Miss No One Mark Ayre (children's books read aloud TXT) 📖

game doesn't end till either you or I lie dead. You must see that?"

She read the situation in much the same way but shook her head none the less.

"I'm Abbie King," she said.

"Don't you think I know that by now?"

"Yeah, and that's my point. Since I've been doing this, going against scum like you, I've stood alone. I've been Abbie King. What about you? People tremble at the mere thought of the Beckers, but that's the way the cops and your victims describe you: the Beckers. The mum and her three children. You were so tight none of you kids ever got married, ever had little ones of your own. Let's face it, the Becker family were so much more than the sum of their parts. As for me, I'm a one part operation. I'm the complete package."

"Not for long," said Orion. "Not when you're dead."

"Oh, Give it up," said Abbie. "Even if I die here, you're done, and you know it. You'll have to slink back into hiding, and you could never resurface. It's over for you, so let the girl go. Surrender."

Still shaking his head, Orion said, "It's never over. You called one thing right, and that's how tight me and my siblings and my mum were. The Becker family. Yeah. Watching my sister die broke my heart all over again. I don't know how to go on without her, without my brother, my mum. But you know what? I can't go to prison, and I ain't ready to die, which only leaves one option. I got to get out of here, and I got to do it now." He pressed the gun more tightly to Isabella's head. "Move, or I kill her."

"You kill her, and I kill you."

"But you won't let her die."

"And you can't let yourself die, so where does that leave us? An impasse, I reckon."

Orion's hand was shaking.

"Three seconds," he said, "or I do it."

Abbie had no doubt Orion feared death. He knew Abbie would kill him if he put a bullet in Isabella, but he was unhinged, grief-stricken. Men and women in the grips of significant loss were the hardest to predict. Sometimes, they made moves that went entirely against their self-interest.

But Abbie had to take the risk. Her gun was aimed at Orion's chest; to drive the point home about her determination, she retargeted it at his head.

"Pull that trigger, sign your death warrant."

Ndidi was up. He stood outside the door but right behind Abbie, who half expected him to try and convince Abbie to stand aside.

But he had gone against her too many times. It had to be killing the detective, but he was letting Abbie call the shots on this occasion.

"We'll see," said Orion. "Three... two... one..."

Winston rushed into the control room and grabbed Moore's radio. Unbeknownst to Orion, he had a channel reserved for him and his last two guys, Victor and Xavier.

"Xave, keep in that tower and put a bullet in any unfriendly who leaves the building. Vic, you in position?"

"I'm here, Win."

"Fine. Hold for my go."

Even through the black smoke, Winston could make out the shape of Xavier atop the guard tower. He only hoped Xavier's vision wasn't so impeded by the exploded car that he would fail to make any necessary shot. Raising his hand in salute, Winston rushed to the tube building's control room end entrance. Behind him, down the grassy verge, were two cars. Rachel had the keys to Moore’s car, but the other, the larger, belonged to Winston, and he had the keys. That was their only escape route now.

Winston had considered fleeing with his guys. It wasn't like Orion would be pleasant company now his plan had collapsed. Besides, Winston was starting to believe Abbie immortal.

But the Beckers were worth a lot of money to Win. More than that, this was about professional pride. Winston couldn't retreat. Not this time.

Pressing the radio to his lips, Winston spoke in a whisper to Victor.

"On my count. Three... two... one..."

"Zero."

Orion finished his count. No one moved.

"Come on," said Abbie. "That's enough now."

At either end of the building, external doors burst in. A shot was fired.

Keeping her gun on Orion, Abbie turned as Ndidi jumped through the door into the room. He appeared unharmed.

"Orion, Rachel. Time to move."

Abbie recognised the voice. Smoker. And by the sounds, he had a colleague coming in with him.

"Winston," said Orion, his voice still delirious, "I'm on my way."

Abbie's mind whirred, perhaps distracted by the news Smoker was called Winston, but Orion acted immediately. Hauling Isabella off the ground, he started shuffling towards the door, moving in an arc, keeping his gun pressed to the whimpering child's skull.

"Stand back," he said, then he screamed it. "Stand back."

Ndidi was up. With a firm hand, he took Abbie's arm and tugged her. Her gun still aimed at Orion, she did move back. She watched as Orion scuttled across the room and slipped through the door into the corridor.

"Feel free to follow," Orion was saying, "but if you shoot, the girl dies."

Orion was moving towards the exit. Abbie stepped to the frame of the door but not into the hall. Winston and Orion were at one end of the building; another unfriendly was at the other. They probably wouldn't shoot for fear of hitting one another, but Abbie couldn't risk it.

Abbie listened as Winston left through one exit, followed by Orion and Isabella. Now Abbie did step into the hall and spun for Winston's man.

He had his gun raised. They were in a stand-off, but Winston's man was retreating towards his exit. The guy didn't shoot but smiled, waved, and stepped outside.

"Oh, no," said Ndidi.

"It's not over yet," said Abbie. "Follow me."

Rushing towards the exit just taken by Orion and Winston, Abbie barged through the external doors and stepped outside. By this point, the flaming engine of Evans' car was burning out. The smoke still billowed but was not quite so thick, so black, as once it had been.

Still facing