Judge & Jury

Of course, he was probably thinking the same thing.

"Then, because you're not me." Remlikov shrugged."How is that?"

I wanted to get this done with. Andie was probably dying with anxiety, wondering what was going on here."Clock's on," I said.

"What you are looking for is in South America," he said." Argentina, I believe. Or Chile. At the very bottom, near the tip. Cavello has a ranch there. Sheep, I think."

"Keep going," I prodded. I knew he was holding back.

"How do I know you will not turn my name over to the authorities the minute you have Cavello?"

"How doI know you won't alert him as soon as you have your boy?"

We stood there facing each other, looking into each other's eyes. Remlikov smiled."My son is a chess player. He has a natural gift for avoiding stalemates. But of course, you already know that."

"I don't play chess." I shrugged."But I was thinking, since we both know something about the other that would be best not to get out, it would probably be a good thing if we never set eyes on each other again."

"I was thinking that, too." Remlikov nodded."I believe it's near a town called Ushuaia. Close to the tip. The weather is not so good, I am told, but the isolation is worth every pe

He told me the name of Cavello's ranch. Hearing it, I smiled. I knew his information was true.

"Now, I think you have something forme. " Remlikov put his sunglasses back on, our business complete.

Chapter 102

I TOOK OUT MY PHONE and pressed the Send button. Andie answered quickly.

"You can bring him now."

I tried not to glance in any direction. I didn't want to alert anyone, Remlikov or a possible accomplice, as to how this was going to take place. My hands were moist, and sweat trickled down my collar. There was nothing to do but wait, and stare at each other.

"So, who was it, if I can ask?"

"Who waswho? " I shrugged. I figured he was talking about Andie.

"Who was on that bus? The reason you want Cavello so bad?"

"Consider yourself lucky I don't kill you right here for what you've done."

"Interesting," he said, snorting."I was thinking the very same thing about you."

I saw him rub the tips of his fingers. I knew this killer wouldn't just let me get away. I looked around. I needed cover. A group of young people were passing by. I spotted two policemen, meandering our way.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw our white Ford pull up on Ben Gurion Street at one of the entrances to the park. Andie held there, just as I told her, waiting for my signal. I shot another glance at the policemen, my insurance.

"My son?" Remlikov pressed."The minute is up, no?"

Chapter 103

"I WANT YOU TO KNOW, Remlikov, if Cavello's not where you say he is, every law enforcement agency in the world is going to have your name and fingerprints. It's a hard way to raise a family."

"Andyou should know, if there's as much as a scratch on my son, I'll be looking through employment rosters of the FBI for as long as it takes."

I raised my left arm. The signal.

The rear door of the car opened. I saw the boy emerge. Andie would've been pointing him toward us. He shielded his eyes through the waning sun.

Remlikov waved at him."Pavel, over here!"

The boy started to run to him. The killer looked at me. Andie's car started up, then disappeared into traffic.

"I meant what I said, Remlikov. I wish I could shoot you dead," I said.

Then I cut around the statue-in front of the unsuspecting policemen. Without drawing any attention to myself, I started to jog, fast enough to put as much distance as I could between me and Remlikov.

I hunched into a stream of people heading for the upper terraces. The path was hilly and crowded. I didn't notice anyone following me.

I left the path and started up a small hill, using trees and low branches as cover. I spotted another exit down below. Allenby Street.

That's where I decided to head. Catch a cab. In minutes I'd meet Andie back at the hotel. We had what we needed. Within the hour, we'd be gone.

I never looked back until I'd zigzagged to the top of the knoll. When I did, Remlikov was kneeling with his arms held out. His son ran into his embrace. He peppered the boy's face with grateful kisses.

Then he looked up the hill in my direction. I didn't know if he could see me. Trees obstructed the view. But it felt like it.

For the first time in minutes, my heart rate finally started to calm. I had what I needed. Andie had gotten away safely. I knew where Cavello was.

I almost felt like cheering. We had pulled it off! We were wi

Only then did I feel my neck roughly wrenched backward, and the knife blade digging deeply into my ribs.

"Sorry, mate, it doesn't quite work like that."

My blood froze.

"Now, I'm going to ask you this once," the voice said in a heavy South African accent,"and if you have any hope of living more than the next few seconds, you'll be telling me the answer. Who dropped off that kid?"

He dug the blade in deeper; the air gushed out of my lungs. I managed to get one look at him, and I knew I was in terrible trouble.

The hair that fell across his face was blond.

Chapter 104

THE TRUTH WAS, I'd been in the FBI thirteen years and had been in a real dogfight only a couple of times. Those were more like takedowns, and not with some professionally trained killer twice my size who had me gagging in a choke hold, with a knife jammed into my ribs.

The guy's grip had me helpless. I couldn't scream. What good would that do? I could barely think. The blade edged into my rib cage so sharply, I wasn't sure if it wasn't already in my chest.

"I can break your neck cleanly, friend, and all you'll do is drift off into la-la land, which I recommend as the way to go. Or, I can play with you a bit."

Oh, Christ!

"Do yourself a favor, mate. Who was the woman in that car?"

A thought came to me. It was from some self-defense course I'd taken at the Bureau years ago. The natural urge in this situation is to struggle harder, to pull away, but to someone who is adept at crushing your windpipe in a second, it only tightens the choke.

Stepinto him, I was told. Go with his momentum. So I figured, what the hell? I wasn't giving up Andie.

So I leaned my weight into Blondie. It threw him off, maybe a step. He didn't release me, just shuffled backward.

It freed my hand enough to reach inside my jacket. I groped for the grip of my Glock. I didn't know if I had it pointed toward him or me. Only that if I didn't fire quickly, it didn't much matter.

The blond killer sighed."Your choice, asshole."

I jerked the trigger.Once, twice! The recoil spun us both back, the closeness muffling the sound. I didn't know if I'd hit something. Or whether it was him or me. But I didn't feel the knife. Or pain shooting through my abdomen. I pulled the trigger two more times.

"Fuck!" The blond guy yelped and staggered backward.

I spun away just as he lashed out savagely with the knife. I rolled on my torso and saw a bloody hole in his thigh, red oozing through his ripped jeans.

"Oh, you are fucking dead!" He looked down, glaring at me with an animal fury.

I still held the gun pointed at him. But I wasn't sure what to do. Now there was nothing to muffle the sound. A group of people was headed toward us. I was an FBI agent, not a cold-blooded killer. But even as FBI, I was toast. I'd be explaining what I was doing here for the rest of my life. From an Israeli jail cell!

"Turn around," I yelled at him."Open your jacket."