No one in the hallway... someone in the hallway. People milling around, excited, creating a diversion. Most of the time a crowd was to the killers' advantage, not the target's, especially if the target was identifiable and one or more of the killers were not. On the other band, a target who knew precisely when and where the attack was to be made, could use a crowd to cover his run from ground-zero. An escape based on confusion, and a change of appearance. The change did not have to be much, just enough to cause indecision; indiscriminate gunfire during an execution had to be avoided.
Eight minutes. Or less. Everything was preparation. He would take his essential belongings, for when he began running, he'd have to keep running; how long and how far there was no way to tell, nor could he think about that now. He had to get out of the trap and elude four men who wanted him dead, one more dangerous than the other three for he was not sent by Washington or Moscow. He had come himself.
Bray crossed rapidly to the dead woman on the floor, dragged her to the bathroom, rolled the corpse inside, and closed the door.
He picked up the heavy-based lamp and smashed it down on the knob; the lock was jammed, the door could be opened only by breaking it down.
His clothes could be left behind. There were no laundry marks or overt evidence connecting them immediately to Brandon Scofield; fingerprints would do that, but lifting and processing them would take time. He would be far away by then-if he got out of the hotel alive. His attach6 case was something else; it contained too many tools of his profession. He closed it, spun the combination lock, and threw it on the bed. He put on his jacket and went back to the telephone. He picked it up and dialed the operator.
"This is room two-thirteen," he said in a whisper, effortlessly made to sound weak. "I don't want to alarm you, but I know the symptoms. I've had a stroke. I need help...." He let the phone crash against the table and drop to the floor.
Taleniekov put on the black overcoat, and reached down for the gray scarf, still draped around Amsterdam's throat. He yanked it off, wound it around his throat, and picked up the gray hat which had fallen beside the chair.
It was too large; he creased the crown so it covered his head less awkwardly, and started for the door, passing the closet. He spoke firmly to the couple within.
"Remain where you are and make no soundl I shall be outside in the corridor. If I hear noise, I'll come back and you'll be the worse for it." In the hall, he ran toward the main elevators, and then beyond them, to the plain dark elevator at the end of the corridor. Against the wall was a tray table used by room service. He removed his Graz-Burya from his belt, shoved it in his overcoat pocket, and pushed the button with his left hand. The red light went on above the door; the eleva-
tor was on the second floor. Marseilles was in position, waiting for Beowulf Agate, The light went off and seconds later the number 3 shone brightly, then number 4. Vasili turned around, his back to the sliding panel.
The door opened, but there were no words of recognition, no surprise expressed at the sight of the black overcoat or the gray hat. Taleniekov spun around, his finger on the trigger of his gun.
There was no one inside the elevator. He stepped in and pressed the button for the second floor.
"Sir? Sir? My God, it's the crazy one in two-thirteenl" The excited voice of the operator floated up piercingly from the telephone on the rug. "Send up a couple of boysl See what they can dol I'll call an ambulance. He's had an attack or something...." The words were cut off; the chaos had begun.
Scofield stood by the door, unlatched it and waited. No more than forty seconds passed by when he heard racing footsteps and shouts in the corridor. The door burst open; the bell captain ran in, followed by a younger, larger mana bellboy.
"Thank Christ it wasn't lockedl Where?..." Bray kicked the door shut, revealing himself to the two men. In his hand was his automatic. "No one's going to get hurt," he said calmly. "Just do exactly as I tell