“So it’s all about ransom?”
“Let’s hope so. If they were going to hurt her in some dramatic way it would’ve already happened. Probably, and according to our experts anyway. And what would they gain by it?”
“Because they’re savages. They’ve managed to shock the world already. Why not do it in an even bigger way?”
“True, but the men they’ve killed were of little value, dollar-wise. Giovanna’s a different story.”
“So it’s all about money.”
“If we’re lucky.”
Abby was not convinced. “So why did they bomb the office in Athens?”
“Something else we didn’t cover in law school. I don’t know, Abby. You’re asking me to think like a terrorist. These people are fanatics who are half crazy. On the other hand, they’re smart enough to put together an organization that can send an agent into a coffee shop down the street and hand you a package.”
Abby closed her eyes and shook her head. Nothing was said for a long time. Other than the occasional sip from a glass, nothing moved. Finally, she asked, “Are you scared, Mitch?”
“Terrified.”
“Me too.”
“I really want a gun.”
“Come on, Mitch.”
“Seriously. The bad guys have plenty of guns. I’d feel safer if I had one in my pocket.”
“You’ve never held a gun, Mitch. Giving you one would endanger half the city.”
He smiled and rubbed her leg. He gazed at a wall and said, “Not true. When I was a kid, my father took me hunting all the time.”
She took a deep breath and considered his words. They had been in love for almost twenty years, and she had learned at the beginning not to be curious about his early years. He never discussed them, never opened up to her, never shared the memories of a rough childhood. She knew his father died in the coal mines when he was seven. His mother cracked up and worked low-wage jobs but had trouble keeping them. They moved often, from one cheap rental to another. Ray, his older brother, dropped out of school and pursued a life of petty crime. Mitch once spoke of an aunt he lived with before running away.
“We grew up in the mountains where every kid was hunting by the age of six. Guns were a part of life. You know Dane County.”
She did. It was Appalachia, but she was a town girl whose father wore a suit and tie to work each day. They owned a nice home with two cars in the driveway.
“We hunted year-round, regardless of what the game warden said. If we saw an animal that might make a good stew, it was dead. Rabbits, turkeys, I killed my first deer when I was six. I could handle a gun — rifles, pistols, shotguns. After my dad died, Mom wouldn’t let us hunt anymore. She was afraid we might get hurt and the thought of losing another son was too much. She gave away all the guns. So, yes, dear, you are correct in saying that if I had one now I’d probably hurt somebody, but you’re wrong in saying I’ve never fired a gun.”
“Forget the guns, Mitch.”
“Okay. We’ll be safe, Abby, trust me.”
“I do.”
“No one will be able to find us up there. Cory and his gang will be close by. And since it’s in Maine I’m sure the house will be full of guns. Don’t they shoot moose up there?”
“You’re asking me?”
“No.”
“Don’t touch a gun, Mitch.”
“I promise.”
Chapter 24
Promptly at six the following morning, Cory rang the buzzer for the McDeere apartment and was welcomed by Mitch. Abby poured coffee at the breakfast table and offered yogurt and granola. No one was hungry.
Cory walked them through the plan for the day and gave each a little green phone that flipped open. He said, “These are cell phones that cannot be hacked or traced. Only five — these two, me, Ruch, and Alvin.”
“Alvin?” Abby asked, obviously becoming irritated with the cloak-and-dagger stuff. “Have we met an Alvin?”
“He works for me and you probably won’t meet him.”
“Of course.” She held her newest gadget and stared at it in frustration. “Yet another phone?”
“Sorry,” Cory said. “I know your collection is growing.”
“What if I make a mistake and pull out the wrong one?”
Mitch frowned at her and said, “Please.”
She said to Cory, “I thought our cell phones cannot be hacked or tracked.”
“That’s right, as far as we know. These are just another layer of security. Stick with us, okay?”
“I’ll shut up now.”
“So, the plan is to leave the front door of the building at exactly eight A.M., as always, with Carter and Clark, just another walk to school. South on Columbus, west on Sixty-Seventh, two more blocks to the school. We’ll be watching every step.”
“Watching for what?” Mitch asked. “You don’t really think these guys will do something stupid on a busy sidewalk.”
“No, more than likely they will not. We want to see who’s watching. It’s doubtful Noura is working alone. It would take a team to follow Abby and the boys yesterday, take the photos, follow her across the park, and arrive at the coffee shop at about the same time. Somebody gave her the Jakl, a rather exotic gadget. She has a boss somewhere. These cells are not run by women.”
“And what if by chance you notice someone following Abby today?”
“We’ll do our best to track them.”
“How many people do you have on the ground right now?”
“I’m not allowed to say, Mitch. Sorry.”
“Okay, okay. Continue.”
“You leave at the normal time, take the subway to work, nothing unusual. At ten I’ll have a car nearby and I’ll call with directions.” He picked up his green phone, smiled, and said, “We’ll use these. Hope they work.”
“Can’t wait.”
“You’ll return here, enter this building through the basement exit, get the bags, hustle back to the car. At eleven you’ll enter the school through a side door off Sixty-Seventh, get the boys, and get out of there. I’ll meet you at the Westchester airport. We’ll hop on a cute little jet and thirty-five minutes later land in Rockland, Maine. Any questions so far?”
Mitch said, “You look exhausted, Cory. Are you sleeping?’
“Are you kidding? A Scully lawyer has been held hostage somewhere in North Africa for a month now. How can I sleep? My phone starts ringing at one A.M. when the sun comes up over there. I’m running on fumes.”
Mitch and Abby looked at each other. “Thanks for all this, Cory,” she said.
“You’re under a lot of pressure,” Mitch said.
“I am. We are. And we’ll get through it. You’re the key, Abby. They chose you and you have to make it work.”
“I’ve never felt so lucky.”
“And I’ll be hunting moose,” Mitch said with a laugh, one that was not shared by the others.
The walk took seventeen minutes and went off without incident. Abby managed to chat with the twins and watch the traffic without glancing around. At one point she was amused by the thought that the boys had no idea how many people were watching them as they walked to school. Nor would they ever.
Cory and his team were almost certain Abby and the boys were not followed. He was not surprised. The threat had already been delivered the day before. Why take more photos? Five were plenty. But top security, as well as good spy-craft, dictated the surveillance. They probably would not get the chance to do it again.
Mitch arrived at the office and immediately called Luca in Rome. He sounded tired and weak and reminded Mitch that his daughter had been gone for a month. Mitch said he was in constant contact with their security advisers. The conversation lasted less than five minutes, and when it was over Mitch again felt it would be a mistake to tell Luca about Noura. Maybe tomorrow.