Judge & Jury

I came back to the car and sat in the front seat."It's done." I nodded, leaning back with a sick expression, as if I'd been chewing rancid meat.

"You know, I'm okay with this, Nick.I am. There's just one thing that doesn't seem right."

"What's that?"

"Remlikov. And the blond guy. They're the ones who killed Jarrod. They get off free?"

"We knew that coming over here, Andie. We came for Cavello. He's the one who ordered it done."

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the boy stirring."Father?"

I got out of the car and opened the rear door."Here." I tossed Andie a baseball cap."I want you wearing this at all times. And the sunglasses. The boy ca

"Yeah, thanks." Andie nodded flatly.

I took the rope and some duct tape. She stroked the boy, as if she were comforting Jarrod."Sshh… it's going to be all right."

"And one more thing." Our eyes met, as close as I could come in this moment to an embrace."After the exchange, you wait an hour, that's all. If I don't come back to the hotel, you drive to Tel Aviv. You make that flight."

"Assuming things go wrong."

"You won't know. You just take off. Okay?"

She shook her head."I'm not leaving you."

"Believe me, if I'm not back in an hour, you won't have to worry about that."

Chapter 100

I'M NOT SURE who first decided to build the vast, multiterraced gardens that climb steeply up the slope of Mount Carmel and are dedicated to the Baha'i faith, but whoever it was had perfect insight into the art of the clandestine exchange.

The grounds were public enough to get lost in and open enough to spot any unwanted accomplices hanging around. It had multiple exits leading to heavily trafficked thoroughfares. Tours were constantly going around, and that Thursday, late in the afternoon, the gardens were as crowded as the lawn at a Tanglewood concert.

If this goes well, I told myself, trying to calm my nerves,I might even give some thought to converting.

I got there at 6:45 p.m., a few minutes early, and stood around the statue of someone named Sayyid Ali Muhammad, or the Bab, on the lowest level of the gardens, where I told Remlikov we would meet. I had given him only thirty minutes' warning, not much time to prepare. The elaborate park had eighteen different terraces. He didn't know whether I was at the upper or lower gardens. And with Ben Gurion Street only meters away, it would be easy for Andie to drop the boy and escape.

Me-that could be an entirely different story.

I'd done secret meets dozens of times, but always with the confidence that someone with a listening device and a sniper's rifle was watching my back. Never naked, on unprotected turf-and with the slight complication of having kidnapped some cold-blooded killer's kid.

Crowds were starting to form. Some Israeli folksinger was performing two levels up. The setting couldn't be better. I told myself, just think like it's Madison Square Garden. All I had to do, once the exchange was made, was blend in with the crowd and get away.

At five of six, I took out my cell in front of the statue and gave Remlikov our final call."Are you here?"

"I'm here.What about my son?"

"Walk to the statue of Ali Muhammad off Ben Gurion Street. You know it?"

"I know it. How will I know you?"

"I'll be the one holding the twelve-year-old with tape over his mouth. Don't worry, I'll know you."

Remlikov sniffed, unamused."It will take me a few minutes. I'm on the upper level."

"Don't bother, then. In five minutes, I'll be gone." I punched off the line. He'd be here. I didn't want to give him a single extra moment to prepare.

Chapter 101

I HAVE TO ADMIT, the following couple of minutes were as tense and heart-stopping as any in my life. I tried to focus on the crowds, mostly young people and families heading up to the higher terraces. An occasional policeman wandered by, dangling the ubiquitous Uzi.

I checked my Glock one last time. I adjusted my sunglasses. I tried to calm the riot in my gut.

5:59 p.m. Come on, Remlikov. This has to happen now!

Then I spotted him coming out of the crowd. He was wearing an open-collar print shirt and a black leather jacket. A few people passed in front of us, but he focused directly on me. Must've been the chess book I was holding prominently. He walked right up to me. He removed his sunglasses and took a long look into my eyes. I had seen the faces of many professional killers. There was always a dull glaze in the eye, even when they smiled. Remlikov had it in spades.

"Stand in front of me," I said, shifting my back to the statue. I didn't want any sudden ambush taking me by surprise.

He glanced at the chess book."I believe that's mine."

I handed it over to him.

"And myson, " he added as if we were talking merchandise.

"Cavello," I replied.

"You've come a long way on the premise I know where he is." He smiled.

"You're wasting time that could be very valuable. I leave here in two minutes."

"Two minutes." He pursed his thin lips."I'll take my chances. Neither of us wants to walk away empty-handed. You surprised me today. Surprise is a reaction I've grown used to doing without. I'd take it as a courtesy if you told me how you found me."

"The business in New York or your real name?"

"Any order." He shrugged back politely.

I glanced toward the ground. Then I looked back at him with a slight smile."Your shoes." He was still wearing them."Not very high-tech, I'm afraid. But I hear they're all the rage in this part of the world."

"My shoes." Remlikov snorted, at first with surprise, then with a roll of his eyes. He shifted on his bum left leg."My feet kill me." He shook his head."Even now."

"You might think about a change of brand, if you plan to continue work."

"No more," he said,"I'm finished."

"Wise. You're a family man. Now, you have something for me?"

"You didn't finish." Remlikov continued to look at me."Though I have the feeling I can take it from here. If you were able to identify my shoes, you must have seen some kind of security tape of what took place. To link that to me, my history, and find me here, that would take a lot of help. Resources. Governmental resources, I'm quite sure. Homeland Security? FBI?"

"Those are a lot of assumptions," I said with a deferential nod,"for a man who only hasone minute."

"Not so high-tech also." Remlikov smiled."I recognize you as the person who shot at us in the courthouse during our escape."

I took off my glasses. Now we were staring at each other face to face."Paid good money for these suckers, too."

"But more important, I'm wondering why an American law enforcement agent in Haifa has to kidnap my son instead of breaking down my door with a warrant if he knew my whereabouts. And more to the point-for purely selfish reasons-how many other people you might be associated with know as well."

"All good questions," I said, deciding to indulge him a few seconds longer."And what have you come up with?"

"That you must somehow be a very desperate man. Or, at the very least, extremely passionate in your work."

"Chat's over. Now you have to convince me why I should give you back your boy and not shoot you on the spot for what you did in New York."

A wistful smile creased Remlikov's lips."Because I have something very valuable for you. Something that could get us both killed, and very probably will one day."

"And what if that isn't enough?" This man had done such horrible things. He deserved to die or at least to rot for the rest of his life in prison. An urge rose up in me, to take out my gun and do to him what he deserved-after he gave me what I needed.