Part 48 (1/2)

”You and your bright ideas,” Buonarotti said to the priest. ”I can't see a f.u.c.king thing.”

”Then neither can Lucky,” Gabriel said. ”We'll slip past him.”

And then a familiar voice at the far end of the church shouted, ”Police! Weapons down! Police! Weapons down! Police! Drop your weapons! Drop your weapons! I'm a cop!” I'm a cop!”

Lopez! Every cell in my body got a flood of renewed energy as I recognized the voice. Every cell in my body got a flood of renewed energy as I recognized the voice.

”Hey, I'm not armed!” Lucky shouted. ”Don't shoot! I am not armed!”

”That liar liar,” Buonarotti muttered.

”Lopez!” I cried.

”Esther! Stay down!” He didn't even sound surprised to hear my voice. ”Lucky, is that you?” he called.

”Yeah. Watch out! Buonarotti's the killer! He's so off his rocker, he'll whack a cop!”

”Where is he?” Lopez's voice was coming from a new position. He was getting closer to us.

”I think he's up in the gallery,” Lucky called.

The doppelgangster drew in a sharp breath through its nostrils, thinking this meant itself.

”What's wrong with the lights?” Lopez shouted.

”Not sure,” Lucky replied.

”s.h.i.+t! I don't have a flashlight.” I don't have a flashlight.”

”Listen, cop!” the doppelgangster shouted, its mouth so close to my ear that I flinched. ”I've got your girlfriend!”

”Who the f.u.c.k is that? that?” said Buonarotti in the darkness.

In the dormitory hallway behind us, on the other side of the door we had come through, I heard a man shout, ”Police! Weapons down! NYPD! Drop your weapons! This is the police!” Weapons down! NYPD! Drop your weapons! This is the police!”

The doppelgangster shouted down to Lopez, his voice carrying through the darkness, ”I've got her right here, and I'll blow her head off!”

”He's lying! His gun's empty!” Lucky said.

To clarify the situation, the doppelgangster fired a shot.

”Holy s.h.i.+t!” said Lucky.

”Who the f.u.c.k is is that?” said Buonarotti. that?” said Buonarotti.

”Lucky,” I shouted, ”there's a dopp-agh!” The hand on my throat tightened.

”Esther?” Lopez shouted. ”Esther!”

At our backs, on the other side of the door, the cop again called, ”Police! Drop your weapons now! now!”

”Esther!” Lopez shouted, his voice coming closer. Something crashed to the floor. ”G.o.dd.a.m.n it! Don't any any of these lights work?” of these lights work?”

The doppelgangster ordered, ”Throw down your gun and get on the floor facedown, cop! I'm getting out of here! I've got your woman! You get in my way, and I swear to G.o.d, I will will kill her!” kill her!”

”Esther!” Lopez shouted. Lopez shouted.

”Answer him,” the doppelgangster said. ”Tell him to let us pa.s.s.”

I was coughing, unable to speak. In the hallway behind me, I heard a scuffle, a faint thud, and then a groan. The door behind us opened.

”Esther! G.o.dd.a.m.n it, where are you? Esther! Esther!” And then Lopez screamed, ”I want LIGHTS!” ”I want LIGHTS!”

The lights came on, blazing throughout the church. The sudden brightness made my captor and me both flinch. I squeezed my eyes shut as they stung and watered. The creature dragged me closer to the door behind us, ensuring that we remained s.h.i.+elded from Lopez's sight by the dramatic velvet curtains that framed the broad balcony.

”Freeze!” Lopez shouted, presumably at Buonarotti, who now stood exposed on the balcony with light blazing gloriously down upon him. Lopez shouted, presumably at Buonarotti, who now stood exposed on the balcony with light blazing gloriously down upon him.

”What the f.u.c.k . . . f.u.c.k . . .” Buonarotti said.

As my eyes adjusted, I saw the mobster staring at me with an expression of appalled amazement. Then I realized he wasn't staring at me me.

The doppelgangster sucked in its breath. ”What the f.u.c.k . . . f.u.c.k . . .”

Buonarotti's gaze flashed to the disheveled priest who stood blinking and s.h.i.+elding his eyes, only an arm's length away from him. The snarl of murderous hatred on Buonarotti's face revealed that he knew his partner had betrayed him. He screamed-an inarticulate bellow of rage-and started beating Gabriel.

”Freeze!” Lopez shouted somewhere below the two men on the balcony. ”Freeze!” ”Freeze!”

The gangster knocked down Father Gabriel, then reached for the candelabra I had knocked over earlier tonight.

”I'll shoot!” Lopez warned. Lopez warned.

”I'll kill you, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

”Don't do it!” Lopez shouted.

Buonarotti picked up the candelabra and screamed at the cowering priest. ”I'll kill you!” ”I'll kill you!”

A gunshot went off.

Buonarotti cried out and staggered back, and blood rolled down his arm. I didn't understand what was happening for a moment. Then I realized that Lopez had shot him.

Undeterred by his bullet wound, Buonarotti stumbled back toward the priest, screaming, ”I'll kill you, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I'll kill you!”

”Stop!” Lopez warned. ”Don't make me shoot you twice!” Lopez warned. ”Don't make me shoot you twice!”

The priest turned to run this way, apparently forgetting there was a doppelgangster in his path. Not to mention a woman who had just beaten the s.h.i.+t out of him.

He stopped suddenly in his tracks, staring in sorrowful defeat. But he wasn't looking at us. He was looking past us.

”I was good, wasn't I?” he said, his voice flat.