“I wish I did. That’s something else you didn’t achieve.”
She ignored the rebuke. “You have a significant numbered account balance and a stash of Kliners in a safety deposit box at Empire Bank in Zurich.”
For the first time, he paused. The silence lasted too long. His tone was quiet.
He said, “That’s good to know.”
Half a beat later, she saw it.
She said, “Finlay hates you.”
“The feeling is mutual. You’ve met the man once. Be careful. Roscoe doesn’t know him as well as she thinks. The man’s a stone killer.”
“And you’re not?”
“Takes one to know one.”
She felt the pushback like a physical force. She said, “What about Sylvia?”
He said, “What about her?”
“You’ll let Hale use her and then kill her?”
“I will if you will.”
“What does that mean?”
“Whatever you want it to mean.”
She didn’t answer.
He asked, “Are we done here?”
“Hell no,” she said. “Where is Hale?”
“On his way to Phoenix, Arizona.”
“Reacher, too?”
“Maybe you should ask your pal Finlay that question.”
“You’re an asshole, you know that?”
He sighed. “So I’ve been told.”
She said, “I’ve got a plane to catch.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Gaspar had eased himself behind the Crown Vic’s wheel. He was the number two, and the number two drives. Simple as that. He was on his personal phone, calling home. “I know. I’ll be home soon. Don’t worry. Kiss the girls for me.” He paused to listen to his wife. He said, “Yeah, I love you, too.”
“Everything OK at home?” Kim asked, as she slipped into the car. She handed back the phantom cell. Until Hale was dealt with to her satisfaction, she had nothing more to say to Cooper.
“All fine at home,” Gaspar said. “Where to now, boss lady?”
She recognized his attempt to normalize their relationship again after she’d failed him in the alley. He was more generous than she would have been.
She said, “Phoenix, Arizona.”
“For?”
“Hale and Sylvia.”
“What about Reacher? Is he with them?”
“Cooper says he doesn’t know.”
“You believe that?”
“No more than you do. He’s sending transportation and instructions.” She could see he was hurting. “Want me to drive?”
“I told you I’m fine.”
“Hale won’t deliberately wound you again when we find him. This time, he'll shoot to kill.”
He shrugged. “What did you tell the boss?”
“I said you were fine.”
“Thanks.”
“Least I could do, don’t you think?”
“Why’s that?”
She looked away.
He said, “If you’re harboring some crazy ass boss lady alpha female idea that you should have gotten Hale before he got me, then forget all about it. I didn’t see it coming, either.”
Kim blinked it back. “Maybe I’ve been spending too much time with Roscoe.”
He said, “I’m tired, that’s all. I’ll sleep on the plane. I’ll be right as rain when we get there. Don’t worry.”
She laughed. “Worry? Who, me?”
He smiled. “Right. What was I thinking?” He pulled out into the traffic. “What time’s the flight?”
CHAPTER FIFTY ONE
Facts were facts: Hale had a three hour head start. And Phoenix was her last chance to get him before he left the country. She didn’t want to chase him all around the world.
But she would if she had to.
By the time they landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International she had her plan in place. Gaspar had slept all the way from wheels up to wheels down. He had denied being in pain, but the crevices etched deep in his face revealed the lie. His limp had gotten worse, too. He’d refused to explain the extent of his prior injuries or how Hale’s shots might have interacted with them. He’d waved away her concerns. But the stiff upper lip act wasn’t fooling her. And it was making her feel worse, not better.
A small nerdy desk jockey agent from the Phoenix FBI field office waited with ground transportation, as Cooper had promised. “Agents Otto and Gaspar? I’m Agent Picard. This way, please.”
They followed him out to the standard black SUV. He offered keys.
Gaspar held out his hand.
“I’m number two,” he said.
Picard’s eyes widened behind his glasses. He swallowed, and offered a quick rundown. “This vehicle is special- task-force equipped. Firepower in the back if you need it. Fully wired. Activate if you want backup. I’m assigned to you as long as you need me, but otherwise you’re not being monitored. There are extra phones in the console for quick response teams. There’s a cooler with food and water. The GPS is pre-programmed. Access it with your security code. Anything else you need?”
“That’ll do it, thanks,” Kim said.
Picard nodded. “Good luck.” He returned to his own vehicle.
Gaspar opened the cooler and pulled out two sandwiches and two bottles of water. They settled in. Kim plugged in her smart phone to charge its dead battery. Within seconds, a text came in from Cooper containing a seven letter GPS security code. She entered it into the system. The pre-programed map showed the fastest route to Coolidge Municipal Airport. An hour’s drive time. Fifty eight miles.
