Judge & Jury

The thick, acrid smoke was starting to get to me. I coughed, pulled up my shirt, and covered my nose and mouth with folds of cloth.

"We better wait for the emergency people," the cop called to me. He was right. There were noxious fumes and fire everywhere. The damned thing could go up at any time. I tried to see the back of the bus. There were no signs of life there either.

Then I heard something. A groan-more like a whimper.Someone alive?

"FBI," I shouted, fighting against the fumes. The smoke was blinding."Where are you? Are you all right?"

I heard the voice again, just a murmur.

"I'm coming."

Then I saw him. On the floor. It was the boy! He was in the fetal position underneath a seat."Jarrod!" I bent down-I remembered his name."Jarrod!"

I put my face down to his, as close as I could get. The floor was hot, steaming.

My stomach fell. The little boy was dead. His pink skin was black with horrible burns. I wanted to retch. I couldn't help bringing up the image of his face just seconds before in the window as his mother waved to me."I'm sorry, little guy."

Then I heard it again. The whimper, soft and faint. Someone was alive.

I pushed over twisted metal and bodies to the very back of the bus. Vinyl seats and plastic panels were melting in flaming strips. The smoke clung to my skin, like scalding rubber.

I heard it close."Jarrod… Jarrod."

It was Andie DeGrasse. She was pi

"Help is here," I said, bending to her.

She was the only one alive.

Chapter 42

RICHARD NORDESHENKO HEARD the tremendous blast. At precisely 2:03 p.m., from three blocks away. He felt the ground beneath him shudder, the earth slide. It was done.

He had instructed his limo to wait while he went inside an electronics store and purchased a gift for his son. World Championship Poker.

Nordeshenko had heard similar explosions before. Thedouble concussion. The ground shaking. Like an earthquake, actually. The store clerk looked confused. Nordeshenko knew what had happened. Nezzi had taken no chances. There was enough C- 4 in that van to do the job three times over.

Nordeshenko tucked the package under his arm and left the store. He looked forward to getting home. He had a few gifts for his son: an iPod and the new computer poker program that he knew would delight the boy. And earrings for his wife from New York 's Diamond District.

His work here was over, and it couldn't have gone any better.

He had already received a message about his Swiss account. More than two million dollars. There were still a few more payments that had to be made. But he had earned every pe

"What the hell was that?" the limo driver said, looking back toward Foley Square as Nordeshenko climbed back in the car.

"I don't know. Some kind of explosion. Maybe a fuel line." The scent of gasoline and cordite hung in the air.

They heard sirens. Two police cars rushed past them toward the courthouse, lights flashing.

"Something's happened!" the driver exclaimed, turning on the news."This is not good."

Nordeshenko looked back and saw a cloud of black smoke rise up above the buildings, coming from directly behind them.

He placed the gift for his son in his traveling case. Two rings came from his cell phone-Reichardt and Nezzi were safely away now.

"Let's go," he said to the driver."We'll listen on the way. I have a plane to catch."

Chapter 43

SHE OPENED HER EYES very slowly.

She felt no pain. Just woozy and unreal. She was here-but she wasn't. A leaden pressure was in her chest. Where was she? What had happened? Tubes were coming out of her, attached everywhere. She tried to move but couldn't.

Nothing. No power over her own body. Was she paralyzed? How had it happened?

Then Andie began to panic. Something very heavy and bulky was blocking her throat. Making her gag. She couldn't speak because of the obstruction.

A nurse came in. Just the look on the nurse's face told her.Something terrible has happened. What?

"Andie. Don't try to talk, sweetheart. There's a tube down your throat to help you breathe. You're in Bellevue Hospital. You've been in surgery. You're going to be okay."

Andie made herself nod, eyes flicking wildly around the room. Thehospital room.

Then it started to come back to her.

The jurors' bus. She had been on the bus. A gray van had pulled up…

That's when the panic started to grip her chest again. Her eyes darted anxiously toward the nurse.What happened next? She tried to speak again, but could only cough and gag. Her fingers found the nurse's hand somehow. She managed to grab two fingers. She held on as tight as she could.

My son… Where is Jarrod?

"Please." The nurse squeezed back."Try and stay calm now, Andie."

She knew something horrible had happened, something unbelievable. She tried to sound out Jarrod's name, but her air passage was blocked. And her mouth was as dry as sandpaper.Please, please, my son.

But something was forcing her to close her eyes, and Andie couldn't fight it.

Chapter 44

WHEN SHE OPENED HER EYES again, someone else was standing there. She blinked sleepily.FBI. The one with the smile.

But he wasn't smiling now. Actually, he looked terrible.

Memories of what had happened began flashing in her mind. The bus stopped at a red light. Then the van. The two men ru

Jarrod?

Her eyes went back to the FBI man. She tried to scream out her son's name.Please, don't you understand? Can't you read it in my eyes?

He just looked at her and shook his head."I'm sorry."

Sorry? she repeated to herself. It took a moment to register.What is he saying? Sorry for what?

She felt him place his fingers lightly on her hand. Then a squeeze. His touch told her everything.

It was rushing back at her now. Her panic when she saw the men ru

Her body spasmed in shock now.

Andie felt something burn a path down her cheek.This can't be real. This can't have happened.

The FBI man wiped away her tear.

She still hadn't been told what happened. They didn't have to tell her now. She knew. She could see it in his eyes.

Oh, my poor Jarrod.

Tears began streaming down Andie's cheeks, and she had the feeling that they would never stop.