Дэвид Балдаччи - Long Road to Mercy

“Hey, hey!” yelled one of the other men. He launched himself at Pine before reeling backward after Pine planted the bottom of her boot into his throat. He slammed against the wall and fell to his butt, gagging for breath.

She walked over and finished him off by bouncing his head off the tiled wall with a forearm strike. He slumped to the floor unconscious.

The last man snarled, “You’re dead, bitch. I’ve got a black belt.”

He stopped snarling and leapt back when Pine pulled out her gun and pointed it at him.

With her other hand, she took out her FBI shield. “And I’ve got this, Mister Moron.”

“Aw, shit!” exclaimed the man. “Son of a bitch!”

“Get on the floor facedown,” ordered Pine. “Do it!”

The man did as he was told and then blurted out, “Hey, if you had a damn gun why didn’t you just pull it? Why’d you have to kick their asses?”

Blum said, “Because she can and she wanted to.”

Pine took out zip ties from her jacket pocket and bound all three men together, legs and hands, back to back, so they were totally immobile. After Pine and Blum used the restroom and finished washing up at the sinks, Pine dialed 911, told the dispatcher what had happened, gave her location and added, “I can’t stay to press charges, but just hold them for a few years on account of being stupid.”

When Pine slid behind the wheel of the Mustang, Blum said, “You were quite impressive back there.”

“I was incentivized.”

“Well, I get that. We were being threatened.”

“No, I mean I had to use the bathroom really bad.”

Later on, Pine turned onto Interstate 81 North and punched the gas.

This stretch of asphalt was known as the Trucker’s Highway as it wove through the mountains, and they passed many a big rig along the way. They stopped for takeout at a twenty-four-hour diner near Roanoke, Virginia. As they drove on, Pine cradled greasy fries in her lap and munched on a double cheeseburger, while Blum nibbled on hers and only occasionally ventured to pick up a fry.

“You don’t like burgers and fries?” asked Pine.

“Oh, I do. But at my age, they don’t like me like they used to. In that regard, they’re sort of like men.” A few minutes later she lay back against the seat and fell asleep.

Hours later Pine reached Interstate 66 and took it due east toward Washington.

It was right about then that Blum woke up. Stretching, she said, “Where are we?”

“About two hours outside of DC.”

“I’ve never been to DC.”

“With all your rah-rah talk about Mr. Hoover, that surprises me.”

“Well, he was already dead when I joined up, so...”

“But there is the Hoover Building , which is falling apart, by the way.”

“You never worked there. You were at the WFO,” she added, referring to the Washington Field Office.

Pine shot her a glance. “You checked up on me?”

“Well, of course I did. Did you want an idiot for a secretary?”

“I visited Hoover quite frequently. They were looking for another home, but apparently Congress won’t give them the money.”

“Well, it’s about time someone stopped wasting taxpayer dollars.”

“Right, so the Pentagon can spend it on more ten-thousand-dollar toilets.”

“Where are we staying once we get there?”

“I’ve got a buddy. He’s on overseas assignment. We’re staying at his place in northern Virginia.”

“For a loner, you certainly have a lot of buddies.”

“So long as they keep their distance, I’m good.”

They drove on, the ride nearing its end.

The “buddy’s” condo was in Arlington, Virginia, in an area known as Ballston. Kurt Ferris was a CID investigator in the Army and had been recently deployed overseas for six months to investigate crimes involving those who wore Army green in other countries. Pine had met him when they’d done a joint case together involving a smuggling ring operating out of Fort Belvoir that had international implications.

They’d solved the case and ended on good terms, which had prompted her to contact him about a place to stay in Virginia. Instead, he had offered his apartment up to her, since he wasn’t using it. He swore he would not mention the arrangement to anyone after Pine told him she was working undercover on a Bureau case.

The condo was near the Ballston Mall. The area had been widely renovated and was one of the most popular residential areas for well-educated and well-heeled millennials, who had come here to work and play. Initially, Pine had been surprised that Ferris could afford a place here on his Army pay, but then remembered that his parents had left their only child a fairly substantial inheritance when they’d died in a car accident.

The condos were new, and all doors were operated not by keys but by passcodes. Ferris had given the necessary ones to Pine. That was good, because she didn’t want to have to give her name or show ID to the building personnel.

Blum stowed her bag in her room, keeping everything in the bag in case they had to get away fast, as Pine had advised.

She took a stroll around the three-bedroom condo. It had high ceilings and a small balcony overlooking a rectangle of park. The furnishings were tasteful and plush, and the kitchen was well stocked and equipped with Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances.

After Blum checked out this and the pantry and the various cooking utensils, Pine emerged from her bedroom. Blum said, “Beautiful place. Is your friend single?”

“Yeah, he is.”

Blum picked up a picture from a credenza. It showed a tall, handsome man in his Army dress blues with two older people. “This him?”

“Yeah, that’s Kurt, and his mom and dad.”

“Quite the looker, and definitely a good friend to let you stay here. You two must have a close relationship.”

She looked at Pine expectantly.

“I’m not into girl talk,” said Pine.

“Neither am I, considering neither one of us are girls .”

Pine sighed. “I think Kurt wants to be more than friends. No, he does want to be more than friends. But I don’t think he and I being together would be a good idea.”

“Career in the way. He’s in the east, you’re in the west?”

“That’s partly it, yes.”

“What’s the other part?”

“Maybe I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“Fair enough. Men can be simple, but relationships are not, at least from the woman’s perspective.”

“I did meet, I mean, I... there’s this park ranger.”

“Really, what’s his name?”

“Why, you know a lot of park rangers?”

“Actually, I do.”

“Sam Kettler.”

“Don’t know him.”

“He’s only been at the Canyon a couple years. He was on duty at Phantom when the guy went missing.”

“So that’s how you met and then started dating? Pretty quick.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it dating. We went out for pizza and beer one time. And then he brought some beers over to my place the night before we left town. We sat out in his Jeep and drank them.”

“You must be intrigued with him.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You just said you went down to his Jeep and drank beer with him right before you were leaving on this trip. You had a lot on your mind. You could have easily declined the offer. Only you didn’t. Pretty simple deduction.”

“Well, I guess I am intrigued with him.”

“Nice guy?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’d you leave it with him?”

“Nowhere, really. I think he’d like to see me again.”

“And you?”

Pine took a breath and rubbed at her mouth. “It’s complicated.”