“O.K., if that’s the way you feel. I guess I’ve had enough of newspaper work. Maybe heaven won’t be so bad,” he laughed. “I wonder if angels take their wings off when they go to bed. It would rather restrict one if they didn’t.”
Quentin lit a cigarette. “The consul’s about a half mile from here. It Will be tricky going, but that’s where we’ve got to take her.”
Morecombre stood up. “When do we go?”
“After midnight, I think. We might stand a chance of surprising the guards.”
A sudden wild frightened scream made them swing round. Myra also sat up with a start. “What was that?” she asked, her voice going off key.
Quentin went to the door and jerked it open. As he did so the scream was repeated. It came from upstairs. The sentry outside the door threatened him with his rifle. “Get back into your room,” he said.
Quentin took no notice, he stood staring upwards. At the head of the staircase, with her back to him, stood Anita. She was naked.
Facing her was a gigantic negro soldier. He held a rifle and face almost split in two by a jeering grin. He held a rifle and bayonet and the long glittering blade hovered within a foot of her.
Before Quentin could move he heard a voice say impatiently, “Go on, you fool, finish her.” He recognized the dry, harsh voice of Fuentes. His hand swung to his hip pocket, but the sentry hit him very hard on his chest with the butt of the rifle, sending him staggering back against Morecombre, who had crowded up behind him.
They heard Anita give another terrified scream. They saw her catch the blade as the negro drove at her. They saw her hands sliding along the blade and the blood, as the sharp bayonet opened her palms, running down her wrists, then the point of the blade struck her in the middle of her chest with incredible force, and three inches of red steel protruded from her back. Still grinning, the negro held the rifle steady so that she could not fall. Her knees went and her hands beat feebly against the barrel of the rifle, but he still held her, rolling his great black eyes and laughing at her.