“Okay, I’m almost to you,” she whispered. “I’m going to give him a look to let him know I’m onto him.”
Quinn could hear her footsteps on the path outside. They passed by the entrance to the observation area, then stopped. A second later there was a second set of steps, quicker, heavier.
“Why are you following me?” Orlando said.
The other steps stopped, but the follower hadn’t gone far enough. If Quinn popped out now, the man would see him for sure.
“Who are you?” she said.
“That’s funny,” a male voice said. “That was my question for you.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Not a big deal. I was only mildly curious anyway.”
There was a pause, then the all too familiar
CHAPTER
19
BEFORE QUINN COULD RUSH OUT OF THE STRUCTURE, there was a second
She was on one knee, her back resting against the observation pit wall. Lying on the ground in front of her was the man, a bright red spot growing in the center of his chest.
“Are you okay?” Quinn asked Orlando.
She looked up. There was blood on her neck and left shoulder. She’d been hit at the point where her neck curved into her shoulder, but it looked like the bullet had passed through cleanly. Orlando had one of her hands over it, applying pressure.
“Check him,” she said.
“Don’t have to,” Quinn said.
“Good.”
Quinn looked around. For the moment, no one seemed to have noticed them.
“We’ve got to get you out of here,” he said. “Nate, where are you?”
“I was tailing the other guy like you wanted,” Nate said. “He’s heading over toward BCAM.” The Broad Contemporary Art Museum.
“I need you here now.”
“Copy.”
Quinn glanced at Orlando. “Will you be okay for a minute? I need to move him.”
“Sure,” she said, her voice weak.
Quinn patted the man down, looking for anything that might ID him, but the man’s pockets were all empty. Quinn then slipped his arms under the dead man’s shoulders and pulled the corpse over to the observation pit and through the gate. The body left a nice trail of blood. Quinn went back and kicked as much dirt over it as he could. Before he finished, Nate arrived.
“Cover this up somehow,” Quinn said. “Leaves, dirt, whatever.”
While Nate did that, Quinn checked on Orlando. He moved her hand to get a better look. Though the top of her shirt was soaked, the bleeding seemed to have slowed.
“I’ll be fine,” she said.
“I know you will,” he told her. “Hang on for just a few more minutes, okay?”
She nodded.
Quinn motioned for Nate to follow him into the observation area.
“You shoot him, or Orlando?” Nate asked.
“She did,” Quinn said. “Grab his legs.”
“What’s the plan?”
Quinn made a motion with his hand, mimicking moving the body over the top of the railing at the edge of the pathway and into the pit. They each grabbed an end of the corpse.
“This guy weighs a ton,” Nate said.
Quinn couldn’t argue with that.
Once they got him on top of the railing, a simple push forward sent the body tumbling over the side. Their aim turned out pretty good. The body landed in the tar near the end closest to the pathway, and therefore out of sight from anyone who might take a peek through the fence. If they were lucky, it might be several days or even weeks before the body was found.
Once the gate was relocked, and Orlando had donned Nate’s jacket to hide her wound, they headed back to the car. As Quinn helped Orlando into the front seat, Nate headed for the driver’s door.
“You’re in back,” Quinn said. “I’ll drive.”
