Page 5 of In Too Deep

“No time,” the guy said. “We’ve got to hurry. The man in the car with you? Who died? You remember him?”

“No,” Reacher said.

“Well, that’s awkward. Because he was an FBI agent. Now he’s dead all hell’s going to break loose. There’ll be cops swarming everywhere. Hordes of agents, too, just as soon as they can get here. Every last one of them looking for somebody to carry the can for their buddy’s death. And if you can’t account for yourself, thatsomeoneis going to be you.”

Chapter4

The guy with the angularhead turned and ducked back out through the door, then reappeared a moment later when he realized that Reacher wasn’t following. He threw up his arms in an exaggerated shrug and said, “Why aren’t you moving? Don’t you get it? We need to leave.”

Reacher stayed where he was. He tucked the gun in his waistband, took his things back from the guy, then said, “What is this place?”

“That’s your question? Right now? Are you crazy? You should be asking,What’s the quickest way out of here?And,Please, Ivan, can you save my ass again? Can you give me a ride to someplace where I won’t get thrown in jail?”

“Ivan?”

“Ivan Vidic. My name. Now come on. Move it.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Nor are you.”

“How hard did you hit your head? The police are coming.”

“Let them come. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“How do you know? You can’t remember anything. And have youseen yourself in the mirror lately? Do you think the police will look at you and assume you’re some kind of choirboy?”

Reacher said nothing.

Vidic closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. “OK. I get it. You wake up in a strange place. You don’t know how you got here. You want answers. I can give them to you but this is—”

“I know how I got here,” Reacher said. “Someone brought me. Darren Fletcher. I doubt he was working alone. So I want to know who else is involved. I want to know what is going on here.”

“How do you know about Fletcher?”

“We met.”

“You did? When? Where?”

“Just now. In there.” Reacher gestured toward the door he had emerged from.

“He let you out of the cuffs?” Vidic strode across to the door and peered into the room on the other side. “Why would he—” Vidic spotted Fletcher’s inert body lying slumped on the floor. He turned and backed away. “Wait. Did you kill him? Is he dead?”

Reacher shrugged. “He was breathing when I left him.”

“OK. That’s good. I guess. Did you guys talk at all? Before you beat on him?”

“No. That’s why I’m asking you. Who else is involved? I want names. I want locations.”

Vidic took a deep breath. “Look, now I really get it. You’re pissed. You want payback.Morepayback, I guess, now that I’ve seen what you did to Fletcher. I respect that. But let me ask you something. How much does your lawyer get paid?”

“I don’t have a lawyer.”

“That’s what I figured. But Fletcher? And his buddies? They do have lawyers. Ones who get paid five hundred an hour. Maybe more. Which means that if you’re still here when the police show up andyou all get thrown in the cells, Fletcher and the others will be on the street again before the public defender has even found out he has a new client. Then they’ll disappear. You’ll never catch up with them. If you stay here it’ll be like you’re choosing to let them get away. But if you come with me I’ll help you. I’ll tell you everything. The only thing I need you to do is come with me. Now.”

Reacher figured Vidic had a point. He’d gotten tangled up with the police in the past. More than once. Nothing had ever stuck, but getting cut loose always took time. More than it should. And wasting time was not going to help him get what he wanted. So he said, “Fine. Just do me one favor.”

“What?”

“Drop the Good Samaritan act.”

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