590

The phone squawked.  “Lou! Where are you?  What’s happened?”   

“Shh!” Luigi said, instantly. 

There was plenty of ambient noise—the freeway, jets taking off every couple of minutes, the noise of the bowser pumps, cars and lorries starting their engines, and there was also a speaker at each pump relaying some pop radio station.  All the same, he didn’t want the Killer to hear, because then he would kill them straightaway and there’d be no chance for the police to save them.

Speaking over Jason’s frantic question, Luigi said, “Just listen, Jace!  We’re at the BP service station on the Calder Highway.  I think he’s taking us to the Mount.  Tell the police!”  And he ended the call.  He slipped the phone back into his undies, poured some of the water from the watering can around the engine onto the tarmac, closed the bonnet, and put the can back in its place.  The bowser had stopped.  He got back into the car.

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589

He got out of the car, and turned round and looked at Cody.  He gave him a deliberate smile. He walked round the car to the bowser, and turned his back so the Killer couldn’t see what he was doing.  Taking his time, he unlocked the petrol cap and inserted the nozzle into the petrol tank inlet. He slipped his card into the slot on the credit card payment screen next to the bowser and selected full.   Then he took the watering can and filled it at the tap.  He opened the bonnet, but he didn’t unscrew the radiator tap.  He was sure the Killer would be angry, but it was the only chance they had.  He reached into his undies and pulled his phone out.  He swiped Jason’s number, and waited.  Pick up!  Pick up!  he urged, silently, listening to the click click click as the petrol bowser filled the tank.

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588

Source

He still hadn’t made up his mind by the time he’d pulled up next to a petrol pump. 

“Fill her up, using the credit card facility on the bowser” said the Killer, quietly.  “If you try anything, I’ll shoot your boyfriend first, then you, then as many others as I can get.”

Luigi had no idea how many bullets the Killer’s gun held.  He remembered vaguely that some guns had 6—or was it 7?—bullets in the revolving thingy at the base of the barrel.  But there were others who which held the bullets in a cartridge in the hand-grip.  How many did they hold?

Well, it didn’t matter. The Killer would kill Cody and maybe others.  Recalling his earlier cowardice, Luigi resolved to do something else. 

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587

They were just a couple of K’s before the Calder Raceway when the dashboard beeped.  A notice came up warning that the fuel tank was nearly empty.  Luigi exulted.  Yes!  Yes!  They weren’t going to go anywhere now.  There was no way the killer would do anything out in the open, next to the freeway. 

“Pull into the BP service station up ahead,” came the quiet order from the back. 

Luigi’s heart sank.  The service station was about a K further on.  Over and over again, in his head, he went through the options he had. He could get out and run.  As soon as he was safe he could phone the police and tell them what was going on.  And they would save Cody.  But he knew—profoundly, deep in his heart—that the Killer would use Cody as a hostage, and Cody would in the end be killed. 

He flicked the indicator on and turned his car onto the exit ramp leading to the service station.

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586

When they got to the car, the killer made Cody get in the back and gestured him to move over to the other side.  He pointed his gun at Luigi. 

“You drive,” he said.  “Don’t try anything or your little friend will get it.”  He got into the car at the same time as Luigi, his gun once again directed at Cody. 

Just for a second, Luigi was tempted to run, leaving Cody behind.  He tried to justify this to himself by rationalizing that he would be better able to save Cody by getting hold of the police.  And that there would only be one person to save instead of two.  And that two hostages gave the killer more power than one.  But he hesitated too long, and the killer pressed his gun against Cody’s head, and said softly with utter conviction. 

“Get in or I’ll do him.  And I’ll get you straight afterwards.”

Luigi got into the car, feeling ashamed and angry and very frightened.

They drove in silence for 20 minutes out of the inner city on to the freeway and then along the almost empty freeway. 

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585

(Source)

As soon as Luigi and Cody were dressed, the killer gestured to them with the gun to go outside onto the walkway.

“Downstairs!” he ordered quietly.  Luigi had half hoped they would use the lift.  Somebody might get in and then the killer might be distracted and Luigi could grab his gun … or maybe in the close confines of the lift, he might get close enough to do it anyway.  He turned round to see what was happening. 

“Just keep walking!” the killer growled.  His quietness and confidence were terrifying.

At ground level, the killer asked, “Where’s your car?”  Luigi thought of lying, and saying he didn’t have one. “I know you have one,” said the killer.  “I’ve watched you.  I’ve seen it.”

Luigi almost lost hope then.  How were they going to escape?  He also felt especially stupid.  He’d automatically put his key ring into his pocket when they’d left the flat.  Habit.  A couple of years before, he’d locked himself out of the flat and had had to go and beg to be let in by the building supervisor, who lived in a flat on the ground floor.  Mr Albanese had made his dislike of Luigi’s effeminacy quite clear, and Luigi had resolved never to let it happen again.  He’d made a habit of putting his keys, his wallet and his phone in his pockets whenever he left his flat.  Stupid! he thought to himself.  The police might know the killer’s car make and registration number and might be able to track them if his car was used.  But obviously the killer thought so too.

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584

The policeman nodded to them. Then he turned on his heel and went back along the walkway and into the flat.

“Loik to live dangerously, don’t ya?” murmured Keith when the lift doors had at last closed.

“Homophobic bunch of arseholes and wankers!” stormed Jason.

“Oi think he had a hard-on for ya, Jace,” said Keith.

Jason just tightened his lips and shook his head.

 “They’re so unprofessional. So inept.”

“You were very blunt,” observed Esmé.  “People hate being criticized.”

“Yeah.  But how unprofessional is it to raid his house and let him escape!  And then to argue with us when we point that out!”

They’d reached the ground floor.

“What’re we going to do now?” asked Esmé.

“I don’t know.  I feel we have to do something.”

His phone rang.

It was Luigi.

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