Read Online The Book of Names by Jill Gregory - Free Book Online Page A

face.
    The rabbi spoke quickly. “What are you talking about?”
    Even as he finished the question, Yael sank to her knees and peered under the desk. She ripped the bugging device from the wood, her face fading pale beneath her tan.
    â€œThey know,” she said, meeting the rabbi’s horrified eyes.
    â€œQuickly.” Ben Moshe latched the satchel with shaking hands. “Take these things and go—”
    Just then a loud noise sounded from the floor below. For a moment David thought it was a car backfiring, but then they heard a scream.
    â€œRabbi, run! Get out!” Rabbi Goldstein’s voice gurgled from the main floor. Then more shots rang out and screams filled the building.
    â€œDavid, hide the stones!” Ben Moshe pushed the satchel into Yael’s arms as heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs. “The fire escape! Hurry! Take everything—I’ll explain later, God willing—but you must leave
now.”
    The rabbi rushed to bolt the door as David shoved both gemstones into his pants pocket. He threw his journal back into the duffel and slung it over his shoulder. Yael was already thrusting the window upward.
    â€œYou first.” David grabbed the rabbi’s arm and pulled him toward the fire escape, but the older man shook free.
    â€œNo, David,
you
first. Now.” Ben Moshe’s tone wascalm. “Yael, get him to Safed.
He knows the names.
He knows the names of the Lamed Vovniks.”
    She was already throwing a leg over the windowsill. “Come on,” she ordered David.
    â€œGo!” Ben Moshe pushed him as the intruders began battering against the door.
    His adrenaline pumping, David ducked his head and climbed onto the fire escape. Rain slashed at his face. Yael was halfway to the street, yet he hesitated and reached a hand back for the rabbi. But as ben Moshe struggled to position himself on the windowsill, the door burst open and shots rang out. With a grunt, the rabbi toppled, blood dripping crimson from his beard, splattering across David’s hand.
    â€œRun, David!” Yael screamed as horror rocketed through him. He hurtled down the fire escape to the street below, nearly slipping on the wet metal. He glanced up for an instant to see a huge man with blond hair kick the rabbi’s lifeless body aside and take aim.
    David ducked as a bullet pinged the brick beside him. He bolted after Yael as another shot rang out and the blond charged down the fire escape.
    They ran through the driving downpour and rounded the corner, Yael nearly colliding with a woman battling her way down the street with an umbrella and an armful of groceries.
    â€œWatch out,” the woman yelled, but Yael had no breath to apologize. She catapulted between two buildings and David followed, gaining on her as she plunged across the street, dodging traffic as horns blared at them. Suddenly, a gunshot blew out the rear tire of a UPS truck, sending it careening straight toward David.
    He threw himself forward and landed sprawled on hisside against the curb. Yael grabbed his arm and he scrambled to his feet. The blond man was barreling toward them, gun in hand, and people were scattering.
    â€œThis way!” David tugged her toward a bus discharging passengers ten feet away. They scurried around piles of bagged garbage and forced their way up the steps, wedging past others trying to get on. David caught a glimpse of the blond through the rain-smeared window—he was running hard now, straight for the bus.
    The doors hissed closed. The blond took aim.
    â€œEverybody down! There’s a maniac with a gun back there!” David yelled. An old woman screamed.
    â€œMove it, man,
now!”
he shouted at the driver.
    Other passengers spun to look out the window.
    â€œNo shit, man!” a black kid listening to his iPod yelled. “Get outta here!”
    Swearing, the driver swerved into traffic. A bullet screamed into the bus’s back end as it lumbered away