Lady Death

the ugly truths she’d spoken. What had remained internal for so long, subject to endless debate, now took on a life of its own.
The thought of her father not surviving didn’t bother her. The coldness of such a realization added more shock to her system. Was this a temporary feeling? He was her father; how could she not care?
Too much damage over the years, she realized. Too much “rah-rah revolution” between him and Tanya while her objections went ignored. He’d never taken a moment to understand why she didn’t agree. He thought she was wrong; he’d tell her how wrong she was until she finally said, “Yes, Papa,” and accepted her proper place.
No.
What about the innocent people he’d killed? What about taking advantage of other people’s pain to make them kill for him? All in the name of an insane “cause” with no end in sight. Only more death and destruction.
More thoughts crashed through her mind.
How would she live after he was gone?
Why had she really stayed?
Fear of being alone?
Hoping he would turn around?
Hannah had no answers. And now it was too late.
Her father and her sister had to be stopped.
Raven drove down the underground parking ramp beneath the Radisson Blu. He parked the Audi and exited. A chill crawled up his neck. He opened his jacket for easy access to the Nighthawk Custom Talon under his left arm. The snout of the attached suppressor extended through the end of the holster.
He squatted between the Audi and the car next to his and listened.
Fluorescent lights buzzed. A hum of HVAC units rumbled above. Feet shuffled. A whisper.
An ambush.
Raven took out his gun and clicked off the safety. He didn’t want a fight here. The garage was a death trap and anybody leaving the hotel might get caught in the crossfire. He had to get to the surface. Lead his ambushers away from bystanders. He glanced over the trunk of the Audi. The ramp to the street looked about 50 yards away.
The red dot of a laser sight flashed on his chest.
Raven fired once. With no clear target, he aimed the gun at an upward angle. The snap of the suppressed .45 echoed in the concrete confines. The slug whined off a pillar. The red dot vanished. Somebody yelled. Raven broke into a run for the ramp.
Suppressed gunfire cracked behind him. The rapid phuts filled the space. Raven’s pulse raced and he ran faster. The salvo smacked the ground, nipped at his heels, and punched through cars.
Raven cut right, another salvo behind him. He reached the ramp and turned left, covered by walls on either side. The chilly night greeted him as he gained the sidewalk. He held the Nighthawk close to his leg to keep it hidden.
Traffic was light on Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse in front of the hotel. He didn’t cross the street. He jammed the gun back in its holster and ran along the sidewalk. The hotel bordered the Spree River. KLS crossed over the river. As he neared the edge where the road ended at the waterway, he saw no access under the overpass.
A glance back. Three men emerged from the underground garage. Their heads moved back and forth as they looked for him. At a break in traffic, he ran across the street. A construction zone hidden behind a cluster of trees waited. Raven reached the other side when he heard a shout.
The building under construction consisted of a wooden frame. Building materials and heavy vehicles filled the area. Raven ducked within the trees. Shadows enveloped him. The three men dodged cars and ignored horns as they followed.
The construction area would have to do. At least there was nobody present with the workday over.
And now the kill team was coming to him. If he could keep the advantage, the fight wouldn’t last long.
Raven’s shoes scratched on gravel as he ran for a forklift. A stack of two-by-fours sat on the blades of the lift. He dropped behind the wood.
The killers fanned out through the trees. They carried CZ Scorpion EVO 3 submachine guns with the stocks folded. Each weapon equipped with a suppressor.
Raven took out his gun and stretched out on the ground. The gap between the ground and the two-by-fours gave him a small view. He saw the legs of the killers as they closed the distance.
He stayed still, breathing deep.
One of the killers edged closer to the tree line. His next step would expose him as he entered the construction area. The killer stayed by the tree trunk as he scanned with his EVO 3 tucked close to his body.
The killer put a hand to his ear. The team was communicating via wireless ear buds. He lowered his hand and put it back on the Scorpion. But he didn’t move from his position. Raven had no way of seeing where the other two were. He needed to take out the first killer, grab his weapon, and search for the other pair.
Then the killer moved.
He rose, bent at the waist, and stepped into the open. Raven fired. The .45 thumped in his hand. The killer dropped face first onto the gravel. Raven fired again. He eased back from the forklift, stood, and glanced around. The other pair wasn’t in sight. But it didn’t mean they wouldn’t see him when he broke cover too.
Raven took the chance. He raced around the forklift, extended the Nighthawk to his right. No shots came his way. He reached the dead killer, grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged the man into the cover of the trees.
Raven put away his gun. He took the Scorpion and searched the killer’s pockets for more magazines. He found two spares in the man’s jacket. They held 20 rounds and had clear plastic on each side to show the number of rounds. Raven put the magazines in his own jacket pockets.
Raven stayed in the trees as he moved left. Street noise covered his approach. He neared the partially constructed building.
The two remaining gunmen weren’t