easy and neither of you is gonna bite? It’s like I have to do all the work around here.”
Cody looked at her like she had two heads, but I knew what Jessie was doing. She wanted Abrams angry—angrier than he already was, given how his jaw was clenched and how his face had gone beet red. Angry people make dumb mistakes and say things they shouldn’t.
I also knew that if this interrogation was about to get rough, she wanted his undivided attention, to spare me and Cody from as much pain as she could. As team leader, that was her job.
Just like it was my job not to let her.
“It’s over, Abrams,” I said. He whirled to face me. “That’s right. We know who you are, and so do the state police. They’re on their way, right now. Best thing you can do is untie us and give yourself up.”
Slim chance of that. The only hope for the cavalry to save the day was if those hostages we set free made it to civilization—and the nearest town was a long, long hike away. By the time the cops got here, they wouldn’t find anything but our cold, dead bodies. Still, I caught the flicker of worry in his eyes.
He strode over to the computer table, leaning in to confer with two of his men in hushed tones. As he straightened his back, I heard him say, “—then start searching grid three. And hurry it the hell up.”
The Red Knight might have already crash-landed—or it might be about to—but at least Xerxes hadn’t found it yet. A small blessing, but at the moment I’d take any I could get.
“You,” Abrams said to Cody. “Who do you work for?”
Jessie looked my way. “Did you see that? Went right for him. Just assumes the only man in the group is the one in charge. What an asshole.”
“We’re with the FBI,” I told him. “Another good reason to surrender.”
He walked to the table where they’d emptied out our pockets, and came back with a gun.
“Since when do FBI agents carry pieces like this?” he said, dragging his fingertip across the acid-marred serial number. “This is a hitter’s gun. I’ll ask again: Who do you work for? Who sent you?”
“The Mormons,” Jessie said. “We’re getting really aggressive on the door-to-door thing. Have you made your decision for Christ?”
He took a step toward her, cocking a fist.
“That’s not the right question,” I blurted, stopping him in his tracks. He looked my way.
“What is, then?”
“Xerxes,” I said. “You were a soldier-of-fortune outfit. I assume you still are. So the question is, how much money will it take to get you to flip sides and join our team?”
Pointless question. Whatever the fee, I could guarantee I didn’t have it—and Linder wouldn’t be covering the cost, either—but it might bring me one step closer to figuring out who they were working for.
He sneered. “More than you’ve got. We’ve moved up in the wo—” From a nearby table, a walkie-talkie squawked. He rushed over and snatched it up. “Sir.”
The accent on the other end was pure cockney, and back-alley rough. “Got anything yet?”
Abrams’s back went ramrod straight. “Not yet, sir. The second we find anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
“You lads havin’ a wank together, or doin’ your jobs? Never mind, don’t tell me, I don’t even wanna know. What about those tangos you netted?”
“They say they’re with the FBI.”
“Like ’ell they are,” the voice growled. “Take off the kid gloves, son, and start yanking out toenails until somebody tells it straight. There’s too much on the line tonight to be messing about.”
I glanced over at Cody. He stared straight ahead, eyes unblinking, expression blank. I watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, and realized every breath was a perfect four seconds in, four seconds out. He’s counting, I thought, to keep himself calm.
And I was the one who got him into this mess.
“Yes, sir,” Abrams said. “I’ll keep you updated.”
No reply beyond a soft bed of static. He set the
Cody looked at her like she had two heads, but I knew what Jessie was doing. She wanted Abrams angry—angrier than he already was, given how his jaw was clenched and how his face had gone beet red. Angry people make dumb mistakes and say things they shouldn’t.
I also knew that if this interrogation was about to get rough, she wanted his undivided attention, to spare me and Cody from as much pain as she could. As team leader, that was her job.
Just like it was my job not to let her.
“It’s over, Abrams,” I said. He whirled to face me. “That’s right. We know who you are, and so do the state police. They’re on their way, right now. Best thing you can do is untie us and give yourself up.”
Slim chance of that. The only hope for the cavalry to save the day was if those hostages we set free made it to civilization—and the nearest town was a long, long hike away. By the time the cops got here, they wouldn’t find anything but our cold, dead bodies. Still, I caught the flicker of worry in his eyes.
He strode over to the computer table, leaning in to confer with two of his men in hushed tones. As he straightened his back, I heard him say, “—then start searching grid three. And hurry it the hell up.”
The Red Knight might have already crash-landed—or it might be about to—but at least Xerxes hadn’t found it yet. A small blessing, but at the moment I’d take any I could get.
“You,” Abrams said to Cody. “Who do you work for?”
Jessie looked my way. “Did you see that? Went right for him. Just assumes the only man in the group is the one in charge. What an asshole.”
“We’re with the FBI,” I told him. “Another good reason to surrender.”
He walked to the table where they’d emptied out our pockets, and came back with a gun.
“Since when do FBI agents carry pieces like this?” he said, dragging his fingertip across the acid-marred serial number. “This is a hitter’s gun. I’ll ask again: Who do you work for? Who sent you?”
“The Mormons,” Jessie said. “We’re getting really aggressive on the door-to-door thing. Have you made your decision for Christ?”
He took a step toward her, cocking a fist.
“That’s not the right question,” I blurted, stopping him in his tracks. He looked my way.
“What is, then?”
“Xerxes,” I said. “You were a soldier-of-fortune outfit. I assume you still are. So the question is, how much money will it take to get you to flip sides and join our team?”
Pointless question. Whatever the fee, I could guarantee I didn’t have it—and Linder wouldn’t be covering the cost, either—but it might bring me one step closer to figuring out who they were working for.
He sneered. “More than you’ve got. We’ve moved up in the wo—” From a nearby table, a walkie-talkie squawked. He rushed over and snatched it up. “Sir.”
The accent on the other end was pure cockney, and back-alley rough. “Got anything yet?”
Abrams’s back went ramrod straight. “Not yet, sir. The second we find anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
“You lads havin’ a wank together, or doin’ your jobs? Never mind, don’t tell me, I don’t even wanna know. What about those tangos you netted?”
“They say they’re with the FBI.”
“Like ’ell they are,” the voice growled. “Take off the kid gloves, son, and start yanking out toenails until somebody tells it straight. There’s too much on the line tonight to be messing about.”
I glanced over at Cody. He stared straight ahead, eyes unblinking, expression blank. I watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, and realized every breath was a perfect four seconds in, four seconds out. He’s counting, I thought, to keep himself calm.
And I was the one who got him into this mess.
“Yes, sir,” Abrams said. “I’ll keep you updated.”
No reply beyond a soft bed of static. He set the
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