hard.
“Where is he? Was it Graham?” Burton demanded.
“I think so. He went down the fire stairs.”
“So he’s gone.”
Collin looked at him and then stood up. “Not yet. I didn’t waste two
people just so he could get away.” He started to take off. Burton
grabbed him.
“Give me your gun, Tim.”
“Goddammit, Bill, are you nuts?”
Burton shook his head, pulled out his piece and handed it to him. He
took Collins weapon.
“Now go get him. I’ll try to do some damage control here.”
Collin ran to the door and then disappeared down the stairs.
Burton looked at the two dead bodies. He recognized Sandy Lord and
sucked in his breath sharply. “Goddamn.
Goddarim,” he said again. He turned and went quickly to Jack’s office.
Trailing his sprinting partner, he had found it right at the moment
the’first shot rang out. He opened the door and turned on the light. He
surveyed the interior quickly. The guy would have the package with him.
That was clear. Richmond had been right about Edwina Broome’s
involvement. Whitney had entrusted her with the package.
Shit, they had been so close. Who knew Graham or anybody else would be
here this late?
He made another sweep of the room’s contents with his eyes. They went
past and slowly came back to the desk. His plan came together in a few
seconds. Finally, something might be going their way. He moved toward
the desk.
JACK REACHED THE FIRST FLOOR AND YANKED ON THE DOORknob. It didn’t
budge. His heart sank. They had had trouble with this before. Routine
fire drills and the doors had been locked. The building management said
they had fixed the problem. Right! Only now their mistake could cost
him his life. And not from any inferno.
He looked back up the stairs. They were coming fast, silence
was no longer an issue. Jack raced back up the stairs to the
second floor, prayed silently before he grabbed the knob and a rush of
relief swept over him as it turned in his sweating hand. He turned the
corner, hit the elevator bank, pushed the button. He checked his
backside, ran to the far corner and crouched down out of sight.
Come on! He could hear the elevator heading up. But then an awful
thought ran through his mind. Whoever was following him could be on that
elevator. Could have figured what Jack would try to do and attempt to
checkmate him.
The car halted on his floor. At the instant the doors opened Jack heard
the fire door smash against the wall. He jumped for the car, slid in
between the doors and crashed against the back of the elevator. He leapt
up and hit the button for the garage.
Jack felt the presence immediately, the slightly elevated breathing. He
saw a flash of black, then the gun. He hurled the paperweight, and threw
himself into the corner.
He heard a grunt of pain as the doors finally closed.
He ran through the dark underground parking garage, found his car and a
few moments later he was through the automatic door and hit the
accelerator. The car raced up the street. Jack looked back. Nothing. He
looked at himself in the mirror. His face was drenched with sweat. His
entire body was one large knot, He rubbed his shoulder where he had
slammed into the elevator wall. Jesus, that had been so close. So close.
As he drove he wondered where he could go. They knew him, knew all about
him it seemed. He clearly couldn’t go home. Where then? The police? No.
Not until he knew who was after him. Who had been able to kill Luther
despite all the cops. Who seemed to always know what the cops knew.
For tonight he would stay someplace in town. He had his credit cards. In
the morning, first thing in the morning, he would hook up with Frank.
Everything would be okay then.
He eyed the box. But tonight he would see what had almost cost him his
life.
RussELL LAY UNDERNEATH THE sHEETs. RICHMOND HAD JUST finished on top of
her. And without a word he had climbed off and left the room, her sole
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