Child, Lee – The Enemy

‘Now listen,’ I said. ‘Listen carefully. You never saw us. We

weren’t here. We never came. You waited for hours, but we

didn’t show. You came back out and some thief had boosted

your car in the night. That’s what happened, OK?’

He tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out

right.

‘Yes, I know,’ I said. ‘It’s pretty weak and it makes you look

real stupid. But how good does it make you look that you let us

escape? That you didn’t handcuff us like you were ordered to?’

He said nothing.

‘That’s your story,’ I said. “We didn’t show, and your car was

stolen. Stick to it or I’ll put it about that it was the lieutenant

who took you down. A ninety-pound girl. One against three.

People will love that. They’ll go nuts for it. And you know how

rumours can follow you around for ever.’

He said nothing.

‘Your choice,’ I said.

He shrugged. Said nothing.

‘I apologize,’ I said. ‘Sincerely.’

We left them there and grabbed our bags and ran to their car.

Summer unlocked it and we slid in and she fired it up. Put it in

gear and moved away from the kerb.

‘Go slow,’ I said.

I waited until we were alongside the bus shelter and then

wound the window down and tossed the Berettas out on the

sidewalk. Their cover story wouldn’t hold up if they lost their

weapons as well as their car. The three guns landed near the

three guys and they all got up on their hands and knees and

started to crawl towards them.

‘Now go,’I said.

Summer hit the gas hard and the tyres lit up and about a

second later we were well outside handgun range. She kept her

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foot down and we left the airport doing about ninety miles an

hour.

‘You OK?’ I said.

‘So far,’ she said.

‘I’m sorry I had to shove you.’

‘We should have just run,’ she said. ‘We could have lost them

in the terminal.’

‘We needed a car,’ I said. ‘I’m sick of taking the bus.’

‘But now we’re way out of line.’

‘That’s for sure,’ I said.

I checked my watch. It was close to three in the morning. We

were heading south from Dulles. Going nowhere, fast. In the

dark. We needed a destination.

‘You know my phone number at Bird?’ I said.

‘Sure,’ Summer said.

‘OK, pull over at the next place with a phone.’

She spotted an all-night gas station about five miles later. It

was all lit up on the horizon. We pulled in and checked it out.

There was a miniature grocery store behind the pumps but it

was closed. At night you had to pay for your gas through a

bulletproof window. There was a pay phone outside next to the

air hose. It was in an aluminum box mounted on the wall. The

box had phone shapes drilled into the sides. Summer dialled

my Fort Bird office number and handed me the receiver. I

heard one cycle of ring tone and then my sergeant answered.

The night-duty woman. The one with the baby son.

‘This is Reacher,’ I said.

‘You’re in deep shit,’ she said.

‘And that’s the good news,’ I said.

‘What’s the bad news?’

‘You’re going to join me right there in it. What kind of

babysitting arrangements have you got?’

‘My neighbour’s girl stays. From the trailer next door.’

‘Can she stay an hour longer?’

‘Why?’

‘I want you to meet me. I want you to bring me some stuff.’

‘It’ll cost you.’

‘How much?’

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‘Two dollars an hour. For the babysitter.’

‘I haven’t got two dollars. That’s something I want you to

bring. Money.’

‘You want me to give you money?’

‘A loan,’ I said. ‘Couple of days.’

‘How much?’ Whatever you’ve got.’

“When and where?’

‘When you get off. At six. At the diner near the strip club.’

“What do you need me to bring?’

‘Phone records,’ I said. ‘All calls made out of Fort Bird

starting from midnight on New Year’s Eve until maybe the third

of January. And an army phone book. I need to speak to

Sanchez and Franz and all kinds of other people. And I need

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