The Furies by Irving McCabe Read Free Book Online

he drew near, he saw a gendarme attending a uniformed officer who lay in the road nearby.
    From the Prussian moustache and red-cheeked face, Gabriel immediately recognised the officer as Colonel Merizzi, Potiorek’s adjutant. The colonel lay on his back, the pale blue uniform of his right arm pockmarked with bloodstains. He was grey-faced but conscious, and as Gabriel approached he waved him forward with his uninjured left arm.
    â€˜Captain Bayer – I’m so glad you’re here,’ Merizzi said through gritted teeth. ‘Some idiot threw a grenade at the Archduke, but it missed his car and blew up under mine.’ His face was contorted with pain and beads of sweat outlined his brow. ‘It’s my right arm – the pain is unbearable,’ he said, screwing his eyes tight.
    Gabriel knelt next to him and took his jacket off, then rolled it into a pillow and placed it under the colonel’s head. But as Merizzi lay back, his head suddenly rolled to one side and his eyelids closed. As Gabriel felt for a pulse, the chief arrived at his side, breathing hard from his run along the embankment.
    â€˜It is serious?’ he asked breathlessly, looking at Merizzi’s ashen face and closed eyes.
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ Gabriel said, noting the colonel’s steady pulse and regular breathing. ‘He’s just fainted from the pain, I think.’ He quickly checked for other wounds. ‘It’s only his right arm that’s been injured. He’ll live, but we need to get him up to the garrison hospital as soon as possible.’
    The chief nodded. ‘I’ll go back to the café and use Moritz’s phone to call Arnstein and Flieger, get them to come down here with an ambulance.’
    Gabriel nodded. ‘Good idea, and tell them to bring a surgical pack,’ he shouted as the chief slipped away between the gathering crowd and hurried back towards Schiller’s café.
    ***
    It took Arnstein and Flieger five minutes to drive down to the quay in an army ambulance, by which time Gabriel and the chief had ascertained that there were no other injuries to Merizzi. Two other spectators standing on the embankment pavement had also suffered minor wounds when the grenade had exploded, and, using the surgical kit, field dressings were applied to their wounds while Merizzi was given an injection of morphia to ease the pain. All three casualties were placed on stretchers and loaded into the ambulance, ready to be taken up to the garrison hospital. Arnstein and Flieger climbed inside the driver’s cab, while Gabriel and the chief – who had decided to accompany Merizzi to the hospital – clambered into the back of the ambulance. As they were about to close the rear door, the colonel finally opened his eyes.
    â€˜Is the Archduke alright?’ were his first words.
    â€˜I personally saw the Archduke and duchess drive away,’ the chief replied, ‘and both are unharmed. So please don’t worry.’
    â€˜And Oskar…I mean General Potiorek…is he alright?’
    â€˜Also unharmed, Colonel.’
    â€˜Thank God,’ Merizzi sighed.
    â€˜Don’t worry,’ Gabriel said, squatting beside him. ‘The chief and I will accompany you to the hospital where you’ll receive—’
    But Merizzi levered himself up on his good arm. ‘No, please, Captain, I’m not seriously injured. I’m worried for the Archduke and General Potiorek. I have to go to City Hall to make sure they’re safe.’ He tried to get off the stretcher, but Gabriel gently restrained him.
    â€˜No, you’re not well enough, Colonel Merizzi. You need to go to hospital—’
    â€˜Please, I beg you, Captain Bayer – and you too Chief Fischer – let me go, or if not, please stay with the general in case there are further assassination attempts.’
    Gabriel saw the distress in Merizzi’s eyes and looked up at the chief