EYE OF THE HYDRA (complete)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The picture was really strange, as the old Pavlis told me on the island of Hydra. The middle of the painting was dominated by Heracles, wearing a lion's skin while raising a torch and his club to strike down the dragon-like creature which head – one of many – stretched towards the hero from the left corner of the painting so its body didn't appear on the creation. The scaled heads of the Hydra looked down to the hero with opened jaws and glowing red eyes. Meanwhile in the background, modern white houses stood in the night. Not far from these waved the water of the harbour, with a boat on its surface in which three figures were loading some golden objects.

In addition, the artist used vibrant colours and deep shadows, so the painting attracted the attention even more. After I packed it back to the paper roll and the rags, we said goodbye to Panayi and expressed our deep gratitude for the cooperation. We even promised that someone would visit her soon from the National Gallery and she might receive some money as a reward.

I saw that the poor women became excited but I hoped she would forget about this subject in a few weeks! By then I will have hopefully put an end to the case!

"Now what?" asked Anna when we returned to the street. Fortunately a new red cab appeared and I motioned to stop it.

"Now we return to the hotel and discuss the rest," I said and opened the door of the red Mercedes to my partner as a true gentlemen.

Suddenly a dark blue BMW caught my eyes across the street. For a moment I just stared at the car. I don't know why but somehow it seemed threatening. Even more so, because one lone figure was sitting at the wheel, his eyes were fixed on us. His face was covered by shadows except some parts of it, which looked familiar to me. Then I realized whom I was looking at: the bearded guy from the beach of Tolo! The one I interrogated. One of the killers of Professor Bergman.

The man started his car and stepped on the gas, while he pulled down the window and reached out his hand. He was holding a silenced pistol. I ducked down in the last moment to avoid the lethal bullets. Anna screamed as a projectile exploded the rear window and the BMW passed us, though it didn't go far. Less than four meters away the vehicle crossed the road and the man fired at us again.

This time the terrified and shouting taxi driver ran out of luck as a bullet found its way into his chest. He died immediately. I knew that we had to get out of there as soon as possible! With hasty movements, I opened the car's door and dragged out the body while deadly projectiles flew around me. Then I jumped onto the seat, turned the ignition, put the car into gear and stepped on the gas. The taxi was rolling backwards toward the exit of the street. I turned it not far from the exit but the BMW dangerously came close already.

The cat and mouse chase started. I drove out from the side street with a sharp turn, while the cars – coming from the left – crossed the road with creaking breaks and angry drivers behind their wheels. The sun was shining brilliantly but the surrounding houses provided enough shades to make me see the way where I was going. And I needed a clear view because a long line of cars parked on both sides of the road. Meanwhile, the BMW raced close behind us.

The bearded guy gained upon us often, and we felt it when he pushed the taxi with the bumper of the vehicle. Sometimes I could hardly keep the Mercedes on the road because of the collisions. Anna screamed almost annoyingly, while tried to encourage me to go faster, which I didn't find such a good idea in the medium traffic but I had no choice. My heart was beating in my throat, especially when I had to pull aside the wheel to avoid hitting a woman, who just wanted to cross the road to get to the other side of the street. Her terrified face remained vividly in my memory.

People noticed the chase wherever we passed. Numerous thoughts flashed in my head how to shake off the man, but nothing came to my mind. So I turned into an alley again, while another bullet hit the car. A small tavern was located in the street, where just a few guests were eating. They curiously turned towards us, as we passed away in front of them. I saw three Chinese tourists rushing out from the building to take photos. At least they had a little excitement. For me it was too much already.

Meanwhile, we drove away a traffic sign then found ourselves on a wider highway, which ran across the city. Suddenly I spotted the rising fortress over Kavala, which was built in the Byzantine times against the barbarian hordes. With its robust shape the fortress was prestigiously bathing in the sunshine, while looked down to the old town and the nearby harbour.

We headed straight to that direction, which wasn't difficult since the majority of the roads led to the harbour. Time passed, bullets were flying and the tires smoked while a song of terrified screams reached us. Soon we found ourselves at the gate of the old city, which was connected to the modern part of Kavala by the huge aqueduct. The arched gateway of the building was approaching fast. The grey stones created a sharp contrast with the leaves of the nearby palm trees.

In the next moment, the side window broke into pieces and I felt some of the shards injure my face. The BMW came near us. I saw the bearded man aiming the gun at me, as we reached the passage.

So I acted quickly and jerked the wheel to the left. The two cars collided with a loud bang. Our persistent pursuer lost his balance and the bullet missed its target. In addition, he was gripping the wheel with only one hand, so he had no chance against the full weight of the vehicle, and to keep the car on the road. It was a pleasure to watch how the BMW hit the massive pedestal of the aqueduct. Its hood crushed and the front right wheel torn from its place.

Anna and I smiled at each other in relief but we didn't stop to admire the scenery. However, my mood was ruined when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the bearded guy coming out of the wreck, then he just ran away. I felt disappointed cause I hoped that we had finally get rid of him! Sadly my hopes vanished in a glimpse of an eye.

But the painting was in my hands and this is what mattered.