Read Online Upon A Pale Horse by Russell Blake - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Russell Blake
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shadow, his head spinning from the events of the day as he hurried to get a cab before traffic came to a standstill.
EIGHT
Legacy
“What do you mean, you lost him?” Thorn growled, his voice slightly distorted by the cell phone signal.
“He rounded the corner, and by the time I caught up he was gone. The car was paralleling him up a block, but couldn’t swing around in time.”
“Do you think he spotted you?”
“No. The guy’s a boy scout. I think it was just unlucky timing. Besides, based on what we heard at the girl’s apartment, he’s headed for his brother’s condo, so we can pick up the surveillance there. We’ve got it wired; we’ll know if he so much as farts. I just wish we could get the tracking going on his cell – this is doing it the hard way.”
Three seconds of silence went by, the emptiness on the line hanging heavily in the air.
“I’m working on it. Should be any minute. In the meantime, get over to the condo. And no more screw-ups. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly. And if I can make a suggestion, until we have his phone live, let’s get a three-man team on him. Obviously two aren’t enough.”
“Whatever you need. I’ll make the call.”
The field operative switched the line off, slipped the cell back into his pocket, and glared at his partner, sitting to his left behind the wheel of the sedan they’d been assigned, stopped at a red light.
“Get over to the condo. We know he’s going there.”
“Crap. Traffic’s going to be a bitch headed that direction.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know. The big guy wasn’t happy, by the way.”
“No, I don’t expect he was. But as you pointed out, it’s not a catastrophe. We’ll pick him up on that end.”
“Besides which, we’re probably wasting our time. You heard him. He doesn’t sound like he knows anything.”
“Agreed. But that’s why we get paid the big bucks.”
“Remind me again when that starts?”
“Soon. Really soon.”
“Tell me the one about the three bears next.”
The light turned green and the car in front of them surged forward, the German import’s powerful engine catapulting it down the street like a heat-seeking missile. The driver stepped on the gas and their Dodge sedan lunged after it before the driver eased up with a grin.
“Wish they’d give us one of those high-roller-mobiles every now and then. Big Benz. Zero to sixty in, what, five something? This thing’s lucky to get out of its own way with a tailwind.”
The passenger murmured assent and reached over to stab the radio on, then settled back into his seat for another shift of waiting for the brother to do something besides go for walks and sleep.
“That’s it, over there. Pull into that space. I’ll only be a couple of minutes,” Jeffrey said, pointing to the glowing red sign over the display window, nothing but Chinese characters advertising the shop on a blue fabric awning that provided shade from the afternoon glare.
“It’s your money. But I gotta run the meter. You sure about this?” the taxi driver grumbled.
“Yeah. No problem. Like I said, it’ll be quick.”
The driver twisted the wheel and glided to a stop by the curb. “Suit yourself.”
They were in Chinatown, having pulled beneath an ornate entrance arch with three pagoda roofs that bridged the street as they made their way to the address on the pawn slip. The sidewalks teemed with pedestrians, a sea of black hair bobbing with the steps of the locals as they rushed to whatever destinations called to them. Jeffrey swung the door open and stepped out, narrowly missing colliding with a paunchy Asian man texting intently on his phone. The man grunted and threw him a dark glare and then continued with his errand, melting back into the crowd as Jeffrey got his bearings.
The shop was nothing special from the outside, televisions, stereos, and other treasures dust-covered in the window, and Jeffrey wondered what he was doing there as
EIGHT
Legacy
“What do you mean, you lost him?” Thorn growled, his voice slightly distorted by the cell phone signal.
“He rounded the corner, and by the time I caught up he was gone. The car was paralleling him up a block, but couldn’t swing around in time.”
“Do you think he spotted you?”
“No. The guy’s a boy scout. I think it was just unlucky timing. Besides, based on what we heard at the girl’s apartment, he’s headed for his brother’s condo, so we can pick up the surveillance there. We’ve got it wired; we’ll know if he so much as farts. I just wish we could get the tracking going on his cell – this is doing it the hard way.”
Three seconds of silence went by, the emptiness on the line hanging heavily in the air.
“I’m working on it. Should be any minute. In the meantime, get over to the condo. And no more screw-ups. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly. And if I can make a suggestion, until we have his phone live, let’s get a three-man team on him. Obviously two aren’t enough.”
“Whatever you need. I’ll make the call.”
The field operative switched the line off, slipped the cell back into his pocket, and glared at his partner, sitting to his left behind the wheel of the sedan they’d been assigned, stopped at a red light.
“Get over to the condo. We know he’s going there.”
“Crap. Traffic’s going to be a bitch headed that direction.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know. The big guy wasn’t happy, by the way.”
“No, I don’t expect he was. But as you pointed out, it’s not a catastrophe. We’ll pick him up on that end.”
“Besides which, we’re probably wasting our time. You heard him. He doesn’t sound like he knows anything.”
“Agreed. But that’s why we get paid the big bucks.”
“Remind me again when that starts?”
“Soon. Really soon.”
“Tell me the one about the three bears next.”
The light turned green and the car in front of them surged forward, the German import’s powerful engine catapulting it down the street like a heat-seeking missile. The driver stepped on the gas and their Dodge sedan lunged after it before the driver eased up with a grin.
“Wish they’d give us one of those high-roller-mobiles every now and then. Big Benz. Zero to sixty in, what, five something? This thing’s lucky to get out of its own way with a tailwind.”
The passenger murmured assent and reached over to stab the radio on, then settled back into his seat for another shift of waiting for the brother to do something besides go for walks and sleep.
“That’s it, over there. Pull into that space. I’ll only be a couple of minutes,” Jeffrey said, pointing to the glowing red sign over the display window, nothing but Chinese characters advertising the shop on a blue fabric awning that provided shade from the afternoon glare.
“It’s your money. But I gotta run the meter. You sure about this?” the taxi driver grumbled.
“Yeah. No problem. Like I said, it’ll be quick.”
The driver twisted the wheel and glided to a stop by the curb. “Suit yourself.”
They were in Chinatown, having pulled beneath an ornate entrance arch with three pagoda roofs that bridged the street as they made their way to the address on the pawn slip. The sidewalks teemed with pedestrians, a sea of black hair bobbing with the steps of the locals as they rushed to whatever destinations called to them. Jeffrey swung the door open and stepped out, narrowly missing colliding with a paunchy Asian man texting intently on his phone. The man grunted and threw him a dark glare and then continued with his errand, melting back into the crowd as Jeffrey got his bearings.
The shop was nothing special from the outside, televisions, stereos, and other treasures dust-covered in the window, and Jeffrey wondered what he was doing there as
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