Free Survivalist - 19 - Final Rain by Jerry Ahern Page B

into the room.
    Otto Hammerschmidt, looking as if he were about to keel over from pain or exhaustion, sat on a plastic chair near the foot of the bed.
    Natalia stood, on top of the bed, back to the wall, half kneeling in front of her, a black man of about Annie’s own age, terror in his eyes, hands outstretched before him, a webbed belt twisted around his head like a noose, its end held in Natalia’s upraised left hand, her right hand at his chin, ready to snap the neck.
    Natalia’s hospital gown was half off her body, her left shoulder completely bare, the hem of the gown nearly up to her crotch.
    There was a look in her bright blue eyes Annie had never seen there before. Panic.
    “Natalia,” Annie almost whispered.
    Otto Hammerschmidt looked up, turned around. “Frau Rubenstein!”
    “Otto. It’ll be all right. How are you?”
    “I am—I will be all right.” But he sounded as if he were about to pass out.
    Annie focused on Natalia’s face. “Natalia. It’s me. Annie. And Otto’s here, too. That man. He wasn’t trying to
    hurt you. He was trying to help you.”
    “Don’t move!” And Natalia’s right hand flicked the orderly’s chin upward, the man’s eyes bulging under the strain, and the webbed belt went tighter.
    Annie licked her lips. “Wait a minute, Natalia. You know me, don’t you? I mean, we’re friends. Good friends.”
    Natalia said nothing.
    Her hair needed combing. She wore no make-up. But she was still so very beautiful.
    Annie kept talking as she took a step forward, only then realizing that somewhere along the way she’d lost the slipper from her right foot, the floor cold against her bare skin. The female voice of the recorded message droned on about evacuation. “If you kill this man, it would be a waste, Natalia.” She took another step. “He’s on our side. We’re here at Mid-Wake, together. You’ve been very sick. When you spoke to me,” and she took another step, “those were almost the first words you’ve said in a long time. Daddy’ll be so happy to—”
    And Natalia’s eyes went wider than they were and her fingers tensed.
    Annie dove toward her, hitting Natalia, body slamming her into the wall, Annie’s hands closing over Natalia’s right forearm to keep Natalia from breaking the orderly’s neck.
    They fell, all three of them, rolling over the side of the bed, Annie realizing for a split second that her clothes were up to her hips. There was no time to care. Natalia’s right hand flashed upward and Annie dodged her head right, the heel of Natalia’s hand skating over Annie’s left cheek.
    Otto Hammerschmidt was suddenly in between them. Otto’s left fist arced upward, the knuckles tipping against the base of Natalia’s jaw and driving her head up and back.
    Natalia’s eyes closed as her head slumped.
    “Gott in Himmel!” Otto whispered, falling to his knees.
    There was coughing. Annie crawled over Natalia, her fingers working to open the belt, the orderly choking to death. “Calm down-it’ll be all right.”
    The two Shore Patrol officers raced into the room, their pistols in their hands, “Freeze!”
    Annie looked up at them as she freed the orderly’s neck from his belt. There was a lot of coughing. The female Navy cops were still holding their pistols.
    Annie rocked back on her haunches and leaned against the side of the bed. “Be serious, girls, huh?”
    And she realized for the first time that somewhere between when she dove for Natalia and now, the impersonal female voice had stopped broadcasting the warning. Now it was a man’s voice, just as impersonal. “The ALL CLEAR is given. Secure from emergency status. The crisis is past. The ALL CLEAR is given. Secure from …”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    They were warm inside. He was cold. But he knew their secret. Eight of his men had died that he could know this secret, but their names would be sung among the names of heroes of the Reich.
    Damien Rausch huddled within the thermal emergency blanket from