He walked onto the escalator; I looked away. I wasn't interested in him now; I was watching everywhere else, checking to see if he was being followed. By covering his back I was protecting my own. I had the easy part, being the third party, aware. The biggest problem would be for the surveillance operators who were following him, trying not to get spotted by me.
In an urban environment it's always best to meet people where there's a lot of pedestrian traffic. It looks normal, people meeting people. The downside is that if there is any surveillance on you, they can blend in a lot easier, too. However, it is chaos for them because you can walk in and out of stores, stop at a counter, move on, then turn around and go back to another counter. So if you're going to RV with somebody to talk, go shopping.
Pat came up the last escalator, standing ahead of a group of teenage girls. They got off and turned left into the BaskinRobbins.
Pat went right. There were only four escalators, two up, two down. I couldn't see anyone who looked like an operator.
I watched him go into the Roadhouse. I gave it another five minutes, checked again, made sure the girl saw me throw my three dollars on the table, and left. Once on the Sears spur I got on the right-hand side of the walkway, which gave me a better view of the Roadhouse on the left, and that in turn gave me more time to tune in and look about to see if there were any men in Victoria's Secret looking out of place as they flicked through the ladies' lingerie.
I still couldn't be sure about Pat. But I didn't get nervous about that sort of thing; it was a drill--I'd done it so many times. looked at it technically, in terms of 'what ifs?' What if they lift me from the direction of Sears? What if they come out from the stores on each side of me?
'What ifs' stop you freezing like a rabbit in the middle of the road when the lights hit you. They get you out of that initial danger. In this particular case, I'd draw my weapon, move out of the danger area through Sears or the escalators, and make a run for it. I entered the Roadhouse and saw Pat closer up. Age was getting to him. He was only forty, but he looked eligible for some kind of pension.
He was sitting at a twin table on the far left-hand side, with two cappuccinos in front of him. There were about a dozen other people talking, eating, and yelling at their kids. I went over, pulled out the five-dollar bill that I had ready in my pocket, put it on the table, and said, with a big flashy smile, 'Follow me, mate.'
If he were intending to turn me in, I was just about to find out.
I was sponsoring the RV so he didn't say anything, he just came with me. We went over to the far wall to where the rest room sign was; as we went through the door we came into a long corridor, with the rest rooms at the end on the left-hand side. I'd reconned this already with Kelly. To the right was an other door, which led into Sears. These were shared rest rooms, and that was why I'd chosen them. I opened the door, let Pat through, and followed him into the baby wear department. We took the escalators down, putting in angles and distance. It might not work all the time, but it was the best I could do.
From the perfume counter on the first floor it was straight into the parking lot. Then we started to walk along the side walk toward a string of smaller stores and snack bars.
Not a word had been said. No need; Pat knew what was happening.
We walked into a Sub Zone a very clinical, spotlessly clean franchise selling subs with the world's largest supply of hot fillings. I told Pat to order me a drink and a cheese and meat special. The place was full. That was good; it made life more complicated for anybody looking.
I said, 'Sit over there at that table, mate, facing the rest rooms, and I'll be back in a minute.'
He stood in line to order.
I went through the door to the rest rooms and on to the far end, where there was a fire escape. I wanted to be sure it hadn't been obstructed by a trash can or anything since I last checked. The fire-escape door was alarmed, so I wasn't going to test it to make sure it would open. I'd done my recon, so I knew what was on the other side and where to run.
Pat was already sitting down with two coffees and an order ticket. I was getting caffeine overload. I was also starting to feel like shit; the heat of the shopping mall and now this place, and the energy expended in this last two days, were taking their toll. But I had to keep on top of that, because this was an operation.
I sat down opposite him in the booth, looking beyond him at the glass storefront. I could see everybody coming in and out, and had a pillar and Pat as cover. I wanted to dominate the area because I needed to see what was going on.
I looked at Pat and decided not to josh him about his hair.
He looked wrecked and wasted. His eyes were no longer clear and sharp but red and clouded. He'd put on weight, and there was an overhang pulling at his T-shirt and flopping over his belt. His face looked puffy; I could only just make out his Adam's apple.
I said, 'The reason why we're here is that I've come over on vacation, to see you, and we're shopping.'
'Fine.'
I still had to test him, in case he was wearing a wire.
'If there's a drama, I'm going to go through there.' I pointed toward the rest rooms. I was waiting for him to say, 'Oh, what, you're going to go to the bathroom?' for the benefit of anybody who might be listening in. But he didn't.
He just said, 'OK.' I was as sure as I could be that I was safe.
There was no more time to mess around.
I said, 'You OK, mate?'
'So-so. Put it this way: a bit fucking better than you. How did you find me?'
'Sherry, at Good Fellas.' I looked at him and he smiled.
'Yeah, good catch. Pat!'
His smile got bigger.
'Anyway, what's the score?'
'I've got every man and his dog after me.'
'So it seems.' His red eyes twinkled.
I started explaining and was still in full flow when the girl brought over the subs. They were huge, big enough to feed a family.
'What the fuck did you order?' I said.
'We're going to be here all day!'
Pat was hungry, fighting with the hot cheese as it sagged between his mouth and the sub. It made me wonder when he'd last eaten.
I was too busy chatting to eat. I said, 'Look, mate, to tell you the truth, all I want to do is get the fuck back to the UK but that's going to be a pain in the ass. I need to know what's going on, I need to know why this is happening. Do you're member Simmonds?'
'Yeah. He still in?'
'Yes. I've been in contact with him. I've even said that if the Firm doesn't help me, I'll open up my security blanket.'
Pat's eyes widened.
'Wow, that's big boys' stuff! You really are in heavy shit. What did Simmonds have to say to that?'
His shoulders went into a slow roll as he laughed through a mouthful.
I went on for another fifteen minutes. At the end of it Pat said, 'Do you think that PIRA might have dropped Kev?' He had finished his sub and was now picking at mine. He made it clear he wanted a few bites. I pushed it over.
'Who the fuck knows? I don't know, I really don't know. I can't see it myself. Can you make any sense of it?'
'The buzz around D.C. was that there was some American involvement in Gibraltar in 'eighty-eight.' He was picking the pickles and tomatoes out of my sub.
'What sort of involvement?'
'I don't know. It's got something to do with the Irish American vote, all that sort of shit. And PIRA gearing up funds from Noraid by getting into the drug market.'
I wondered how Pat knew. Maybe that was where he got his supply? The thought made me sad.
My mind ticked over a bit more. Pat just kept on attacking my sub.
