The Serpent of Mumbai, Part 3

Posted by Verity Starchaser

The Viceroy hotel did not, as it turned out, live up to its name. It had been, in years past, a fine establishment, if a little eccentric. But now, a pall of dread hung over the poorly lit, fusty smelling, dust coated lobby hall, and the once charming curios (tapestries of 20th century Bollywood film posters, a porcelain figurine of a King Cobra wearing a fez, an imitation of Da Vinci's The Last Supper with a pantheon of Hindu deities) seemed almost sinister now, draped in cobwebs. As I walked in, I could hear the telltale rustle of rats in the walls.

"Lee?" I called. There was no response. I went up to the reception desk and rang the bell. Somewhere, there was the sound of birds taking flight. The bell echoed around the empty corridors for a long moment.
"Ms Starchaser?"
I was expecting someone, but the voice took me by surprise. It was calm, deep and melodious. I turned around to see a balding man in a velvet smoking jacket.
"You have the advantage of me, Mr...?"
"All in good time, my dear. I read your opinion piece in the New Houston Gazette last week. Very good! I find it so tedious when journalists try to present a balanced view of the facts."
"I'm glad it made you think. Listen, I don't mean to sound rude, but I was expecting to meet my friend, Lee, here. I don't suppose you've seen him around?"
The man chuckled. "Mr Montana will not, I'm afraid, be joining us."
"Shame. In that case, I had better go. I'm late for my interview with Professor Rhegin."
"Don't trifle with me, Ms Starchaser. I am well aware that you were working with the late professor. And do not suppose that you will leave this building without telling me where the Serpent is."
I smiled, although my heart was racing. "What makes you think I know anything about that?"
"Rhegin would hardly have contacted you for help if you were not a part of his little conspiracy. I will have the Serpent of Mumbai, and if you will not talk, then I'm sure your friend will. With the proper inducement, of course."
My jaw clenched. "This has been an enlightening talk, but I think it is time I was going."
The man slowly drew a wicked, curved dagger from inside his jacket. "Do not move, my dear," he drawled with a sadistic smile. "This is a sicarius. It is razor sharp. It can leave a very nasty laceration."
The silence was broken by the sound of a pistol cocking. "This is a Colt .44 Dragoon Pattern revolver," said Captain Sabrina Drake, "and it is loaded with manstopper cartridges. The exit wounds can be awful. I trust you are willing to take my word for it?"

She and I exchanged a brief, triumphant smile. I had called her as soon as I got the note from Jane, and we had worked out the plan for her to enter the hotel a few minutes after me, just in case of an ambush. I smiled at the man in the smoking jacket.
"Now," I said, "I think its time you did some talking. I want very much to know three things. Where is my friend, what is your name, and what do you know about the Serpent of Mumbai?"

A snarl passed over the man's features. With a speed that made me gasp, he span around and threw something at Sabrina. A dreadful noise made my eardrums burst, and a bright flash made me flinch. When I looked back the man was pushing past Sabrina and making for the exit. Sabrina righted herself, and looked at me, but in the corner of my eye I could see the shadows moving.
"Get down!" I screamed.
The first gunshot came a split second later, thudding into the wall behind me. A second whistled past my ear as I dived over a sofa. A third and a fourth thudded into the upholstery behind me.

Sabrina had also taken cover behind a faux-marble column. Two bullets ricocheted off, sending chunks of plaster and dust flying up. Sabrina returned fire once, twice. I looked around desperately for a way out, but the only avenue of retreat took me straight into the line of fire. Two more gunshots came, and a bullet ripped a hole through the back of the sofa only inches from my head. Sabrina squeezed off three shots in response, but she didn't have time to aim at our foes, who remained in the shadows. Now, she only had one bullet left. I looked over at my long-time comrade. Our eyes met, and I could see she had no more idea how to escape from this one than I did.

Two sets of footsteps approached. I tensed my muscles, ready to leap up as soon as I heard the sound of a gun being reloaded. I was sure that Sabrina would be able to take care of one of them given half a chance to take aim, but I was hardly confident that I could take on one of our assailants unarmed. Although I have certainly been in a street fight or two, I am not a muscular woman and I almost always came off worse. Still, perhaps I could survive long enough for Sabrina to finish her one off, and come to my aid.

The footsteps stopped, and I held my breath. For a split second, there was silence. Then, a third set of footsteps approached. Almost at once there was the sound of a shotgun shell being chambered, followed by a shout of alarm from one of our assailants, the shotgun blast, a second shell being chambered and shot, and the sound of two bodies hitting the floor.

Sabrina and I stared at each other, mystified. I shrugged. Putting up my hands in a gesture of surrender, I stood up and looked at our would-be saviour.
"Verity? What the hell are you doing here?" he said.