Page 124 of Sting

“By not telling us where he’s hiding.”

“I don’t know! I’ve told you everything that was said during my conversation with him. I impressed on him that his best option was to turn himself in and take his punishment.”

“He wouldn’t hear of it,” Wiley said.

“Not…not exactly.”

“Then what exactly, Ms. Bennett? What did he say?”

You hope I die. “Nothing. He hung up. But at the very least I believe I got him to thinking about surrendering.”

She looked at each of them in turn, gauging how much or how little of what she’d said they believed. The only return stare that unsettled her was Shaw’s. She looked away from its unblinking incisiveness.

After a moment, Wiley said, “Well, every law enforcement officer in the state and beyond is looking for him. He’d be better off surrendering before he’s caught, or injured in the process of being captured.”

“Or before Panella finds him,” Hickam said.

“Hope to God that doesn’t happen. But we can’t make a strong case for surrender until he contacts one of us again.” Wiley gestured to the phone Hickam had laid claim to. “Now that he’s connected with Ms. Bennett, he’ll more likely call her than me, so get one of the techies to sit on that phone like a hen on an egg.”

The meeting broke up after that. Hickam sat down at the desk and began making calls. Gwen excused herself to do the same. Wiley walked over to Shaw and ordered him out of the chair.

“I’m driving you to the hospital.”

“Fuck that.”

“Enough with the tough-guy shit. You’re only human.”

“Oh, I’m human all right.”

“Okay, so give yourself time to recover.”

“I’ll recover.”

“Not unless you rest.”

“I’m staying.”

“Look,” Wiley said angrily, “I don’t want you dying on me of pure bullheadedness.”

“I’m not going to die.” Looking past Wiley, he addressed Jordie directly. “Panella is. I’m gonna kill him.”

Chapter 31

Gwen Saunders was joined by two other U.S. marshals—fit young men in jeans and black t-shirts—who were called in to assist with Jordie’s relocation. Among the marshals, Wiley, and Hickam, it was decided to wait until after full dark to make the transfer.

Shaw supported the postponement. That gave them several hours to plan how they would go about it and which safe house in the area would provide the best protection.

Shaw left the logistics of the process for the rest of them to sort out and took Wiley up on his suggestion that he sleep during the intervening hours. He didn’t feel the need to be hospitalized, but his body was demanding some downtime.

“Take Gwen’s bedroom,” Wiley said. “She’s going to be busy and won’t be using it.”

Jordie was in a huddle with Hickam and the marshals. Sensing his gaze, she looked at him, then quickly away. She was still furious at him for playing her. Or maybe her trip with Panella was the reason for her refusal to acknowledge him. Either way, she couldn’t avoid him forever. Even if she planned to, he wouldn’t let her.

He went into the bedroom and shut the door. The surgeon had instructed him not to get his incision wet for at least a week. He showered anyway, holding a plastic laundry bag over the wound with one hand, soaping and shampooing with the other.

He exchanged the bandage for a fresh one, which was among the items in the kit given him by the surgeon before leaving the hospital. Morrow had returned it to him when they were in Tobias. Also in the kit were several blister packs of antibiotics and a bottle of pain pills. He took an antibiotic capsule, but skipped the pain pill. He needed sleep, but not a hangover.

When he emerged from the bathroom, there was a room service tray on the nightstand. He scarfed down the grilled cheese sandwich and bowl of chicken noodle soup, reminding himself to identify and thank the Good Samaritan later. After finishing the meal, he gratefully lay down.

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