"Charlie...?" Charlie, where are you? Gillian whispered as she walked through the short passageway and out into the perpendicular hallway that connected to it. She kicked Goofy's head off and studied the hallway, then past the overturned folding table. On the far left was the exit door. Impossible, she thought. DeSanctis wouldn't have left without telling them. A sharp sound, as if someone were scratching something, confirmed the rest. She turned and started walking into the
sound direction. She moved to the back of the hall, past the laundry cart and the folding screen. She knew that sound. As if someone was running. Or hiding.
Moving very cautiously down the hall, Gillian kept an eye out for DeSanctis's sudden appearance. He was still angry about the cut on his head, though not to the point of ruining everything, she told herself, as he walked past the screen. Still, it was better to sit still and think where...
Gillian stopped right there. From the floor to the ends of the hangers, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and dozens of other character heads stared at her, each with its own icy, empty smile. Deliberately avoiding her gaze, she advanced into the room.
"Hello..." she whispered again. Anyone there?
There was no answer. And then she understood why.
Directly ahead of her, at the end of the first aisle of hangers, DeSanctis lay face down on the floor, her arms tied behind her back with what appeared to be a jump rope. Ella Gillian couldn't believe it. DeSanctis's nose was covered in blood and his left eye was badly swollen. He didn't move. He touched her shoulder with the toe of his shoe, but it was like kicking a brick. Startled, she crouched down to get a better look at him. Was she...? No, she realized as she watched his chest rise and fall. She was just unconscious.
At that moment another noise was heard, this time several meters away, in another of the aisles of hangers. Startled, Gillian jumped to her feet. But when she heard it again, she smiled. This sound was different from the first. Deeper. more guttural As if someone was breathing... or panting. Someone who is short of breath.
She looked around her and fixed her gaze on the back of the hangers.
"Charlie!" She called-. It's me Gillian!
Her breathing stopped.
"Charlie, are you there?"
Nobody answered.
She crossed to the next costume aisle, then the next. Except for colorful sequined outfits and a set of heads, both aisles were empty.
"Charlie, I know you heard the shots. Oliver is hurt!
Again, the silence.
"He's been shot, Charlie!" He hurt Gallo and Gallo hit him in the thigh... If we don't get him to see a doctor...!
"Gillian, you better not be lying to me," a voice behind her warned.
She turned quickly as Charlie came out of the hallway she had just passed. She held the broom in her right hand and, though she tried to harden her expression, it was evident that she gasped with each breath she took. The racing and the fighting had been too much for him.
-Are you okay? she asked.
Charlie studied her carefully. Her hands were empty. There was nothing out of place.
"Show me where Ollie is," Charlie demanded. Turning her back on Gillian, she headed for the door, but before she could take more than two steps, there was a muffled click behind him.
Charlie froze.
"I'm sorry," Gillian said as she pointed her gun at him. That's what you get for trusting strangers.
Refusing to look at her, Charlie closed her eyes. She wasn't going to give up without a fight. His fingers closed tightly around the broom handle…and Gillian's finger tightened on her trigger. Charlie turned as quickly as he could. But it was not enough.
Joey has her finger on the trigger and her eyes on me and Shep, but she's concentrating on what someone is saying to her through the little earpiece in her right ear. My arms are still raised above my head, but I can still see my watch. It's past seven. Lapidus is in his car, on the way to his farm in Connecticut. There is no chance that she will be able to...
"Hello, Mr. Lapidus?" she says, speaking into the microphone. I'm Joey...
Exactly, the priv... No, we haven't found the money yet... No, I understand, sir, but I have a quick question and I was hoping you could help me. Do you know anyone named…" He glances at Shep's ID "…Kenneth Kerr?
There's a long pause as Joey listens to what's being said on the other end of the line. The longer the conversation goes on, the more he watches Shep. He doesn't move. He thinks Joey's a bluff. So as long as she stays calm, she can't prove anything.
"I…don't get it," Joey says. Of course Mr. No, I just wanted to be sure.
She takes her cell phone out of her belt and removes the receiver. She now has the gun in her right hand and the phone in her left.
"Lapidus wants to talk to you," she tells Shep, holding out the receiver and the phone.
Shep looks at me, then back at Joey. Without wasting a second he moves towards her studying her reaction. Joey grins, studying Shep's. I stand still and realize that they are playing in a different league. And I have no idea who's winning.
As Shep gets closer to her, Joey looks for a sign. A slight blink... A movement of the shoulders... Any detail he can hold on to. But Shep is too good to give himself away.
The closer she gets, the taller he appears. I hope Joey backs off. But he does not.
"Here he is," she says, reaching out to give him the phone.
"Thanks," Shep says, reaching for it.
There is no fear in her voice. He is absolutely calm. They are close enough that they can touch each other. Neither of them backs down. I can see it in Joey's face: Shep has passed the test. But when he reaches for the phone—when their palms brush against each other—Shep reaches out, grabs the phone and Joey's hand, and throws both fists and the phone into Joey's face. Everything happens so fast that I barely even notice what is happening. Joey stumbles back as the phone hits the ground. Joey tries to raise the gun from him, but Shep doesn't give him that chance.
He throws another punch, slamming his fist into his face, and Joey instinctively pulls the trigger. There is a loud bang as the projectile ricochets off the concrete and pokes a hole in the metal wall. Joey collapses, unconscious. His head hits the concrete surface with a thud. Standing on top of her, Shep reaches for his gun to finish the job.
"Get away from her!" he yelled, tackling Shep from behind. It's like trying to knock down an elephant. I lunge at him, but he barely moves. Shep turns and hits me with the back of his hand so violently that I almost
of losing consciousness.
"Do you realize how simple this whole thing could have been?" - He yells.
I'm on my feet, but as I struggle to keep my balance, he grabs me by the neck and throws me toward the floats. When I crash into the locomotive-shaped float, I smash hundreds of Christmas lights. I turn angrily to hit him back. But he easily blocks my fist and hits me even harder.
"Opportunities are over!" he yells, lunging at me. I want my money!
With a swift movement and a caveman grunt, he plants his entire fist into my left eye. Then he draws his arm back and repeats the blow. I feel a shooting pain in my eye, which seems to move on its own. It is already completely swollen and closed.
"Tell me where it is, Oliver!" Shep growls and shakes me again. Where is my fucking money?
Something wet runs down my cheek. In the background I can hear the sound of a gun firing in the other room. Then I hear my brother scream. I try to look over Shep's shoulder to see what's going on. But all I see is Shep's fist coming down on my face again.