Chris Kuzneski - The Prophecy

She took a quick peek at the door, then refocused on Jones.

‘Secondly, check out the windows behind me. We’re on the second floor of a building, which is a floor below my comfort zone. Pull a truck

She looked at Payne, who nodded in agreement.

‘Obviously, the biggest threat is the door behind Jon. It leads to the elevators and the main hallway, which means it gets the most traffic. At first, I questioned Jon’s choice of seats. I would’ve selected the seat you’re in, allowing me to keep an eye on the door. Then it dawned on me, when he originally sat down, he knew I would be positioned in the corner, keeping an eye on all traffic in the hallway. In addition, I could see clear of the pillars that would’ve obstructed his view from the bench. Therefore, he chose the seat that offered you the best protection from the main door. The two pillars would act as shields.’

She stared at Jones, amazed. ‘How long did it take you to figure that out?’

‘Are you serious?’

Payne answered for him. ‘Like I said earlier, we’re always serious about safety.’

Megan considered his statement. ‘Then what happened to Ashley?’

Jones leaned back in his chair, frustrated by the question. ‘For the record, she flat-out lied to us about everything — her name, her background, her motivation, everything! That put us at a serious disadvantage. We thought she was a schoolteacher with a word puzzle, not a career thief with a stolen artefact. If we had known differently, we would’ve been better prepared.’

She nodded in understanding. ‘In other words, tell you the truth at all times.’

‘Yes. That’s exactly what I mean. Always tell us the truth. Always .’

‘That’s a two-way street, you know.’

Payne studied her. ‘Meaning?’

‘You didn’t invite me down here to break the news about my neighbour. You could’ve done that upstairs in the hallway. You brought me down here for another reason — one that involves my welfare. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so paranoid about safety, and you certainly wouldn’t

Payne shrugged. ‘Maybe we’re just chivalrous.’

‘Or maybe you’re full of shit.’

‘Damn,’ Jones said, ‘I like this gal. She’s smart and sassy. I’m glad I didn’t shoot her.’

‘Me, too,’ Payne joked. ‘Shootings are always messy. And there’s so much paperwork.’

Megan stared at him, unwilling to look away until she had conveyed how truly serious she was. She knew something dangerous was going on and wasn’t about to back down until they told her everything. ‘I’m waiting.’

‘For what?’

‘The reason you think I’m in danger.’

‘You’re pretty persistent, you know that?’

‘You have no idea.’

He paused for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of telling her. Eventually he decided she was right. Trust was a two-way street. ‘Fine! In the spirit of honesty and full disclosure, I’ll tell you what has us worried. I hope you can handle it, because you aren’t going to like it.’

‘Don’t worry, I can handle it.’

Payne nodded. ‘The odds are pretty good the shootings in Pittsburgh were done by the same people who broke into your neighbour’s

‘And?’

‘And guess what else was in her apartment? A stack of mail belonging to you. How long do you think it will be before they pay you a visit? In fact, I’m kind of surprised they didn’t tear up your place when they were done with hers. That’s what most people would’ve done.’

Some of the colour drained from her face, but other than that, she took the news in her stride. ‘If you had to guess, why didn’t they?’

‘They probably didn’t want to spook you.’

‘They didn’t want to spook me? Why in the world would they care about that?’

‘Why? Because if they’d trashed your apartment, there’s a decent chance you would’ve stayed somewhere else for a while. Or invited someone over to protect you. Or purchased a gun for safety. By doing nothing, they would lull you into a false sense of security, which will ultimately make it easier to get to you.’

Fear flashed in her eyes. ‘To get to me ? Why do they want me ?’

‘Simple. By getting to you, they improve their odds of finding the letter.’

Jones chimed in. ‘But they don’t know that. They’ll assume you two were tight.’

‘Great! This is just great! Gunmen are after me for information that I don’t have. I’m sure they’ll really believe that, if they find me.’

Payne studied her, looking for signs of shock or panic. Surprisingly, she was holding up pretty well. ‘Megan, let me ask you something. Where have you been for the past few days?’

‘I’ve been in New Orleans.’

‘On vacation?’

‘Not really.’

‘What does that mean?’

She explained. ‘Every year during the holidays, I take a week off to do charity work. I don’t have any family to visit at Christmas, so I spend my vacation helping others. This year it was Habitat for Humanity, rebuilding homes that were lost in Hurricane Katrina.’

Payne smiled at her compassion. He had spent a lot of time in New Orleans, before and after the hurricane, and knew how much damage had been done. The city’s continuing struggle

Not that he would ever tell her. Bragging wasn’t his style.

‘So,’ Jones said, ‘you don’t have any family. What about friends?’

‘Of course I have friends, but I’m not going to stay with any of them, if that’s what you’re hinting at. Why would I want to put them in harm’s way?’

‘That’s okay,’ Payne said. ‘You can stay with us.’

She shook her head. ‘No way! I don’t even know you guys.’

Payne signalled for her to calm down. ‘Don’t worry, Megan. I didn’t mean in the same room as us. I just meant in the same hotel. It’s been a long day, and it’s probably not a good idea for you to sleep upstairs.’

‘Yeah,’ she admitted, ‘you’re probably right.’

‘Therefore, if you’re willing to put up with us for a little while longer, DJ would like to get you a room for the night.’

‘Excuse me?’ Jones blurted. ‘Why me?’

Jones growled softly. ‘Fine! I’ll pay for one night, but no room service or movies.’

Megan shook her head. ‘One movie, and I can order dessert.’

‘Deal!’ he blurted. ‘But no porn. That shit is expensive.’

35

To conceal their whereabouts, Payne used a fake ID and cash to rent two connecting rooms on one of the upper floors. Megan wasn’t comfortable sleeping with her connecting door open — she had known Payne and Jones less than two hours, and one of them had pulled a gun on her — so they reached a compromise. The guys’ door would stay open all night, always giving her a secondary exit, if she needed it. They doubted it would come to that, though. They had been on high alert during their drive

By the time they finally got into their rooms, it was nearly 11 p.m.

Payne unzipped his overnight kit. ‘I’ve been thinking about the letter, trying to figure out where Ashley got it from.’

Jones put on a T-shirt. ‘What’d you come up with?’

‘Nothing yet, but I know somebody who can help. What time is it in France?’

He glanced at his watch. ‘Almost 5 a.m. Why?’

‘Never mind. It’s too late to call him now.’

‘Call who?’

‘Nick.’

Jones smiled at the mere mention of his name. He was the perfect guy to give them information about their mission, plus they could trust him with their lives. ‘Come on! This is Nick we’re talking about. The chances are pretty damn good he isn’t even in France. Every one of his cases takes him somewhere new. Besides, we saved the guy’s life and made him a millionaire to boot. I assure you, he won’t be pissed if we call.’