“Thanks, Dad,” Zak said carefully handing the note back. “I liked that a lot…about being in the arena.” Then he yawned. “Time for me to go to bed. The team is counting on me.”
Karp took the note. “This is yours, now,” he said. “But I’m going to go get it framed so that it doesn’t fall apart. You may want to give it to your kid someday.”
Now, the game was almost over. With a “hut hut,” the ball was snapped and the quarterback faded to his left with Zak pulling out in front of him. The play was a swing pass to Zak out in the open and five yards down the field.
Only twenty to go, Karp thought as his son caught the ball and made the first tackler miss. Then Zak was headed for the sideline, sidestepping another defensive player bent on mayhem and turning up field in front of his father. There was only one boy to beat. The other team’s middle linebacker, who had battled Zak all day to a draw.
Karp could see that the linebacker had the angle on his son and would catch him somewhere around the ten. He leaned forward to look, not realizing that he’d blocked the sideline ref’s view.
Then several things happened. The defensive player launched himself at Zak, who spun out of the other player’s grasp, but his momentum clearly carried one foot out of bounds. Zak knew it, too, as he was looking at his foot when it crossed the line.
However, the refs didn’t see it although the linebacker immediately pointed to where Zak had stepped out of bounds. Karp groaned and looked at the sky; Zak’s team was going to win, but it would be a tainted victory.
Then when he looked down, he saw the most amazing sight. His son was standing a yard from the end zone. All he had to do was fall forward and victory was his; he’d be carried off the field on the arms of his teammates. The hero.
Instead, Zak knelt and put a knee on the ground as the linebacker ran over, still trying to make the game-saving tackle. But the other boy pulled up when he realized what Zak was doing and instead tapped him on the shoulder pad. The game was over; the other team had won. The linebacker held out his hand; Zak took it and was helped to his feet. The boys gave each other a tap on the helmet and walked to their respective sidelines.
As the other side erupted in celebration, Zak walked alone across the field, his teammates and the spectators on his side stunned and quiet. Then the coach stormed onto the field and got in his face. “What in the hell do you think you were doing?”’ the man screamed.
“I stepped out of bounds at the ten,” Zak said. “The ref should have seen it.”
“Should have, but he didn’t,” the coach ranted. “That’s their problem. You blew this for us, Karp.”
“It wouldn’t have been the right thing to do,” Zak replied.
“Right thing to do?” the man swore. “Jesus Christ, who the fuck do you think you are?”
“He’s my son,” Karp said, walking up and inserting himself between the man and Zak. “And if you so much as open your mouth again with anything other than an apology, I’m going to knock you stone cold out.”
The man started to open his mouth, thought better of it, and stalked off the field.
“I’m proud of you, kiddo,” Karp said hugging Zak’s helmeted head.
“Yeah,” Zak said. “Well, I’m sort of proud of me too. Hey, Dad?”
“Yeah, Zak?”
“That was really cool when you said you’d kick his…”
Also by Robert K. Tanenbaum
FICTION
Resolved
Absolute Rage
Enemy Within
True Justice
Act of Revenge
Reckless Endangerment
Irresistible Impulse
Falsely Accused
Corruption of Blood
Justice Denied
Material Witness
Reversible Error
Immoral Certainty
Depraved Indifference
No Lesser Plea
NONFICTION
The Piano Teacher:
The True Story of a Psychotic Killer
Badge of the Assassin
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A Pocket Star Book published by
POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
Copyright © 2004 by Robert K. Tanenbaum
Originally published in hardcover in 2004 by Atria Books
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Atria Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0-7434-5289-5
ISBN: 978-0-7434-9404-5 (eBook)
First Pocket Books paperback printing June 2005
POCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798 or [email protected].
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Hoax Page 54