‘Going to need you to sign a release form. Are either of you members of his immediate fam–’ She stopped dead, her mouth slung open, her eyes on the screen. ‘It says the FBI came for him this morning.’ The policewoman looked up at them. ‘You just missed him. We transferred jurisdiction to them – about ten minutes ago.’
Maddy swallowed nervously. That doesn’t sound good.
She stared uncertainly up at Maddy and Liam, a look of growing suspicion in her eyes. ‘I … uh … you say you know this Abraham Lincoln? You’re associates of his?’
Associates? That made them sound like … criminals .
‘We’re, like, family … sort of,’ she said with a faltering smile. ‘Uh, is there a problem?’
The policewoman ignored her question. ‘Just one moment.’ She turned away from them, hurried across the front office to where the others were gathered, still staring at the small TV set.
‘Liam … something’s really wrong,’ hissed Maddy.
The woman was saying something to the others, then suddenly all five heads turned from the TV to look their way.
Oh crud .
‘I think we should leave,’ said Maddy.
‘I think you’re right.’
Liam waved his hand and called out to them. ‘Hey, you know what, fellas, we’ll come back another time! I can … uhh … see you’re all rather busy!’ He backed up a few steps from the counter and the plexiglas shield.
‘Stay right where you are!’ called out one of the plainclothes officers, his hand absently reaching under his jacket.
‘Oh crud!’ hissed Maddy.
Sal stood between both support units outside on the pavement, feeling strangely conspicuous. She noticed the same eerie stillness here as she’d seen on countless occasions in Times Square: people standing motionless, gazing up at the sky, most of them with a mobile phone to one ear, sharing these moments of horror with a loved one somewhere else in the city. Even some cars were still, stopped at intersections though they had a green light, their driver-side doors open or window wound down to see better the thick pall of smoke filling the sky.
With all eyes tilted upwards, it was only Sal – seen the 9/11 sky far too many times already – who noticed the black van smoothly rolling out of the precinct’s forecourt. As it turned left on to the intersection and rolled past them, she thought she spotted the ghost of a familiar bearded face through the grilled window in the back of the van.
‘Uh? Was that …?’
Becks looked back down. ‘What is it, Sal?’
‘That van …’ She pointed.
Becks followed her finger. ‘The black van? Registration Washington BLL 443.’
‘Yeah, I thought I just saw …’ Her uncertain voice faded to nothing as the van calmly weaved its way around the stopped traffic, took a right and disappeared from view.
Liam grabbed hold of Maddy’s hand, turned and ran out through the swing doors.
Outside, down three wide steps on the pavement, Sal and the other two looked up.
‘Maddy!’ called out Sal. ‘I think … we think we just saw Abraham being driven away in a –’ She stopped. ‘Hey, what’s up?’
Maddy grasped her shoulder, struggling to fill her wheezing lungs with air.
‘Maddy? You all right?’
‘We –’ wheeze – ‘we … got a new plan!’
‘What is it?’
At that moment the double glass doors of the precinct swung open and several uniformed police emerged, hands resting on their gun holsters, looking around at the passing foot traffic on the pavement.
‘Run!’
CHAPTER 21
2001, en route to Quantico, Virginia
Lincoln glowered at his three captors in silence for the best part of an hour. The horseless vehicle they were travelling in was uncomfortable and bare. There were no windows that he could see out of clearly and the occasional lurching motion was beginning to make him feel sick. He had no idea how long they had sat like this, a man either side of him and one sitting opposite, returning his glare through
Maddy swallowed nervously. That doesn’t sound good.
She stared uncertainly up at Maddy and Liam, a look of growing suspicion in her eyes. ‘I … uh … you say you know this Abraham Lincoln? You’re associates of his?’
Associates? That made them sound like … criminals .
‘We’re, like, family … sort of,’ she said with a faltering smile. ‘Uh, is there a problem?’
The policewoman ignored her question. ‘Just one moment.’ She turned away from them, hurried across the front office to where the others were gathered, still staring at the small TV set.
‘Liam … something’s really wrong,’ hissed Maddy.
The woman was saying something to the others, then suddenly all five heads turned from the TV to look their way.
Oh crud .
‘I think we should leave,’ said Maddy.
‘I think you’re right.’
Liam waved his hand and called out to them. ‘Hey, you know what, fellas, we’ll come back another time! I can … uhh … see you’re all rather busy!’ He backed up a few steps from the counter and the plexiglas shield.
‘Stay right where you are!’ called out one of the plainclothes officers, his hand absently reaching under his jacket.
‘Oh crud!’ hissed Maddy.
Sal stood between both support units outside on the pavement, feeling strangely conspicuous. She noticed the same eerie stillness here as she’d seen on countless occasions in Times Square: people standing motionless, gazing up at the sky, most of them with a mobile phone to one ear, sharing these moments of horror with a loved one somewhere else in the city. Even some cars were still, stopped at intersections though they had a green light, their driver-side doors open or window wound down to see better the thick pall of smoke filling the sky.
With all eyes tilted upwards, it was only Sal – seen the 9/11 sky far too many times already – who noticed the black van smoothly rolling out of the precinct’s forecourt. As it turned left on to the intersection and rolled past them, she thought she spotted the ghost of a familiar bearded face through the grilled window in the back of the van.
‘Uh? Was that …?’
Becks looked back down. ‘What is it, Sal?’
‘That van …’ She pointed.
Becks followed her finger. ‘The black van? Registration Washington BLL 443.’
‘Yeah, I thought I just saw …’ Her uncertain voice faded to nothing as the van calmly weaved its way around the stopped traffic, took a right and disappeared from view.
Liam grabbed hold of Maddy’s hand, turned and ran out through the swing doors.
Outside, down three wide steps on the pavement, Sal and the other two looked up.
‘Maddy!’ called out Sal. ‘I think … we think we just saw Abraham being driven away in a –’ She stopped. ‘Hey, what’s up?’
Maddy grasped her shoulder, struggling to fill her wheezing lungs with air.
‘Maddy? You all right?’
‘We –’ wheeze – ‘we … got a new plan!’
‘What is it?’
At that moment the double glass doors of the precinct swung open and several uniformed police emerged, hands resting on their gun holsters, looking around at the passing foot traffic on the pavement.
‘Run!’
CHAPTER 21
2001, en route to Quantico, Virginia
Lincoln glowered at his three captors in silence for the best part of an hour. The horseless vehicle they were travelling in was uncomfortable and bare. There were no windows that he could see out of clearly and the occasional lurching motion was beginning to make him feel sick. He had no idea how long they had sat like this, a man either side of him and one sitting opposite, returning his glare through
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