Chapter 91 third quarter

"Weak signal!" Decker stared at the illuminated dial on the receiver.His wet clothes were all stuck to him. Esperanza drove faster.He didn't even bother to turn on the wipers on the windshield.He saw a gap in the traffic, roared onto the interstate, and started overtaking. "God, I'm freezing." Decker flicked the switch on the car's heater.Fumbling awkwardly with the fingers of his barely feeling right hand, he found Esperanza's knife still stuck in the knot on his left wrist.He looked carefully at the dial. "The signal has become stronger." The pointer turned. "Look! He's coming off the interstate. He's ahead of us on the left!"

Faster than they'd hoped, Oldsmobile's headlights revealed an exit ramp dimmed in the rain, with a sign to take Route 9. "The road runs parallel to the interstate," Decker said. "The pointer says he's changed direction! He's going south." Decker nearly cut himself with the knife as he slit the rope around his wrist.Blood gushed into the veins in his left hand, making him sting.He massaged the aching wrist where the rope had grooved. "You told me to make it real," Esperanza said. "Hey, I'm alive. I'm not complaining." At the end of the exit ramp, Esperanza drove left across the bridge that spanned the interstate, then turned sharply left onto Route 9, following a long line of taillights south.

"The signal is stronger!" said Decker. "Slow down. He could be in any car ahead." He cut the cord around his other wrist.Blood welled up in his hands, and his fingers were less clumsy, so he could cut the loops of rope around his ankle harder and faster. He was shivering even though the car's heater was blowing hot air.All sorts of disturbing thoughts tormented him.What if McKittrick had killed Beth?Or what if McKittrick guessed he was being followed and found the seeker?No!I have suffered so much, and there is no way I can get nothing!Beth had to live. "The pointer shows he's turning again. To the right. Going west."

Esperanza nodded. "There are four cars ahead and I can see the turning lights. I'm going to slow down so he can't see us turning with him." Expectation strengthened Decker.He wiped his forehead and looked at his hands, uneasily seeing red on them.It wasn't corn syrup mixed with red food coloring, it smelled like copper, no doubt it was blood. "I don't know how useful this is, but here's a clean handkerchief I found in a little storage cupboard," Esperanza said. "Try to stop the bleeding." Esperanza followed McKittry Ke turned right off Route 9, past a sign that said Rockman Road.He turned off the headlights. "No need to fantasize about it. I could barely see his tail lights in the rain, so I'm pretty sure he couldn't see us at all."

"But you're driving blind." "It won't be long." Esperanza turned left onto a small road, turned on the headlights again, made a 180-degree turn, returned to Rockman Road, turned left, and followed McKitt again. Rick's back. "If he's looking in the rearview mirror, which I'd be if I were him, he'll see the headlights coming down this road on the left. Anyone who follows him here from the interstate won't Coming from the left. That way he won't be suspicious." "You're good at that," Decker said. "I'm better off doing it. I used to hang out with those gangs when I was a kid. I've had experience stalking people and being stalked."

"What made you change your mind?" "I met a police officer who made me understand." "He must be proud of the life you have now." "Last year he died. A drunk with hostility shot him." There was a dizzying flash in the air, and the ensuing rumble shook the car. "Now it's starting to thunder and flash, and the storm is getting worse," Decker said. "Damn it." It's unclear whether Esperanza was referring to the storm, or his memory. When the lightning flashed again, he pointed with his finger. "I see a car."

"The signal on the receiver is strong. The needle is pointing straight ahead," Decker said. "That must be McKittrick." "It's time to get off this road, I don't want to make him suspicious." After passing a sign indicating the town of Kloster, Esperanza let McKittrick drive straight ahead and turned right , go around one block and back on Rockman Road.Then the other cars had passed, filling the gap between Oldsmobile and McKittrick's cars. "The receiver says he's still ahead of us." Decker was still shivering from his wet, cold clothes.His muscles were very sore from the tension.His back and chest were swollen and throbbing when he fell off the rock wall.It doesn't matter.Pain was nothing, Beth was what mattered. "No, wait a minute. The pointer moved. He turned right."

"Yeah, I saw his headlights go off the road," Esperanza said. "I didn't want to startle him right away. Let's go past where he turned and see where he went. He was probably trying to trick his tail off." They drove through the quiet town center to the quieter suburbs.Now, as the lightning struck, they could see exactly where McKittrick had turned: an ordinary single-story motel.The red neon sign showed the name of the store: The Rock Hotel.Linked bungalows—Decker estimates there are about 20 of them—spread back from the road into a dark field.As the Oldsmobile drove by, Decker crouched down to prevent McKittrick from glancing back at the thinning traffic behind him.

The motel dropped behind the Oldsmobile, and Decker slowly straightened up. "The pointer on the receiver indicated that McKittrick had stopped." "What do you want?" "Stop somewhere on the side of the road. Let's go back there and see what he's doing." Decker picked up the pistol he'd taken from a guard at Giordano's estate.There was a loud thunder, and the car shook.He saw Esperanza pocket the Walter pistol. "We'd better take the receiver. What if it's a trap and he drives away?" "What if that's the case?" Esperanza asked.

"That's a great question." Decker got out of the car, and the rain hit him immediately.For a moment he remembered with rage that in Rome it was raining icy cold that night when he had followed McKittrick into the trap yard.Esperanza followed him out of the car, his baseball cap dripping, his long, soaked hair stuck to his neck.In the lights of passing traffic, Esperanza's face looked thinner than usual, with a more prominent nose and mouth that reminded Decker of a bird of prey. They did not show themselves in front of the house, but moved cautiously along an alley leading to the back of the house.The bungalows, Decker noticed, were built of cinder blocks and had no exits at the back.There were only very small windows on the alley side, and they were thick, opaque glass blocks that were extremely difficult to break.

Decker and Esperanza made their way around the back of the motel, hiding behind a dumpster and watching the front of the bungalow.The pointer on the receiver indicated that the seeker was in one of the rooms.While eight of the 20 suites had cars parked out front, only four of them were lit behind the drawn drapes.The two sets in the middle were adjacent, not far from the dumpster where Decker used to hide himself.Decker knew without looking at the receiver that the signal was coming from one of these rooms.There was a car parked in front of the house, a blue Pontiac, its cooling engine sputtering intermittently.The rain fell on the Pontiac's heated hood, turning into a thin mist of steam. Hurry up, Decker thought.If Beth was in one of the rooms, McKittrick would kill her as soon as he got the money back.Or if he found the seeker when he checked the money, he might panic and kill Beth before running away. "You wait here," Decker whispered to Esperanza, "ready to pick me up." He waded as lightly as he could through puddles of water to the last room in the row of houses. Beside, stopped in front of the softly lit window.A strong bolt of lightning made him feel as naked as if he had no clothes on.The dull thunder shook him a bit.Then the darkness hid him again.He noticed that the curtains were not drawn properly, and looked anxiously through a narrow slit into the room—a double bed, a cheap dresser, a television set fixed to the wall.If it weren't for the suitcase on the bed, the room would seem unoccupied.In the middle of the left wall, there is an open door leading to the next room. It was lightning and thunder again.Decker tensed, then moved to the next window.He heard voices, though the storm was loud, but could not make out what was said.A man is talking, then a woman.The man could be McKittrick, the woman could be Beth.Hard to say.Maybe all Decker heard was the dialogue on the TV.To his surprise, another person spoke, a man with a very strange voice, low and hoarse.Confused at first, Decker realized later: If Beth was in there, McKittrick would have to have someone else watch her when he went out to get the money.He pictured Beth strapped to a chair, a rag loosened from her mouth and falling out.He seemed to see the lump back in her mouth: McKittrick strangled her, her eyes popping out as she struggled. Quick, Decker told himself!He glanced at the room number on the door and hurried back to Esperanza to explain what he was about to do.Then, under the cover of night, he rushed into the street.He remembered seeing a payphone at the closed gas station across from the motel.He quickly slipped the coin in and pressed a few keys. "Directory," said a female voice, "which city? Please tell me." "Closter, New Jersey. I want the number for the Rock Inn." Immediately, a computer voice said monotonously: "The number is..." Decker memorized the number, hung up, inserted another coin, and pressed a few keys. After the bell rang three times, a tired male voice answered, which almost sounded like a sigh: "The Rock Inn." "Give me room 19." The clerk did not respond to his request.In fact, Decker only heard a click, and the call was connected.He heard the bell ring over and over again, and imagined McKittrick turning to the phone with a mixture of surprise and bewilderment on his face.After all, who would call him?Who would have known he was in this motel?McKittrick must be nervously considering the wisdom of answering the phone. The phone kept ringing. 10 times. 11 times. The clerk finally chimed in: "Sir, they're not answering the phone. Maybe they're not here." "Go ahead and try." "But they may be trying to sleep." "It's urgent." The clerk sighed wearily.Decker heard another click.The phone on the other end rang again and again. "Hello?" McKittrick's voice was hesitant, an octave lower than usual, as if he thought that speaking so softly would make his voice inaudible. "If you use your common sense," Decker said, "you might still be alive when this is over." There was silence on the phone.The only sound Decker heard was the sound of rain on the phone booth. "Decker?" McKittrick sounded like he was doubting his sanity. "We haven't spoken in a long time, Brian." "But it's impossible. You're dead. How—" "I'm not calling to talk about my death, Brian." "God." "Praying is a good idea, but I can help you better than God." "Where are you?" "Come on, Brian. I wrote the book on espionage. I never give out information. Then you should ask me how I found you, and how many people were with me. But you need All that matters is that you get the money, and I want Beth Dwyer." The phone fell silent again. "If she's dead, Brian, you can't bargain with me." "No." Brian swallowed nervously. "She's not dead." Decker felt a sense of relief, of relief. "Let me talk to her." "It's complicated, Decker." "It used to be complicated, but tonight, it got easier. Nick Giordano and Frank Giordano are dead." "What the hell—" "Trust me, Brian. They're out of work. There's no one looking for Beth Dwyer. You can leave the money and let her go. How you got the money will be a secret between us. " McKittrick hesitated, his strained breathing audible. "Why should I trust you?" "Think about it, Brian. If the Giordanos were still alive, I wouldn't be talking to you now. It's really my dead body that's showing up at the checkout place." McKittrick's breathing became heavier. "And it's not me calling right now," Decker said, "but they're breaking down the door of your hotel room." Decker thought he heard McKittrick's hand over the microphone.He heard muffled voices.He waited, shivering, partly from his wet clothes, and partly from the deep down fear of what McKittrick would do to Beth. On the other end of the line, something passed the microphone, and McKittrick spoke again: "I still don't believe it." "You're stalling, Brian. You're trying to run away while I'm talking to you. I'm not alone. Someone's going to shoot you as soon as you show up at the door, and I swear, if Beth gets hurt , and you get a taste of what it’s like in hell to have a million dollars with nowhere to spend it.” pause.There was another indistinct speech.McKittrick raised his voice when he spoke again. "How do I know you'll let me go if I hand Diana Scolari over to you?" "It's Beth Dwyer," Decker said. "It might be a new concept for you, Brian, honestly. I never break my word. That's what made me a fortune when I worked for Langley. One deal. People know they can trust me. And this one is the biggest deal I want to make." From the vantage point of the phone booth, Decker could see the motel across the street and the bungalows stretching toward the dumpsters in the back.He could see Esperanza staring at the two hotel rooms from behind the dumpster.He could see that there were no lights in the windows of either room. "Why did you turn off the light, Brian?" "My God, are you this close to here?" "Don't be stupid. You want to use Beth as a cover, and you're sure I won't shoot. Think about it. Even if I let you get away with her, are you going to use her as a shield for the rest of your life? The plastic bag tied to my head at the place where the money is paid is proof that I'm willing to risk anything for her. I'll never stop hunting you down." no answer. "Just think about the million dollars, Brian. No one can prove how you got the money, and no one wants to get it back. As long as you drive away from here, the money is yours, Let you spend." "As long as you let me go." "As long as you keep Beth. If you don't prove to me that she's alive, there's no point in talking. Let me talk to her." Decker listened intently to the voice on the microphone, ignoring the torrential rain.Then he heard the thunder that shook the glass of the phone booth, and he heard the thunder that was still stronger inside himself. There was a sound coming from the microphone, as if the phone had been moved. "Steve?" Decker felt weak in his knees.Though he was determined, he realized now that he hadn't completely believed that he would hear Beth's voice again. "Thank goodness," Decker blurted out. "I can't believe it's you. How do you—" "I don't have time to explain. Are you okay?" "Scared me to death, but they didn't hurt me." Her voice was soft and weak, and trembling with tension, but there was no way he couldn't fail to hear it.He thought of the first time Beth had spoken to him, how her voice had reminded him of wind chimes and champagne. "I love you," Decker said, "and I'll get you out of there. How many people are there?" There was a sudden crash on the microphone, and McKittrick spoke, "Now you know she's alive. How do I get out of here alive?" "Turn on the lights. Draw the curtains." "what?" "Send Beth to the window, easy to see. Get out with the money. Get in the car. You can keep your gun on her while you do this. That way, you know I won't do anything about it. is you." "Until I'm out on the street and I can't see her and I can't aim. Then you'll try to kill me." "You have to trust me." "fart." "Because I'm trustworthy. I'll show you how trustworthy I actually am. You know, you'll be safe leaving Beth in your room because I'll be in the car with you. I'll be you The hostage. You drive on the road for a while, make sure that no one is following, let me get out of the car, and our deal will be concluded. " Again there was silence.thunder. "You're kidding," McKittrick said. "I've never been this serious." "How do you know I won't kill you?" "I don't know," Decker said, "but I have friends who would come after you if you did that. I'd bet you wanted to get this over with right away. I mean it, Bryan Well. Give me Beth, and you take the money. I'll never see you again." McKittrick didn't speak for a moment.Decker imagined him brainstorming. McKittrick said something vaguely to someone else in the hotel room. "Okay," he said to Decker, "give us five minutes and we'll come out. You wait by my car with your hands up." "You made the deal, Brian. But just in case you ever feel like backing out, remember this—someone else is targeting you."