered the station when he saw Otto running towards the train platforms. Nick also saw that Andrew and Emma had just boarded the “Red Train” Thalys for Zwickau

Andrew hustled Emma onto the train when he saw Otto rushing towards them. Andrew also saw Nick. The voice on the speaker announced that the train was now departing.

Otto saw Andrew and the woman board the train. He sped up his pace to get on the train and stop Andrew before he got away. He had just reached the steps when the train began pulling out of the station.

Nick was almost to the train when he was pounced on by several uniformed police officers. They pushed Nick to the floor to restrain him. He looked up to see Andrew moving towards the back of the train. Otto was closing the gap between them.

Andrew was practically at a full run. He glanced back for a second to see Otto getting even closer. The train was picking up speed and the scenery began to move past still faster as it headed on the way. Andrew had just reached the door of the last passenger car and was about to enter the sleeping compartments sections.

Nick’s heart sunk when he saw the train leave the station. Andrew was certain to be captured by Otto. There was no way he could escape. The uniformed officers shoved Nick along as they approached the exit. If Andrew did manage to escape Otto, he would have to face the Knights of VanHelsing alone. That prospect worried Nick greatly.

Andrew rushed past the sleeping compartments and paused briefly at the exit door. He looked back to see if Otto had caught up with him, but he hadn’t. Andrew exited the sleeping car, crossed the platform and forced open the door to the baggage car. He quickly closed it behind him. He threw down the duffle bag and began to strip off the beard and wig.

Andrew knew he only had a few minutes before Otto arrived.

Otto exited the last sleeping car. The rush of the wind from the speeding train almost sucked him out. He had to hold on tightly to the railing of the steps. Otto pushed open the door to the baggage car and jumped inside.

Andrew had managed to change his clothes and identity, but it was too late. When he turned around, Andrew saw Otto standing there.

Otto pointed his gun at Andrew. It was the end of the chase and he was glad. Otto moved away from the door, all the time keeping his distance but gun trained on Andrew. He was well aware of Andrew’s martial arts skills and wanted to keep as far away as possible.

“I have you now,” Otto spat out his disgust for Andrew. “How could you do that to Fredrick? How could you shoot him from behind like that? You are a coward!”

“I didn’t do it,” Andrew answered in his own defense. “Talia shot him to protect me.” Andrew moved closer, but Otto threatened him with the gun. Andrew retreated. “Fred was a Knight of VanHelsing. He and the two others with him were kidnapping Kara. I had trailed them to the place by the river.”

“Liar!” Otto cursed. “I knew Fredrick since he was a young boy. I would have known if he were one.”

“Was Fredrick ever gone for at least a year or more?” Andrew asked.

“Ya,” Otto answered. “But he told me it was for school.”

“That’s when he had his training,” Andrew said.

“Just shut up,” Otto threatened with his gun. He reached for a pair of handcuffs on his belt and tossed them at Andrew. “Put them on,” Otto ordered.

“I will not.” Andrew threw them to the floor.

“Pick them up,” Otto stared wild-eyed at Andrew.

The door opened unexpectedly, causing both of them to look. Before Otto or Andrew could react, they were attacked. Otto tried to fire his gun, but one sword blade tore it from his grasp and the other slashed him across the chest. Otto stumbled as blood began to seep through his once white shirt. Andrew had just managed to grab his duffle bag as a shield only seconds before the Knight of VanHelsing swung at him with both razor-sharp blades. Instead of Andrew being ripped to shreds, it was the duffle bag that was ripped to shreds instead. Andrew instantaneously tossed aside the bag and followed it with a round house kick. He caught their attacker in the back and the force of the blow sent them reeling towards the door. They hit the door with a loud thud and stumbled to their knees. Otto’s shirt front was drenched with blood as he rushed to get his gun. The Knight recovered quickly and with one final attack, ran Otto through with the blade. Andrew screamed out his anguish as Otto lurched forward when the blade was withdrawn. Otto stared expressionlessly at Andrew as he coughed up blood. The Knight of VanHelsing pushed Otto down to the floor with their boot. Andrew now faced them alone.

“Let’s make it fair,” Andrew bowed respectfully.

“Agreed,” she said. She tossed Andrew the sword.

Andrew looked over the blade he held in his hand. “I’ve never had much use for one of these,” Andrew lowered the blade.

“Then it will be over with soon,” she answered back.

Andrew immediately raised his blade to counter her first strike. She parlayed the blade to the right, but Andrew blocked it again. With each strike Andrew countered with his own move. They circled each other as the sound of clashing metal resounded throughout the baggage car. Andrew went on the attack with blade strikes and kick combinations driving her up against the luggage netting. She tried to counter, but with every thrust of her sword Andrew blocked, with his own moves. In desperation, she brought her knee up and caught Andrew unexpectedly in the groin. He tumbled to the floor, writhing in agony. Seizing the opportunity, she raised her blade and rushed forward. She drove her sword downwards towards Andrew’s unprotected chest. At the same moment Andrew drove his sword upward driving it into her, just inches below the body armor she wore. The sword slipped out of her hand and to the floor. She stared in utter disbelief at the sword protruding from her belly.

“I never said I didn’t know how to use one,” Andrew said withdrawing the blade. She crumbled to the floor mortally wounded. Andrew rose to his feet and tossed the sword away. He grasped hold of her mask and tore it off. Andrew recognized her. She was the hotel desk clerk that had checked them into the hotel.

“They…they know you are coming,” She choked up blood and it ran down the corners of her mouth.

“It doesn’t matter,” Andrew replied unemotionally. “Now it’s personal.” Andrew bent down on one knee in front of her. “All I wanted to do was to bring Wyatt back to Bayport. The Knights of VanHelsing made it worse by bringing him to Germany.”

“You…you will surely die,” She shivered violently.

“What’s your name?” Andrew asked.

“Hannah,” she gasped with a whimper.

“It didn’t have to come to this Hannah,” Andrew grasped her by the shoulders. “I’m…” Andrew didn’t even have a chance to say he was sorry. Hannah’s face lost all expression and she went limp, and gently slipped from his grasp to the floor. She was dead. Andrew rose to his feet again. He knew that Hannah already had to be on the train waiting for them to arrive. She couldn’t have been in the passenger cars, because he would have seen her. So that meant that Hannah had booked a sleeping compartment. It was the only possible way for Hannah to change unnoticed. So Hannah’s sleeping compartment had to be close to the baggage car. Andrew retrieved Otto’s gun and extra clips. He rummaged through his shredded duffle bag for his passport and a few other things he needed. Andrew paused at the door and took one last look around. There was no sign of him being in the baggage car. Andrew opened the door and slipped out. He went to find Hannah’s compartment.

Andrew entered the sleeping car again. As he walked along, Andrew would pause at each door to listen. After several unsuccessful attempts, and when he was at the last door, Andrew heard someone about to exit the compartment.

The train was nearing the station in Zwickau and it was one of Günter’s duties as a porter to check the baggage car. It wasn’t one of his most important or favorite duties, but nonetheless important.

Günter had just exited the last sleeping car when he noticed that the lock on the door to the baggage car was damaged. He first called on his walkie talkie for assistance, opened the door and stepped inside.

The horrific site that greeted him caused Günter to immediately exit for some fresh air.

“Hilfe!! Hilfe!” Günter screamed into his walkie talkie. “Helfen Sie mir gleich jetzt!” Günter felt sick and dropped to his knees. He vomited. Never had he seen, in all his years as Porter, such a terrible sight.

Unexpectedly, the train came to a metal grinding stop and it nearly caused Günter to fall from the platform. Fortunately, he was able to grasp hold of the railing in time.

Günter heard the sirens of the approaching police cars. He was greatly relieved, and knew that now everything would be alright.

Captain Brewster of the Zwickau police department boarded the train. His officers had already secured the passengers and crew. Minutes earlier, they had received an emergency call from the Conductor that one of his Porters had discovered the bloody bodies of a man and woman in the baggage car. Captain Brewster disliked the thought of those suspicious deaths occurring within his jurisdiction. There hadn’t been anything like this in Zwickau for quite some time.

Some of the passengers wore angry faces at being inconvenienced by the whole mess. Captain Brewster strode with an air of authority through the passenger cars. Others looked concerned or frightened from not knowing exactly what was going on. One woman in particular struck an odd chord with him by her nervous behavior. She was seated alone and kept staring back in the direction of the baggage car. Did she know something? Was she still waiting for someone? Captain Brewster signaled one of his officers to stand guard over her. He continued towards the baggage car.

A young man with short cropped blonde hair was sitting down on the platform drinking some water. Captain Brewster wasn’t much for small talk or pleasantries.

“Captain Yuri Brewster” Captain Brewster announced. “What happened here?”

“I was supposed to check the baggage car before arriving in Zwickau,” Günter explained. “I saw that the lock was broken and went to investigate. And that’s when I saw the two people dead in the baggage car.”

“I’ll be right back,” Yuri informed him. He opened the door to the baggage car and stepped boldly inside.

Chapter 14

There were indeed two people dead on the floor of the baggage car. One was an older man, the other a young woman. There were two blood stained swords along with a shredded duffle bag.

Yuri knelt beside the woman first. She was dressed entirely in black from head to toe. Yuri opened the long black leather coat to reveal a leather belt with a crossbow clipped to it along with a scabbard full of arrows. There was also a leather sheath with a dagger still in it. Yuri patted her down and felt something underneath her blouse. He opened a few buttons to discover that she was wearing body armor, and had been stabbed just below where it ended. Yuri took his walkie talkie and ordered to have a crime scene team come to the baggage car. He rose to his feet and walked over to the man.

The man was dressed professionally in a suit and overcoat. Yuri knelt down and rolled the man to his side. He patted the man down and removed what appeared to be a leather wallet from the man’s overcoat pocket. But instead, when Captain Brewster opened it and inside there was a police badge. It identified him as Lieutenant Gunderson of the Berlin police department. This was the same Lieutenant Gunderson that had contacted him about the operation to go to Gothica and the Knights of VanHelsing. Captain Brewster glanced back at the woman. He realized now, that the way she was dressed, matched the description Lieutenant Gunderson had given him of a Knight of VanHelsing. Yuri also noticed that Lieutenant Gunderson’s service piece was missing. So he instantly surmised that a third person was involved in this whole mess. Captain Brewster spoke again into his walkie to secure all passengers, including the ones in the sleeping cars. Captain Brewster jumped up and exited the baggage car. He ordered Günter to come with him.

Yuri and Günter entered the sleeping car and had just started down the hallway when a man burst out of one of the sleeping compartments.

“That man tried to attack me!” he blurted out with the door open.

“Step aside,” Yuri ordered. He entered the sleeping compartment.

The man on the floor was unconscious and beside him was Lieutenant Gunderson’s missing gun. Yuri knelt down and retrieved the man’s passport. The photo and information identified him as Andrew Knight. This was the man being sought in the death of the police sergeant from the Berlin police.

“May I see your papers please?” Yuri rose and walked over to the man. He gave up the passport. Yuri opened it.

“Exactly what happened here Mister Schultz,” Yuri asked referring to the passport. “Mister Eric Schultz.”

“There was a knock at the door,” he explained. “When I opened it, that man there forced me back inside.”

“How did you subdue him?” Yuri curiously asked.

“He was watching out the window and I hit him over the head,” Eric replied. “I had taken some self-defense classes and, well, used it to knock him out.

“Well,” Yuri said handing him back his passport. “This man is suspected of killing a police officer in Berlin. It was very brave of you, but stupid to take this man on.”