Part 24 (2/2)

Ken sighed. ”For all the good it did him.”

”We might be wrong. He might be okay.”

They turned a corner and saw the dark pools of blood. Annja knelt and used a sc.r.a.p of wood to poke the liquid. It was thick and sticky. She looked up at Ken.

”It's a couple of hours old. Already congealed,” she said.

He nodded and poked his head around another corner.

Annja heard him gasp.

”Ken?”

He ducked back around and faced her. ”He's not okay.”

Annja brushed past him and looked. Jiro was seated in a chair in a large tub that had been filled with water. A car battery sat nearby with leads running up to alligator clips that had been attached to Jiro at extremely intimate parts of his body.

Jiro's lifeless eyes stared at her.

Annja blinked and looked away.

Ken's hand was firm on her shoulder. ”He didn't give us up easily.”

”Who would do this?”

Ken shook his head. ”I don't know. But when I find out, I'll kill them. If not for the vajra vajra, then for Jiro.”

25.

”I'm sorry for your loss.”

Ken nodded, bowing his head for a moment. ”He was a good kid. A little on the dodgy side, but he sure didn't deserve this.”

”No one does,” Annja said. ”And we'll make sure whoever did this doesn't get to do it to anyone else.”

”It's my fight,” Ken said. ”It's not right for me to ask you to come along any further.”

”Don't be ridiculous,” Annja said.

Ken shook his head. ”Between last night and this, no, I can't ask it of you. You've been great so far, but this is getting out of control. These people will apparently stop at nothing to get the vajra vajra.”

”If you think I'm backing out now-”

”Maybe Taka was right. Maybe the vajra vajra shouldn't be disturbed at all. Maybe it should just be left alone where no one else can find it,” Ken said. shouldn't be disturbed at all. Maybe it should just be left alone where no one else can find it,” Ken said.

”You really think it's safe anymore?” Annja asked. ”After all of this, these people are closer to it than ever before simply by virtue of tagging along on our coattails.”

”What are you saying?”

”That you can't simply disengage from the hunt now. Because you started it, you've got to see it through to the end. Or else the wrong people will be able to find it. And I don't think you want that happening.”

Ken nodded. ”You're right, of course.”

”Yes. I am.”

He smiled. ”Thanks for being so modest.”

Annja touched his arm. ”Enough of this. We need to get going or there's a chance-”

Ken stopped her. ”Wait!”

Annja heard it, too. In the distance, the sound of wailing sirens broke the early-morning quiet.

”Think they're headed this way?”

”We can't stick around to find out,” he said. He headed to the window and looked out. ”They're already here!” He turned and ran to Annja. ”Come on.” He grabbed her by the hand and led her toward the elevator but stopped when he heard the clamor of footsteps and shouts from below.

Annja pulled up short. ”They'll call the elevator.”

Ken scrambled around looking for a stick. He found a ski pole and jammed it in the elevator winch. ”That should stop them for a few minutes.” He turned and ran back into Jiro's loft with Annja close on his heels.

”Is there a back way out of here?” she asked.

Ken nodded. ”I thought Jiro to always have an escape hatch. I know he put one in place.”

”Shame he couldn't have used it last night.”

”I think they somehow caught him by surprise,” Ken said. ”But I'll find out when we catch up with them.”

Annja could hear the groan and whine as the elevator call b.u.t.ton was repeatedly pushed and the elevator strained against the ski pole.

The police officers were calling from down below.

”What are they shouting?” Annja said.

”Something about the building being surrounded,” Ken said. ”You know, the usual.”

Annja smirked. At least he had his sense of humor intact. ”You think they mean it?”

”I don't know. I'm not sure why they're even here unless someone spotted the door and called them about that. I don't think they'd mobilize the whole force for a simple breaking and entering.”

”But again, we won't be around to find out.”

”Right.” Ken rummaged in a closet and after tossing a few boxes out of the way, he reemerged with a frown. ”Where is it?”

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