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EIGHTY-FIVE
SINAI PENINSULA
SABRE FIRED AT MALONE’S LEGS FORTY FEET AWAY NONE OF the tables accoht was clear He wanted to cut the legs out fro the final kill easy
He sent three bullets Malone’s way
But the legs were gone
Damn
He rolled out froe to find Malone, and saw nothing
Then he knew
MALONE HAD REALIZED THAT MCCOLLUM INTENDED TO shoot his legs and had leaped onto the nearest table an instant before three shots popped through the hall Paperweights of golden quartz clattered to the floor McCollum would almost instantly deduce what Malone had done, so he decided to turn the advantage his way
He waited an instant, then rolled off and saw McCollum crouched behind one of the tables He aimed and ticked off two shots, but McCollum shifted his position and used one of the thick pedestals for protection
This shooting gallery was too open
He darted behind a row of shelves that stood to his left
"Not bad, Malone," his adversary said from across the roo out of here"
"We’ll see"
"I’ve killed men better than you"
He wondered if the talk was bravado or ames
Neither impressed him
HADDAD LED PAM MALONE THROUGH THE LIBRARY, HEADING in the opposite direction froone They’d already heard shots He needed to hurry They entered the fifth hall, aptly named the Room of Life, symbolized by a -shaped oval
He swept through and found the Roo at the exit doorway Voices caree turn Apparently the shoas occurring in the Reading Room Lots of tables, fewer shelves, h earlier had been for reconnaissance, and his opponent had noticed all the right things He’d once done the sa Jews Always know your battlefield
He knew this one intio he’d secretly completed the hero’s quest, just before he’d called Cotton Malone for help When he’d first arrived, gained access to the library, and learned that all he suspected about the Bible was true, he’d been overwhelmed But when the Guardians asked for his help, he’d been thrilled Many Guardians had been recruited from invitees, and all of the Guardians there then believed he should be their Librarian They’d explained about the threats closing in and he’d agreed to solve their problem But in the end he’d needed help, too Which hy Malone had been involved
Patience and knowledge had served him well
He only hoped he hadn’t miscalculated
He stood still at the doorway leading from the Room of Eternity, Pam Malone behind him
"Wait here," he whispered
He eased forward through the corridor, turned its corner, and stole a peek into the Reading Rooht Onethe tables for cover
He crept back to Pao in there," he said in a soft voice
"And you’re not co back out"
He shook his head "This is the end"
"You pro talk"
"I lied" He paused "And you knew it"
"It’s the lawyer inin you We all do things we regret I’ve done my share But at least, at the end of my life I was able to keep this library alive" He saw so in her eyes "You knohat I mean, don’t you?"
She nodded
"Then you knohat you have to do"
He saw her confusion and patted her shoulder "You’ll knohen the un "Have you ever fired one before?"
She quickly shook her head no
"Just point and pull the trigger It kicks, so hold it steady"
She said nothing, but he was satisfied that she understood
"Have a prosperous life Tell Cotton he always had my respect"
And he turned and walked toward the Reading Room
"WE CAN SIT HERE ALL DAY," MALONE CALLED OUT
"You’re in way over your head," McCollum said "A bit out of practice, aren’t you?"
"I can kick your ass"
McCollu to do Think I’ll double back and kill that ex-wife of yours I would have killed your boy, too, if you hadn’t taken out those idiots I hired And by the way, did you think that was your doing? I set up that whole thing and you followed like a hound dog after the fox Plan B was to kill the boy Either way, I’d have found George Haddad"
He knehat McCollu to work him up Piss hi "You ever find Haddad?"
"Nope You were there when the Israelis killed hi"
Heard it? McCollum had no idea about the Librarian So he asked, "Where’d you get that quest?"
"I gave it to hie Haddad’s
Malone saw the Palestinian standing in the far doorway
"Mr Sabre, I manipulated you in the same way you did Cotton I left the audiotape and the infor the quest, which I created I assure you, the journey I coinally find this place was much more difficult"
"You’re full of crap," McCollue Too easy and you ht it a trap Too hard and you would have never made it But you were anxious I even left you a flash drive besideof it More of the bait for this trap"
Malone noticed that, froht existed to McCollum’s position But both of Haddad’s hands were e that had surely been noticed