Ambush
- Автор: Паттерсон Джеймс, Борн Джеймс О.
- Серия: Michael Bennett #11
- Год: 2018
- Язык: английский
- Год: Little, Brown and Company
- ISBN: 978-0-316-27398-5
- Жанр: Триллеры
Электронная книга - «Ambush». Краткое содержание книги:
Seamus rolled down his window and said, “I don’t care what anyone says about the East River — I like the smell of it. Reminds me of home. The sea.”
As we slowly turned at the corner of the building and were driving next to the sidewalk, Seamus said, “I can’t wait to see Jules.”
I said, “Juliana.”
“She likes to be called Jules on the set.”
“How do you know that? Have you been on the set before?”
I stopped the car to stare at him as he looked sheepish and wouldn’t meet my eye.
A stagehand carrying a box on the sidewalk looked over and said, “Hey, Father.”
It was rare to catch the old man so cleanly. Now I gave him a good nod and said, “Explain that.”
Without missing a beat, Seamus said, “He’s your illegitimate uncle.”
“Funny.” I did note that Father Alonzo was laughing in the backseat. “You just said it had been a dozen years since you saw the building.”
Seamus said, “I meant it had been a dozen years since I saw the front of the building, by the river. I saw the rest last Friday when I watched them film a scene with Jules. She was fantastic. She’s really talented.”
Then I saw two women come out of the building’s door about fifty yards from us. It took me a moment to realize that one of them was my daughter.
Seamus said, “Who’s that with Jules?”
I didn’t recognize the striking woman with the long dark hair. She was chatting casually with Juliana, but there was something about her that seemed familiar.
I started to get an uneasy feeling. I pulled to the curb.
Chapter 82
Alex Martinez smiled as she listened to this captivating young woman speak. She was very poised for an eighteen-year-old. She was also very excited that an agent was interested in talking to her about representation. Alex was sorry the girl’s dreams were about to come crashing down.
Getting her to leave the building had been remarkably easy. Even the timing was good. She was on a break, so Alex didn’t have to stand around and chat with someone who might know she didn’t work for the Grossman talent agency.
They were just coming to the heavy security door that led to the outside. Her plan was simple from there. Get the girl to her car, then make her call her father.
Alex had no intention of killing an innocent girl — unless she found herself in a situation where there was no other choice.
Just as they stepped out the door, the sun caused Alex to raise her hand and let her eyes adjust. Juliana said, “Would you mind if I called my dad real quick?”
“Not at all. In fact, if you’d be more comfortable, invite him to lunch with us.” Could she be this lucky?
As Juliana reached into her purse for her phone, Alex reached into her own to make sure her stiletto and pistol were within easy reach.
Juliana pulled an iPhone from her purse and paused. She looked across the front courtyard and said, “I think that’s my dad’s car right there.”
Alex saw the Impala and kicked herself for not noticing it immediately. It wasn’t like she’d never seen it. She’d followed Bennett around most of yesterday.
This plan was so much less complicated than the original one. She slipped her hand into her purse and wrapped her fingers around the grip of her 9mm pistol. She’d wait until he was so close there was nothing he could do.
As soon as she was done, Alex intended to hop in her car and be back in Manhattan before the first patrol car arrived.
Chapter 83
I followed my instinct and left the car idling by the sidewalk. I started to walk quickly toward Juliana and the other woman. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary as I cut across the grass and looked straight ahead. Still, I picked up my pace.
Juliana smiled and waved. The woman stood next to her and made no overtly threatening movements. Maybe I’d let my paranoia get the best of me again. I felt like an idiot.
I stepped onto the walkway that led to the door where the two women were standing. I looked over my shoulder quickly to make sure my grandfather and Father Alonzo were still in the car.
They had both stepped onto the sidewalk.
Now I relaxed slightly, as it appeared that Juliana was just coming out the door with someone from the production company. Most of the people working on the set looked like electricians or plumbers.
When I was about twenty feet from Juliana, she said, “What are you doing here during a workday?”
“I’m never too busy to see one of my kids.” I was waiting for an introduction to the other woman as I walked toward them.
The woman reached in her purse casually. When she pulled out her hand, I could clearly see the small semiautomatic pistol in it.
Right at that moment, I knew exactly who this woman was.
Chapter 84
Alex had to struggle to control her impatience. She didn’t want to act too quickly as she watched the tall detective make his way across the courtyard and onto the walkway leading to his daughter.
She trusted her ability, but anyone who’d been around guns knew that every couple of feet of distance from a shooter added a degree of uncertainty to a moving target. Plus he had proved he was wily and fast when the three Dominican gunmen tried to shoot him in front of the church.
It was important that she maintain her composure and allow him to walk into the ambush. That’s what it really was — an ambush. She may not be hiding behind a door with a gun, but there was one in her purse, and she intended to draw it when he was about ten feet away.
She felt that twinge of excitement mixed with nerves. She had a minute tremor in her right hand. This was everything she had worked for on this contract, which had kept her away from home for too long. She could feel the sweat build on her forehead and her heart start to pound.
Did the girl standing next to her notice? If she did, she didn’t acknowledge it.
There would be almost nothing Bennett could do, and the closer he got, the more effective the gun would be. She would have to put two into his head just to be sure. At least she wouldn’t have to hurt the girl.
Unless she did something really stupid.
Alex’s hands felt clammy from sweat.
The girl called out to her father. He answered with a smile. This was embarrassingly easy.
She reached into her purse with her right hand. She concentrated so that it wouldn’t be a rushed, suspicious movement. Now she found the perfect grip for the pistol and pulled it out of her purse casually.
Alex didn’t want to risk blowing this wonderful chance. Her first shot would be well aimed.
Once the pistol cleared her purse, she extended her right arm and started to sight down the barrel to the center of Michael Bennett’s face.
She took a breath and started to squeeze the trigger.
Chapter 85
Just as Alex Martinez extended her hand fully and began to get a clear view of her target, everything went haywire.
She squeezed the trigger just as Juliana bumped her arm. The bullet went high and wide.
Suddenly she realized it wasn’t an accidental bump. The girl had realized what was happening and took action.
What the hell!
Now she had to fight the daughter as well as the father. She couldn’t waste time and give Bennett a chance to close the distance.
Juliana grabbed hold of Alex’s arm and threw an elbow into her face, knocking her back toward the door. Alex saw stars, then felt a trickle of blood seep out of her nose.