Adrenaline

by Bill Eidson

  “You should’ve known.” Raul’s voice was silky. He stood over Geoff and drew on his cigar, making the tip glow. He blew smoke into Geoff’s face. “You’ll have her here, Saturday, by midnight. Or else I go to work on you. This is to let you know that I’m sincere.”

  He pressed the burning embers against Geoff’s temple.

  Chapter 22

  Steve could scarcely breathe when the phone rang. It was around noontime and he had been waiting at the boat all morning.

  He picked up the receiver and said hello.

  “You and Lisa must not be as close as I thought,” Geoff said. “The money isn’t in the accounts.”

  “I’ve got it,” Steve said. “With me, in cash.”

  Silence.

  Geoff’s voice was flat when he finally spoke. “That’s not what I told you.”

  “The only way I can count on getting Lisa back safely is to make an even swap with you.”

  “You can’t even count on that.”

  “Let me speak to her.”

  “I’m in a phone booth. She’s not with me.”

  “How do I know she’s still alive?”

  “You don’t.”

  Geoff hung up.

  Steve sat down heavily in front of the nav station. He saw the picture of Ray, dead all these years. He told himself that, at the very least, Geoff’s ego would allow nothing less than making Steve sweat it out a little while for changing the rules.

  But that logic didn’t stop Steve’s hands from shaking. For a moment, he was swept with nausea, knowing Geoff could just as easily go back and take his revenge out upon Lisa directly.

  Steve forced himself to calm down, once again telling himself that his guilt was something neither he nor Lisa could afford until she was back safe.

  He checked the time. Alex was due. Steve went up into the cockpit and swept the parking lot with his binoculars. Alex’s truck rolled in, right on time. Steve released a sigh of relief when Alex flashed his lights.

  Steve met Alex at his truck and told him about the phone call.

  “Jesus,” Alex said, rubbing his face. He was still sitting behind the wheel, a revolver lying on the seat beside him. “I’ll do whatever you say. But it seems to me, the best we can do is move ahead. I’ve got to believe he wouldn’t kill her until he has the money—and there it is.”

  Alex gestured to a small suitcase on the floor, a little bigger than a briefcase. “Got it all in hundreds. The folks at the bank spent a little time trying to talk me out of taking cash, but it’s all here.” Alex handed him the bag. “Here, you do the heavy lifting.” Alex took out a long ski bag, which presumably carried the rifle. He slipped the revolver into his belt holster and pulled out his shirt so it was covered. “I’d hate to be robbed on the way to your boat.”

  In The Sea Tern, Steve set aside ten thousand dollars from the forty thousand of cash that he had been able to liquidate from selling their remaining stocks and savings account. He added the remaining thirty thousand to the case. “There. Come and get it, Geoff.”

  Meanwhile, Alex laid out the contents of the ski bag: the rifle and scope, ammunition, a pair of walkie-talkies, night binoculars. Steve threw a coil of climbing rope onto the table.

  “What’s that for?”

  “I’ll get to that,” Steve said. “Let’s figure this out fast and get into position. Ideally, he brings her and we give him the money, and that’s the end of it. I’ll find a way to pay back the company and let the police chase Geoff.”

  “You got to figure he’s going to try to kill you, though. He’s showed his face all along.”

  Steve nodded. “The question is, will he come here at all? It seems to me, there’s at least three options: The first one, he brings her here. The second, he runs me all over town to pay phones until we get to some spot where we can exchange her.”

  Alex grunted. “So I still need to follow you. Because he might just run you around and kill you.”

  “The third option is that he just shows up here by himself. Tries to take the money and tells me Lisa will be released later.”

  “And you don’t think a bullet in his leg would make him talk?”

  Steve shook his head. “He’s convinced me.”

  He spread out a Boston street map. “I’ve rented a car in case we need to follow him back to his place. You should plan on taking your truck, so we can switch off. We’re in a spot where he could come and go from about five directions: north on the expressway, or drive into Charlestown, or he could cross over the bridge and go into the North End. He could go into Boston proper, or just continue on and pick up the entrance ramp to go south on the expressway. When he drove away last time, I saw him go over the bridge in an old van. So you should move your truck over the bridge.”

  “Over the bridge? How will I get to it in time?”

  Steve smiled faintly. “You haven’t acquired a fear of heights any time recently, have you?”

  Chapter 23

  Jammer checked his watch. He was sitting in the kitchen of the little house, watching Geoff make his preparations. Carly was in the bedroom scrubbing the place down. It was almost midnight.

  Jammer couldn’t remember when his judgment had been so bad. He should have let Geoff beat him into the pavement sooner than take him in to meet Raul.

  The guy just didn’t know what was what.

  Geoff didn’t know his limitations. Jammer liked the way that sounded, something he’d heard on a television talk show once.

  And what truly amazed Jammer was that he suspected Geoff was foxed by Carly. That some of the attitude Geoff was showing Raul was because Raul had smacked her around a little. To Jammer, risking your life for a woman was like risking your life for a favorite flavor of ice cream.

  Geoff had held out for so long while Raul branded a big scar on the side of his head, sweat streaming down his face, jaw clenched. Wouldn’t beg. Jesus. Strike and Lee had dumped them off in Quincy. Strike put a piece of paper with a phone number in Geoff’s pocket and told him to call before bringing the chick back. And to be on time.

  Now, Jammer fit a cigarette through the mouth of the mask and watched the tip glow. He thought about how hot that tip was. He knew if he himself had suffered that kind of burn, he would still be in bed with an ice pack and screaming at his whores to get out and score some more painkillers. But Geoff had been up and out all day long, and had just come back with all sorts of shit to hook up a water pump for the chick in the freezer.

  Nuts. Fucking nuts.

  Geoff began to run water in the bathtub and put in the hose attached to the electric pump. He ran the other end to the freezer and shoved a metal tube into one of the airholes. The girl began to scream at him when he did, knowing what was coming. Geoff drilled a little bracket onto the tube and the side of the freezer so she couldn’t push the tube out.

  Whistling tunelessly, he walked over and threw the switch. “Running water, honey, just like I promised.”

  The girl lost it, practically rocking the heavy freezer, so hard did she fight in the metal box. Jammer grinned uneasily behind his mask. Why Geoff had to get so fancy killing her was beyond Jammer. And why now? Didn’t it make more sense to be sure they had the money before killing her?

  Although, there was something exciting knowing she had to die. But Jammer’s sense of commerce recognized how pretty she was and killing her seemed like a waste. If it had been his job to do her, he would make it quick. None of this slow drowning bullshit, that was too much like those James Bond movies. He said, “Uh, shouldn’t we do this after we get the money?”

  Geoff made a shocked face, hammed it up big time to show Jammer he had just stated the obvious. “God damn! Why didn’t I think of that?”

  Geoff switched off the water pump and unlocked the freezer. The girl came out, shaking. She looked like she might tear into Geoff herself. But she lowered her head, and Jammer had to give Geoff some points there—he was teaching her who was boss.

  Problem was, it seemed like
Geoff figured the same shit would work on Jammer. And Jammer was his own man.

  “Read this,” Geoff said to Lisa, handing her a newspaper. He clicked on the small tape recorder.

  She read the morning headlines and date.

  “Now this.”

  Obediently, she read,” ‘Steve. My kidnapper tells me that you have changed plans on him. He has punished me by turning on the water pump. The box I am in is now one third full of warm water. It is already beginning to grow cool and will be cold within an hour. If you follow your remaining instructions, he will give you directions to where I am. If you fail to follow your instructions or if you detain him in any way, then the water pump will start on a timer.’ ”

  Then she tried to add a message of her own, telling her husband that she loved him.

  Geoff snapped off the tape midway through her statement. “That’s enough. You can do all the hugs and kisses when he comes to pick you up.”

  Whether Geoff was lying to her or not, Jammer didn’t know. The guy had balls and he acted like he knew what was doing. Like the way he had them all wearing rubber gloves and getting the place cleaned up so the police wouldn’t be able to trace them later.

  The guy was good on the details … but then he would pull a stunt like being a wiseass to Raul … from where Jammer sat, it looked like Geoff had screwed up everything. Besides, Jammer had never wanted a partner for keeps and he sure didn’t trust Geoff to deliver to Raul the money and girl as promised. Jammer figured he would go to the marina and collect the money. He would take care of Geoff and Lisa afterward, once he was sure he had the cash. Then he would bring Carly to Raul.

  He took the gun out from behind his back and pointed it at Geoff. “I’ll take that tape.”

  Inside the box, Lisa heard the metallic click, but didn’t recognize it at first as a gun being cocked. She did recognize the warning in the man’s tone and that there was a confrontation.

  She pressed her ear against one of the air holes.

  “You wouldn’t know what to do,” Geoff said.

  “If you scared him as good as you said, he should be waiting there with the cash.”

  Steve. Were they talking about Steve?

  “And you’re just going to go down and take it?”

  There was a pause. “No.”

  “Then what?”

  “I’ll have him drive around. You know, to different phone booths.”

  “What numbers?”

  “Huh?”

  “Which phone booths?” Geoff’s voice sounded as if he were trying to come across as reasonable. But even inside the box, Lisa could hear his contempt. “Where?”

  “Around! Look, you’ve fucked up everything so far.”

  “What’s going on?” the girl said, coming into the room.

  “Both of you, over here,” the other man said. “Tie him up with this.”

  “No,” the girl said.

  “Fine with me. I’ll just take this hammer here and hit both of you hard enough so you stay down. Your choice.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Geoff said, quietly.

  Lisa could hear a faint rustling as the girl apparently tied Geoff up. After that, it sounded as if the other man bound her as well.

  “I’ll be back,” the man said.

  “You do that,” said Geoff. “And be sure to kill him.”

  Lisa moaned, holding back her scream.

  During the past two days, she had cried and begged whenever they brought her up to the bathroom. They thought she was completely broken. Sometimes she thought she was too.

  From her waistband she took the shard of glass she had managed to break off of the juice bottle on the two bolts the night before last. It was about five inches long and very sharp. She made a simple handle now by wrapping her kerchief around the wide end.

  She figured it was good for one cut before it snapped.

  Geoff shook his head in disgust. He had expected something like this from Jammer—he had been watching him carefully as soon as he realized the man had taken the revolver from Geoff’s bag. He pulled at the ropes binding his hands to his chair and said, “Honey, back over here. I’ve got a knife in my back right pocket. You should be able to reach it.”

  She could. It took them fifteen or so minutes all told, and a few nicks on Geoff’s hands. But he was free. He quickly let her go.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “If the guy wants to go in point, I’ll let him. But I’m going to make sure he doesn’t screw it up.”

  “What about her?” Carly gestured to the freezer.

  Geoff bent down and flipped on the timer for the water pump. “You don’t have to do a thing.” He kicked the side of the freezer and said, “Listen up in there. We’re going to find out if Steve will come through for you. He’s got two hours.”

  “Please,” Lisa said. Her voice was so clear, so controlled. Like her old self, not what he had been hearing for the past couple of days. It surprised him. “Geoff, don’t do this. Open this thing and look at me if you’re going to kill me.”

  He was interested for a moment, but shook it off. To Carly, he said, “Show me how you’ve cleaned.” He walked around the small house with her and saw that she had scrubbed virtually every inch of the place. All their belongings were packed into two suitcases. He brushed her hair back and kissed her lightly on the lips before saying, “You be ready when I get back. I want you wearing the dress and the wig.”

  “What about her?”

  “She’s not your responsibility anymore. Mine either.”

  “Is she going to live?” Carly looked troubled, but he could see she wanted to believe him. She didn’t want to think of herself as a murderer. She didn’t want to think of him that way either. He had promised never to turn her over to Raul, and so she had good reason to pray that his word was true.

  So he told her the truth, “I have no idea if she’s going to make it or not. That’s entirely up to her husband.”

  Chapter 24

  Lisa heard the door slam. She peered through an air hole, and saw the girl standing alone in the kitchen.

  Lisa didn’t have to fake the shivery sound in her voice when she said, “This water is getting cold already. Please, if you can’t let me out, at least give me a blanket.”

  The girl turned her way, but didn’t answer.

  Lisa put the piece of glass between her knees and carefully began to run the rope up and down the sharp edge.

  “Please,” she repeated.

  “Just shut up and leave me alone,” the girl said.

  Geoff walked a quarter mile to the side street where he had left the Plymouth he had stolen earlier that day. He slid behind the wheel and touched the two bare wires together, sparks flying. It was a big old car, equipped with a huge V-8. Just a tap on the accelerator slammed him back into the seat.

  He headed out onto the expressway north, toward Steve’s marina.

  As a teenager, Geoff had learned to hot-wire cars one summer from a friend who later landed in reform school. Back then, Geoff had given up joyrides as too small a thrill for the risk of prison time. Yet it was now a source of genuine pleasure, the way he kept finding himself capable of handling each situation that arose. It was as if he had acquired skills all his life that were leading him to this kind of challenge.

  Not that he was giving himself such high marks for the situation with Jammer. Geoff had expected trouble, but thought it would come after they had the money in hand. He had to give the pimp some limited credit—after all, Jammer did get the drop on him.

  But the joke was still on the Jammer. Geoff knew the pickup would not be straightforward.

  That morning, Geoff had called Steve from a phone booth across the river. He had kept the binoculars trained on the marina to see if there was any activity after his call, any sign of police. And so he had seen Steve meet a man in a truck. The two of them carried bags down to the boat.

  Geoff had been ready to drive back to the house and drown Lisa right then.
But he had seen the sign on the door of the truck, ALEX MARTIN SALVAGE, and the name had seemed familiar. Then he remembered Harrison, a million years back, telling him at the top of the rockface that Steve’s only friend locally was some guy who worked in salvage. And the name sounded right.

  Geoff had given that some thought and decided he liked it. He had two people to help him out, so if Steve wanted to bring a buddy into the game, that was fair. As long as the buddy wasn’t afraid to play hardball.

  In the van, Jammer had been watching the boat through his binoculars now for about a half hour—unwittingly doing what Geoff had done most of the day, from virtually the same spot.

  Jammer had decided against all of the fancy stuff with the phone booths, sending the guy from place to place. That never worked in the movies, and it seemed like a lot of trouble: figuring out a route, getting all the numbers, timing the whole thing. Besides, Jammer felt he could sniff out cops—and he didn’t smell any now. He figured Geoff had scared the guy enough, and “Keep it simple, stupid” was the one thing Geoff knew nothing about. The more Jammer worked it over in his head, the more he felt the best thing to do was put a stocking over his face and walk straight down to the boat.

  The fact was, even though Jammer wouldn’t be holding on to it for long, he was really looking forward to putting his hands on all that cash.

  He told himself it was safe to pick up the money. He told himself that it was one in the morning, that everyone was asleep. Let the guy think there was a chance Jammer would be returning the girl and then take the money, pop him in the head, and drive away before anyone figured out that what they heard was not the sound of a car backfiring.

  Jammer started the van and headed over the bridge, ready to do just that.

  Braced against the cross-ties just under the bridge, Alex felt the rumble of the passing vehicles overhead as he sighted his scope on The Sea Tern once again. From his vantage point, he had a clear view of the parking lot, the whole length of the dock up to Steve’s boat, and a clear shot for all of the Sea Tern’s foredeck. The restaurant was now closed and the dock had been empty of people for almost a half hour.