But I dont think these groups are involved, Joona says.
Not them? Then who? The Northern Brotherhood? Daniel speculates, now eager to help. You need to get going! Its not too late!
How do you know?
You guys are always so slow. This time I caught a message on her mothers answering machine. Thats got to give you an edge. Youre not too late yet.
You caught what? Joona asks.
She tried to call her mother yesterday morning, the young man answers as he scratches through his dirty hair.
Penelope called?
Yes, it was her.
What did she say? Saga asks breathlessly.
Sapo doesnt have a monopoly on listening in to phone calls. Daniel gives a crooked smile.
What did Penelope say? Joona repeats, raising his voice.
People are after her, Daniel says.
Exactly what did she say?
Daniel gives Saga Bauer a glance and asks, How much time do we have left?
Saga looks at her watch. Three or four minutes. Maybe.
Then listen to this, Daniel says as he clicks a few keys on the second computer.
Theres a hiss in the speakers and then theres a click and Claudia Fernandezs voice-mail message comes on. Three brief tones are heard followed by crackling noises due to a very bad connection. Underneath all the noise, one can hear a faint voice. A womans voice. Its hard to make out what she says. A few seconds later, a man yells, Get a job! Then the connection is gone.
Let me try again with the filters on, Daniel mumbles.
Were running out of time, Saga warns.
Daniel moves a dial, looks at crossing sound curves, and replays the recording.
This is Claudia Fernandez. I cant answer the phone right now, but please leave a message and Ill call back as soon as I can.
The three tones sound different this time. The crackling is now a weak, metallic crinkling in the background.
And Penelopes voice is clear.
Mamma, I need help. People are after me-
Get a job! a mans voice says, and then its silent.
32
Saga Bauer looks at her watch and says they have to go. Daniel Marklund makes a halfhearted joke about manning the barricades, but there is fear in his eyes.
Were going to hit you hard, Saga says. Hide that knife. Dont make any resistance. Give up at once, hands high, and dont make any sudden moves.
She and Joona leave the tiny room.
Daniel watches them go, and still sitting in the desk chair, dumps the bayonet knife into the wastebasket.
Joona and Saga wend their way through the labyrinthine headquarters of the Brigade and exit onto Hornsgatan. Saga rejoins Gorans task force. Theyre gathered in Nagham Fast Food and are chowing down on french fries. Their eyes are shining and hard as they wait for orders.
It comes two minutes later as fifteen heavily armed security police pour from four black trucks. The SWAT team forces all the entrances open and floods the inside with tear gas. Once they trample in, they find five young people sitting on the floor with their hands over their heads. Theyre led outside cuffed with plastic strips.
The security police take the Brigades weapons into custody: one old military pistol, a Colt, as well as a decorative rifle, a shotgun with its barrels bent, and a carton of cartridges. Additionally four knives and two throwing stars. They were fairly poorly armed.
Driving along Soder Malarstrand, Joona picks up his cell phone and calls his boss. After two rings, Carlos answers, pressing the Talk button with his pen.
How do you like the Police Training Academy, Joona? he asks.
Not there.
I know, since-
Penelope Fernandez is still alive. Joona interrupts him. Shes running for her life.
Who says so?
She says so. She left a message on her mothers answering machine.
Carloss end of the connection falls silent. Then he draws a deep breath.
Okay. Shes alive. All right what else do we know? Shes alive, but-
We know that she was alive thirty hours ago at the time she made the call, Joona says. And that someone is after her.
Who?
She wasnt able to say, but-if its the same man I ran into, we absolutely dont have any time to lose.
Youve said you believe this man is a professional killer.
Im absolutely sure of that. The man who attacked Erixson and me was a professional hit man a grob.
A grob?
Serbian for grave. These guys are expensive. They usually work alone. Theyre well paid to follow orders precisely.
It all seems a bit far-fetched.
But Im right, Joona says doggedly.
You always say that, but how has Penelope gotten away from this kind of killer? Its been two days, Carlos says.
If shes still alive, its because his priorities have shifted.
You still think hes searching for something?
Yes, Joona replies.
What is it?
Dont know for sure, but maybe a photo
Why do you think so?
Thats my best theory at the moment. Joona quickly relates what he found at Penelopes apartment: the books taken out of the shelf, the picture with the lines of poetry, Bjorns quick visit and how he held his hand over his stomach when he was leaving, the palm print on the glass door, the bits of tape, and the corner of a photograph.
So you think the killer is after that photo?
I believe he started in Bjorns apartment. When he didnt find what he was looking for, he poured out gasoline and turned the neighbors iron on high. The alarm went to the fire department at five after eleven that morning and before they could even get the fire under control, the entire floor had been destroyed.