Larkin kept along the wall, not only to reduce his visibility, but to avoid kicking up gravel and garbage and immediately warn Tony that he was being followed. Larkin could shoot himself after letting a teenager get the upper hand, but luck was on his side in that Tony was ultimately a dumbass kid, shit-scared, and running like being followed wasn’t even a thought in his pretty little head.

As Larkin rounded the corner, light came into view—like finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. He could make Megan out in the far distance, pulling herself up from the track bed, clinging to the platform floor, swinging a leg up, and rolling to safety. She’d had enough of a lead on Doyle, familiar with every possible shortcut that’d put distance between them, that Larkin could make out Doyle’s figure walking into the artificial light, like he’d thought he’d lost her, until he spotted Megan standing on the platform and hurried toward her.

Tony was nearing the access stairs and gate that kept the general public from exploring the active tunnels, and when he spotted Doyle out in the open, he shouted Megan’s name and threw the gun at her. Larkin didn’t wait to see if she caught the weapon. He charged at breakneck speed toward Tony, barreled into the teen with his left shoulder, and sent him sprawling onto the steep steps.

Tony cried out, “Oh my God, you broke my fucking ribs!”

Larkin ignored the crocodile tears, retrieved the handcuffs from his back pocket, bent over Tony, and cuffed one wrist. He attached the other to the gate so that Tony couldn’t run and was forced to cower on the stairs. “I’ll be right back to Mirandize you, you sonofabitch.” Larkin grabbed the shovel he’d dropped in the scrabble, then got close to Tony’s face and whispered, “Not a peep, or you and me are going to have a come to Jesus. And if your gal pal shoots my partner, you’ll be dealing with the bad cop and only the bad cop.” Larkin narrowed his gray eyes and nearly growled, “Got it.”

Tony’s eyes were so wide, they were nearly bulging. He nodded, panicked little breaths escaping from between his lips in a near whistle.