***
McBride had just sat down at his desk when the call came in. He knew Nelson's voice as soon as the first words came out. The previous evening, Mike had driven out and was staying in a motel, waiting for any form of communication.
"I got your boy," Nelson said. "I got him and I know you want him."
"What do you plan to do? I hear you're hitting a few banks," McBride said. "That's big."
"That's right. You heard of me back there already? That's good. Be ready to hear a whole lot more. I'm just getting started," Nelson said.
"So what is this with Eddie?" McBride said.
"It's what you call bargaining. You want him. The cops do. So does O'Connor. I'll sell to the highest bidder. Or I'll let 'im go, and the cops chase him instead of me. Pretty smart, huh?"
"Did you say O'Connor?" McBride asked. "What's he got to do with Eddie?"
"Shit in my ears if I know. He's the one that had him brung out here. They just said O'Connor wanted him out here for a few days. You don't like O'Connor, but O'Connor wants Eddie. Now, like I said, highest bidder. Everybody wants his scrawny little ass, and you're the first one I called. Offer me the money and you'll be the last."
"Sure, sure," McBride said. In those few seconds during the pause in the conversation, McBride was not able to entirely figure one what O'Connor was up to, but he knew enough about how the man operated to make some assumptions. Eddie was directly related to McBride, and O'Connor had a skill for quietly working behind the scenes to bring someone down. The only reason for taking control of Eddie's whereabouts was to put the pressure on McBride. "That's actually not a bad plan. I have to give you credit for that. I don't want to mess around with this thing. How much?"
"The Feds want $5,000. I'll take $8,000, and he's yours. Alive."
McBride pretended to give this some thought. "Tell me where you are."
"I'm at the, just a second." There was a pause, as McBride imagined Nelson was looking around for a name. "The Road-Way Restaurant. Outside Poughkeepsie."
McBride had guessed right in thinking they would work their way west from the robberies. Mike was only about thirty miles away. "I have a man in the area. He'll be there in about an hour. Just sit tight, and don't let the Feds or O'Connor know. If he doesn't show up, give me a call. Keep in mind, he's a wanted man, and if you get caught with him, you're going down too."
Train to Anywhere Page 17
