Mind Games

Chapter Thirty-Six

  Deadly Embrace

  Rosanna Casarotto stood in front of the IBM mainframe, watching as Julia climbed to her feet. Behind her, smoke filtered from several bullet holes in the front panel of the computer. It sparked briefly, and then all its lights went out.

  Rosanna glanced at Williams’s body and his gun lying on the floor. She dived for it, but Julia was quicker. She got there first, and kicked the gun out of the way. And as Rosanna sprawled on the floor, she kicked her too. She kicked her twice. Once in the abdomen, and then again in the back when she doubled up.

  As Rosanna lay on the floor coughing, Julia began to walk slowly around her, watching her.

  “Having a fun time now, aren’t we?” she told Rosanna with a grin, then she stepped closer and kicked her again, hitting her in the ribs this time.

  Rosanna Casarotto swore in Spanish and tried to grab Julia’s foot. Julia quickly stepped back, laughing. Rosanna climbed slowly to her feet, clutching at her side.

  Julia began to tut-tut at her. “Oh, dear,” she said in a sad and mocking voice. “You’ve made a mess of your nice red suit. What a shame. Never mind.” Then her tone grew harsher. “Get over there with Tyler!”

  Julia nodded her head towards the computer console, and Rosanna moved towards it. She had lost one of her shoes, and it made her walk unevenly.

  “You cannot succeed, even if you kill me. You know this don’t you?” Rosanna said when she was next to Tyler. She glanced down at his body, slumped forward over the console.

  “When Sam and I decided to come up here, it wasn’t about winning,” Julia replied as she moved closer to Rosanna. “It was about causing as much damage as we could before you got us. We both knew what the score was. And if the very least we can do is manage to kill you and this bucket of sweat next to you, then it will have been worth it.”

  “You throw your life away cheaply,” Rosanna said as she rubbed at her left arm. “I can, and will be, replaced.”

  “But your reputation won’t,” Julia pointed out. She moved even closer to Rosanna, and began to jab her with the muzzle of her automatic as she spoke. “Think of the effect the news of your death will have around the offices of the Corporation. Next to Grant, you must be the most hated person in the Corporation. And I doubt if even Grant himself will shed a tear when he hears the news. He’ll just accuse you of being incompetent! No, there’ll be jubilation! And wild parties! They’ll probably all have a day off!”

  “You and Rawlston will never see that day. Because you will both be dead.”

  “That’s rich coming from someone in your position.” Julia pressed the muzzle of her automatic against Rosanna’s head as she spoke. But Rosanna didn’t flinch.

  “You and I both know that Rawlston is already dead,” she told Julia. “He and Smith will have killed one another, that’s why neither of them are here. There is only you left, Julia Connors, and you talk too much.”

  Rosanna suddenly ducked under the automatic held to her head and embraced Julia. Julia’s eyes widened and her arms dropped to her side. Unseen, Rosanna had pulled a blade from her left sleeve, and as she hugged Julia, she had sank it deep into her chest.

  A few seconds passed before Rosanna stepped back. And for a moment, she and Julia stared into one another’s eyes. Then Julia looked down at the blade sticking out of her bra.

  “Sam said you were slippery,” she muttered breathlessly.

  “You should have listened to him.” Rosanna pulled the blade out, and blood spilled down Julia’s chest and dripped on to the floor.

  “Shit.”

  Julia dropped her automatic and fell forwards. Rosanna quickly stepped aside and pushed her unceremoniously over the top of the console next to Tyler. Julia sprawled over it, knocking papers and a keyboard to the floor. She tried to hang on, even grabbing hold of Tyler’s white coat. But she was too weak, and she finally slid off, leaving bloody streaks on the console, and landing on her back on the floor with her head propped up against the side of the computer mainframe.

  Rosanna Casarotto calmly cleaned her blade on Tyler’s white coat before returning it to her sleeve. She adjusted her jacket and skirt, and examined and straightened her damaged stockings before going to retrieve her lost shoe. Her dignity re-established, she walked straight for the lift, never once glancing back.