Chapter 25

Die Harder

The dulcet tones of Ellen and Theo berating George drifted in from the kitchen and Patrick smiled. He’d done his part, and for the moment he opted to enjoy this sweet pad and a few minutes of action film perfection. Spotting a DVD player among the many components neatly stored in the media center, he stood and opened the Die Hard case. The silver disc wasn’t labeled and appeared to be a bootleg, but he just shrugged and slid it into the tray. Returning to his spot on the sofa, he picked up the remote, switched the inputs, and hit play.

The massive television was dark for a few seconds, then displayed a grainy, low-res image. Patrick scowled. Definitely not the greatest action film of all time. The black and white footage appeared to be from a parking garage security camera, though he could only see one parked car from its vantage point. The rest of the parking spots were empty. Patrick was about to hit stop when a person stepped into frame. The camera landed squarely on a man he’d recognize anywhere. He was tall, wore dark-rimmed glasses on a thin, lined face, and had thick hair swept back from his forehead. His hands were tucked deep into the pockets of his long overcoat, and he stared intently at something off screen.

Patrick paused the video and stared at the man’s face for a long moment, feeling suddenly chilled. Although the footage was crude, he felt like the man was right there, standing next to him in George’s living room.

Voices seeped in from the kitchen. He didn’t have much time. Every instinct told him he should leave George with whatever this recording contained, but something compelled him to see it through. He hit play.

The man turned his back to the camera as another figure entered the frame, a man Patrick didn’t recognize. This second player was shorter and smaller, dressed in a dark suit and carrying a briefcase. The pair exchanged words, their body language becoming more aggressive with each moment. In vain, Patrick turned up the volume, but there was no audio.

As though giving up the fight, the newcomer started to walk off, then paused and turned back in response to something the taller man said. In a rage, he dropped his briefcase and lunged, but it was a futile gesture. In a moment, he’d been roughly pushed to the ground. His face contorted with anger, which quickly changed to fear when he saw the gun. Patrick gasped as the gun silently fired twice in rapid succession. The taller man stood towering over his victim as a pool of blood began to spread darkly. After a long moment, he checked for a pulse, then pulled off the dead man’s watch and removed his wallet from an inside jacket pocket. Picking up the briefcase, he opened it and scattered its contents over the body, then dropped it. The footage ended and the screen went dark.

Patrick jumped to his feet, his heart racing. Frantically he pressed buttons on the DVD player until the tray slid open. His hands shaking, he carefully lifted the silver disc out and placed it back in its case. He suspected George had no idea what was on the DVD. If he had, he never would have agreed to hold onto it for Sheila. This video was a death sentence to anyone who saw it.

He dropped the case on the coffee table and turned to leave, then hesitated. George told him to return it to Sheila. If he could get home first, he still had the ancient laptop he’d swiped when he left the Academy. He might be able to make a copy. No one would ever know he’d seen the footage and he’d have a backup if he ever needed it.

Picking up the case, he slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. He took a deep breath and walked from the room, grabbing his sneakers on the way out.