the First Rule (2010) by Robert - Joe Pike 02 Crais Page A
Authors: Robert - Joe Pike 02 Crais
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this.
She fought even harder, whipping her head from side to side. She was strong. Muscles like rope under the pale skin.
Pike squeezed so tight that something in her cracked. He hammered back the Python.
I won't ask you again.
Yes.
Yes what?
I know. I know who killed them. I know who did this.
Who?
My husband.
Pike held her trapped in his arm, the water from her hair soaking into his skin, her chest heaving.
The First Rule
15
PIKE TOLD HER TO wrap herself in the towel, then put her on the couch. She glanced at Yanni, still flat on his back.
What about him?
He's bleeding.
We should do something.
After you tell me.
She didn't like that, and said something to Yanni in Serbian.
Pike said, English.
Yanni rubbed stupidly at his face, smearing the blood on his arm. Pike slipped her pistol into his pocket, then positioned himself so he could see both of them at the same time. If Yanni tried to get up, Pike wanted to know.
Pike said, Who's your husband?
Michael Darko. You know this name?
No. He's a thief?
She smirked, as if Pike was an idiot. She was cool and aloof, even naked on the couch with Yanni bleeding on the floor.
Please. He is a boss of thieves.
Okay, the boss. Was he your boss when you were arrested for prostitution?
A tint of pink colored her cheeks.
Yes. He bring me here to America. I work for him then.
Okay, the boss of thieves is a pimp. This boss sent a crew to Frank's house?
Yes.
Did he go with them?
Maybe he go, maybe not. I was not there.
What did he go there to steal?
My baby.
Her answer hung in the air like a frozen moment, as surprising as if they had gone to steal a nuclear bomb. Pike stared at her, thinking about what she had said, her gaunt face as smooth as porcelain, her eyes as hard as marble.
Frank and Cindy had your baby?
My sister. I give him to my sister when I find out Michael is going to take him. I hide him with her until we can leave.
Pike tried to get his head around it. Then he remembered seeing the box of Pampers in Ana's room. He had seen it, but thought nothing of it because it was just another box. There had been no crib, or bassinet, or baby food, just the one box of Pampers.
A baby.
Yes.
How old?
Ten months.
She sat up straighter, pulling her shoulders back and chest out.
I look good, yes? I do much hard work.
Michael and his crew, they've invaded six other homes. They've killed other people. He have kids in those places, too?
Her eyes flashed, angry.
I don't know nothing about other things. All I know is this. Michael want his child. He take him back to Serbia.
Terrio hadn't mentioned a kidnapping. Neither had Chen or anyone else, and then Pike realized why.
You didn't tell the police, did you?
Of course not. They cannot help me.
Of course not.
Yanni was waking up. He touched his face, then looked at the blood on his palm as if he wasn't quite sure what it was. Pike moved the gun toward him.
This one your boyfriend?
No. He want to be, but, no. I hide with him when I hear Michael wants the baby, but then I get scared and I have much to do, so I give the baby to Ana.
Yanni stirred. A knee came up, then he rolled onto his side, trying to rise.
Pike said, Tell him to stay down.
In English?
In whatever he understands. Tell him if he gets up, I'll shoot him.
Would you?
Yes.
She spoke the language, and Yanni turned toward Pike. Pike showed him the gun. Yanni sighed, then rested his head on the floor. His face was a mess.
Pike said, I want to be clear. Your husband, this guy Michael Darko, he went to Frank's house to steal his kid from your sister?
Yes.
There it was. Michael Darko was the fourth man.
What happened that night, it had nothing to do with Frank. It was all about taking your kid.
Michael is going back to Serbia. He wants to raise his son there. Me, he wants to kill.
Why?
I am nothing. Do you see? A whore he made pregnant. He does not want his son to be the child of a whore.
So he murdered your sister and an entire
She fought even harder, whipping her head from side to side. She was strong. Muscles like rope under the pale skin.
Pike squeezed so tight that something in her cracked. He hammered back the Python.
I won't ask you again.
Yes.
Yes what?
I know. I know who killed them. I know who did this.
Who?
My husband.
Pike held her trapped in his arm, the water from her hair soaking into his skin, her chest heaving.
The First Rule
15
PIKE TOLD HER TO wrap herself in the towel, then put her on the couch. She glanced at Yanni, still flat on his back.
What about him?
He's bleeding.
We should do something.
After you tell me.
She didn't like that, and said something to Yanni in Serbian.
Pike said, English.
Yanni rubbed stupidly at his face, smearing the blood on his arm. Pike slipped her pistol into his pocket, then positioned himself so he could see both of them at the same time. If Yanni tried to get up, Pike wanted to know.
Pike said, Who's your husband?
Michael Darko. You know this name?
No. He's a thief?
She smirked, as if Pike was an idiot. She was cool and aloof, even naked on the couch with Yanni bleeding on the floor.
Please. He is a boss of thieves.
Okay, the boss. Was he your boss when you were arrested for prostitution?
A tint of pink colored her cheeks.
Yes. He bring me here to America. I work for him then.
Okay, the boss of thieves is a pimp. This boss sent a crew to Frank's house?
Yes.
Did he go with them?
Maybe he go, maybe not. I was not there.
What did he go there to steal?
My baby.
Her answer hung in the air like a frozen moment, as surprising as if they had gone to steal a nuclear bomb. Pike stared at her, thinking about what she had said, her gaunt face as smooth as porcelain, her eyes as hard as marble.
Frank and Cindy had your baby?
My sister. I give him to my sister when I find out Michael is going to take him. I hide him with her until we can leave.
Pike tried to get his head around it. Then he remembered seeing the box of Pampers in Ana's room. He had seen it, but thought nothing of it because it was just another box. There had been no crib, or bassinet, or baby food, just the one box of Pampers.
A baby.
Yes.
How old?
Ten months.
She sat up straighter, pulling her shoulders back and chest out.
I look good, yes? I do much hard work.
Michael and his crew, they've invaded six other homes. They've killed other people. He have kids in those places, too?
Her eyes flashed, angry.
I don't know nothing about other things. All I know is this. Michael want his child. He take him back to Serbia.
Terrio hadn't mentioned a kidnapping. Neither had Chen or anyone else, and then Pike realized why.
You didn't tell the police, did you?
Of course not. They cannot help me.
Of course not.
Yanni was waking up. He touched his face, then looked at the blood on his palm as if he wasn't quite sure what it was. Pike moved the gun toward him.
This one your boyfriend?
No. He want to be, but, no. I hide with him when I hear Michael wants the baby, but then I get scared and I have much to do, so I give the baby to Ana.
Yanni stirred. A knee came up, then he rolled onto his side, trying to rise.
Pike said, Tell him to stay down.
In English?
In whatever he understands. Tell him if he gets up, I'll shoot him.
Would you?
Yes.
She spoke the language, and Yanni turned toward Pike. Pike showed him the gun. Yanni sighed, then rested his head on the floor. His face was a mess.
Pike said, I want to be clear. Your husband, this guy Michael Darko, he went to Frank's house to steal his kid from your sister?
Yes.
There it was. Michael Darko was the fourth man.
What happened that night, it had nothing to do with Frank. It was all about taking your kid.
Michael is going back to Serbia. He wants to raise his son there. Me, he wants to kill.
Why?
I am nothing. Do you see? A whore he made pregnant. He does not want his son to be the child of a whore.
So he murdered your sister and an entire
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