‘Will do.’
August leaned back in the cab. The phone rang.
‘Yes.’
‘I changed my mind. Here’s where I want you to go.’
45
Ming building, Brooklyn
Leonie stared down at Beth and Lizzie. Her mouth trembled.
‘I know them,’ she said, in a hushed tone.
I sat on the floor, inspecting my injuries. I was sore and exhausted but I didn’t have time to hurt. Nothing was broken, as far as I could tell. I unknotted my slashed tie, threw it on the floor. ‘How do you know them?’
Her mouth worked. ‘I made new identities for them.’
‘As Lizzie and’ – I remembered the name Lizzie had screamed – ‘Meggie?’
‘No. Those were their real names. Lizzie and Meggie Pearson. They were from Oregon. Their father… he killed their mother in front of them and then told everyone his wife and kids had left him, but he kept the sisters in a cage in his basement for three years when they were little. The father finally got too close to the cage and the girls strangled him against the bars. They were maybe ten and nine. Didn’t you hear about that? One of those stories where they were all the news for five minutes then the world forgot about them.’
‘I grew up overseas, no, I never heard of them.’
‘They got put into foster care but… I don’t think they ever recovered. No family would keep them for long. Meggie was cold and calculating, Lizzie was crazy and vicious. They were in trouble with the law a lot; there was talk that they had killed a college student who knew Lizzie slightly, nothing was proven, but he was found dead in a cage in an abandoned cabin.’
Cage. Playpen.
‘They had to vanish.’ Leonie’s voice broke. ‘Oh God, oh God, we have to get out of here.’
‘Why?’
Leonie stepped away from Lizzie’s body. Shuddering. ‘Because… someone I knew once wanted them to come work for him, and he needed them to have new identities. Not be the least bit notorious. New names. New histories. So they could work for him… unimpeded.’
‘As hired killers.’
‘Yes, and as interrogators. Lizzie is supposed to be good at getting information out of people.’
‘And you hid them.’
‘Yes. That’s what I did, for three years, hid people for him. Before I hid myself.’
‘Who?’
‘The man I’m hiding from, Sam.’
‘Who, Leonie?’
‘His name is Ray Brewster. He must be behind all this. He must be.’
‘Who is he?’
She stared out the window, through the slats. Her fist pressed against her mouth. ‘They’re here.’
46
Ming building, Brooklyn
I stepped next to Leonie and I watched through the slats. August Holdwine approached the building from the sidewalk, via the back entrance along the alleyway. Alone. He was in jeans, a dark, untucked shirt, a summer-weight jacket, probably to conceal his weapon.
So if August was here, where was Jack Ming?
August moved along the alleyway, hand tucked under blazer, being careful. Maybe if I stood and waved he’d wave back. Could invite him up to hang out with Leonie and me and the dead sisters. After all, we’re all looking for the same guy.
‘Stay here,’ I said to Leonie. She’d heard my shocked intake of breath, come closer to the window.
‘What is it? Is it Ming?’
‘No. Someone else has shown up here.’
‘Who the hell is that?’
‘The CIA.’
She sucked in breath. ‘Has he tracked him here?’
‘Either that or he’s meeting him, which means Anna’s source is dead-on right.’ Anna had someone inside Special Projects. Was it this Ray Brewster? I wasn’t sure if that theory made sense.
I had thought I could grab and deal with Ming before the meeting, before August or anyone else showed up. Now I was literally out of time. Where was Ming? He had to be close, probably watching August to ensure that he showed, and perhaps that he showed alone. Conditions for the meeting would have been set.
‘Stay here. Don’t let him see you. Let me handle this,’ I said. ‘If this goes wrong and we get separated or I’m captured, go to a bar called The Last Minute. It’s right by Bryant Park in Manhattan. Ask for Bertrand, tell him you’re a friend of mine. He’ll protect you.’
She nodded. ‘You know this man,’ she said, pointing down toward August.
‘Yes.’
Leonie clutched my arm. ‘You are not negotiating with this man, Sam. You have to kill Jack Ming. End of story. You must.’
‘I-’
‘Will your friend there walk away without a fight?’
‘His name is August. No. I know him too well. No.’
‘Then are you going to kill August? Who matters more, your friend or your kid?’
No, never, I thought. How far would you go to save your son? Leonie’s words ricocheted around my brain.
‘Quit being so bloodthirsty. It’s not your friend and your finger on the trigger. It’s not your conscience.’
She flinched. ‘I’m not bloodthirsty. I just want my child back. Don’t you?’ Then, before I could answer, she made her voice a knife. ‘Maybe not. It’s not like you’ve seen him. It’s not like you could really love him.’
I yanked my arm from her hand.
The shock on my face must have been reflected on her own. ‘Oh, my God, Sam, I am so sorry – I don’t know why I said that… Please… ’
‘Listen to me,’ I said. ‘Right now, call my cell phone. I’ll listen on the earbud. I’m going to keep August downstairs and talk to him. But I want to know if Ming comes into sight. I want to know immediately if you see him.’
She nodded.
‘Don’t hang up and don’t panic.’
47
Ming building, Brooklyn
I hurried down the stairs to the second floor. Were the doors unlocked? I waited at the top of the stairs that led down to the ground floor.
August opened the door. He came through with gun drawn, arm extended, classic stance to sweep the room. He froze when he saw me. I kept my hands raised, empty of a weapon.
‘Hi.’ I didn’t know what else to say.
My best friend stared up at me in shock. For one moment he wavered. Five long seconds ticked by. But he kept his gun leveled at me. ‘You look like you’ve been beaten to hell, man.’
‘Yes,’ I nodded.
‘What are you doing here, Sam?’
‘I have a favor to ask you. Biggest one ever.’
‘Come down here.’
I stayed put. ‘This is what I need you to do. Turn around and leave. You hear from Jack Ming again, you ignore it. Let him go.’
‘Jack Ming. Is that my new friend’s name? Why would you want me to give him the cold shoulder?’
‘Shut the hell up and just go.’
‘No. Why are you here, Sam?’ Now August’s voice rose.
I started to walk down the steps. My gun was holstered in the small of my back. My hands were in the air.
I knew there was a spy inside Special Projects. Another traitor who’d likely been bought. Maybe this Ray Brewster. And if I told August the truth the traitor could learn it, no matter how careful August was. It could be his team-mate, his boss. And they would never give me back Daniel if I exposed their man.
So I lied: ‘This is a trap. Novem Soles wants to capture you. Pick your brain.’
‘What are you doing here?’ And I heard what I didn’t want to hear in his voice. Suspicion. ‘How did you even know I’m here?’
He thinks I’m one of them now.
‘Oh, my God, Jack Ming is here,’ I heard Leonie’s voice in my earbud. ‘He just ran to the door from the building across the alleyway, he’s coming in now… ’
No time. No time to react.
The door slammed open and caught August with its edge. He staggered back. I saw Jack Ming power up a gun, aimed at August’s head.
‘Drop your gun,’ the young man screamed.
And August did and the young man looked up at me. I’d pulled my weapon and he still had his gun leveled at August.