Дэвид Балдаччи - Redemption

“No, she died with the knowledge that her husband was an accused killer. I don’t think that qualifies as peaceful.”

“I don’t care what you think, Decker.”

“So everything was great. Until Meryl came back here to prove his innocence.” Decker paused again. “And you went to the Residence Inn and you murdered a dying man.”

“There was no other way.”

“And you set up Susan Richards for the murder and she ends up a supposed suicide apparently from guilt. But you killed her too.”

“These matters had to be dealt with.”

“And I guess we’re next.”

Egorshin sat back down. “I will tell you this, Decker. There is one way for you to live. And only one. I want Mitzi. I want her to come with me.”

Decker shook his head. “I don’t see how that’s possible. She’s still unconscious in the hospital, surrounded by guards.”

Egorshin pulled out his gun. “Then perhaps you should think very hard on it, unless you want me to shoot one of your friends. Which one? I’ll let you pick.”

When Decker said nothing, he pointed at Mars. “You, stand up.”

“Wait,” said Decker. “I’m the one you want. Take me out.”

“No, Mr. Decker, I’m counting on you to solve my dilemma.” He pointed at Mars. “Stand up. Now. Or I’ll shoot you where you sit.”

Mars glanced over at Decker and shook his head. “Man, this has R43 wide gap seal written all over it. I mean, shit.”

Egorshin barked, “Get up. Now!”

“Okay, but I need some help. I am tied up.”

Egorshin looked over at two of his men and nodded. The men went over to Mars, bent down, and each grabbed an arm.

As they began to lift Mars up and the bottoms of his shoes touched the floor, he exploded off his feet, headbutting the man on the right, cold-cocking him. Mars whirled and caught the other man right underneath the chin with his shoulder, slamming him into the wall. His head bounced off the hard surface, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the floor.

The moment that Mars launched into action, Decker had catapulted to his feet. Even with his feet bound, he squatted down and then leapt forward, slamming into a distracted Egorshin so hard that the FSB man was knocked completely off his feet. He soared backward, hit the sink, flipped over it, and crashed right through the window, the shattered glass ripping at him as he fell out of sight outside.

The remaining man aimed his gun at Decker and was about to pull the trigger when the sound of a shot pierced the room.

The man looked down at his chest and saw the red spot dead center there.

Decker and Mars stared over at Jamison. She had managed to roll forward, swing her legs between her wrists, grab one of the fallen men’s guns, take aim and fire, all within the span of about three seconds.

The last man fell to his knees and then toppled forward.

Jamison searched one of the men, found a clasp knife, and used it to free herself and then Decker and Mars.

Decker snatched up a gun and raced toward the front door, even as he heard a car start up. He got to the front door in time to fire at the taillights of the car being driven by Egorshin. Within a few seconds, though, it was gone.

Jamison grabbed her phone from her pocket. She called Bogart and filled him in on what had just happened.

She clicked off. “He’s sending a team over here. And he’s put out a BOLO.”

Decker was still staring off into the night. “I’m not sure that will be enough.”

Mars gave her a hug. “Damn, Alex, that was some fancy footwork back there. And nice shooting, girl.”

“Thanks. But what the hell was that R43 stuff you were talking about?”

Decker turned and looked at her. “R43 wide gap seal. It was the University of Texas’s favorite run option when Melvin played for them. The right tackle helps the right guard by chipping the DT, and then he and the tight end seal off the defensive end while the wideout drives the cornerback to the sideline. At the same time, the tight end peels off from the DE and engages the strong safety. That left Melvin to go wide through the gap straight to a one-on-one with the outside linebacker.”

“And that would be Mr. Buckeye Decker,” said a grinning Mars.

Decker looked chagrined. “He scored three touchdowns in the game on that one play, and all three times he ran right over my butt.”

“Hey, man, you did your best. And you guys played us hard. I got stopped quite a few times early on in that game. But when life gives you lemons, you know what you do?”

Jamison made a face and said, “Yeah, you make lemonade. Everybody knows that.”

Mars shook his head. “No, Alex, you score touchdowns .”

Jamison said, “So by calling out that play, you told Decker what you were going to do? Take out two guys. And then Decker figured out what he was going to do?”

“That’s right.”

“Maybe I should start watching football, just in case that ever comes in handy again with you two.”

“Hey, what life tells you is, you just never know,” said Mars.

“You just never know,” repeated Decker, as he turned back around and stared out into the night.

Decker handed her another tissue and then sat back.

Mitzi Gardiner dabbed at her eyes as she sat there in her hospital bed. She had finally regained consciousness and the doctors expected her to make a full recovery.

Decker had told her some, but not all, of what had happened. But he had told her about her husband’s death. And also about his participation in Egorshin’s spy operation.

“I always wondered why a guy like Brad would have chosen someone like me,” she said, sniffling.

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“And I can’t believe that this Bill Peyton was a Russian spy named, what was it again?”

“Egorshin. And that’s sort of the point. To make it not obvious.” He had decided not to tell her that Egorshin was her real father, because Decker considered Meryl Hawkins to have earned that distinction. And he wasn’t sure the fragile Mitzi could actually handle the truth.

“I guess.” She tossed the tissue into the trash can next to her bed and looked at him. “That’s not all, is it?”

“No, it’s not.”

“You’re here for other reasons?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to Rachel?”

“She’s been charged, but can probably work a deal. Since we still haven’t located Egorshin, her life is in danger. She might end up in witness protection once she tells the Feds all she knows.”

“But won’t he come after me too?”

“Doubtful. He seems to have liked you.”

“He did help us. I remember he got painkillers for my mom, though I knew him as Bill Peyton. I still can’t believe he was a Russian.”

“Yeah, but he wasn’t so kind to your father.”

“He told me things about my dad. Not good things.”

“And they were lies. He told me they were. He just wanted to get you on his side, Mitzi. That was all.”

“But I believed him. And I helped send my father to prison.”

“Did you know that they planned to frame him for murder?”

She shook her head. “Absolutely not. I had no idea. I didn’t know what was going on really. I was so strung out back then.”

“They probably wanted to keep you in the dark, because they couldn’t count on your not telling someone. But after he was charged? And then convicted?”

“I didn’t know what to think. Part of me thought he was guilty.”

“I think he figured out, at least partly, your complicity. But he wasn’t going to do anything to implicate you in the deaths. So he just kept quiet and went to prison. It was only after he ran into Karl Stevens that his mind changed. He was dying, after all, and what Stevens told him about your involvement and the people behind it probably didn’t sit well with him. So he came back here to clear his name.”