Underdogs (1999) by Robert Ryan

Author:Robert Ryan [Ryan, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781480477544
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2014-02-25T21:26:00+00:00

TWENTY-SEVEN

Henry Street, Central Seattle. 2.46 am

AS THE LINE WENT dead a stillness settled over the room. The motley assortment of medics, cops and city engineers held their breaths, whispered their exchanges, suddenly became very concerned about a hair floating on their coffee. The lights were heating up the room, and many were starting to sweat under the heavy protective clothing they had donned against the chill. Most were thinking the same thing: give it up, Sergeant. We know you have done the courses, and you handled that bank siege last year, but this is different.

He took Bowman outside and they stood inhaling the fetid air of the alley, delicately scented with the garbage from the dumpster. ‘Not too good, eh?’

She shook her head. ‘Beta minus, John. Time for that refresher course.’

‘You could have done better?’ It wasn’t an accusation, but a genuine question.

Fred Flintstone probably could have done better, she thought, but she said: ‘Well, women you know, better communication skills. The line dead?’

‘Yeah, either he broke it or he moved off. I don’t think he believes the father is still alive. He is still alive, isn’t he?’

Bowman nodded. ‘He was five minutes ago. And the shot?’

‘More play-acting. He’s not an MV.’

‘Unless he sees the SWOPS or SERTs.’

‘You think?’

‘I ain’t so confident as you, John. I’m with Harry on this. Major violator or not, you never can tell.’

‘Yeah, but you know what happens with hostages and takers over fifty per cent of the time. If she was eight years older they’d come out engaged.’

‘Yeah, that works with adults, maybe, but what if she is some whiny eight-year-old who gets on his nerves?’

He considered this for a moment. ‘So?’

‘So can your boy really see in the dark?’

Lewis was slumped on a fold-out chair, head in his hands, unable to believe what he had heard. He gets them the phone, the man on the other end, and they blow it. And now he couldn’t stop thinking about the sound of that gunshot echoing over the airwaves, echoing across a quarter of a century it seemed. There were images now, coming unbidden: Willie, face streaked with bug juice and camouflage stripes, a battered Jones hat perched on his head. The Bat, emerging from his room wearing only a M1953 flak jacket and long johns, ready for patrol. Joey Averne rapping about great bets of his life—how he took odds on Apollo 13 not getting back, and how he cleaned up on Frasier-Ellis. It really had started now. No going back. Which city next? Vancouver? Calgary, maybe. Nice and close to the Rockies.

‘Lewis.’ It was Tenniel.

‘Wasn’t in the mood for talking, eh?’

‘Well, no, that was … That was a fuck-up, Carl. That’s what that was. And now I want you to get my ass out of the fire. That’s about the size of it.’

Lewis smiled. ‘We used to operate in holes that a cat couldn’t get through. Now I can’t even get in an elevator, man. Never even been to the top of the Space Needle.

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