Savior by Anthony Caplan Page A

showed models on a runway in long dresses and high heels. The Delta girl sat with him at a table and ordered without seeing the menu when the waiter appeared.
    You like estek?
    Yes. Fine.
    Un lomito , Carlos. Y trae tambien una ensalada mixta. For drink?
    A beer is fine.
    Beer? You are too young.
    No. It's fine.
    Okay. Una Imperial, Carlos. No, mejor dos.
    They ate mostly in silence. She was hungry and barely glanced up from the food. Ricky studied the movement of her hands, the set of her eyes, trying hard to decipher her motives for feeding him. She seemed unfazed by his appearance, the smoky smell in his hair and the gash on his chin. It was as if she knew him, and this perplexed him instead of reassuring him.
    Very good?
    Yes, delicious.
    She nodded. Then raising her glass to her lips, she smiled with her eyes in a way that seemed to melt an inner core of resolve. It was funny. He wanted to see more of that look.
    Your father. Where he is? Really.
    Really? I don't know.
    You have nowhere to go.
    No.
    It's okay. She smiled again, drank the rest of the beer.
    Do you want some more?
    No.
    She motioned for Carlos and took a credit card from the bag in her lap. She reminded him of his mother in the way she handled money officiously and without fear. She stood, buttoning her blue uniform jacket and wiping away the crumbs on her skirt. Ricky pushed back in the chair. He had no choice. He was going to follow her.
    On the escalator, Ricky surveyed the airport lounge below. Some passengers milled around the door, but otherwise the floor was empty. She turned around.
    You stay with me and, in the morning we, eh, find him, okay?
    All right.
    How was she going to find his father? It seemed like a long shot, but at least it was a promise of something, which was better than anything else he could think of. Then he spotted him, the man from the beach, Robert Newman. He was in a pod of men in suits walking swiftly across the floor towards the exit. It had to be him , even though he looked different without his swimming suit and his hair was slicked in a comb-over across the top of his head; something about his bowlegged, large-bellied stride gave him away. Ricky was sure. He leapt down the escalator past the Delta woman.
    Wait! She yelled after him, grabbing at his pack. She almost took it off him, but he whirled and managed to bat her arm away. She was surprisingly agile. Ricky jumped the last ten steps and landed in a crouch. He turned and saw her waving frantically. Guards appeared at the end of the hall and began to move towards the escalator. Ricky sprinted and caught up to the knot of men as they approached the exit. He stopped in front of Newman, blocking his way. Newman, red-faced at the sight of him, cleared his throat as if he were choking, barely managing to get the words out.
    You. What do you think you're doing?
    I need to talk to you, Mr. Newman. I'm in a whole lot of trouble and my Dad. . .
    Your Dad is in even bigger trouble.
    The popping of bullet fire sounded. Newman ducked. Five of the men pulled revolvers and started firing back in different directions. At the same time, one of them grabbed Ricky and pulled him out the door. They made a run for a limo pulled up to the curb.
    Get in, said Newman, shoving his head down and in through the open door as if he was under arrest. The limo lurched forward with the screech of rubber. Ricky looked around through the back slit of window. Another long, black car was in back. As they rounded the corner, there was more gunfire and then they were out on the main road to Guatemala City, weaving through the traffic.
    Newman was on the cell phone. Get out to the highway as fast as you can. They're likely to block the toll road. I've got the boy.
    He put the cell phone away.
    Newman turned to him and breathed deeply to regain his calm.
    That was a team coming in to investigate the death of one of our local agents, Noah Hipps. I'm thinking you might know what happened to him.
    How do you