The Fifth Profession (22 page)

“You're sure this'll work?” Rachel's voice shook.

“No. But it's the only plan I can think of.”

“That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.”

“You'll do fine. Keep telling yourself, it's another chance to prove you're a better actress than your sister.”

“I'm too terrified to care.”

“Hey, impress me. Get in there.”

Savage smiled and nudged her.

She studied him, returned his smile, breathed deeply, and entered the restaurant.

From the darkness at the railing, Savage watched the two men. They glanced toward Rachel and almost dropped their coffee cups. In contrast, Akira kept eating with deliberate calm.

Rachel sat beside him. Akira put down his knife and fork as if she was exactly the person he'd expected to see. He said something, then said something else, leaning toward her. She responded, elaborated, and gestured toward the lower decks. He shrugged and nodded.

In the background, the man who'd made the earlier phone call stood and left the restaurant.

Savage was waiting in shadows when the man, his eyes bright with victory, veered toward the row of phones.

A quick glance right and left showed Savage that there weren't other passengers on the promenade. He grabbed the man's left arm, thrust his right leg upward, and threw him overboard.

The fall was five stories. The water would have felt like concrete. The man was too surprised to scream.

Savage spun toward the window, remaining in darkness. In the restaurant, Akira stood, paid his bill, and left with Rachel on the opposite side of the ferry.

The watchdog hesitated, seeming to wonder how soon his partner would return from making the phone call. But the watchdog couldn't allow Akira and Rachel to get out of his sight. Savage knew. As expected, the man rose hurriedly, threw money on the table, and followed.

Savage proceeded along the deserted promenade. It wasn't necessary for him to get to the other side of the ferry and track the stalker. After all, he knew where the man was going.

Taking his time, he descended the stairs to the A deck.
Had
to take his time. It was imperative that Akira and Rachel reach the cabin Savage had rented, imperative that the watchdog see them go in, hear the lock shut, and realize he had to rush to tell his partner where their master's wife was hiding.

As Savage pretended to stumble drunkenly toward the bottom of the stairs, he groped in his pockets, apparently unable to find the key to his cabin. The watchdog darted toward him, frantic to return to the main deck and locate his partner. Savage punched him in the stomach, chopped the side of his callused hand across the man's jaw, and lugged the unconscious (to all appearances intoxicated) man along the deserted corridor, knocking three times on the door of the cabin.

The door inched open.

“Room service,” Savage said.

6

The cabin was small, starkly furnished with a bureau, a top and bottom bunk, a tiny closet, and a washroom. Designed for two occupants, it provided little room for the four of them to move around. While Rachel locked the door, Akira helped Savage set the unconscious man on the bottom bunk. Working quickly, they used the man's belt to secure his hands behind his back and bound his ankles together with his tie. They searched him and satisfied themselves that he hadn't risked bringing a weapon through customs.

“He's awfully pale,” Rachel said. “His jaw … it's so
swollen.
”

The stress in her voice made Savage turn. He suddenly realized that this was the first time she'd seen the effects of violence on someone other than herself.

“And his breathing sounds …”

“Don't worry,” Savage said. “I didn't hit him hard enough to really hurt him. He ought to wake up soon.”

“Let's see if we can encourage him.” Akira brought a glass of water from the bathroom and dribbled it onto the man's face.

The man's eyes flickered and slowly focused. When he saw Savage, Akira, and Rachel staring down at him, he struggled to stand, only to realize in panic that his hands and feet were tied.

“Lie still,” Savage said. “Don't be stupid and shout for help. Your friend isn't able to hear you.”

“Where's … ?”

“He fell overboard,” Savage said.

“You son of a bitch,” the man said.

“We have a proposition,” Akira said. “We'd like you to enjoy a good night's sleep and in the morning make a phone call for us.”

“You're not going to kill me?”

“That's always a possibility.” Akira's eyes expressed greater melancholy. “We'd appreciate your cooperation so you don't join your ancestors needlessly.”

“Ancestors? Is that some kind of Japanese thing?”

“If you wish to call it that. Yes.” Akira's lips formed a thin, bitter smile. “A Japanese thing.”

“What kind of phone call?”

“The ferry reaches Igoumenitsa at seven tomorrow morning. After it continues to Corfu, you'll call your superiors and tell them we spotted you and your partner. You'll tell them we panicked and drove from the ferry at Igoumenitsa. We're escaping eastward, inland, toward Ioannina, on route nineteen.”

“But all of us will really be on the ferry on its way to Corfu?” the man asked.

“Precisely. The reinforcements that would have boarded the ferry at Corfu will then be diverted.”

The man became suspicious. “And then what? What happens when we get to Corfu? We continue toward Italy?”

“Our plans aren't your concern.”

“I mean what the hell happens to
me?
Why should I make the call? You killed my partner. What stops you from killing me?”

“You have our word you won't be harmed,” Akira said.

The man laughed. “Your word? Hey, give me a break. Your word means shit. As soon as I'm no use to you, I'm dead. You can't afford to let me live to tell Papadropolis where you've really gone.”

Akira's eyes blazed. “My word does not, as you put it, mean shit.”

The man swung his head toward Savage. “Look, you and I are both Americans. That ought to count for something. Damn it, don't you understand my problem?”

Savage sat beside him on the bunk. “Of course. On the one hand, you're worried that we'll kill you after you make the phone call and we don't have further use for you. On the other hand, you're worried that Papadropolis will kill you if he discovers you helped us escape. He won't care if you acted practically in order to save your life. From his point of view, you betrayed him. He'll punish you. Severely. So you've got a problem. I agree. But the issue you have to face is whether you prefer to die now instead of later.”

“And have no doubt, if you refuse, you'll join your partner in the sea,” Akira said. “We do have other ways to escape the trap.”

“Then for Christ's sake, use them.”

“But what would we do with
you?”
Savage asked. “Right now, Papadropolis isn't our worry.
You
are. So what are you going to do about that?”

The man darted his frightened eyes from Savage toward Akira, back toward Savage, and finally stared at Rachel.

“Mrs. Papadropolis, don't let them—”

“I hate that name,” she said. “Don't call me that. I'll never use it. I never want to hear it again. My last name is Stone.”

“Miss Stone, please, don't let them kill me. You turned pale when you found out this man”—a nod toward Savage —”killed my partner. You'll feel worse if you let him kill me. You've seen me up close. You've talked to me. My name's Paul Farris. I'm thirty-four. I'm a security specialist, not an assassin. I've got a wife and daughter. We live in Switzerland. If you let these men murder me, even if you don't see them do it, you'll feel guilty for the rest of your life.”

Rachel's brow furrowed. She swallowed.

“Nice try, but we searched you before you woke up,” Savage said. “We went through your wallet. Your name's not Paul Farris. It's Harold Trask. The only true thing in what you said is your age. Rachel, don't get sentimental about him.”

“You think I'm dumb enough to carry
real
ID when I'm working?” the man asked. “The people I investigate, if they knew who was after them, they might hunt down my wife and kid to get even. It's a sure bet the two of
you
don't use real ID either.”

“Convincing,” Akira said. “But beside the point. You still didn't solve your problem. Even if Rachel told us not to kill you, it wouldn't matter. Her life isn't at risk. If Papadropolis found her or she decided to return to him—”

“Never!” Rachel said. “I'd never go back to him.”

“—her husband would beat her, no doubt with increased viciousness, but he wouldn't kill her. He
would
kill
us
if we knew who we were and managed to catch us. So to silence you would be self-defense.”

“Make up your mind,” Savage said. “Will you cooperate?”

“I call my superiors? Then you let me walk away?”

“We already promised that.”

The man debated. “Apparently I'm forced to.”

“A reasonable man,” Akira said.

The man's eyes became calculating. “Even so …”

“I'm getting impatient.”

“I'll need an extra incentive.”

“Money? Don't press your luck,” Savage said.

Rachel interrupted. “Pay him.”

Savage turned to her, frowning.

“He's taking a risk,” she said. “My husband will be furious if he thinks this man lied.”

“That's right, Miss Stone. I'll have to take my wife and daughter and disappear for a while. It'll be expensive.”

“If you even
have
a wife and daughter,” Savage said. “How much?”

“A quarter million.”

“You're dreaming.”

“Then make it two hundred thousand,” the man said.

“I'll make it
fifty
thousand, and you'll be grateful.”

“But how do I know you have it?”

Savage shook his head in disgust. “Do you have a choice?”

The man paled.

“Don't make me impatient,” Savage said.

“All right.” The man swallowed. “You've got a deal. There's just one other matter.”

“You're impossible,” Akira said.

“No, listen. I need you to help me think of a way to stop Papadropolis from coming for me.”

“We'll sleep on it,” Savage said.

“The least you can do is untie my feet and hands.”

“No, what I'd like to do is gag your mouth,” Akira said.

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

Akira raised his hands in exasperation. “I don't think I can tolerate this man till tomorrow morning.”

“The look on your face.” Rachel started laughing.

7

It was ten after seven the following morning. As the ferry left the small town of Igoumenitsa, heading west toward the island of Corfu, Savage, Akira, and Rachel stood tensely beside the man while he made the phone call. Savage kept a tight grip on his arm, listening to what he told his superiors.

“Hey, I know it's a mess. You don't need to tell me. But damn it, it's not my fault. My partner followed too close. The Japanese spotted him. Just before we docked at Igoumenitsa. The Japanese ran. It took us a while to find him. By then, the American and Mrs. Papadropolis were with him. They must have been sleeping in one of the cabins. Hey, what was I going to do, knock on every door and say, ‘Mrs. Papadropolis, are you in there?’ The Japanese was obviously the decoy—to check if the ferry was being watched. If everything looked safe, they'd have continued to Corfu.”

The man stopped talking. Savage heard someone shouting from the other end of the phone.

“No, we couldn't stop them before they drove off the ferry,” the man continued.

More shouting from the other end.

“Hey, I'm telling you it's not my fault. My partner's so scared about fucking up he ran. He figures Papadropolis will kill him.”

The man winced, the shouts so loud he held the phone away from his ear.

“Well, it's his ass, not mine. I'm still on the job, but it's damned hard chasing them on my own. I barely caught up to them before they left Igoumenitsa. Heading east on route nineteen. Why didn't I phone you sooner? How was I going to do that and not lose sight of them? I wouldn't even be calling now if they hadn't stopped for gas. I'm in a restaurant down the street. I can see them through the window. They don't realize I'm … Wait a minute. Shit, they're about to leave. Look, I think they're headed for loannina. The Yugoslavian border's less than an hour's drive north from there. Tell everybody to watch the border crossings. Christ, they're driving away! Can't talk anymore! I'll check in later!”

Sounding breathless, the man slammed down the phone.

Savage released his arm.

The prisoner wiped his sweaty brow. He leaned against the phone and trembled. “Okay?”

“Extremely believable,” Akira said.

“And now?” The man looked apprehensive, as if Savage and Akira might kill him after all.

“We relax and enjoy the cruise,” Akira said.

“You mean it?”

“You fulfilled your part of the bargain.”

The man exhaled and straightened. “I think I got Papadropolis off my back. They'll be looking for my partner.”

“Whom they'll never find,” Akira said. “Yes, it seems your worries are over.”

“And ours,” Rachel said. “No one will be waiting for us at Corfu. They'll try to intercept us on the way to Yugoslavia.”

“Where we have no intention of going.” Savage turned to the man. “Just make sure you get back to the mainland as soon as possible. You'll have to pretend you're chasing us. Phone in. Keep giving them false reports.”

“You bet I will. If I don't rendezvous with a team at one of the border crossings, they won't believe my story. But by then I'll have lost you.”

“Exactly.”

“There's just one thing,” the man said.

“Oh? What's that?”

“You forgot to give me my money.”

8

Ninety minutes later, when the ferry reached Corfu, they watched the man drive onto the dock and disappear among traffic.

“He might still betray us,” Akira said.

“I don't think so,” Savage said. “Rachel's instincts were right about paying him. He knows if he tells them where we really are, we'll implicate him. Papadropolis would kill him for taking a bribe.”