“The first time I saw you, you were 12 or 13 years old. It was at the orphanage in Jerusalem. You were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I was 16 years old. I tried to talk to you, to become friends, but you were so closed down you wanted nothing to do with any of us.
I remember how you always tried to run away. I was worried about you and followed you to make sure you didn’t get lost, or hurt. I watched as you wandered the Old City and saw how the town, the people, all of it, fascinated you.
Do you know how you came to be placed at that particular facility?”
She shook her head.
“We called it the ‘Home’ it was run by the Mossad. They put damaged children like you and me there to see if we could be trained to become of use to them. We were all evaluated and assigned to agents who were responsible to figure out how we could become useful. Shortly after you arrived I was sent to the army for further training. I came back on leave, but by then you had been coupled with Ari Nooris. I could see that he had already taken absolute control over you.
I tried to keep tabs on you; you were quite famous you know. When Nooris left the service, my superiors wanted you to stay. But you disappeared and they assumed you followed him.”
The waiter brought their food interrupting Levy’s monologue.
Could this possibly be true? Had he actually been at the orphanage in Jerusalem as he claimed, or was it all a lie? And how did he suddenly come back into her life? She decided to play it out and see if he was for real. “So if you know who I am as you say you do, you must also know what I’m capable of,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you concerned that I might kill you?”
He smiled, “Maybe a little.”
She rewarded him with a smile in return.
“So how did you find me?”
“I work for Alon Solomon. We were assigned to watch Norris and Rabinowitz when their extradition fell apart.”
“Ari told me they escaped from the FBI agents in Miami.”
“Yes. But he slipped up when he used one of his old contacts to arrange for his escape. Turns out he still worked for us. He put a GPS tracker on the car. We followed him here.”
“So the Mossad knows Ari is here.”
He nodded.
“Do they know about me?”
“No. I didn’t tell them about you.”
She didn’t believe him. “Why not?”
He played with the food on his plate and finally replied, “Like you I was used by the service. They taught me to kill. They took advantage of me. I’m tired of being a pawn. I’m entitled to a life of my own, and so are you.”
She could believe that he had grown weary of the life. The never ending pressure was unbearable. But there were problems with his story. If the Mossad knew where Ari was why hadn’t they made their move? And why would he withhold her whereabouts?
Chapter 34
The Cintas Laundry truck pulled up to the gate at the Episcopal Academy. “You’re late,” the guard said as he approached the vehicle.
The driver shrugged.
“What happened to Fred?”
“I don’t know; guess he had to take the day off.”
The guard handed him the clipboard to sign the log. “Do you know where you’re supposed to go?”
The driver nodded and drove through the entrance gate.
For the past week Nooris and Rabinowitz had compared the various deliveries to the school against Liam’s schedule. They decided the laundry delivery was their best option.Liam’s soccer practice was over around 3:30 and the laundry truck came at 3:15.
The soccer practice field was at the north end of the school grounds. After observing the team’s training routine they decided the best time to make their move was right after the practice ended. Even though he was in the lower school, based on his size and skills, the coach put him on the junior varsity team. As the youngest member, the older boys made Liam collect the gear and return it to the locker room. That gave Norris and Rabinowitz a five-minute window of opportunity when the boy was on his own.
Norris drove down the service road and pulled over to the field where Liam was collecting the gear.
“Young man.”
Liam looked up.
“Can you help me out? It’s my first time here, and I’m looking for the dining hall.”
Liam jogged over to the truck.
“Mister, I think ya missed the turn.” Before he could turn to point the driver in the right direction, Rabinowitz jumped out of the back of the truck and grabbed him from behind. He placed a cloth over Liam’s mouth.
Liam momentarily froze not realizing what was happening. As he felt himself being lifted off his feet, he kicked and struggled trying to break loose. The smell from the cloth was nauseating him. Try as he could, his limbs would not respond as he continued to try to get free. In the seconds before he lost consciousness he was overwhelmed with the terror and hopelessness of what was happening. His eyes lost focus and he felt the man carry him away into darkness.
Nooris drove the truck out of the main entrance and waved at the guard.
“Is Liam with you?”
He could hear the fear in her voice “No. What’s wrong?”
“Your sister Annie was supposed to drive him home from school but he wasn’t there. He wasn’t on the bus from Episcopal either.”
“Did you check with your Uncle at the Grape?”
“Yes, he’s not there.”
“How about his buddy Ryan?”
“I called all of his friends, and his soccer coach. No one saw him after practice ended. The coach went looking for him and found that Liam had left the equipment on the field. You know he wouldn’t just take off without finishing his job.”
Regan knew that was true. He also knew that Liam would never fail to tell his mother where he was. He tried to sound calm and replied, “I’ll contact the 4th District and ask them to get in touch with the Lower Merion Police.”
“Oh my God! Has someone taken my son?”
Jack cursed himself for not taking them away at the first mention of Nooris’ release from Guantanamo. Within minutes of his call the police put out an Amber Alert of the possible abduction of Liam O’Malley. By the time Regan got to his house, the 4th District Commander and detectives from Special Victims were already there. Jack’s father told him Rico Valdez had alerted the FBI Kidnap Unit. Both their home line and Kate’s cell phone had been set up to trace any calls from the kidnappers.
“Why is this happenin?” Kate asked him as he took her in his arms.
He shook his head, “I don’t know.”
“If anything happens to Liam…”
“I know, I know. We need to try to keep it together. I’m told that if this is a kidnapping they’ll be a call very soon. Is your Uncle Mike around?”
“No, he’s gone off somewhere. He told me he’d be back. Why?”
“Nothing important,” he lied.
He looked at the suitcases that stood next to the door and cursed himself again.
O’Malley was in the back room at Duffy’s bar.
“How long has the boy gone missin?”
“As best we can tell it’s been two hours, maybe three.”
Duffy nodded.
“Have ya told Flynn?”
He nodded again and said, “Let yer niece know we’ll move heaven and earth to find her boy and punish whoever is responsible.”
“Do ya think it’s the Jews?”
“Who else would take the child?”
Michael Flynn called the number Shona had given him. “They’ve taken Liam.”
“What?”
“They kidnapped my boy! Didn’t ya tell me that Nooris said he wasn’t going ta do that?”
“He did.”
“Then he’s
double crossing you. Or you’re double crossing me.”
“Don’t get all paranoid on me. I could have kidnapped your son a long time ago, if I had a mind to.”
“Do you know where they have him?”
“I think so.”
“Take me there.”
She took a moment to consider how to play it out, “I don’t think that’s the smart move. Let me check it out first to make sure your son is not anywhere he can get hurt.”
“No, I want you to take me to him now!”
“Trust me, we need to make sure he’s safe before we make our move,” she said and hung up.
Flynn hoped that he had not misjudged the woman. He realized contacting her was a risky play. She was a classic case of damaged goods. She had been under Nooris’ influence since she was a child. Nooris had trained her to kill without remorse, and Flynn was fully aware of what she was capable of. And yet, there was this sense that Shona was genuine in her desire for redemption. Jaysus, was his Catholic school upbringing makin him soft?
He took a deep breath. He needed to control his emotions. Shona was right. They had to make sure Liam was safe before they acted.
He heard someone approaching his front door. Had she double-crossed him?
“Who’s there”?
“It’s me. Let me in.”
Shite, he didn’t have time for this he thought as he opened the door.
“Why haven’t you called?” Courtney Wells asked.
“They’ve taken my son.”
“Oh my god!”
“Ya have to leave.”
“No I want to stay with you. I can help you find him. I’ll ask my security people…”
He shook his head, “No, I’m takin care of it. I need ya to get out of here. If ya want to help you’ll do as I say.”
She was about to respond when he took her in his arms and said, “Do ya trust me?”
She nodded.
“Then go. Stay at your place. And wait for me ta call.”
Nooris was parked outside Flynn’s apartment. He didn’t trust Shona so he followed her to find out what she was up to and found out where Flynn was staying. He watched as Courtney Wells drove away. So what Shona had told him about Courtney was accurate after all. Norris contemplated taking Flynn down but decided to stick to his plan. He drove back to the butcher shop to check on Rabi and the boy.
When he got there Shona and Rabinowitz were in the midst of a heated argument.
“What an unexpected pleasure,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you my dear. What are the two of you arguing about?”
“She wants to see the boy.”
Nooris shrugged, “Do you think we’re mistreating him?”
She responded with a sullen look.
“Alright, Rabi take her to the boy.”
Chapter 35
Cold. Why was it so cold? He opened his eyes and tried to make out his surroundings. He wanted to sit up but his hands had been bound. Where was he? And then he remembered. Someone had grabbed him from behind. He could still taste whatever had been on the cloth he held over his nose and mouth before the darkness closed in.
Oh my god! What is happening? Where’s my mum? I’m so cold, so very, very cold. His mouth was dry and he was unable to cry for help. He could hear people arguing. He tried to stop shaking and concentrate on what they were saying, but he couldn’t make out the words. They were speaking in a language he had never heard before.
He took a deep breath and tried to slow his pounding heart. He heard footsteps running down stairs. Oh my god they’re coming for me. He tried to move, to hide himself. Too late! The door opened. A man and a woman entered the room. They were still arguing in a language he could not understand.
The woman walked over to him and gently lifted him into a sitting position and held him next to her. She said something to the man, he walked over and pulled out a knife. He tried to move away. The woman held him as the man cut the cords from his hands and legs. The woman yelled at the man and he turned and left the room.
“Are you OK?”
Liam looked at her. He shook his head. “Thirsty,” he rasped.
She pulled a bottle of water from her jacket pocket and gave him a drink.
She could tell the boy was in shock. She took off her jacket and draped it around his shoulders and continued to hold him close trying to allow the warmth of her body to calm him.
“Are they going to kill me?”
She wiped the tears from his face and replied, “I won’t let them hurt you.”
“Will you take me home to my mum?”
“Soon. But first you must promise me you’ll be brave. Can you do that?”
Liam nodded.
“Good, I know you can. I know what a brave young man you can be.”
“Who are you?”
“A friend,” she paused and looked straight in his eyes, “Can you keep a secret?”
He nodded.
“Your father sent me?”
“My Da?”
She nodded.
“But how did he know where to find me? He lives in Belfast.”
“Yes but he came here to make sure you were safe. I’m going to bring him to you. OK?”She held his face in her hands still looking in his eyes. He nodded.
“I need you to be very quiet and do whatever they ask of you. Can you do that?”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. I have to go for now.”
Liam reached for her.
She hugged him. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
Before she left Liam, Shona moved him to the far corner of the room and placed the metal table on which he had been laying on its side in front of him.
“I want you to stay here, behind this table. Don’t move, no matter what you hear. I’ll come and get you. OK?”
He nodded and tried to hold back the tears.
She waved goodbye and closed the door.
“You see the boy is fine,” Nooris said as she walked into the room.
“No he’s not. He’s a child. He’s frightened. You told me you weren’t going to snatch him.”
“Yes I did. But I changed my mind.”
“Let me take him to his mother.”
Nooris shook his head, “Bring Flynn to me. And then… we’ll deal with the boy.”
Her eyes narrowed as she held him in her gaze.
“I promise you. No harm will come to the boy.”
She knew he was lying. When she left the butcher shop, she didn’t notice the beat up van that was parked at the corner across the street.
Flynn opened the door, Shona was standing in front of him with a Glock pointed at his face. She motioned for him to step back.
“What in the bloody hell are ya doing?”
After she closed the door behind her, she lowered her weapon, “I wasn’t sure if Ari sent Rabinowitz to follow me.”
“Have you seen my boy? My Liam?”
She nodded.
“Is he hurt?”
“No. But we have to get back to him right away. I don’t trust Ari.”
Minutes later Flynn walked out with Shona behind him with the pistol pointed at his back. They walked to her car and she opened the driver’s side door. “Get in, I’ll tell you where to go.”
They pulled up to curb in front of the butcher shop and got out of the car.
She directed him to the door at gunpoint. When they got closer she stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
She pointed to the door. It was partially opened. He grabbed his revolver. With weapons drawn they pushed the door open, when they entered they found Ari Nooris and Nochem Rabinowitz’ bullet ridden bodies on the floor in front of the butcher block. The smell of cordite still lingered in the air and dozens of shell casings littere
d the floor.
“Where’s Liam?”
“In the cellar.”
Flynn his gun still drawn walked down the cellar steps. Shona followed. She pointed to the door at the far end of the room. The door was ajar. He kicked it open. There was no one there.
“What the fuck happened? Where’s my boy?”
10 minutes earlier.
When he heard the shouts and the sound of guns firing, Liam assumed his father and the woman had come to rescue him. He listened as they approached the door and kicked it open. He peaked his head over the table and screamed when he saw three masked men with machine guns pointed at him.
The men yelled at him but he didn’t understand what they were saying.
“Where’s my Da?”
One of the men said something to the other two. They shouldered their weapons and walked over to him.
“Stand,” the man said.“We will take you to him soon.” He nodded to the other men who grabbed Liam and carried him up the stairs.
When he saw the bodies of the two men who had kidnapped him he screamed and tried to break away. One of the men placed his hand over his mouth and they lifted him off his feet and carried him out of the building. Had the woman lied to him? Were they going to kill him after all?
They put him in the back of a truck. One of the men watched him. When they arrived at their destination they took him to a room and shut the door. Even though this place was much nicer than the room he had been held in before, Liam was still frightened. He still wore the jacket the woman his father had sent had given him. He wondered what had happened to her. There was something about the manner of the men who had taken him that made him feel they weren’t going to kill him, but he couldn’t be sure. Maybe she hadn’t lied. But who were these people and what did they want? And where was his father?
Chapter 36
Regan could tell from their expressions that the detectives from Special Victims were concerned that the kidnappers had not contacted Kate with a ransom demand. The absence of a call after this much time had passed often meant that the child had been taken by a pedophile who had no interest in money. Were it not for the fact that O’Malley had told him of Flynn’s return he would have come to the same conclusion. He didn’t know which was worse, a pedophile or Nooris using Liam as the bait to lure Flynn into a trap.
Fishtown: A Jack Regan/Izzy Ichowitz Novel Page 17
