Page 84 of No Safe Place

“Yes. If we go one by one, we should be fine.”

“We’re going to cross the river on a phone cable above a waterfall? That’s the plan?” Colleen said.

Something fell above and more smoke filled the ceiling of the stairwell.

“That’s what we’re down to now,” I said.

“Then it’s agreed,” Mathias said. “When we leave out this window, you three head south to the utility building. I’ll go to the bridge and drop the crane across Route 4 to block them from pursuit. Plus, it will have them looking the other way while you head down river.”

“No,” Mario said.

“No?” Mathias said.

“I’ll block the bridge with the crane,” Mario said.

“You?” Mathias said. “Why you?”

“You suck with the crane is why. That’s my specialty, remember?” Mario said, smiling.

“But—”

“But nothing,” Mario said. “You go with them. I don’t have a kid waiting for me at home. And don’t worry. You think I’m going to let these jackasses catch me? After I drop that bitch, I’ll be coming straight down the river on my boogie board.”

“Your boogie board?” I said.

Mario nodded.

“It’s in the crane cab,” he said.

Mathias rolled his eyes.

“He has a surfing suit and he plays with his boogie board in the river after work,” Mathias said. “Sometimes while we are working. If you haven’t noticed, he is an idiot. Like a child.”

“Yeah, well,” Mario said, “my boogie board skills are coming in real handy right around now, aren’t they? After I drop Big Mama, I’ll be coming straight down that river like the Mississippi Queen.”

A shattering crack came from above followed by another thud.

“C’mon,” I said. “Let’s do this. We need to get out of here!”

PART FOUR

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

73

Beside the silver ribbon of the moonlit river, the old brick factory burned.

Up on the grocery store roof now beside Doug and his rifle, Shaw gazed at the fire, at its reflection in the water and at the smoke that was rising steadily into the starry sky.

He’d done a good job of setting the fire. That was for sure. Even before he had fully retreated on the moving platform back to Main Street, the south half of the roof had become an inferno and most of the windows on the second story beneath it had become completely engulfed.

As he continued to survey the dramatic vista, Shaw thought the whole scene of it looked oddly familiar, like something from a history book or a fairy tale.

No, it was a painting, he realized. What was that famous one called with the marble city burning alongside a body of water? People were falling into the water and there were dead bodies everywhere.

For the life of him, he couldn’t remember.

As if it mattered, he thought. He was the artist here. And this was his masterpiece.

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