blocking her.
“Where do you want to go?” Shanker asked.
Eric didn’t answer and only looked very unhappy. He fought back the tears and shook his head.
“He’s going with Mrs. Wilson,” the lawyer said.
Eric looked at his grandfather, who looked at Stuart. “Well?” Shanker asked. “You’re his father. Make a decision.”
Stuart didn’t know what to say.
“I want to stay with you or Dad,” Eric whispered to Shanker.
“He’s coming with me, and that’s final,” Barbara Raye said, pushing Shanker out of the way.
It was a mistake. Shanker stepped in front of her. “Ma’am, normally I don’t cotton to hittin’ women. But in your case I’ll make an exception.”
The lawyer intervened. “Stop right there, Mr. Stuart.”
Shanker whirled on the lawyer, fully engaged. “As I recall, Mike and Jenny have joint legal custody of Eric. Unless you’ve got a court order—”
The lawyer interrupted him. “In the absence of Jennifer Stuart, Mrs. Wilson is empowered to act in her place.”
Shanker leaned into the lawyer, his face inches away from the man’s nose, and exhaled. “You got a piece of paper from a judge saying that?”
“Don’t threaten me,” the lawyer said.
“I’m not threatening you, fuckface.”
The lawyer backed away, astounded at the pure aggression in the man. “There’s no need to get violent,” he said.
“When things go wrong, get aggressive,” Shanker said. “And you’re all wrong.”
“You can’t get away with threatening people,” the lawyer replied.
“I’m warning,” Shanker growled. “You as much as touch that boy without a court order and I’ll put you down. And I mean me personally, you personally.” He paused for effect as a wicked smile spread across his face. “Ain’t it fun being an advocate when people advocate back?”
Barbara Raye wasn’t having any of it. She reached down and pulled at Eric’s shirt. “We’re leaving.”
Shanker grabbed her hand that was holding Eric, but she wouldn’t let go. They stared at each other. Then, with one hand grasping her wrist, he pressed against the back of her knuckles with his other hand, forcing her clenched hand down and her fingers to open. He did it so easily it looked like a caress. He smiled at her. “I do hope you know how to get out of Dodge, ma’am.”
Barbara Raye’s eyes squinted at him in pure hate. “You haven’t heard the last of this,” she said, storming away. The lawyer followed her like a puppy dog.
“Nice seeing you again,” Shanker called. “Have a nice day.” He turned to Stuart and shook his head. The old hurt was back. Thank God for Dwight, Shanker told himself, thinking of his older son.
6
Miami
How many times have we been through this? Luis Barrios moaned to himself. He picked up a brick of the gray explosive, working hard to conceal his exasperation. By now they all should have been able to assemble the bomb in less than five minutes. But it wasn’t happening and, if anything, Eduardo and Francisco were slower. At least Carita was nearing the goal. “Semtex is a plastique,” he told them. “Without an igniter it’s harmless. Don’t be afraid of it.” From the expression on their faces, they still didn’t believe him. “Look,” he said, desperate to make his point. He dropped the brick. Eduardo almost fainted.
Luis picked up the explosive and flicked open his knife. The blade was razor sharp, and he deftly peeled off a sliver of the explosive. He hated wasting even a few grams, but he had to make his point. He dropped the sliver into an ashtray and lit it with a cigarette lighter. The explosive was slow to ignite and, finally, it burst into flame before quickly consuming itself and burning out. An acrid stench filled the room.
Carita threw open a window. “It smells terrible,” she said. “Maybe something is wrong with it.”
Luis was puzzled. Nothing he had heard or read suggested that Semtex had such a pungent smell. But he had made
“Where do you want to go?” Shanker asked.
Eric didn’t answer and only looked very unhappy. He fought back the tears and shook his head.
“He’s going with Mrs. Wilson,” the lawyer said.
Eric looked at his grandfather, who looked at Stuart. “Well?” Shanker asked. “You’re his father. Make a decision.”
Stuart didn’t know what to say.
“I want to stay with you or Dad,” Eric whispered to Shanker.
“He’s coming with me, and that’s final,” Barbara Raye said, pushing Shanker out of the way.
It was a mistake. Shanker stepped in front of her. “Ma’am, normally I don’t cotton to hittin’ women. But in your case I’ll make an exception.”
The lawyer intervened. “Stop right there, Mr. Stuart.”
Shanker whirled on the lawyer, fully engaged. “As I recall, Mike and Jenny have joint legal custody of Eric. Unless you’ve got a court order—”
The lawyer interrupted him. “In the absence of Jennifer Stuart, Mrs. Wilson is empowered to act in her place.”
Shanker leaned into the lawyer, his face inches away from the man’s nose, and exhaled. “You got a piece of paper from a judge saying that?”
“Don’t threaten me,” the lawyer said.
“I’m not threatening you, fuckface.”
The lawyer backed away, astounded at the pure aggression in the man. “There’s no need to get violent,” he said.
“When things go wrong, get aggressive,” Shanker said. “And you’re all wrong.”
“You can’t get away with threatening people,” the lawyer replied.
“I’m warning,” Shanker growled. “You as much as touch that boy without a court order and I’ll put you down. And I mean me personally, you personally.” He paused for effect as a wicked smile spread across his face. “Ain’t it fun being an advocate when people advocate back?”
Barbara Raye wasn’t having any of it. She reached down and pulled at Eric’s shirt. “We’re leaving.”
Shanker grabbed her hand that was holding Eric, but she wouldn’t let go. They stared at each other. Then, with one hand grasping her wrist, he pressed against the back of her knuckles with his other hand, forcing her clenched hand down and her fingers to open. He did it so easily it looked like a caress. He smiled at her. “I do hope you know how to get out of Dodge, ma’am.”
Barbara Raye’s eyes squinted at him in pure hate. “You haven’t heard the last of this,” she said, storming away. The lawyer followed her like a puppy dog.
“Nice seeing you again,” Shanker called. “Have a nice day.” He turned to Stuart and shook his head. The old hurt was back. Thank God for Dwight, Shanker told himself, thinking of his older son.
6
Miami
How many times have we been through this? Luis Barrios moaned to himself. He picked up a brick of the gray explosive, working hard to conceal his exasperation. By now they all should have been able to assemble the bomb in less than five minutes. But it wasn’t happening and, if anything, Eduardo and Francisco were slower. At least Carita was nearing the goal. “Semtex is a plastique,” he told them. “Without an igniter it’s harmless. Don’t be afraid of it.” From the expression on their faces, they still didn’t believe him. “Look,” he said, desperate to make his point. He dropped the brick. Eduardo almost fainted.
Luis picked up the explosive and flicked open his knife. The blade was razor sharp, and he deftly peeled off a sliver of the explosive. He hated wasting even a few grams, but he had to make his point. He dropped the sliver into an ashtray and lit it with a cigarette lighter. The explosive was slow to ignite and, finally, it burst into flame before quickly consuming itself and burning out. An acrid stench filled the room.
Carita threw open a window. “It smells terrible,” she said. “Maybe something is wrong with it.”
Luis was puzzled. Nothing he had heard or read suggested that Semtex had such a pungent smell. But he had made
Similar Books
