into his pocket. 'Don't,' Quinn said. 'I'm just getting my phone.' Quinn thought about it for a moment. Then he
nodded. 'Slowly.'
held the instrument out to Quinn. 'Toss it to me,' Quinn said. The man did so. 'What?' Quinn said into the telephone. 'Quinn?' There was no mistaking the voice. 'Hello, Borko.' 'I understand you are entertaining a friend of
mine,' Borko said. 'And I believe you have one of mine. Where
is he?' 'How should I know?' Quinn hit the end-call button and tossed the
phone back to the man, who just barely managed to keep it from flying past him over the side of the building. 'I'm not interested in playing games.'
Immediately the phone rang. Before Quinn could stop him, the man answered, then held the phone out again. 'He wants to talk.'
'Tell him to go to hell.'
The man repeated Quinn's instructions. He listened for a moment, nodding, then looked at Quinn. 'He says to tell you Nate is still alive.'
When Quinn had the phone again, he said, 'Make it fast.'
'What Gregory just told you is true,' Borko said. 'Your friend Nate is one of my guests.'
'Then let him go.'
'Turn yourself in to us, and I will.'
'Why don't I believe you?'
Borko didn't reply immediately. 'You know,' he said, breaking the silence. 'You are a very talented individual. You've really surprised me.'
'Sorry I haven't made myself an easier target.'
'That's good. You are a challenge. Too bad we aren't working together.' 'That will never happen.' 'Never?' 'Believe it,' Quinn said. 'Let Nate go.' 'Are you going to let Gregory bring you in?' 'You know I'm not.' 'Then I think I might keep him for a little while
longer. Until I'm sure you won't be a problem.' Borko paused. 'If you won't turn yourself in, my advice to you is to get out of town. Forget about your friend. If that happens, once I am finished here, he will be free to go where he wants.'
'And my advice to you is to go fuck yourself.'
There was silence. Then Borko said, 'If you need a little more motivation to leave us alone, you should have your girlfriend call home.'
'What the hell does that mean?' Quinn asked, unable to keep himself from glancing at Orlando. But there was no answer. Borko had already hung up.
As Quinn closed the phone, he thought he heard something on the roof above them. Footsteps, still distant but getting closer.
Gregory smiled at Quinn. 'We seem to have
company.'
Gregory's hand moved quickly to his side. Suddenly there was a knife in his hand. Quinn wasn't sure whose bullet hit Gregory first, his or Orlando's. With a look of surprise, Borko's man sailed backward over the edge, arcing upward first, then plummeting into the darkness below.
Chapter 27
They moved through the suite, down the main hallway, and into the west stairwell. There they took the stairs down to the first floor, one floor above ground level. Slipping into the corridor, Quinn spotted four firemen at the far end of the hallway. He motioned for Orlando to wait in the stairwell, then he strode toward the men.
'Who are you?' one of them called out in German, challenging him. They were all roughly the same size, within an inch or two of Quinn's own height, and fully outfitted in fire gear.
'What have you found?' Quinn said, sounding like it was his right to ask.
Another of the firemen spoke up. 'Nothing.'
'It could be a false alarm,' Quinn said. 'But we need to be certain, yes? Two of you come with me. The other two keep looking to make sure you haven't missed anyone.'
'Who are you?' the first one asked again.
'Criminal Investigations. Whoever pulled that alarm did it deliberately. I need to find him and find out why. I suggest we get moving.'
'Yes, sir. Absolutely,' the first fireman said. 'I will stay with you.'
'So will I,' the man next to him said.
The other two moved off down the hallway. Quinn led the volunteers back to the west stairwell.
