James Patterson - Blindside

I could tell by the way he released me instantly and the sound he made that I had been right on target. I rose to my feet as he staggered back, holding his crotch the entire way.

He worked hard to shake off the blow. I used the time to catch my breath. He came at me again, only this time much slower. I blocked a right cross, and while he was close to me, I head-butted him in the face.

I felt his nose shatter. I’d caught him with the top of my forehead, just the way you’re supposed to. He staggered back. His eyes weren’t focused. After three steps, he flopped onto the ground, then lay down, like he needed a nap.

I resisted the urge to kick him while he was on the ground. But I wasn’t a big enough man to resist standing over him, with my hands on my knees so we were looking at each other, and saying, “I guess all those brains couldn’t cushion a good head butt. You’re under arrest.”

Terri Hernandez led her dazed prisoner over to me. She held two of his interlocked fingers on his head, an old trick for holding people if you didn’t have handcuffs close by.

She said, “You okay?”

All I could do was nod.

Terri said, “He wasn’t a bad fighter. Clearly he was never a street fighter.”

I couldn’t even answer verbally. I just nodded.

Three cars turned from Vernon Boulevard and came in a line down the street, then angled in different directions as they stopped, blocking off the street completely. I knew it was Harry Grissom and the rest of our squad.

I was happy to sit with my prisoner and let my colleagues handle the rest.

CHAPTER 103

I BRUSHED MYSELFoff and wiped some blood from my nose. Two junior detectives took custody of Henry. One of them checked his eyes and made sure he was fully conscious and coherent. When the detective nodded, the other detective said, “Do you speak English?”

When Henry didn’t answer, the detective repeated the question in a much louder voice. Somehow NYPD personnel viewed that as a universal language.

This time, Henry nodded as he stared at the ground. A few drops of blood leaked from a cut on his lip.

The detective immediately said, “You have the right to remain silent.”

I tuned out the rest of the Miranda warning as Harry Grissom joined me and put an arm around my shoulders. As we started to walk away from Henry and the two detectives, I had to say to Harry, “Just a little late, huh, Harry?”

The lieutenant laughed. “I’ll admit the move to Queens threw us off. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this crazy plan. You and Hernandez could’ve been killed.”

“We could be killed every day. The plan worked. That’s what’s important.”

“Thank God your brainiac kid knew about cloned phones. The GPS unit in your pocket worked pretty well. At least now we can let Natalie Lunden out of protective custody and give her back her phone. The mayor should be thrilled.”

I shook my head. “The mayor was nothing like I expected him to be, but I don’t give a damn if he’s thrilled or not. Turns out, I didn’t do this for him. Natalie is a sweet kid. She’s got a bright future. I’m just glad she didn’t waste it on an asshole like Henry.”

A few minutes later, as the two detectives were about to transport Henry to booking, I couldn’t resist taking a moment to chat with my Estonian friend.

I opened the rear door and kneeled down so I could look in on the handcuffed computer genius. He looked beaten, with his hands secured behind him, sitting in the back of a Crown Vic with a plexiglass shield separating the front seat from the rear.

He surprised me by speaking first. He said, “I underestimated you.”

I said, “And I overestimated you. Let’s call it even.”

“What now?”

“You’ll face a slew of federal charges and then we’ll throw in the attempted murder. Plus all the murders you’ve ordered. So I wouldn’t plan any exotic trips. You’re going to be occupied for a good long time.”

Henry smiled. “I’m glad you feel satisfied. I hope it lasts.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve made a huge mistake. It’s funny that you think I’ll be in prison for a long time. Last I checked, prisons had computers. I still have friends. I have more money than you can comprehend. I won’t be out of circulation long.”

“Should I be scared? I don’t feel it right now.”

“You will. Trust me. No one will keep me locked up for very long.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “You keep those positive thoughts. Frankly, it’s a nice change from the ‘I’m innocent’ excuse I usually hear.”

I shut the door and watched the car pull away.

CHAPTER 104

A COUPLE OFdays later, when I walked into the mayor’s office, I still carried a few cuts on my face and a black eye. That’s what was obvious; I also had a cracked rib and a broken finger. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was enough to remind me of what had happened more than once a minute.

Of course, as soon as I confirmed that the mayor’s phone and email had been compromised, the NYPD cybercrime unit had gone into overdrive. Every city phone and computer had to be checked and double-checked. It was as if no one had ever heard of cybercrime, and now that some asshole from Estonia had broken the meager security on the mayor’s phone, the government’s role was to overreact. It felt familiar.

Now, as I sat in an overstuffed leather chair waiting for the mayor to come into his office, the past few weeks seemed to catch up with me all at once. This felt like real closure. With any luck, this would be the last time I ever had to talk to the mayor face-to-face. That was the sincere wish of most NYPD employees.

I heard the mayor before the inner door to his office opened. He wore his usual tailored suit, which did nothing to hide his belly. He greeted me with a big smile and came right to my chair to shake my hand.

He said, “Look, it’s my favorite NYPD detective.” After he shook my hand, he held it for extra, awkward seconds. I guess he was trying to show me how much he appreciated everything I’d done. “You did a great job in Estonia. And the way you figured out that my phone had been hacked was brilliant. Thank you so much for bringing Natalie back to us.”

“How’s she doing? I know she wasn’t very happy about being held in protective custody or whatever we called it.”

The mayor plopped into the plush leather chair behind his wide oak desk. He looked down and was silent for a few moments. When he looked up at me again he said, “I’m sure Natalie told you we have a few issues. She’s not ready to talk to me just yet. I’m trying to be patient. But her mother tells me she’s doing quite well.

“The reason I asked you to visit today was to show my appreciation. I can tell you that officially you’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing in your shooting. In connection to that, I spoke to the esteemed Reverend Franklin Caldwell. He’s agreed to stop his protests directed at you.”

“How did you manage that?”

“The reverend and I have a good working relationship. I assured him that backing off your case will help him in the future. His living depends on getting a cut of all the settlements the city makes on cases he’s involved in. It’s not a great system, but it’s worked in the past.”

I almost asked the mayor why he hadn’t had the reverend stop the protests as soon as the mayor knew my shooting was justified. I figured he’d just have some slick reply like “We have to pick our battles.” And this wasn’t the battle I wanted him to fight.

Now I had the real question, the one that had floated just below the surface since my last chat with the mayor. I said, “Were you able to talk to anyone about my son Brian? That’s all I really care about.”