But the plan’s success depended on the one remaining key factor: closing the Midtown valve to allow Billy to inject the poison. If that didn’t happen, the Modification would fail. The upstream reservoirs and aqueducts – easily accessible – were monitored in real time for any kind of toxins; the plan required that the poison had to be introduced into the supply here, south of Central Park, where it was theoretically impossible to taint the system and was therefore not guarded.

Billy now checked his location. Yes. He was close to the best spot to drill into the pipe.

But he needed confirmation that the water supply had been shut down.

Come on, he thought, come on …

Impatient.

Timing was everything.

Finally his phone hummed with a message. He looked down. Aunt Harriet. She’d sent him a link. He tapped the screen and turned the phone sideways to read the article. The story was time-stamped one minute ago.

TERROR ALERT IN NEW YORK

Water Supply Targeted

By Unknown Bombers

Officials in New York City are shutting down the largest mains supplying water to Manhattan south of Central Park and much of Queens, to prevent the risk of flooding, in response to an apparent terrorist plot.

Spokespersons for the New York City Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI reported in a joint press conference that they have uncovered a plot to detonate improvised explosive devices underground, meant to destroy portions of the water system.

Bomb Squad officers have discovered the locations of three devices and are evacuating people in the immediate vicinity around the IEDs. They are about to begin dismantling the bombs, a process called ‘rendering-safe.’

It is anticipated that the water supply will be shut off for no more than two hours. Officials are telling residents that there’s no need to stockpile water.

Good. Time to finish up and say goodbye to New York City.

CHAPTER 64

Amelia Sachs was pounding her Ford Torino toward Midtown.

She’d blown seven red lights after leaving Rhyme’s. Only one slowed her down. The angry horn blasts and stabbing fingers were not even memories.

Times Square was around her, the huge planes of high-def video billboards, the preoccupied locals and the marveling tourists, the timely Thanksgiving decorations and the premature Christmas ones, the bundled-up vendors, rocking from foot to foot to jump-start the circulation.

Bustling innocence.

She sped east to Lexington Avenue, then skidded to a stop as blue smoke from the tires wafted around her. It was here that she’d been instructed to pause and await further instructions.