“That is all I have,” Dariux replied, his voice calm but his body ready to spring to action. He counted on the muggers’ desire for a swift exchange and disappearance into the night. The square was deserted now, but someone could happen by at any moment. Lingering was dangerous for them.
“Dunno about that. Slim! We better search him, make sure he is not keeping valuables from us.”
Not in a hurry, then. He had no other valuables, but he could not risk them discovering the listening device. That was unknown technology in these times, and he couldn’t leave it behind.
“Now, see here. I have given you my valuables as you asked, because I don’t want any trouble. But I won’t submit to a search. Run away with what you’ve got if you don’t want a fight on your hands.”
The thugs laughed, discounting the threat. The more fools they.
The smaller thug launched at him, attempting to restrain him. But Dariux was prepared. They would quickly learn he was no easy prey. His training in the art of self-defense took over, and he reacted with lightning speed. In a fluid motion, he evaded the thug’s grasp, spinning gracefully to gain a tactical advantage.
As the thug stumbled forward, Dariux seized the moment. He delivered a swift, well-placed punch to the thug’s jaw. The impact echoed through the night like a crack of thunder. The assailant’s eyes rolled back as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious and defeated.
The big thug snarled, watching his comrade fall. With a desperate urgency, he came at him, brandishing the knife. Dariux almost smiled at the clumsy attempt. He lunged forward, quick as a striking snake, disarming the thug with a precise strike that sent the weapon clattering to the cobblestones.
With a powerful kick to the thug’s midsection, Dariux sent him sprawling, his breath knocked out of him. Another well-placed blow to the jaw rendered him as unconscious as his partner.
In the silence that ensued, Dariux bent and retrieved his wallet and watch from the ground where they had landed. But as the adrenaline ebbed, a searing pain in his arm informed him he had not escaped unscathed. In the dim moonlight, he noted a gash across his forearm inflicted by the knife during the struggle.
He assessed the injury. His arm was throbbing with pain, and blood poured from the wound, but he didn’t think it was deep. He flexed his fingers, relieved to find everything seemed to work well. Regardless, he knew he needed immediate attention, if only to prevent infection.
The Langham was but a block away. He just needed to get to their room, and Kalli would see to the wound. But the blood trickled down his arm, staining the cobblestones beneath him. Damn it. He couldn’t stroll through the lobby like this. That would call undue attention.
Yanking at his necktie with the other hand, he wound it around his arm. With gritted teeth, he bound the wound as tightly as he could manage, wincing at the pain that surged through him. At least the bleeding was controlled. Enough to avoid any attention on the way to the room.
CHAPTER 21
The clock on the mantelpiecewas getting on her nerves with its relentless tick-tock-ing. Kalli looked up at the hour as she rolled her shoulders. It had not been that long since Dariux left to do his daily surveillance, but she felt a pricking unease. She usually used the time to organize their data and analyze patterns and theories, but today she had trouble concentrating.
A key rattling in the door flooded her with incomprehensible relief. He was back, thank goodness. The relief was short-lived, however. A moment later, he stepped through the door, pale, disheveled, and clutching his arm. She knew at once something was wrong.
“What happened to you?” she said, jumping to her feet.
“Don’t fuss. It’s just a scratch.” He locked the door before coming towards her.
“But how did it happen?” she asked, going to him to help him remove his coat, uncovering the bloodied sleeve of his shirt with his makeshift bandage.
