“He didn’t,” said Katie as she wiped off her face.
“Then you have no trouble with my calling back this number? Just to see who answers?”
Katie looked down for a moment, trying to get her breath and her nerves under control.
What the hell has Shaw done to get a guy like this ticked off at him?
“I will take your silence as an affirmation.”
“He won’t come.”
“I think he will.”
“Why?” Katie said miserably.
Kuchin looked at the photo of Shaw and Katie. “I think you know why.”
90
SHAW WAS lying on the couch when it happened. He looked at the caller ID screen. He recognized the number. It was the phone Frank had given Katie. She was calling him again. He slumped back on the couch. He wasn’t going to answer. What would be the point? He was absorbed with guilt over sleeping with Reggie. Frank had accused him of disrespecting Anna’s memory, and maybe he was right. Shaw still wasn’t sure how it had all happened. But he did know that he had wanted it to happen. He had wanted the woman in a way that he had wanted no other. Perhaps even Anna. He couldn’t explain it and didn’t have the energy to even try.
The phone stopped ringing. He sat up, rubbed his head, now feeling even guiltier for not answering the call. The phone started ringing again. Okay, now he had another chance to at least make this right.
“Hello?”
“Bill Young?”
The voice from the catacombs, so close then, seemed right in his face now. Shaw almost never felt afraid anymore. It wasn’t that he was careless or considered himself invulnerable. Paralyzing fear simply had been eradicated from his psyche through an accelerated process of evolution. He spent much of his time in dangerous situations. If he continually froze up, he’d be dead. The ones who didn’t let fear get the best of them tended to live to fight another day. He was one such man.
Now Shaw felt fear like he hadn’t in a long time. But it wasn’t for himself.
“How did you get this number?” He already knew the answer and yet he was hoping beyond all reason that he was wrong.
The next voice he heard destroyed this possibility. “Shaw, stay away. Do not do what this guy says. Just stay away.”
Katie sounded scared but also resolute. In those few words Shaw was reminded starkly of how courageous the lady was. She was sitting next to one of the great psychopaths of the ages and she was telling him to just let her die. Frank had been right; he didn’t deserve her.
“Mr. Shaw?” said Kuchin.
“How did you get to her?”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Kuchin. “I have her. Now I want you and the woman.”
“I can only speak for myself.”
“You and the woman,” repeated Kuchin.
“And you’ll let Katie go? Right, sure. I’ll come. Just me.”
“If it’s just you, don’t bother. Your friend here will not be alive to greet you.”
“I’m telling you I don’t know where she is.”
“Then I suggest you try very hard to find her.”
“And if I can’t?”
“I have a box, Mr. Shaw. It’s from my days in my home country. In that box are some very persuasive tools that I employ from time to time. Indeed, I just used them on another acquaintance of mine. I have to tell you that he did not seem to enjoy it. I do not often pull out my little box, but I will for your friend if you do not do as I say. I will videotape my work and send it to you.”
“What if I can find her? What then?”
“I will call you back on this number in two hours.”
“That’s not enough time.”
“In two hours,” repeated Kuchin. “Then I will tell you exactly how and when this will happen. And I would advise you strongly not to let this conversation go beyond you and ‘Janie.’ Such a tactic would be fruitless and will ensure your friend’s death in the most painful way I can possibly achieve. You saw the pretty pictures on the wall beneath that church. You know what I’m capable of.”
“Listen to me-”
But Kuchin was gone. Shaw stared down at the phone like it was a live grenade that he needed to throw himself on to save everyone else. But it wasn’t a grenade, it was a phone. And he apparently couldn’t save anyone. And Reggie? He couldn’t ask her to do it. He wouldn’t ask her to do it.
He would tell Kuchin when he called back that he had found Reggie. They would arrange the meeting. He would go alone, make an excuse, and do his best to get Katie out alive. That was all he could think of.
He looked up when something thumped against his door.
“Yeah?” His voice broke on the simple word.
“It’s Reggie. Can we talk?”
Shit.
“I was just getting ready to crash,” he called out.
“Please.”
He hesitated, but finally opened the door and motioned her in. She eyed him curiously.
“Are you okay? You look like you’re about to vomit.”
“I’m fine.”
She sat in a chair, he on the couch.
“What’s up?”
Reggie started talking, but he wasn’t listening. Shaw knew that Kuchin was too smart for something as simple as his plan. He would want proof that Reggie was coming. He would ask to speak with her. Shaw would never get the chance to save Katie unless…
“Shaw? Shaw?”
He looked up to see Reggie standing next to him, poking him in the shoulder.
“Yeah?” he said in a bewildered tone.
“You haven’t listened to one bloody word I’ve been saying.”
“I’m sorry. Look, this is just bad timing.”
She eyed the phone still clutched in his hand and looked at him suspiciously. “What’s going on?” she demanded.
“Nothing is going on.”
She knelt in front of him, her hands on his knees. “Something is going on and you’re going to tell me what it is.”
Shaw could barely form words. Indelibly painted on his brain were the images of Katie and Kuchin. “It’s nothing. I’ll handle it.”
She pounced. “Handle what?”
“Will you please let it alone?”
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
“Who?”
She grabbed his thick shoulders and shook them. “Oh for God’s sake. Talk to me.”
He stood abruptly, causing her to fall on her backside, and walked away. “I said I’ll handle it.”
She rose, followed him. “How?”
“I’ll think of something.”
“He has someone, doesn’t he? Someone you care about?”
He whirled, terrible suspicions running through his own mind now, but none of them made sense. “How did you-”
“I guessed,” she said. “I don’t think you’d ever be scared for yourself. So it had to be somebody else. How did he get to them?”
Shaw sank down on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know.”
“Who is it?”
“Her name is Katie James.”
“I’ve heard of her.”
“Journalist.”
“Right, that’s right. He’s got her? You’re sure?”
“Too sure.”
“And what does he want?”
“Me.” He hesitated, licked his lips. “And you.”
“The package?”
“I told him I didn’t know where you were.”
“But that wasn’t good enough, was it?”
“What do you think?”
“So where and when?”
“Reggie, don’t even go there.”
“I’m already there, Shaw.”
“I’m not going to let you do this.”
“Are you kidding? This is the best thing that could’ve happened.”
“What?” he said in a shocked voice.
“I don’t mean for your friend. I’m very sorry about that,” she added quickly. “But we were never going to find Kuchin. And now the guy is inviting us to come to him. This is our opportunity. Our shot.”
“It’s hardly an invitation, Reggie. He’s going to kill us.”
“No, he’s going to try and kill us,” she corrected. “And we’re going to do the same to him.”
“Well, given the circumstances, I think the odds lie with him.”