Fishtown: A Jack Regan/Izzy Ichowitz Novel Page 18

  Kate also sensed the change in the police officers who refused to make eye contact when she asked them for updates. “Why haven’t they called?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh my god!”

  Regan shook his head. “No I don’t believe he’s been taken by a predator.”

  “How can you be sure of that?”

  “Liam’s too smart to be lured into a trap. Besides, he’s a fighter. The cowards who prey on children would realize that and move on to an easier mark.”

  “Then what’s this about?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  One of the detectives approached them. “Excuse me, there’s a Michael O’Malley outside who insists he’s family.”

  Regan nodded, “Thank you detective, please let him in.”

  “O’Malley, where have ya been?”

  “Askin friends ta help to find the boy.”

  “Friends? What friends of yours can help find Liam?” Kate asked.

  “Katey, I know yer frightened. I’ve been in a scrum or two in my time here. But I know people who know the score. It can’t hurt ta have as many eyes as possible out there lookin fer Liam.”

  She could sense his deception when he averted his eyes. “What aren’t you tellin me?”

  “Katey please?” O’Malley asked.

  “Tell me.”

  “Michael Flynn’s come back.”

  “Flynn? Why?”

  “When he heard that Nooris and the other one were released he wanted ta make sure they did no harm to you and the boy.”

  She turned to Jack, “Did you know this?”

  He could barely meet her eyes and nodded.

  “And you didn’t tell me?”

  “Kate…”

  She held up her hand to silence him as she fought to hold back the tears she felt welling up in her eyes.

  “I went ta Duffy and asked if he had heard from Flynn. He hadn’t, but he promised me he would reach out to him. Duffy figures Nooris snatched Liam and is using him for bait.” O’Malley continued.

  Kate turned from her husband to O’Malley “Take me to Flynn.”

  O’Malley looked to Jack.

  “You need to stay here in case the kidnappers call.”

  “But if Nooris has my boy they don’t want a ransom.”

  “But we don’t know that for sure.”

  “Who else would kidnap my son?”

  “I don’t know, but we have to be certain,” he paused, “O’Malley can you set up a meeting with Duffy?”

  “What for?”

  “If Duffy knows something, maybe I can use whatever he has to help the police find Liam.” He turned back to Kate who refused to make eye contact, “I promise I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  “Will you now?” she spit the words out at him. He could read the fear, hurt and disappointment on her face. Stupid, he had been beyond stupid in not telling her about Flynn. Would she ever forgive him?

  The bartender gave them a nod when they entered. O’Malley knocked on the door at the back of the room and they were granted access.

  Duffy and Michael Flynn were sitting at the conference table. Duffy signaled the doorman who left the room.

  “Thanks fer seein us,” O’Malley said.

  Duffy nodded and gestured for them to sit down. “I assume ya know my associate.”

  Regan nodded.

  “Gents we need ta use all our resources ta bring the laddie home. Michael will fill you in on the current state of affairs.”

  Flynn told them what had happened at the butcher shop, and that Liam had been taken by whoever had killed Nooris and Rabinowitz.

  “What the hell is going on? If Nooris and Rabinowitz are dead who has Liam?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Jack tried to comprehend what Flynn had just disclosed. “Do you really trust Shona Cohen?”

  Flynn shrugged, “Up to a point. I believe she’s sincere in not wantin ta see Liam harmed. I also believe she doesn’t know who killed her mates and took Liam. Do ya have any thoughts about who that might be, and where they took my son?”

  Regan shook his head, “I think the only way we can find out is to have the police investigate the crime scene. They have specialists who may be able to find evidence that can lead us to them.”

  “That’s all fine and good, but it takes time. I want my boy safe!” Flynn shouted.

  “And so do I!”

  Duffy raised his hands, “Fellas, we all have the same goal. Shoutin at one another isn’t goin ta get us anywhere. I agree with Mr. Regan we need ta get the police involved. Call yer father and tell him ta get his people over to the store in Fishtown. Find out if they have cameras that might have seen something. I can tell ya first hand that the cameras are a considerable pain in my arse from time ta time. In the meantime, Flynn whyn’t ya check with that Cohen woman and see if she has any ideas.”

  As they were leaving Regan stopped Flynn.

  “Mike O’Malley told me you came back to make sure Liam was safe.”

  “He’s my blood. We take care of our own. I only want what’s best for the boy,” his eyes locked on Regan. “I’ve no intention of interferin with you and Kate, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Jack held his gaze, “No it’s not that. It’s Shona Cohen; she’s a killer. I don’t believe she can be trusted.”

  Flynn nodded, “She told me she wants to start a new life. So far everything she’s done supports that.”

  Jack paused as he considered Flynn’s response. He found the proposition that the woman who had killed repeatedly without any sign of remorse could suddenly develop a conscience to be preposterous. However, Flynn was nobody’s fool. “OK, but when we find out who has Liam, and where they’re keeping him, I want to be there with you.”

  Flynn shook his head, “I know you love Liam same as me. I realize ya want to make sure he comes home safe. But ya can’t be part of this. Ya need ta go back and be with Kate. She needs you now. I promise I’ll keep you informed.”

  Jack knew Flynn was right but there must be something more he could do to help. “Flynn I …”

  “Listen ta me. I give ya my word if I need your help I’ll ask. Please; Katey needs you now.”

  Chapter 37

  Jack called Kate as he drove back to Manayunk and told her what he had learned. There was a coldness in her voice he had never heard before, it felt like he was talking to a stranger. What the hell did he expect? And it was all his fault.

  He called his father next and told him what had happened at the butcher shop.

  “How do you know this?”

  “It’s a long story. Get the 26th District to secure the scene and get Homicide over there.”

  “Jack?”

  “Michael Flynn told me. He found the bodies when he went there with Shona Cohen to rescue Liam.”

  “Shona Cohen?”

  “Yes dad.”

  “Do they have Liam?”

  “No, Nooris and Rabinowitz were dead and Liam was gone by the time they arrived.”

  “And you believe that? Shona Cohen could have killed them.”

  “Why would she do that? I mean, we already know she’s an assassin. She’s wanted for the murders of two people in this jurisdiction. Why would she need an alibi for this? Besides, the manner in which Nooris and Rabinowitz were killed just doesn’t match her pattern. She kills her victims up close, she wouldn’t use an Uzi and leave a crime scene looking like a massacre. Dad get your people over there.”

  “Jack, I’ll get Homicide over there, but I’m putting out an APB on Shona Cohen. If she’s in town, we have to find her and lock her up, before she kills again.”

  After he disconnected the call O’ Malley asked, “So do you believe what Flynn told us?”

  Jack
hesitated, “Shona Cohen was here in Philly since the Barnes robbery fiasco. If she had wanted to kill anyone she had ample opportunities. If what Flynn told us is accurate, she also had the opportunity to kill Nooris and Rabinowitz before they kidnapped Liam.”

  “So who did this?”

  “I don’t know, but we better find out soon.”

  Shona didn’t know how to react to Ari and Nochem’s murders. She had no idea who was responsible. Should she be relieved or concerned? Should she mourn the loss of the two men who had been the only family she had ever known, like any normal person? No, she couldn’t allow herself the luxury of grief, assuming she was capable of that emotion, while there was a possibility she might be the next target.

  She wasn’t certain if Flynn believed that her desire to rescue Liam was genuine. Even though Flynn had kept up his end of the bargain, now that Ari was gone, perhaps it would be best for her to simply disappear. She could make a new life for herself. The boy wasn’t her responsibility. So why then did she stay?

  She heard the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs to her apartment and pulled the Glock out of her waistband. She had no intention of being taken without a fight.

  “Shona.”

  It was Moshe Levy. She put the Glock away and opened the door.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I know what happened at the butcher shop.”

  “Do you know who killed Nooris and Rabinowitz, and took the child?”

  He nodded.

  “Do you know where they took him?”

  “I think so.”

  “Tell me.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I thought they told us to leave the boy.”

  He nodded.

  “Should we take him to his mother?”

  Malik Ben-Ali shook his head. He had been under wraps since the disaster at the mall. At that time he was the Imam of the mosque in Strawberry Mansion that had been an Al-Qaeda cell from which a terrorist attack to assassinate the Vice President and Secretary of State was being planned. Ben-Ali had been an internet sensation, with thousands of followers across the world. His vitriolic sermons calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and its allies, including the United States, generated a great deal of interest throughout the international intelligence community including the NSA, the CIA, Mossad and MI6.

  He did not discover that his mosque had been infiltrated, and he had been made to be a fool by the Jews, until it was too late to stop the attack and punish those responsible for what was nothing more than an elaborate hoax, a diversion for a robbery. Now, once again he was being handled by others, or so they believed. While he was more than happy to kill Nooris and his accomplice in retribution for the humiliating betrayal to which they subjected him, he considered the child an asset he could use for his own purposes.

  “No he can be of value to us.”

  “As you wish Imam.”

  His new benefactors had provided them a safe house on the grounds of a former estate along the Delaware River in Pennypack Park. Having been duped before, Ben-Ali had no illusions that he was once again being used and that they would betray him and his people as soon as he had satisfied their needs. Unlike the last debacle, this time those pulling the strings were in for a surprise.

  “Bashir, do you know how to reach the boy’s mother?”

  Bashir Amet, Ben-Ali’s trusted friend and head of security nodded.

  “Call her and let her know her son is safe.”

  “Do you think that is wise?”

  “I think that will give whoever is lurking in the shadows something to consider. They’ll think that we are seeking a ransom for his return; that we are greedy and stupid. Perhaps they will believe we are weak as well. After you finish the call, take the boy to the mosque.”

  “As you wish Imam.”

  They were startled when the phone rang. The detective from Special Victims signaled Kate to let the phone continue to ring before she picked up the call. The technician started the recording and nodded.

  “Hello.”

  “We have your son. He is safe.”

  “Thank God you called. Can I speak with him?”

  “That is not possible.”

  “Please, he’s only 9 years old.”

  The detective signaled for Kate to keep the caller on the line.

  “Please what do ya want?”

  “We will call you back with instructions.”

  “Please, let me talk with my son.”

  The caller hung up. The technician shook his head.

  The detective explained that the call had been terminated before they could fix the location. “I know this is difficult, but the fact that they called is a positive development.”

  Liam mustered his courage and knocked on the door. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  He could hear muffled voices from the other side of the door. When it opened one of the men who had taken him, now not wearing a mask, motioned to him to come out of the room. He led him to the toilet and stood by the door. When Liam came out he motioned for him to go back to the room. Before he closed the door he asked, “Are you hungry?” Liam nodded. A few minutes later the door opened. The same man brought him bottles of water and a bag that he assumed contained something to eat. Liam looked in the bag. He found a foil bag inside that contained some kind of chips and a container with a spread that smelled of garlic. The packages were written in a strange language he had never seen before. But he was hungry and whatever it was tasted OK so he ate everything.

  After he finished his meal, the same man opened the door. He walked over to Liam, held out his hand and said, “Come with me.”

  Liam looked at the outstretched hand. “Are you taking me to my Mum?”

  The man’s smile seemed almost sad, “Not yet, but soon, very soon.”

  Liam could not stop the tears that ran down his face.

  “Come with me now little man. I promise we will take you to your mother soon.”

  Chapter 38

  “You’re not going to like this.”

  Howard Kasdan, code name ‘Mr. K’ looked up from the file he had been studying annoyed by the interruption.

  “One of Ben-Ali’s men called the O’Malley woman and told her they had her son and to wait for their call.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “I told you he couldn’t be trusted.”

  Kasdan realized that using Ben-Ali as an asset was risky, but his high profile among the terrorist networks in the States was too enticing to pass on. Ben-Ali had carried out a handful of minor assignments satisfactorily, so he decided to use him to clean up Nooris and Rabinowitz, the loose ends he had failed to address when he had the opportunity. He offered it as a reward for Ben-Ali’s good behavior. He had specifically instructed Ben-Ali to leave the boy in place, assuming the local police would find him, and return him to his mother.

  “Do we still have our asset in place?”

  He nodded.

  “Make the call.”

  Moshe Levy and Shona were heading north on I-95 when both of their cell phones beeped within seconds that texts had been sent to them. Levy looked down, recognized the number and frowned. Shona’s text was from Flynn. “Who?” he asked.

  “Flynn. You?”

  “No one important. Why don’t you call him? Maybe he knows something.”

  She placed the call and put it on speaker. “Any news?” she asked.

  Flynn told her the kidnappers had called Kate O’Malley. According to what he had been told, the caller sounded like someone with a Middle-Eastern accent. They weren’t able to triangulate the call. The closest they could come up with was a cell tower in the northeast, probably somewhere along I-95. He asked if she had found out anything. She looked over to Levy who shook his head, but she ignored him. “I know who took
Liam and I think I know where they’re holding him. We’re on our way there now.”

  “Where is he?”

  She told him the location and agreed to wait until Flynn arrived.

  “Who’s with you?” Flynn asked.

  “A friend, I’ll explain when you get here. Hurry.”

  After he finished the call Duffy asked, “Are ya certain you can trust her?”

  “I don’t seem ta have much of a choice.”

  Duffy frowned, “I don’t like the set up. Somethin off about it. Quinn will take ya to the place. Ya can count on him if things get dicey. Keep your socks up.”

  “How much farther is it?” Shona asked.

  “We take the next exit and it’s only a couple miles from there.”

  “Do you have a plan?”

  He hesitated, realizing he needed to be precise in his response if he had any real hope that she would follow his lead.

  “We’ll park the truck about a half mile from the building. I saw a place we can leave it where it can’t be seen from the road, just in case they have guards or anyone coming to relieve them. We can wait for Flynn there and approach through a wooded area to the building where I’m pretty sure we’ll find them. I don’t think there’s any video or sophisticated surveillance or anything like that to worry about.

  The building’s part of a larger complex. It looks like it was some kind of horse farm with stables. Anyway, I think we’ll be able to get in without too much trouble.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I’ll explain everything later. For now let’s concentrate on getting the boy out safely.”

  She noted his evasion and considered the possibility that he was leading her into a trap. She considered her options and decided that if the boy was there she had to go through with it. “Alright. So what do we do when we get there?”