Killjoy

"I'm taking my dream back," she whispered.

She pushed the button. Nothing happened, and so she pushed it again. Then again, harder, holding it down.

"Damn," Monk muttered. "The wind must have knocked loose one of the wires. Stop pushing that button, darling. I'll have to

go up there and fix it. You sit tight. All right?"

He gently removed the remote from her hand. "If anything goes wrong…"

"You worry too much. Fix the wire," she said, a bit more sharply than she'd intended. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so anxious.

I can wait another few minutes."

"That's my girl," he said. "Just in case, you remember what to do?"

"I go into the church, then out the side door, and get in the other car."

"And drive away on the side street I showed you. Don't drive in front of the motel."

"I won't leave without you."

Her loyalty was heartwarming. He patted her hand, put the remote on the floor by his seat, and then got out of the car. Slipping one hand into his pocket, he casually strolled across the parking lot and up the stairs to the church.

The bells rang as he walked inside. Thirty seconds later, he came out the side door, crossed the street, and walked three blocks

to the north before he was convinced he wasn't being followed. He crossed the street and headed toward the movie theater.

The back door was locked, of course. He used his tools to undo the dead bolt, went inside, and quickly locked the door behind him.

He was in the back hallway. The door leading upstairs to the tower and the marquee was across the lobby. He stayed low and quiet.

He stood in the shadow behind the snack bar for several minutes, listening for any sounds, and when he was convinced he was

all alone, he crept to the door. That, too, was locked, just as he had left it. He quickly unlocked it, opened the door, and looked up. The brown string he'd left on the third step hadn't been disturbed. No one had found his little hiding place. He stepped over the string and slowly, cautiously went up, aware that there was a squeak on the fifth step. He knew he was alone-the theater wouldn't open until the matinee at two-but he still avoided the step.

There was a trip wire at the top, much thi

so that when he opened the door, he wouldn't be blown to kingdom come.

Good thing the owner didn't want to change the marquee today, he thought with a smile. He only changed the movies on Wednesdays, but Monk had set a trap anyway. Can't be too cautious, no matter what his darling Jilly believed.

He opened the door a crack and looked in. The rifle with the scope attached was still there in the corner, propped against the pillar.

His gaze went to the trigger mechanism below his homemade missile. Just as he had suspected, one of the wires had slipped down. It wasn't dangling free. The wind had loosened it just enough to break the co

He'd have it fixed in two seconds. He pushed the door open, stepped forward, and bent down on one knee. Then he froze. The voice came from his left on the other side of the bell. "Nice Roman candle you've got there."

Monk was too stu

disturbed. How did…

Another voice came from his right. "I think he's having trouble getting it to work."

Monk lunged for his rifle. Neither man tried to stop him. He rolled, firing as he moved.

Nothing happened. The rifle was empty. Noah stepped into the sunlight. Monk saw him and coiled back.

"You," he whispered. "I know you."

John Paul moved forward from the shadows.

"How did you know?" Monk's face twisted with fury, and his voice shook.

"Easy. I'm smarter than you."

Noah's gun was pointed at Monk's forehead. John Paul saw the look in Noah's eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Cuff him," he said. "Then read him his rights."

Noah shook his head. "I'm go

"Yeah, well, you can't."

"Son of a bitch." Noah released the trigger and put the gun back into his holster. He had the cuffs out and was moving

toward Monk when they heard an agent shouting.

Monk lashed out with his foot, knocking Noah off balance. He stumbled in front of the killer, making it impossible for John Paul

to get a clear shot.

Agents were racing up the stairs as Monk tried to get his gun from his ankle holster, but John Paul anticipated that response.

He slammed his foot down on Monk's leg, pi

"Quit messing around," he shouted. "Get the hell off him so I can shoot him."

"I'm go

The door slammed into the pillar when the first agent came flying across the threshold. Monk seized the opportunity. With every ounce of strength he possessed, he shoved Noah off him and dove headfirst off the tower.

The killer landed on the slanted tin roof. He rolled to his hands and knees and crawled like a gorilla

down to the marquee. When his right foot hit a bracket, he braced himself and went for his gun. He was swinging it up when

John Paul and Noah, dropping down to the roof, fired simultaneously. Their bullets riddled Monk's body, sending him dancing backward like a marionette they were manipulating. He swung around and fell forward, his body draped across the marquee.

Panting, Noah put his gun away and then said, "You have the right to remain silent…"

"Damn right," John Paul muttered.

An agent leaning from the bell tower window called down to them. "Subject is on the move."

Noah pulled his walkie-talkie from his belt. He repeated what the agent had just told him.

"Roger."

"Was that Avery's voice? That was, wasn't it?" John Paul asked.

Noah spoke into the handset. "Avery? Is that you, sweetheart?"

He used the endearment just to piss off John Paul, and he gri

John Paul snatched the handset. "What the hell are you doing, Avery? You were supposed to-"

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, we're both fine. Where are you?"

"Roger. Over and out."

"Son of a bitch. She's in one of the tail cars."

They were both sprawled out on the roof. Noah laughed. "You could tell that from 'Roger, over and out'?"

John Paul ignored him and hit the button again. "Kelly?"

The agent in charge of the operation was quick to respond.

"Kelly here."

"Is Avery in one of the tail cars?" John Paul demanded. "Son of a bitch, I know she is. I told her to stay on that damn boat."

"Roger. Over and out."

Noah laughed. "Guess Avery's got a mind of her own." He leaned over the side of the building to judge the distance to the ground. "How the hell are we go

John Paul shoved him off the roof. He followed him down and landed in a clump of dead shrubs beside the agent.

Kelly was on the handset again. "Do you have Monk in custody?"

"No, sir," John Paul answered.

"Where is he?"

He looked up at the marquee. "He's at the movies."