Fishtown: A Jack Regan/Izzy Ichowitz Novel Page 21

  “And what if that doesn’t work?”

  “If it doesn’t work, we’ll eliminate him and my man will tell me where your son is.”

  Flynn could not believe what he had just heard.

  “I’ll let your man Levy know,” he said and turned his back on the agent.

  It was 4:30. Liam had been gone for 24 hours.

  When Kasdan got back in the Suburban his adjutant asked, “Do you think he bought it?”

  Without turning Kasdan replied, “It doesn’t matter if he believes me or not. Flynn wants his son back. He’s going to make his play. We’ll just have to be ready to make our move when he does.”

  Flynn told Shona what the CIA agent had proposed when he got back to his apartment.

  “Do you believe him?”

  He scratched the stubble on his chin as he thought over his response. “Some of it. I believe he would kill Ben-Ali, and quite likely the two of us as well, if it served his purposes. I’m not buyin that shite that he’s not concerned about the recordings.”

  “Did he ask anything about me?”

  Flynn shook his head, “No why?”

  “Levy told me he wants me to work for him.”

  He whistled, “I don’t think that’s a particularly attractive career opportunity.”

  “So what’s our move?”

  Flynn couldn’t believe how comfortably the two of them worked together. It wasn’t so much that they trusted each other. It was a relationship forged out of mutual necessity. He was convinced that she wanted to break free of the deadly existence she had endured for virtually her entire life. And he genuinely believed she wanted to help him bring Liam home safely.

  After considering the options they decided that neither the CIA nor Ben-Ali could be trusted. They would pit one against the other. If it worked Liam would be home, and Shona would be free to do whatever she wanted to do with the rest of her life. If it didn’t, well failure just wasn’t an option.

  “What about Levy?” Flynn asked as they went over their plan.

  “What about him?”

  “Do you trust him?”

  She gave Flynn a wistful look, “Maybe.”

  Chapter 44

  “Where have you been?”

  “Running errands for Uncle Paul.”

  She gave him a disapproving look.

  “You’re lying to me. I can always tell when you’re lying. The corners of your mouth turn up, and you won’t look me in the eye. You’re just like your worthless father. He was a stinking liar too!”

  “Ma, I have to run some errands for Uncle Paul. Don’t wait up for me,” he said as he walked out the door.

  I wonder what the hell he’s up to she thought as she poured herself a healthy shot of whiskey. It was only a matter of time until she found out. Probably consorting with whores, or maybe he was associating with that lunatic who had rented the old butcher shop. She would find out what that worthless son of hers was up to. Of that she was certain.

  “I don’t believe him,” Ben-Ali shook his head in response to what he had just been told.

  Flynn nodded, “I agree with you. I think he’s full of shite.”

  Flynn told him the CIA agent claimed he was not concerned about the tape recording of his ordering Ben-Ali to murder Nooris and Rabinowitz. “If we get your recording in the right hands, someone who can establish its authenticity you can bring him and his whole operation down.”

  Ben-Ali thought over Flynn’s suggestion, “And who would you suggest?”

  “The Philadelphia Police Commissioner.”

  “That’s out of the question. He would arrest me and my men for murdering the Jews. I told you I would only give up the recordings in return for safe passage to Yemen.”

  “I understand, but by giving the police evidence that you were following orders from the CIA, they may be persuaded to offer you immunity.”

  “They would do that?”

  “We’ll never know unless we offer to deal.”

  “Can you find out?”

  “I will, but only if you tell me where my son is.”

  Ben-Ali gave him a cynical smile, “But the boy is my leverage.”

  Flynn stood and moved his face within inches of the other man, “No, the recording is your ticket out of the country. If anything happens to my boy, I’ll kill you and all of your men myself.”

  It was the first time since the woman had stopped Flynn that there had been any threat or intimidation. Ben-Ali believed the man would carry out his threat.

  “I’ll give you 30 minutes to decide. If you don’t tell me where my Liam is, I’ll hand you over to the CIA,” Flynn said and walked out of the room.

  “Do you think he’ll tell you?” Shona asked when he slammed the door shut.

  “We’ll find out soon. How did it go with Levy?”

  “I told him to get in touch with his handler and let him know that the two of us have been acting suspiciously since the meeting in the park. And to tell them he thinks you’re trying to double cross him.”

  “Can we trust him to deliver the message?”

  She nodded.

  “What will you do if Ben-Ali refuses to tell you where your son is?”

  Flynn smiled, “When we get them ready to transport them to the CIA I’ll tell him, in front of all of his crew that we just found out there’s a traitor in his midst. I’ll only agree to disclose his identity if Liam is released.”

  “But you don’t know the identity of the traitor.”

  Flynn nodded, “But he doesn’t know that.”

  “Time’s up. Where’s my son?”

  Ben-Ali glared at him defiantly and said nothing.

  “Very well then. Quinn get the rest of em out here.”

  Quinn and two of Duffy’s disciples herded the prisoners onto the loading dock and lined them up in front of Flynn.

  “Gentlemen, I just wanted all of ya to know that I offered your leader an opportunity ta get you out of here in one piece. All I asked for in return was the location where he’s holding my son. But he refused to tell me. So I’m takin you back to some killer who calls himself, Mr. K. He told me he has a special place to take you to, if ya get my meanin.

  Before we cart ya out of here and send ya to wherever hell the CIA has in mind, I want ta share another little tidbit this Mr. K character let slip. It appears that one of you is a traitor.”

  Flynn could tell that this last comment had gotten their attention.

  “He’s lying!” Ben-Ali shouted.

  “No, it’s true, you’ve been betrayed. And when I deliver you to the CIA, all but one of you is sure to be very unhappy with yer plight.”

  Once again he could tell that he had struck a nerve.

  “Since your leader has turned down my offer, I’ll give you a last opportunity to save yerselves. Where is my son?”

  Bashir-Amet stepped forward, “I will take you to him.”

  Ben-Ali turned to his man, the color drained from his face, “You? You’re the traitor?”

  Amet faced him, “You fool! You led these boys,” he pointed at the young men, “on a murderous rampage, and now you want them to go to a certain death!”

  Ben-Ali ran towards him. Quinn tripped him and he fell on his face. “Take him back to his cell.”

  “If I take you to your son, will you take these boys someplace where they will have an opportunity to live?”

  “You have my word.”

  “Very well.”

  Chapter 45

  “As-salamu ’Alaykum,’ Amet said to the girl.

  “Wa ‘alaykumu s-salam,” she replied and bowed her head.

  “Mr. Flynn this is my daughter Ghalia.”

  “As-salamu ‘Alaykum Ghalia,” Flynn extended the proper greeting.

  “Wa ‘alaykumu s-salem,” she looked
up and blushed.

  “Will you take me to my son?”

  She led them to the second floor and knocked on the door at the end of the hall, before opening it. Liam looked up and ran to him.

  “Da!” he ran into his father’s arms. Flynn embraced the boy who sobbed as he released the fear and anxiety he had endured since the sheer terror of his abduction.

  “It’s alright son. You’re safe now,” Flynn said softly as he tried to keep his own emotions in check. As he hugged his son he cursed himself for exposing the boy to the danger and prayed that the ordeal would have no long lasting effects.

  He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and dried his son’s tears. He turned back and saw Ghalia with her father’s protective arm over her shoulder, brushing away a tear.

  “Will you take me to my Mum now?”

  Flynn nodded.

  When they got into the car Liam smiled at the driver. “You kept your promise! You told me you would bring my Da to save me!”

  Shona blushed and fought the tears of relief she felt for the boy as she drove them away.

  When she entered the back room of Duffy’s bar Liam jumped into her arms. Duffy, Jack and Flynn stood by as mother and son clung to one another.

  “Mum, Da sent someone to save me. She promised he would come get me. And he did.” She looked up at Flynn through her tears and nodded her head.

  “He’s a brave boy. You’ve much to be proud of,” Duffy said.

  “Kate, you and Jack should take the boy home now. He needs both of you ta stay by his side. I promise you, none of you have anything to fear from now on,” Flynn said.

  Kate released her son from her embrace. Still holding his hand she walked over to Flynn. “How can I ever thank you?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and replied, “We take care of our own. Now take our son home.” She kissed his cheek and gently placed her hand on the side of his face, and looked directly in his eyes.

  “Go now; take your son home,” he said softly.

  Liam looked up at his mother and father, “Da, will I be seein you again?”

  Flynn smiled and said, “I hope so son. I hope so. Now mind your Mum and yer stepdad, and make me proud.”

  On the drive back to Manayunk, as she held her son close, Jack told her that Shona Cohen was the woman Liam told her had promised that Flynn would rescue him.

  “Is she the woman who…”

  Jack nodded and said, “I know. Maybe people can change.”

  After the reunion of mother and son at Duffy’s Jack called his father and gave him the location at which the kidnappers could be found. “I think you might want to let Rico Valdez give the word to his boss that the group includes Ben-Ali.”

  “Who told you where you would find them?”

  “Michael Flynn.”

  “Jack how did he know?”

  “He didn’t tell me, but I think Shona Cohen and Danny Duffy had something to do with it.”

  After a few moments of silence the elder Regan said, “I don’t know what to make of this Flynn guy.”

  “He’s the boy’s father.”

  Kate still hugged her son as she listened to Jack’s half of the conversation with his father. Now that she was finally relieved of the unbearable terror of the last 30 hours, she allowed her thoughts to turn to her future. The hurt of Jack’s not sharing the knowledge that Michael Flynn had returned was still fresh. Regardless of his motivation a seed of mistrust had been sown that could, in time, destroy their relationship. And despite his heroics, and her gratitude over Flynn’s rescuing her son, and her lingering infatuation with the man, she also realized that his actions had been the reason Liam had been taken in the first place. She felt the baby kick and was jolted back to the present. She kissed the top of Liam’s head and left the thoughts of her future for another time.

  Before Jack called his father to let him know where they would find Ben-Ali and his men, Bashir-Amet had made arrangements to take his family to safety. Flynn told Jack that Amet had grown disillusioned with his Imam’s reckless obsession and desire for personal fame over his futile jihad. He had no intention of following him to Yemen. He also denied being involved with the CIA. As far as he knew, none of the other men were either.

  Both Flynn and Shona believed the CIA agent had fabricated the entire story. Flynn still had the recording of the agent’s conversations with Ben-Ali. He was sure there must be some way to use it as leverage, perhaps to help Shona start her new life.

  She had not yet decided what she wanted to do about Moshe Levy. Flynn didn’t believe in coincidence, and found the man’s story hard to believe. When Shona reminded him, that his finding her at the Perfect Cup was what he chalked up to as ‘dumb luck’, perhaps Levy’s bizarre tale of love lost and found could be true.

  “So Flynn are ya ready to return home?” Duffy asked after Kate and Regan took the boy home.

  “I’ve some loose ends to attend to.”

  “And what might they be?”

  “Well, for starters there’s this CIA man, he calls himself ‘Mr. K.’, he could still be a problem for me and mine. I think I’ve got something I can use to take care of him, but I have ta give that some thought. And there’s also Shona Cohen.”

  Duffy looked at him and waited.

  “I promised ta help her give the painting I stole back to the Barnes in return for a generous commission.”

  Duffy smiled, “And what about the Wells woman?”

  Flynn shook his head. “You were right about her. She’s out of my league.”

  Chapter 46

  She opened the door and stumbled backwards, tripping and crawling away.

  “B, what’s wrong?” Jinjing asked.

  “Hello girls. I’ve been looking for you. It wasn’t polite of you to leave without saying good bye,” he said with his creepy smile as he walked through the door.

  She grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and stepped in front of Bayani who was curled up in a fetal position on the floor.

  He laughed and walked towards her. When he was less than a pace away she slashed his face with the knife.

  His eyes widened as the shock and pain of the cut froze him in his place.

  “Come any closer and I’ll kill you,” she hissed.

  Ichowitz called Jack as soon as he found out that Liam had been rescued. “Thank god! Jack, how is he?”

  “He seems OK but I’m not sure. I told Kate we should take Liam to a child psychologist. I don’t know he might have a delayed reaction to what he went through, you know, post-traumatic syndrome. But Kate doesn’t want Liam to think there’s anything wrong with him.”

  “And how about you and Kate?”

  He exhaled, “You know, I’m not really sure. I screwed up and she has every right to be pissed off…”

  “Give it time.”

  “How’s your cold case coming?” Jack asked changing the subject.

  Ichowitz filled him in with the revelation about the brothers. “We’re going to question the surviving twin and see what he knows.”

  “Good luck.”

  Ichowitz and McElroy drove out to Pottstown. They found John Kastanski in the backyard of the farmhouse where he had once raised cattle that were trucked to the family’s slaughterhouse in Fishtown. He had lived there for over forty years. His older brother had relocated him following the discovery of his twin-brother Peter’s body.

  For a 93 year old, John still appeared to be in good health. The detectives quickly realized that their concern that John would turn out to have dementia like his older brother proved to be unnecessary. He greeted them with apparent resignation that his past had finally caught up with him.

  “I’ve been expecting a visit from the Philadelphia police for the past 40 years,” he said as soon as they introduced themselves.

  “Mr. Kastanski, we’r
e not here to arrest you,” McElroy replied.

  The old man stared at him surprised by this response.

  “Do you know what I did?”

  They nodded.

  “Then I don’t understand what you’re doing here.”

  “We’re hoping you can help us with our investigation of the bodies we found buried at the butcher shop and the slaughterhouse that your family owned,” Ichowitz responded.

  “And you don’t want to ask me about the other thing?”

  The detectives shook their heads.

  After questioning him for two hours they found out that his brother Paul had buried the two bodies in the cellar of the butcher shop. John didn’t know anything about Kathleen Blutarski or the Jane Doe who had been found in the slaughterhouse yard next to Lee and Sukarto. He had left Fishtown years before those young women had been buried there. He also denied knowing what happened to the two women buried in the cellar of the butcher shop.

  “Weren’t you at least curious about why your brother was burying bodies there?”

  “I trusted my brother. He’s a good man. I knew he wouldn’t hurt anyone. I figured he must have had a good reason for what he was doing.”

  “Mr. Kastanski do you know Sister Marta?”

  He nodded.

  “Did you help her place young woman from St. Laurentius with the Sisters here?” McElroy asked.

  “Yes I did.”

  McElroy showed him the list of names the old nun had given them of girls she believed had become pregnant who hadn’t asked her for help. “Do you recognize any of these names?”

  Kastanski studied the list. “They’re all from the parish.”

  “Did any of these young women find their way here for help?”

  He looked at the list once again. After several minutes he said, “I think that this one, Mary Hundzinski did. I remember her. When I asked her if Sister Marta sent her, she told me she found out about the Sisters from one of the other girls. Detectives can I ask you something about the other thing?”