Andrew Grant - Even

“You were with Varley for what, an hour?” she said.

“Less,” I said.

“And now you’re ready to die for him? Must have been some conversation you guys had.”

“That sounds vaguely like a threat.”

“No, not a threat. Just Plan B. Because aside from the chance to rid the world of Mitchell Varley, there’s still this thing with the dead agent. I’ve got to deal with it somehow. If I’m not giving you the shooter, I’ll have to do something else.”

“Not my problem.”

“Absolutely your problem. The feds already thought you did it. Escaping confirmed that. Now they’ve got a hard-on for you like you wouldn’t believe.”

“So?”

“So we leave your body where it’s easy to find. They’ll close the case on the spot. Never even look in our direction. So, time to lose this sentimental crap with Varley. Otherwise…”

“There is no sentimental crap with Mitchell Varley. He barely said two dozen words to me. And frankly, I wasn’t impressed with what he did say. I couldn’t care less what happens to him.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Well, let’s just think about it for a moment. I bring your guy in. He immediately kills Varley, who’s only there because I specifically asked for him to be. How’s that going to look? I’ll be lucky if the others don’t shoot me on the spot.”

“They won’t shoot you. They’ll thank you.”

“For what? Getting their friend killed?”

“No. For saving them.”

“How am I going to do that?”

“Seen In the Line of Fire? At the end. Like that.”

“You want me to take a bullet?”

“No. Just make it look like you were willing to. Appearance is everything. The second Varley gets hit, you yell at the others. Get down, he’s got a gun, like that. Then jump in front of them. It’ll look like you saved Rosser and Breuer, not set up Varley.”

“What happens to your guy?”

“He goes for the door, under cover of your heroics.”

“And after that?”

“His problem.”

“What if he doesn’t make it?”

“Then it’s my pawn for their queen. Varley’s worth it.”

“Does your guy see it the same way?”

“He knows it’s a risk, obviously. But I’ve made it worth taking.”

“What if he goes after one of the others first? Or me?”

“He won’t.”

“Why not?”

“He has his instructions,” she said, standing up and moving toward the desk. “He’ll follow them. That’s what my people do.”

“What’s your name?” I said.

“Lesley. Why?”

“I was thinking Agripinilla, for some reason.”

“Know anywhere in the city where you could do this?” she said, opening one of the desk drawers and taking out a cell phone. “Or do you want me to find you a place? Needs to be away from their building. Nowhere with witnesses. Easy access.”

“How about the building they took me to this afternoon?” I said. “It is theirs, but it’s not fitted out yet. No one else uses it.”

“Metal detectors? Cameras?”

“No.”

“Good. And the location’s OK,” she said, switching the phone on and bringing it over to me. “You already know the layout. Ties in with wanting to see the same three guys. All right. Go ahead.”

I left the phone on the table.

“Two more things,” I said. “One-I spent last night in jail. Today I’ve had a coffee, a sandwich, and a Coke. No way am I meeting these guys tonight. Tomorrow at the earliest. And I’m not staying here. I want a night in a decent hotel, with a decent meal, which you’re paying for.”

“Be safer here,” she said. “People are looking for you.”

“People are always looking for me. It comes with the territory.”

“Well, OK, I guess. I’ll send a couple of guys with you. What else?”

“Julianne Morgan. The woman you’ve got locked up in the basement. I’m taking her with me.”

“You want the woman?” she said, glancing at the tall guy. “Why?”

“She got mixed up in this by mistake. She’s got no idea what’s going on. She’s no threat to you. If Varley and this other guy of yours don’t make it through-too bad. They knew the risks. They made their choices. She didn’t.”

“What will you do with her?”

“Take her to the city. Let her stay in the hotel tonight, and cut her loose in the morning. I’m hardly going to want a journalist hanging around me tomorrow.”

“Well, why not? OK. You can have her. Saves us having to get rid of her. But she rides to the city in the trunk. We’ll have cars watching you. Let her out anywhere this side of the river, she’ll be dead before her feet touch the sidewalk.”

“I can live with that,” I said, wondering if Julianne could.

“Now make the damn call before I change my mind.”

Tanya answered on the first ring.

“This is David,” I said.

“David?” she said. “Are you all right? Where are you?”

“Those contacts you had at Federal Plaza. Are they still in place?”

“What’s up? Is someone listening?”

“Yes. Could you call them? Set something up for tomorrow?”

“Really? That soon?”

“Yes. Call tonight. Right now, if you can. This is urgent.”

“What do you need?”

“Tell them I’m holding the guy they’re looking for. From the alley, last night. They’ll know who I mean. I’m prepared to hand him over, but only to the same three guys I met today. Rosser, Varley, and Breuer.”

“Could be difficult, David. They’re still really mad at you. Why not deliver him to me, let me liaise? Stay out of the firing line?”

“No. It has to be the same three guys. The same three, or I cut this guy loose and they’ll never find him.”

“Oh. OK, then. I’ll square it somehow. Where and when?”

“Don’t know yet. I still have to get out of the city. Tell them to be at the Wall Street helipad at 9:00 A.M. Bring a pilot, and enough fuel for two hours. I’ll call then with a time and location.”

“Understood. Back in five.”

Lesley hadn’t even pretended not to listen.

“Nice misdirection, with the heliport,” she said.

“Thanks,” I said. “Talking of which-my hotel room, with the ash? That was you?”

“That was me,” the tall guy said.

“Really?” I said. “Good work. Subtle. I might use it myself, sometime.”

“Just glad they went for it,” he said. “It was kind of last-minute. And a bitch to do, without the smoke alarms going off.”

“How did you know where I was staying?”

“Someone told us.”

“Who?”

“Can’t remember now. Could have been so many people.”

“That kind of information isn’t exactly commonplace.”

“Depends who you know. The NYPD? They’re like the TV, the Internet, and the newspapers all rolled into one, for us. Same goes for the FBI. Nothing happens in this city we don’t find out about.”

“You found out pretty fast.”

The tall guy shrugged.

“Wanted to make sure they swallowed you whole,” he said. “Didn’t know it would be the feds that found it. Didn’t even know the vic was one of theirs at the time. Just didn’t want any possibility of the spotlight coming our way.”

“See, speed is the key,” Lesley said. “Anything goes wrong, our people are motivated to tell us right away. That way, we can jump right on it. Never miss an opportunity to protect ourselves. You might want to remember that, the next couple of days.”

“I hope there’s not an element of distrust developing here?”

“Depends how smart you are. For instance, maybe you’re thinking you could take the. 22 away from my guy? Hand him to the feds without him killing Varley?”

“That never crossed my mind.”