by Stormy Glenn
This was not going to be a good end to my night.
"I think I know where you can use a phone."
"That would be fantastic."
Jigsaw's jaw jutted out when he glanced back at me. "You might have to tell a bit of a white lie. Father Gabriel lets people use his phone every now and then, but you can't tell him what happened to you. He'll call the cops."
My eyebrows lifted at the vehemence I heard in the boy's voice. "And that would be a bad thing?"
"Dude, who do you think is after you?"
Well, shit.
Chapter Six
Lyn
I was leery of where Jigsaw was taking me, but he seemed to know his way around. I wanted to ask how he'd ended up knowing so much about such a horrible place, but if his mother was a drug addict, I was pretty sure I knew.
I jerked when I slipped on something on the floor. Pure agony ripped through my side. I carefully wrapped my arm tighter around my waist. I'd really like to know what was done to me, I mean besides the obvious.
"Is it much longer, Jigsaw?"
"Naw, we're almost there."
Oh, thank god.
"Just remember what I said. You can't tell Father Gabriel what really happened. He'll call the cops."
"What do you suggest I tell him then?"
"I don't know," Jigsaw snapped. "Tell him your car broke down or something and you need to call your friends to come get you."
Huh.
"That might actually work."
I was impressed.
"This isn't my first rodeo."
I frowned at the kid. "How do you even know what that means?" He was too young to know sayings like that. Hell, I was too young to know things like that.
Jigsaw shrugged. "I hear things."
I gave a little shake of my head and continued following after Jigsaw.
I really hated that name.
We walked a little longer before Jigsaw paused at a narrow staircase leading up and looked at me. "You stay here while I go make sure the coast is clear. If those cops see you, your goose is cooked."
Perfect. Another eloquent phrase.
"If you spot whoever is after me, you get out of there. It's not worth you getting caught."
Jigsaw gave me a strange look then took off up the stairs. I wasn't thrilled about using a kid as a lookout, but I had few choices right now. Things would get easier once I got a hold of Sal and had him come get me.
When I heard footsteps coming back down the stairs, I pressed myself against the wall and held my breath. I didn't have the training that Sal and Clarke and the others on the SWAT unit had, but I had been a cop before I quit. I was trained to defend myself.
Times like this were when I missed being part of the team. It had been six weeks since I gave up my position on the team and started my new job at the FBI. Six weeks since I gave up my apartment and moved into my new house. Six weeks since I listened to Clarke walk out of my life.
It had been a long six weeks.
When Jigsaw popped around the corner, I blew out the breath I'd been holding. "Well?" I asked. "Did you see anything?"
Jigsaw shook his head. "Just a couple of drunks, but they're harmless."
I wasn't so sure of that. I was of the mind that no drunk was harmless, but what did I know? "Okay, so, where are we headed?"
"The church is down at the end of the block and across the street." Jigsaw turned and started up the stairs again. "We'll be fine on this side of the street. There are lots of shadows to hide in. But once we get to the end of the street, there's no place to hide. You'll be right out in the open." Jigsaw looked me up and down then shook his head. "I hope you run fast."
My eyebrows lifted. "I do."
I had older brothers. I learned to run fast about the time I learned to walk. It was just safer that way. They weren't thugs by any stretch of the imagination, but they could be bullies on occasion. Unless I ran fast, I was usually the target of their mischief.
When we reached street level, I paused in the doorway of the building we were in and scanned up and down the street. I easily spotted the drunks Jigsaw had told me about, and they were drunk. If they weren't weaving down the street, they were passed out in doorways. They looked harmless enough, but looks could be deceiving.
I still kept an eye on them as I walked down the sidewalk. I kept close to the sides of the buildings where the shadows were located. When we reached the end of the block, Jigsaw pulled me into an alcove of one of the businesses there.
"Okay, the church is right over there. I'm going to cross first and go make sure the door is open. You wait until I have the door open then follow me."
I nodded.
I was still a little amazed at how smart and grown up Jigsaw seemed, especially considering he called himself Jigsaw. He reminded me of what Clarke would be like if he was ever a kid.
I doubted he had been.
I glanced back down the street after Jigsaw took off, making sure we weren't getting any unusual interest from anyone. The streets seemed strangely vacant. I wasn't sure if that was due to the time of night—not that I knew exactly what time it was—or because the police were roaming the streets.
I did know it was eerie.
I shivered as I looked back across the street. I knew I was extra paranoid right now, and I seriously had reason to be, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in the middle of something that was going to scar me for life.
When I saw the light streaming out of the building across the street as Jigsaw opened the door, I started across the road. I dug my fingernails into my hands as reminder to walk at a normal pace and not run.
I really wanted to run.
When I reached the door, Jigsaw quickly ushered me inside then stepped in after me and closed the door, but not before looking up and down the street.
"I think we're clear." He pointed to the archway in front of us. "Father Gabriel is down that hallway in his office. He said you could use the phone in the waiting area over there."
Oh, thank god.
"Please, show me."
I followed after Jigsaw once again, this time with a little pep in my step. I felt as if the end of my nightmare was close at hand. When we reached the small waiting room, Jigsaw pointed to the phone.
I didn't need him to say anything more. I hurried across the room and picked up the phone, quickly dialing Sal. I waited for the man to pick up…and waited…and waited. I hung up and tried again. When he didn't answer, I called Lany's phone. I swallowed tightly when Lany didn't pick up.
This wasn't good.
Sal always picked up his phone, and if he didn't, Lany did.
I tried their house line.
"Delvecchio residence."
"Brant?" Oliver Brant, former Mossad agent turned head of security. I wanted Sal, but he'd do in a pinch. "Where's Sal and Lany? I tried to call them, but they're not answering their phones."
"Mr. Lany slipped and hit his head on the doorframe of the car as they were coming back from dinner out. I believe Lieutenant Delvecchio is escorting him to the hospital."
"Oh, good grief." I shoved my hand through my hair, tugging at the ends. "Where are the children?"
"The children are here at the estate with me and Jenna."
Okay, that was good. They didn't need to see Lany when he was injured.
And he got injured a lot.
Unfortunately, it meant Brant couldn't come save me. "Okay, um, well, please let Sal know I called and that I need to speak to him as soon as he's free. It's kind of important."
"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Lyn?"
"No, keeping the kids safe is much more important. I'll just call one of the other guys."
"Very good, sir."
So formal.
I hung up and dialed David Wu.
"Hello?"
"David, it's Lyn."
"Oh, hey, man, how are you?"
"I'm in a little bit of trouble, and I could use some help."
"Oh
, hell, Lyn, I'm in San Francisco visiting my aunt."
"Crap!"
"How soon do you need help? Is it immediate or can it wait until I catch a flight home? I can be there in a few hours."
Honestly? "I don't think I have a few hours, David."
"Have you tried anyone else?"
"I called Sal and Lany, but they're on the way up to the hospital. Lany fell and hit the door of the car. You were next on my list."
"Okay, call the others and see if they can reach you first. I'm grabbing a cab to go to the airport right now."
I blinked back the tears that sprang to my eyes. "Thank you."
I hated that the guy had to leave his aunt, but I needed him. I promised myself I'd buy him a plane ticket and send him back just as soon as I figured out how my life had gone nuclear.
"How bad is it, Lyn?"
I almost snorted. "Beat up, unconscious, woke up in an alley somewhere with a briefcase I can't open attached to my wrist and a dead guy lying a few feet from me. Someone is searching for me. My friend Jigsaw says they're cops and I have no idea where I am other than some church."
Silence.
"David?"
"You've been hanging out with Lany too long."
Yeah, I couldn't argue with that.
"Where are you now?"
"St. Matthews Catholic Church, but I'm not sure how long I'll be here."
"Okay, call the others. I'm on my way home."
"Thank you, David," I said again.
"See you soon, Lyn."
I hung up and dialed Sam. Officer Sam Brodsky. I didn't know him as well as I knew the others simply because he was very quiet. He tended to fade into the woodwork until there was a high-tension situation, and then he came out like a tidal wave.
"Who is this?" a male voice barked out.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it for a moment before putting it back. "Who is this?"
"This is Officer Sam Brodsky's phone and—"
"I know whose phone it is. That's who I was calling."
"Who is this?" the guy repeated.
"This is Lyn. Who is this?"
"Oh, Lyn." The voice was much friendlier now. "This is Angelo. Sam is in the shower. Can I take a message?"
In the shower?
Hmmm…
"Do you think you could go get him? This is kind of an emergency."
"Yes, of course. Give me just a moment."
I shot Jigsaw a smile as I waited.
I heard some muffled voices. Then Sam came on the line. "What'd Lany do now?"
"It's not Lany this time. It's me. I'm in trouble. Big trouble."
Huge.
"Lyn?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, just making sure."
Jigsaw laughed when I rolled my eyes. If only he knew… "Sal and Lany are busy because Lany fell and hurt himself. David is on his way to the airport to fly back from visiting his aunt. You're next on my list."
"I'm in Martha's Vineyard, Lyn."
"Martha's Vineyard?"
"Massachusetts."
Oh, that Martha's Vineyard.
"What are you doing there?" I asked.
"Angelo wanted to show his beach house."
I frowned. "Did you all get the week off or something?"
"Sal gave us all a three-day weekend so he could spend some time with Lany and the kids."
That explained a lot.
"Angelo says he can have his jet fly us back, but it'll still be a few hours. Can you hold out that long?"
Damn.
"Probably not."
"Have you called Clarke?"
"No, not yet." He'd be the last person I called. I wanted to see Sergeant Victor Clarke just about as much as I wanted to be found by whoever was chasing me. "I still have a few people I can call."
"You can call Clarke, you know. He was a little bent out of shape when you quit, but I'm sure he'd still help you if you're in trouble."
Yeah, I wasn't taking that chance.
"I'll call him if I can't find anyone else."
"Okay, Lyn." Sam sighed. "Angelo says he'll fly us back tonight. We should be there in a few hours."
"Let me see if I can get a hold of Vinnie first. I don't want you to have to cut your trip short." I should have told David the same thing, but I hadn't thought of it while I was on the phone with him.
I wonder if I could still reach him?
"I'll talk to you later, Sam." I hung up and dialed Vincenzo Castellano, former mob boss and head of the Castellano Syndicate Crime family.
I knew some really weird people.
"Vinnie," I said as soon as the man answered his phone. "This is Lyn Philips. I'm in trouble and I need your help."
Chapter Seven
Clarke
I growled and clutched the phone tightly in my hand as my heart skipped a beat. "What sort of trouble?"
"Clarke?"
"What sort of trouble, Lyn?"
"Why are you answering Vinnie's phone?"
"Because he asked me to. He's talking on his other phone. Now what sort of trouble are you in?" I was going to reach through the phone and strangle Lyn if he didn't start talking.
"Don't worry about it," Lyn snapped. "I'll call Eddie."
"Eddie is in Paris," I replied quickly. "Who do you think Vinnie is talking to?"
"Crap!"
"Lyn!" My temper was seconds away from erupting.
I hadn't heard word one from Lyn since I walked out of his apartment weeks ago. I'd tried calling him to apologize, but he never called me back. I tried sending him messages, but they were returned. I even went by his apartment. He moved.
My control where this man was concerned was paper thin.
"Tell me what kind of trouble you're in, Lyn."
"Look, I didn't call you, not even when Sam told me to. I tried to keep you out of this. Just hand me over to Vinnie and he'll help me. We can just pretend this never happened."
"Lyn, I swear to god, if you don't tell me what's going on right now, I'm going to track your ass down just so I can paddle it. Now, what the fuck is going on?"
Lyn's sigh sounded resigned.
"To be honest, I have no idea what's going on. I woke up in some alley, all beat to shit, with a briefcase I've never seen before attached to my wrist. There was a body lying a few feet away. When I heard voices, I got up and ran. Whoever it was, they started chasing me. My friend Jigsaw says that—"
"Jigsaw?"
"Yeah, don't ask."
Oh, I was going to ask. I'd just wait until I figured out what was going on with Lyn. So far, I wasn't liking what I was hearing.
"Okay, so what did Jigsaw say?"
"He says the men chasing me are cops."
Well, shit.
"Where are you?" I stood and grabbed my jacket, pulling it on. There was no way in hell I wasn't going after the man. We might have our problems, but Lyn was still one of the few people in the world I truly cared about.
"St. Matthews Catholic Church. Jigsaw brought me here so I could use the phone. I don't know where mine is. I don't even know where my glasses are."
I glanced over at Vinnie. "Do you know where St. Matthews Catholic Church is located?"
The man's bushy eyebrows lifted. "Yes, but why do you want to know? It's located in a pretty unsavory part of town. If you want to go to church, I can recommend one in a much nicer neighborhood."
"Lyn is there."
I was not thrilled when Vinnie's face paled.
The man turned his attention to his phone. "Edward, something has come up and I need to go. I'll call you tomorrow."
He hung up and slid his cell phone into his pocket before stepping over and gesturing to the phone. I didn't like the idea of giving up my connection to Lyn, but Vinnie might know something I didn't.
"Lyn, this is Vinnie," the man said once he had the phone. "Is Father Gabriel around?" Vinnie nodded. "Please, go get him."
I assumed he was waiting for Lyn to do as he asked. He snapped his
fingers, and one of his bodyguards stepped inside the room as if he'd been waiting just outside the door. Considering we were secured in Vinnie's penthouse, it seemed odd, but whatever.
"Barak, call in at least four of the boys and make sure they are suited up and armed to the gills. We'll also need two SUVs as well, the bulletproof ones."
"Yes, sir," the bodyguard said. He was already talking on his cell phone when he walked away.
"Vinnie, what's going on?" I was starting to get a really bad feeling in my gut. Vinnie seemed like he was getting ready to go fight a war. "Why do we need all of this just to go pick Lyn up at some church?"
"Like I said, that church is in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. You'll get mugged even if you've been dead for six months. If Lyn's down there, he's in more trouble than he knows. I never had anything to do with that area of town. Not even Carlos wanted a piece of that shithole."
I felt my gut go cold. If two of the biggest mobsters in the city wanted nothing to do with that area of town, we needed to get to Lyn like now.
"Father Gabriel, it's Vincenzo Castellano." Vinnie smiled. "Yes, Father, I've been going to confession. I regularly attend church at St. Francis over on Third Street. Yes, Father."
I purposely widened my eyes at the man. He needed to speed it up.
"The young man with you, he is a dear friend of both mine and Carlos's. We'd be very appreciative if you made sure he was kept safe until I can arrive to retrieve him." Vinnie's smile widened. "Of course, Father, I'll bring it with me."
I frowned at Vinnie as the man hung up. "Bring what with you?"
"A donation to his church. Father Gabriel is nothing if not a practical man. I need him to keep Lyn safe, and he needs a new furnace for the church." Vinnie shrugged. "It's a reasonable exchange."
"Unless someone else offers him more money."
"No, Father Gabriel might pinch me for a donation, but he is an honest man. Once we've come to an agreement, he won't go back on his word."
I didn't understand people like that. Granted, I appreciated them, but I sure as shit didn't understand them. Vinnie and Carlos were a lot like the priest. Their ideals were a little old-fashioned in this day and age, but I actually respected that about them.
"Lyn said someone named Jigsaw told him the men chasing him were cops." I felt Vinnie needed to know that bit of information. "I don't know who this Jigsaw is, but he seems to know the neighborhood."
