“I’m heading for the car,” she said.
“Nate’s not answering.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Be careful,” Quinn said.
“Where are you?’
Quinn cut through an opening onto the sidewalk. “Tasha’s just ahead. I can’t let her go.”
“All right. You be careful, too.”
There was another street up ahead. Tasha turned down it, moving momentarily out of sight.
Quinn increased his speed, not wanting to lose her. But as he turned the corner something smacked him in the chest.
He doubled over, the wind all but knocked out of him.
As he rolled on his side, he saw Tasha standing a few feet away against the building, the foot that had kicked him back on the ground. Before he could do anything but suck in a breath, she came at him again, this time throwing a punch at his head. Quinn lifted his shoulder in defense, and the blow hit him in the back. But now he had an opening, and whipped his elbow into her side.
She groaned in pain but swung the fist at him again.
This time he was able to pull back just enough so she hit nothing but air.
Before she could bring her arm back around, he pulled his gun out and pointed it at her.
“Stop,” he said. “It’s done. You’re through. It’s over.”
“Where is she?” Tasha asked.
“I’m not going to let you hurt her,” Quinn said. “Your plan is done. You’re finished.”
“I should have had you put in jail when I first met you,” Tasha said.
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t even try it,” he said. “Once the authorities get ahold of you, you’ll be the one rotting in jail.”
“Don’t you get it?” she said. “I
Orlando’s voice came over his receiver. “Holy Christ. Quinn, you’ve got to get over here.”
“What is it?”
“Nate’s down. It’s bad.”
“What about the congressman?”
“There’s no one else here.”
“Jenny?”
“She’s gone, too. And Murray, and the car.”
Quinn looked at Tasha, but before he could say anything, she said, “Where’s the congressman?”
“You tell me. Because if he dies because your men took him, it’s going to be even worse for you.”
“I’m not the one trying to kill him,” she said. “I’m the one trying to stop it.”
“Bullshit,” Quinn said.
A look of dawning realization spread on Tasha’s face. “You really think I want to harm the congressman, don’t you? You think what you’ve been trying to do is stop them.”
Quinn said nothing.
“Don’t you see?” Tasha said. “I’m not the assassin. Jenny is.”
CHAPTER
QUINN GRABBED TASHA BY THE ARM AND LED HER
half a block away where a cab was parked at the curb. He pulled open
the driver’s door.
“Out,” he said to the cabby, showing him his gun.
There was no protest.
Quinn shoved Tasha through the open door and told her to crawl across to the passenger seat. Once she was clear, he got in and started the car.
“Orlando, what’s your position?” he said.
“We’re over near where we parked the Mercedes.”
“I’ve got a car, we’ll be there in a second.”
