Like a Knife (14 page)

Keep your head down.

Rachel had no trouble following that order and its unspoken warning.

Keep your head down, let your hair hide your face, don't draw attention to yourself.

Aye, aye, sir.

She walked from the car to the zoo at a brisk pace, eyes glued to the pavement, canvas tote clutched in her hand. Underneath paper, crayons, and all the other things she'd packed, the gym bag with its dangerous contents lay like a ten-ton rock. It bounced against her leg with every step.

They had parked east of the zoo between Madison and Park Avenue, so she had quite a ways to go. From this direction, she would have to pass directly in front of the bench with the derelict Nick had pointed out to her. Heart thudding, she calculated the steps between her position and the far side of the bench, what she had come to think of as her safety zone. Once she'd passed the bench, she would be able to breathe normally again.

Ten more steps to go.

Eight more.

Five.

A hard shove spun her around.

The bag flew out of her hand. She landed with a thump on the pavement.

Behind her, two in-line skaters waved their arms, still trying to stop.

She froze. Paper, crayons, graham crackers, scissors, tape, glue-the entire contents of the tote-scattered over the sidewalk. The gym bag at the bottom was clearly visible, half in and half out of the tote. Someone bent to help her. Rachel's heart stopped.

The man on the bench.

"Are you all right, miss?"

"Y-yes."

She nearly wept with terror as he picked up the tote and gathered her things. From a distance he'd looked dirty and ill-kempt, with greasy hair and shoes with holes. Up close, he was clear-eyed and clean-shaven.

"You're carrying quite a load." He hefted the bag.

"My ... my gym shoes and stuff." Her voice squeaked.
Calm down. Smile.

He looked at her closely. "You sure you're all right?"

Before she could respond, the two skaters surrounded her.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

"Did you get hurt or anything? Maybe you should sit down."

They apologized and fussed over her while the man on the bench kept a firm grip on her bag.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's all right Really."
Go away!

"Well, if you're sure."

She forced herself to smile. "I'm sure, thank you." Her tongue was a cotton wad.

The skaters waved good-bye, and Rachel turned to go.

"Miss?"

A tap on her shoulder. She almost jumped out of her skin.

The man on the bench held out the tote bag. "Don't forget this."

"Oh," she said with a little gulp of surprise. "No, of course not. Thank you." She took the bag from him and walked off. His eyes burned her back all the way down the Fifth Avenue steps to the zoo.

Legs like rubber, she wanted to race away but couldn't. Forced to a normal pace, she rounded the Administration Building and checked the zoo's carillon clock just outside the entrance. Only a few minutes left to stash the gym bag and get back to the car before her thirty minutes were up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She couldn't fall apart now. She didn't have time.

* * *

High atop the arch just outside the zoo, a ring of steel animals did a mechanical dance as the clock chimed the hour. Nick glanced at it, sick with worry. Rachel was supposed to have returned to the car within half an hour, but over forty-five minutes had passed. He'd sweated out the long minutes, hoping any second to see her come around the corner. Then he'd raced to the zoo as if a demon were after him. Now he plunged through the entrance and stood surrounded by clumps of people, mouth dry, palms damp with fear. What the hell had happened to her?

Ahead of him, the crowd undulated like a living thing, forming, splitting, and forming again. He scanned it closely, but saw no sign of her.

He did spot Rennie's men, though. All strategically placed. Knowing Rennie, he'd probably issued orders to kill once the trade was made. The lucky hitter would probably even get a bonus.

But Nick couldn't think about that now. He could only think about Rachel. Did Rennie have her?

Focus. Don't panic.

But his heart was knocking so hard against his chest, it could have broken a rib. If Rennie had hurt her, if he so much as touched her...

In front of him, a throng bunched up around a large pool whose glass walls allowed viewers to see the sea lions undulating below the waterline. He walked toward it, the sound of laughter and applause, of children and families enjoying the animal antics, like a wall of noise he shoved into the background. He saw Frank almost at the same time Frank saw him. Rapidly, Nick panned the area around the other man.

No sign of Rachel.

Damn it to hell, what had happened? Where was she?

He cursed himself a hundred times over. Why had he ever let himself agree to this?

As he strode toward Frank, he ticked off his options. If Rennie had Rachel, he had everything-the boy, the printout-and Nick was walking into a trap. If Rennie didn't have her, where the hell was she?

He reached up into the sleeve of the jacket and felt the knife he'd stolen from the church kitchen. Not much good against a bullet, but he wasn't about to use a gun in the crowded zoo. A blade had its own deadly advantages, though, and Nick would use them to the fullest if he had to.

Neither he nor Frank wasted time on pleasantries.

"Where's the kid?" Though he was tempted to ask about Rachel, Nick didn't dare. The last thing he wanted was to reveal her part in any of this, especially if Rennie didn't have her. Instead, he concentrated on what he'd come to do-get back the boy.

"Where's the document?"

"You get what you want when I get what I want."

Frank gestured to the other side of the wide tank. Something moved, separating from the swarm of people: Rennie, his hand like an iron band on the back of Isaac's neck.

Nick's jaw tightened. With a flick of his still-powerful wrist, Rennie could snap the boy's neck hi two. Nick's heart sped up, but he forced himself to stay calm while he searched the boy's face. Was he scared? From a distance it was hard to tell.

"Is he okay?"

"Sure he's okay," Frank said. "What did you think-that Rennie would hurt him? Did he ever hurt you?"

More than you'll ever know.

Frank snorted in disgust. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Nicky. After everything Rennie's done for you, you should turn those papers over to hint, no questions asked."

"You'll get your papers when everything is in place, like we agreed."

"You don't produce those papers, Nicky, you'll never see that kid again."

"You'll get your fucking papers," Nick snarled.

All of a sudden, Spier walked away from the pool toward the exit.

"Where's he going?"

"The limo's on its way. We make the exchange in the car."

Nick shook his head. "We make it in the open, by the cafeteria, like I said over the phone."

"Rennie doesn't want any witnesses."

Too bad.
Nick's chances of staying alive dropped considerably if he made the exchange inside Rennie's limo. Besides, he couldn't afford to let Rennie call the shots. "We do this in the open with lots of people around, or we don't do it at all. That was the deal. You want your papers back, we follow through on the arrangements we made. Bring the kid to the cafeteria, like we agreed, and they'll be there."

Frank scowled. "How do I know I can trust you? How about a little good faith on your part?"

Nick reached into his pocket and handed Frank the sheet of greenbar paper he'd removed from the printout. Frank unfolded it and looked up at Nick.

"Look familiar? I don't want any trouble, Frank. I just want to make the trade and get out of here."

Frank nodded. "Let's do it, then."

He left to talk to Rennie, and Nick hung back a moment, watching. Frank touched his ear and spoke, presumably into a hidden microphone. All the men were connected by wireless transmitters; Nick's every move was monitored.

Well, let them watch.

He took off for the cafeteria. He still hadn't spotted Rachel, but Rennie would have used her fast enough if he had her. That certainty lightened a bit of Nick's worry. But if Rennie hadn't found her, what had happened to her?

The answer became clear when he approached the patio outside the restaurant. She sat at a table in the far corner, her head bent over a cup of coffee, her hair a thick curtain hiding her face from view. At the sight of her a huge boulder lifted from his shoulders, but before he could find a way to approach her, Frank and Rennie appeared, the boy between them.

The older man led the boy toward a table in the courtyard, and like a rag doll, Isaac sleepwalked where Rennie pushed him. When Nick slid into the seat beside him, Isaac's gaze barely flickered in acknowledgment.

"Are you all right?" Nick spoke softly to the child, but Isaac didn't respond. Looking over the boy's head at Rennie, Nick said, "Let go of him."

A derisive smile edged around the corners of Spier's mouth. He looked as if he were calculating the cost of not complying. Evidently deciding not to push things, he slowly removed his hand from the boy's neck. "It won't matter. He hasn't said a word all day."

"What do you expect him to say after he saw what you did?"

"That's enough, Nicky," Frank interrupted. "Rennie's put up with your disloyalty, he doesn't have to put up with your disrespect."

"Since when is it disrespectful to tell the truth?"

"The truth?" Frank rose in anger. "That thick slug got exactly what was coming to him-"

"Sit down, Frank," Rennie said in a low voice. "We don't want to make a' scene. Let's not forget why we're here. You have something for me, Nicky?"

But instead of giving Rennie what he wanted, Nick reached into his pocket and took out the small, red dump truck he'd found near the knapsack. Placing it on the table, he gave the toy a push. The truck rolled toward Isaac and stopped.

"Go ahead," Nick said. "It's yours, isn't it? Take it."

But Isaac didn't move.

"You're wasting our time, Nicky," Frank said.

Eyes on the boy, Nick picked up the truck and began to roll it around the table in front of Isaac. "I'd call that giving you a taste of your own medicine. Since you've been wasting mine."

"What are you talking about?" Frank made another angry move upward, and Rennie put a hand out to stop him.

"If you knew where Isaac was all along, what did you need me for?"

Beside him, the boy stiffened at the sound of his name.

"We didn't know/' Frank said. "We only just found out a few days ago."

One mystery solved.
"You should have told me." Nick took the truck and placed it in Isaac's hand. He could have strangled the two men with his own. "Frank, why don't you take Isaac to get a snack?"

"Why don't you go fu-"

Nick grabbed Frank by his tie. "He's six. He's seen and heard enough. Take him inside until we're finished."

Rennie gave his permission with a curt nod, and Nick shoved Frank away. When he'd recovered his balance, he pulled the boy off his seat by the hand and walked him into the cafeteria.

Nick tore his gaze away from them. Alone with Rennie, he said, "So you knew where the kid was and didn't tell me."

Spier spread his hands in a gesture of conciliation. "You must understand, Nicky. I had some difficult decisions to make. I did not think you were up to them."

"You mean, you didn't think I was up to killing Marty for you."

Spier inclined his head. "To put it bluntly, no."

"Or maybe you just wanted to save that pleasure for yourself."

Spier acknowledged this with a thin smile. "Revenge is always a pleasure. I confess, I did enjoy it." He looked down at his hands as if proud of the work they'd done.

Jesus.
A wave of nausea rolled over Nick, but he was careful to keep his face blank. "How did you find them?"

Spier looked at Nick, blue eyes cold as death. "God is just, Nicky. Remember that. If you are patient, He will reward you."

Nick scoffed. "God told you where the boy was?"

Rennie gave a little Gallic shrug. "In the guise of Harry Woodward. You do remember our friend Woody?"

It had been six years since he'd heard the name, but Nick remembered it. "The pilot. Not too careful about the cargo he flies."

Rennie nodded. "It seems Woody called to firm up a small detail for the pickup. Martin was not there, and Woody, thinking the job was for me, talked to Frank instead." He shrugged. "It didn't take much to learn the rest."

* * *

As instructed, Rachel hid behind her veil of hair, wishing Nick would hurry up and get the printout. What in God's name could he and Spier have to talk about?

Her nerves were back, her fingers like ice in spite of the cup of coffee she had them wrapped around. By the time she'd positioned the gym bag, she'd run out of time, Nick would already have left the car, they'd have missed each other coming and going, and he wouldn't know what had happened or whether she'd fulfilled her mission. So she'd made her way to the cafeteria courtyard, where Nick had set up the trade, hoping he'd see her and realize everything was in place as planned. But she'd been perched on the hard metal chair for what seemed like hours, waiting for him to appear.

Now she risked a glance at the table of men, disconcerted at the sight. Thanks to Nick, this was her first glimpse of the short, squat bull of a man who, along with two others, had "cleaned up" after the shooting.
Frank..
But the other man .., She could have wished never to see him again.

Up close and in daylight, Rennie Spier loomed large and imposing, a powerfully built man, even at his age. Thick white hair gave him a distinguished, European air, but the face was harsh and square. A tyrant's face. Stony ruthlessness flowed from him like a frigid wind, even at a distance. She sensed it in the cruel way he held onto the boy, the smile he gave Nick. Like a wolf ready to spring.

When Frank stood with the boy, she had a better chance to examine Isaac. Against the wide man, the child looked frail and vulnerable. Suddenly the wrenching choice she'd been forced to make-to protect Isaac from Rennie even if her school suffered for it-seemed like no choice at all.

Just then someone jostled her table. The cup flew out of her hand, and coffee sprayed everywhere. She looked up, and Nick was beside her.

"Sorry," he said in that impersonal way one speaks to a stranger. He bent down to pick up the fallen cup and under the table, spoke in a furious whisper. "What the hell happened? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I got delayed and couldn't get back in time."

"You got delayed?" She opened her mouth to explain, but he interrupted. "Never mind. Just get back to the car. Fast."

Then he was gone.

Heart racing, she gathered up the wet napkins and slowly walked to the trash can, choosing one mat let her move away from Spier's table.

Had they noticed her? Did they think her anything but a random stranger?

A quick glance told her Nick had disappeared into the nearby building housing the restrooms. She pictured the Out of Order sign she'd taped to the women's restroom. Following Nick's steps in her mind, she saw him push the door and tell anyone who asked that he was there to fix a toilet. Inside, she imagined the restroom quiet and empty. Nick passed the first three stalls, all locked with Out of Order signs taped to them. He slid below the door of the fourth locked stall, as she had done a little while ago. Behind the toilet, the gym bag waited where she'd left it.

She walked toward the outer rim of the patio, intending to do as Nick asked and get back to the car. But her feet slowed, and she found herself moving toward the cafeteria instead. How could she go without knowing if the boy-and Nick-were safe? She watched out of the corner of her eye, and in time with her imaginings, Nick reappeared, gym bag in hand.

While he'd been gone, Frank had returned with the boy. Nick set the bag beside Frank and shoved Isaac's seat away, ostensibly so Nick could get closer to Rennie. But Isaac was now on the outside, as far from Rennie and Frank as possible, and in an easy position to grab if they had to run. The boy glanced at Nick's back, then out toward the zoo.

The next instant, her attention shifted from Isaac. Bending down, Frank picked up the gym bag and placed it on the table in front of him. He unzipped it.

The world stopped as he fished inside for the printout and began to pull it out.

She forgot to keep her head down, forgot to hide behind her hair, forgot, in fact, everything except the fact that this was the crucial moment.

Frank was going to verify the printout's authenticity before letting Nick and Isaac go.

Would the first few pages be enough to fool him? If Frank flipped through the stack, the fake pages could pass as real with their endless columns of numbers. Only a careful examination would expose her ruse. But what if he looked closely?

She stood like a stone, unable to breathe, every muscle tensed and focused on Frank. If they made it past this moment, if luck was with them...

If not...

She didn't want to think about that. Her heart thudded sickly, her hands clammy with sweat.

At that moment, when she was blind with terror, Isaac bolted from his seat.