15 Seconds

accountability. Your daughter and mine…”

“Let me talk to her again,” I said. “I’ve done everything you asked. Let me talk to Hallie again. Please…”

“Nah, you just get a move on, Doc. Worry about keeping yourself alive. ’Cause you just told me where you are. Bud’s Guns, right? And as soon as I get off this phone, I just might dial up the police over there and tell them who I think might be in their town… Just for the sport of it. And that would mess up all our plans. Wouldn’t it, Doc? Mr. World-Famous Surgeon.”

I didn’t answer.

“Wouldn’t it? Mess up all our plans. Must be a bad connection. I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes,” I said, looking at Carrie, seething, “it would.”

“Now shoo away. She’ll be all right. Least for a spell. I’ll take care of her, like she was my own. So best get yourself along… Before you don’t have any choice. Ta-ta, there, Doc…”

I heard one more chuckle and then the line went dead.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

“What did he say?” Carrie asked.

“He played a sick joke on me. He told me she was dead. He’s going to do it, Carrie, if we don’t find him soon.”

“I’ll call Jack back.”

“No.” I put my hand on hers, stopping her in mid-dial. “Not yet. He warned me not to do it. There were others, Carrie,” I told her. “Martinez and Mike were shot. But he said he’d skin her like the others…”

“Others?” Carrie eyes grew frightened. “Oh my God! He’s going to kill you, Henry,” she said, looking at me. “You know that, don’t you? And then he’s going to kill her.”

“He’s got my daughter, Carrie!”

She took my hand and made me sit down. My legs felt rubbery. Just feeling her steady grip, her smooth fingers massaging and warm… it made me feel stronger, like there was some way out of this. “We’re going to find a way to get her, Henry. We’ve got to let him think he’s got his way with you. And you have to keep demanding proof that she’s okay. We’re going to get her back. Soon as you give me the go-ahead to bring in people who can handle this kind of thing.”

“I don’t know,” I said, thinking of Hofer’s promise. “What if they bungle it? Or if word gets out of what they’re planning? Then Hallie would be dead. I couldn’t live with that. Think about Raef, your son. What would you do?”

I saw by the silent breath she drew that she knew exactly what she’d do.

I had to stay out.

I also knew there was no way we could remain here in Mount Holly. Carrie had already told her brother where we were. If she didn’t get back to him, he’d surely get the local police involved. And I didn’t know if Hofer had been for real when he said he would alert the local police. It sounded just like him! Then I realized, Carrie had given her brother Hofer’s name.

They knew about him! They could easily go to his home. I suddenly realized I might not be able to control the FBI.

I was about to tell her this, that she had to doubly warn them-not to do anything-when I looked past her, to where we had left the car on Main Street.

My stomach fell off a cliff.

Two local cop cars had stopped next to Carrie’s Prius, and a couple of officers were inspecting the car. The plates.

They were on their radios.

“Oh, shit!” My eyes stretched wide.

“What?” Carrie muttered, turning around and saw for herself. “Oh, Jesus, no!”

I think it dawned on both of us at the same time that everything was about to change. That she couldn’t cover for me anymore, and I couldn’t remain here. Not for a second longer. No matter what we had proven. I had to run, and Carrie… couldn’t. I didn’t know if it was her brother who had called it in, or Bud. Or Hofer… It must have been Bud, I realized, if they knew which car to look for.

But it didn’t matter. All I knew was that if they caught me, Hallie would be lost!

I got off the bench, my heart in a frenzy, and started to back away, my eyes fixed on the two cops, and their patrol car lights flashing. A small crowd had gathered around. Flashing lights clearly weren’t routine here. It would only take a minute for them to scan the area and spot us here.

“I’ve got to get out of here, Carrie.”

She nodded, not trying to stop me. “Go. I’ll do my best to cover for you, Henry. I’ll have to say something… I’ll explain it the best I can to Jack. About Hofer and Fellows and Martinez. I’ll say we split up when I told you that you had to turn yourself in…” She had a look of worry and helplessness on her face. But behind it, I saw something deeper. She was scared. For me.

“Don’t try and call me,” she said. “I have your number. The one you called me on at the diner. Henry…” Tears welled up in her eyes. She was as terrified as I was, and I could see that a part of her wanted to take off with me. My heart was going ka-bang, ka- bang against my ribs. If we had seconds more, I would have gone up and hugged her right there. Carrie glanced around at the cops. “You better go…”

Suddenly one of them looked our way. He saw us! He put his hand over his eyes to shield the sun. I saw him motion to one of his partners.

“Henry, just go!”

Chapter Fifty-Nine

I ran.

Actually, I started to back away at first, across the green, hoping not to draw any attention. I kept one eye on the policeman who was staring at me, no doubt starting to realize that Carrie and I fit the description he’d been given. My other eye was on Carrie, with a sinking feeling in my stomach that I had to run away. I’d only known her, really, for a day, but having to take off, so suddenly, after everything she’d done for me, was tearing at my heart.

Then suddenly the cop called to his partner and took a couple of steps in our direction, and I bolted across the green. Behind me I heard one of them shout: “Hold it there!”

The street was heading toward the main road out of the town, mostly fenced-in yards and old Southern homes, and I didn’t see any cover, other than weaving in and out of people’s yards, hiding, until I was ultimately caught. I ran onto a small bridge that crossed a river leading into town and peered over the edge, hearing shouts behind me. The small, narrow river ran parallel to Main Street.

I took a quick glance back at the officers, who had now set off after me, Carrie going up to them, and leaped over the stone ledge onto the embankment, slipping on the dry, loose dirt and sliding down the edge, about twenty feet down. I landed on the rocks of the riverbed there, which was more like a narrow stream.

This was insane! I was running from the police all over again. They didn’t know anything about Vance Hofer or Bud’s Guns. All they knew was that they had a wanted murder suspect here. In their little town.

They could very well start shooting at me!

I looked back up to the bridge and didn’t see anyone, but I knew that was only a matter of seconds. The word had probably already gone out to every cop within two townships! I didn’t have a clue where to run or how to get out of here. Not just out of this riverbed, but out of town. Out of the area! All I could