"I know you're in here," he said in a deep, throaty voice. "Your savior arrived, so I have no time to deal with you. You know what I want. We shall meet again."
The prospect was not appealing.
"Your husband was unreasonable, too. He was made a similar offer eleven years ago with regard to the journal and refused."
She was stung by the man's words. She knew that she should remain silent, but there was no way. Not now. "What do you know of my husband?"
"Enough. Let's leave it at that."
She heard him walk away.
MALONE SAW LEATHER JACKET STEP FROM ONE OF THE SIDE chapels.
"Stop," he called out.
The man whirled and leveled his gun.
Malone dove toward a set of steps that led to another room jutting from the cathedral and rolled down half a dozen stone risers.
Three bullets smacked off the walls above him.
Malone scampered back up, ready to return fire, but Leather Jacket was a hundred feet away, running toward the rear vestibule, turning for the other side of the church.
Malone came to his feet and trotted forward.
"Stephanie," he called out.
"Here, Cotton."
He saw his old boss appear at the far side of the chapel. She walked toward him, a stony expression spread over her calm face. Sirens could be heard outside.
"I suggest we get out of here," he said. "There are going to be a lot of questions and I have the feeling you're not going to want to answer any of them."
"You got that right." She brushed by him.
He was just about to suggest that they use one of the other exits when the main doors were flung open and uniformed police swarmed inside. He still held his gun and they spotted it immediately.
Feet were planted and automatic weapons raised.
He and Stephanie froze.
"Hen til den landskab. Nu," came the command. To the ground. Now.
"What do they want us to do?" Stephanie asked.
Malone dropped his gun and started down to his knees. "Nothing good."