Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
Braddock hesitated.
‘Take the turn,’ Cobb said, before Braddock could make up his own mind. ‘Take the turn then kill your speed. He’s on a bike and we know the direction he’s going. He’ll get to the front of that traffic and he’ll pass us. Then we can stay on him.’
Braddock nodded. It was the decision he would have made, but Cobb’s agreement was always welcome. Indicating his way into traffic, he made the left-hand turn just before the lights turned back to red.
Once on United Nations Plaza, Braddock lowered his speed down to thirty miles per hour. Any slower could be suspicious. Any faster and Dempsey might not pass them.
Seconds went by. The traffic from the United Nations Plaza lights began to move, all accelerating past their vehicle. Braddock kept his eyes on the rear-view mirror, looking for Dempsey or his bike.
But there was no sign of him.
‘Where the hell is he?’ Braddock demanded, turning at the wheel to face Cobb. ‘Are you sure it was him? Are you sure he was going in this direction?’
‘I’m sure,’ Cobb replied, irritated. ‘I saw his face, plain as I’m seeing yours now. And from the route he took, he’s coming this way. Just wait and you’ll see.’
‘You better be right.’
‘When am I not?’
‘STOP!’
The shout came from Eden Grace in the back seat. Neither man had been watching the road as they argued, and so only Grace had seen the lights at East 49th Street turn red in front of them.
Braddock hit the brakes hard, bringing the Lincoln to a screeching halt with half the car’s bonnet past the stop line.
‘How about you two pay some goddamned attention to the road?’ Grace demanded.
‘Who the hell do you think you’re speaking to, Grace?’ Braddock replied, his anger caused more by embarrassment at what had happened than by genuine irritation. ‘I’m the senior agent on this assignment. Watch your tone.’
‘Or what? You’ll note it on my record? And how are you going to explain the nature of the mission we were on when I was insubordinate, huh? Tell me that?’
‘Both of you, shut the hell up.’
Cobb’s intervention was low. Little more than a growl. That fact alone made both Grace and Braddock pay attention.
Cobb stayed stock still as he continued, his voice no higher.
‘He’s right next to us.’
Neither Braddock nor Grace showed any surprise. Both were far too well-trained for that. Instead they continued to face each other, as if still in conversation. As if Cobb had said nothing.
But however they might appear to the outside world, the attention of all three was now fixed on one man.
Dempsey had stopped his bike at the same red light, level and immediately next to the bonnet of their Lincoln. Far enough ahead that his bike’s wing mirrors could give him a clear view into their car.
‘Has he made us?’ Braddock asked, careful to look as if he were still speaking to Grace.