The Tree of Knowledge, Daniel Miller [unputdownable books txt] 📗

with rage. She locked eyes with Albert, and her rage turned to despair. She was gone now. She had chosen her fate, and Albert had lost her. There would be no bringing her back. Now she was Albert’s enemy, and she knew it.

Albert rose to face her and assumed his fighting position.

Eva scoffed.

“I didn’t want this, Dilbert,” said the woman in black as she unleashed a series of blows that Albert attempted to block.

With the vibration of each blow, Albert’s glasses fell farther down his face. Panicked, he covered his face to secure them.

Eva’s eyes followed his movements.

She knows about the glasses, he thought.

Albert could hear footsteps rumbling up the stairwell like a building fire. More guards are coming. I need protection. His mind quickly raced through the possible scenarios. He could stall Eva by herself, but once the guards arrived, it was over. I’ve got to back her up against that door.

“Turner’s been training you, I see,” exclaimed Eva with a sardonic smile. “Let’s see what you can do.”

Albert jabbed with his right hand. She dodged left. He jabbed with his left. She dodged right, almost imperceptibly to highlight the minimal effort required. He kicked with his right leg, attempting to throw his opponent off guard. This time, the woman in black’s hand sprung from her left side like a gun from a holster and swatted Albert’s face. He reached for the glasses, but it was too late. They clinked against the ground. Before he could recover, a devastating kick to his knee dropped him to the ground, followed by a jaw-smashing blow to his face.

As Albert fell to the ground, the roof door burst open, and Angus Turner limped onto the roof. With one forceful arc, the aging professor swept Eva’s legs out from under her with his walking stick, sending her tumbling to the ground.

“I think you’ve caused enough trouble for the day,” said Turner like a disappointed father to a child. He snatched one of the guard’s pistols off the ground and pointed it at her head.

Albert rushed over to Ying, who was curled up on the cement roof.

“Are you alright?”

Ying smiled, her mouth caked in blood. “Yeah, you should have let me take her. I had her right where I wanted her.”

“Attagirl,” exclaimed Turner as he dragged Eva away from the rooftop entrance and toward the rope hanging from the roof’s steel edge. The woman in black’s face seethed.

“Dr. Puddles, Ms. Koh, I believe it is time for us to make our escape,” said Turner, gesturing to the rope. “Ms. Koh, do you think you can make it?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” replied Ying, lifting herself off the ground and limping toward the roof’s edge. As she passed Eva, she stepped on her hand.

“Ahhhh,” screeched the woman in black.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I step on you?” said Ying with a grin.

Albert frowned and gestured to the empty white-lined parking lot below. “Bad news, Professor. Something happened to Gabe and Brick. They’re not here.”

Turner closed his eyes. Albert could see that the events of the past few weeks had taken their toll on the old man.

“Onto the next branch of the tree. We go by foot,” cheered the professor, attempting to convince himself as much as Albert and Ying. He handed Albert a yellow envelope with something thick inside.

“Is this . . . ?”

Turner nodded.

Albert slipped the envelope into his jacket pocket and followed Ying down the rope, all the while looking up at Turner.

“Are you coming?” asked Albert.

“Yes, and so is Ms. Fix here,” said Turner, gesturing with the gun for Eva to grab the rope.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that,” came the voice of Cristina Culebra. From the sound of her voice, Albert could tell she was standing behind Turner.

Albert watched from below as Turner quickly slid his body behind Eva and brought his pistol to her head. Panicked, Albert began scaling back up the rope. Without looking back, Turner pointed his finger downward, signaling for Albert and Ying to keep descending. Albert kept creeping down the side of the building but could see the professor’s silhouette. Turner stood at the roof’s edge, using Eva as a shield.

“It’s been a long time, Cristina,” said Turner.

“Yes, Angus . . . too long.” Albert heard Cristina’s heels crunching toward Turner on the rooftop gravel. He looked down. Ying was nearly at the bottom now.

“Don’t move any closer,” said Turner. Albert could hear the rooftop door open again and the shuffle of numerous footsteps. The backup has arrived. I can’t leave him. He began climbing hand over hand back up the rope. The fibers of the rope tore at the skin of his hands.

“Come now, Angus. You’re smarter than that. You’re cornered alone on a rooftop. Ten armed guards have pistols pointed at you. Even your precious Tree of Knowledge won’t do the trick. Why don’t you put down the gun and we’ll discuss this like civilized adults?”

From his vantage point, Albert could see Cristina approaching Turner. She was carrying a gun. What is he doing? She’s getting too close.

Behind his back, Turner again motioned for Albert to stay put.

“Now, Cristina, don’t do anything rash, or I may hurl myself off this roof and you’ll never be able to crack that book you’ve stolen. Or worse yet, I may be forced to do something unpleasant to your daughter,” said Turner, his voice beginning to break.

Cristina Culebra smiled. This was her moment. She cocked her head to the side and delivered the words she had been waiting to speak to him since the beginning. “Don’t you mean our daughter, Angus?”

Turner slouched and staggered to the left, looking at Eva as if he were seeing her for the first time. His eyes carried the pain of a man who realized he’d chosen the wrong road in life.

Albert glanced at Eva and could see she felt all of this and more. Hope filled and softened the face that had been so hard a minute ago. This was the girl that he had known, the girl he