the gun. 'Get down!' he yelled to Paulleen.
He dropped to the ground, reaching for his gun. Freeze fired back at the car as it sped away. He quickly got to his feet and chased after the car, firing shots as he ran. But it was too late. The car was too far away to hit, or even to see the license plate. All that Freeze could tell was the make and model.
'Chevy Nova, looks like a ’73 model,' Freeze said as he walked back to Paulleen. He noticed that a small crowd had formed around her. 'Always got to be the center of attention,' he said as he pushed through the crowd.
Freeze stopped dead in his tracks and dropped to his knees. Paulleen lay on the ground, surrounded by her shopping bags, in a pool of her own blood. 'Paulleen,' Freeze whispered and took her hand in his, but she was already gone.
Chapter Twenty-two
Nick drove to the post office on White Plains Road and waited. He had been there for almost an hour when a late model dark blue Ford Crown Victoria pulled into the parking lot. A tall, slender white man got out and went inside. Nick got out of the car and waited for him to come out. As soon as he did, Nick walked up on him.
'Excuse me. Do you have change for a dollar?' Nick asked. The man turned around slowly. 'Gotta make a phone call.'
'I don’t have any dimes,' he replied.
'Two nickels will do.'
'That’s an old code, Nick. I was about to shoot you.'
'I am glad you didn’t, Freddie. You still living dangerously?'
'Me? I should be asking you that. What are you doin’ here?'
'I need some help.'
'Oh shit. I knew I was gonna regret not shooting you. What is it?'
'You ever hear of a guy named Paris and some papers he was trying to get his hands on?'
'Doesn’t ring any bells, but meet me here same time tomorrow, I’ll see what I can find out.'
After Freddie left, Nick got back in his car and drove away to talk to Monika. When he took her out of the hospital, Nick didn’t have time to explain what was going on. He just rushed her out of there and took her somewhere she’d be safe.
When he got there Nick told Monika everything that had been going on. From the DEA agent being killed to Shy’s kidnapping, to his conversation with Sally Fitz. 'Sally Fitz! That slimy bastard,' Monika said. 'He didn't give you the money he owes me?'
'No, sorry. He didn’t even mention it.'
'I didn't think so. Since he wasn’t talkin’ about payin’ me the money he owes me, what’s the slimy bastard talkin’ about?'
'You remember a guy, called himself Paris?'
'Grey boy, thought he was cool, always used to wear sunglasses at night?'
'That’s him.'
'What about him?' Monika asked.
'I’m not gonna bore you with the Pam Grier story he told me, but one of his mule left a package in the open.'
'And?'
'Sal’s didn’t know who the buyer was, but General Peterson was brokering the deal.'
'What was in the package?'
'He said it’s got somethin’ to do with South America and drugs.'
'Stop right there, Nick. What are you tryin’ to say?'
'That I think that package has something to do with us and that the buyer is Diego Estabon.'
'So you think it had something to do with what we were doin’ down there?'
'I don’t know for sure,' Nick replied. 'But I can’t get past what Felix said.'
'What’s that?'
'That if what we were doin’ down there became public knowledge, there’d be hell to pay in Washington. That’s why they had to get rid of us.'
'I think you’re right. I mean, you said it yourself. There we were in South America, small teams, each working independently, killing drug dealers, blowing up drug plants and seizing their financial records. But then the entire unit is needed to take out one plant: Diego Estabon’s plant. So if that package is what you think it is, were fucked.'
'I gotta try to find out what’s in that package.'
'Felix and the General work for Estabon. And he was Chilly’s supplier, right?'
'That’s something that always has bothered me, Nick, but now it makes sense.'
'What’s that?'
'Why did Chilly’s wife hire us.'
'What?'
'It’s not a hard question. Why did she hire us, a team of paid assassins, for a missing persons case?'
Nick didn’t have an answer.
'I mean, we weren’t really private investigators. We didn’t advertise, we weren’t listed in the phone book, so how did she find us?'
'I never thought about that,' Nick said.
'I think that if we could actually find Mrs. Childers she would tell you that she was recommended by Diego Estabon.'
'She does know him, so it is possible,' Nick said.
'Who else could it be? They set us up to be killed?' Monika paused. 'How many people do you think are involved in this?'
'I don’t know, Monika. There’s no telling how many or how far up the chain of command this goes. But I do know they’re still gonna want us dead. That’s why I brought you this.' Nick handed Monika a wooden book with the initials M.W. on it. Monika smiled. The box contained two 9-millimeters. Nick and Jett had given it to her for her last birthday.
'I got them out from your house after you got shot.' Nick handed Monika a box of clips. 'You should be safe here. Call me if you need me. I promise to answer this time,' Nick said and got up.
Chapter Twenty-three
There was no telling what time it was when Shy woke up. At this point, she had no idea what day it was or how long she’d been there. She was being treated well for the most part.
When it was time for meals, two armed men, both wearing masks and gloves, would come into the room where she was being held. Neither would speak. They would untie her, remove her blindfold and allow her to use the bathroom. While Shy ate, both men would sit in the room with their guns pointed at her. Once she was finished eating, the blindfold was placed over her eyes and they would tie her to the bedpost and leave her alone again.
Shy slept most of the day, and when she wasn’t sleeping, she thought. She tried to think of something
