The Survivor
Page 36
Pavlo held on with all his strength. He looked into Nate and must not have liked what he saw, for his grin ossified on his face, a skeletal grimace.
Nate tugged his wrist back, testing the strength of the handcuffs.
Then he gave the faintest of smiles.
WHAT WAS FOUND
Funny how fallin’ feels like flyin’
For a little while.
—Otis “Bad” Blake
Shevchenko, Pavlo Maksimovich
? – November 2
Overbay, Nathan John
AUGUST 10, 1976 – NOVEMBER 2
Nathan John Overbay died Friday of injuries sustained in a fall. On October 23, Nate played a heroic role in thwarting a robbery at the First Union Bank of Southern California, likely saving many lives in the process. The aftermath of that event found him targeted by the criminals behind the failed heist. A statement released by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office credits Nate’s courageous actions with leading investigators to a cache of incriminating evidence that helped break up the criminal ring.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nate attended UCLA on an ROTC scholarship before serving in the U.S. Army. Upon completion of military service, Nate became a Professional Crisis Responder with LAPD, where he was highly regarded by his colleagues for his empathy and commitment.
He is survived by his father, his loving wife, Jane, and his daughter, Cielle.
Epilogue
Morning light suffused the kitchen, bleaching the walls, buffing the counter to a high shine and lending the room a bright afterworld tint. Wearing the pressed blouse and plaid skirt of her private-school uniform, Cielle perched on one of the barstools, spooning oatmeal into her mouth and staring thoughtfully through the wide doorway into the living room. Above the mantel the old family portrait hung at a minor tilt. She and Janie had restored it to its rightful place the previous night in a quiet impromptu ceremony. There had been no words, just the two of them working in concert to balance on the stool, lift the heavy frame, and guide the hanging wire home.
Afterward they’d stood for a time gazing up, holding hands.
Now Cielle breathed the morning quiet and ate her breakfast. Her face was as pretty as ever, and full, though not as full as it had been.
Footfalls descended the stairs, and then Janie emerged, rubbing one eye with the heel of her hand and stifling a yawn. Passing behind Cielle, she gave her daughter’s neck an affectionate squeeze, and Cielle caught her hand and clasped it. Janie paused, followed Cielle’s stare across to the portrait, and they took a collective moment. The three of them preserved in a crisp photograph, cracking up, the frame still slightly askew.
Janie started up the coffeemaker, leaning over it on locked arms as it percolated, and then she filled her mug and sipped, her eyes wistful. Cielle finished her breakfast, washed the bowl in the sink, and they headed together for the garage. The door closed behind them.
A moment later it opened again.
Cielle came back in, crossed to the living room, and, lifting a solitary finger, straightened the family portrait. She studied it a moment, her features heavy with remembrance, and then a private memory flickered beneath the surface, firming her cheeks, bringing up an incipient smile. She jogged back out, lighter on her feet.
The door swung shut.
The sun lifted above the east-facing windows, softening the quality of light.
The house sat at peace.
Acknowledgments
As always, I consulted a number of experts in the course of writing this book, and I’d like to thank them for their time, support, and impressive brain power. Lauren Crais, for matters legal and prosecutorial. Melissa Hurwitz, M.D., and Bret Nelson, M.D., for matters medical. Philip Eisner and Maureen Sugden, for matters editorial. Greg Muradov, for introducing me to the culinary inclinations of our antagonists. Dana Kaye, my tireless publicist, who applied an even temperament and a dogged spirit throughout. Joseph Flueckiger, Omar Valdemar, and Alan Hill, security professionals who took me through the gritty realities of bank robberies. Scot Spooner, Green Beret and former member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, who helped me rig up a nasty IED. Chris Brenes, former lieutenant at SEAL Team One, who painted a picture and walked me inside it. It almost goes without saying that all errors in the book are mine alone.
Gratitude must also be extended to my attorneys, Stephen F. Breimer and Marc H. Glick, as well as to Rich Green at CAA and my team at Aaron Priest. I am thankful daily for my editor, Keith Kahla, and the rest of the folks at St. Martin’s, including publisher Sally Richardson and Matthew Baldacci, Loren Jaggers, Matthew Shear, and Martin Quinn. My UK publisher has done a spectacular job on my behalf—many thanks to Daniel Mallory, David Shelley, and the others at Sphere who have worked so hard.
A final tip of the hat to Delinah Raya, there for me in countless ways with a tranquil outlook and an irrepressible smile.
Also by Gregg Hurwitz
The Tower
Minutes to Burn
Do No Harm
The Kill Clause
The Program
Troubleshooter
Last Shot
The Crime Writer
Trust No One
They’re Watching
You’re Next
About the Author
Gregg Hurwitz is the author of twelve novels, most recently You’re Next. In addition to his novels, he is a producer and writer for television and has written for both Marvel and DC Comics. He lives in Los Angeles.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE SURVIVOR. Copyright © 2012 by Gregg Hurwitz. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover photograph of men © Martin Barraud / Getty Images
Cover design by Jerry Todd
www.stmartins.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Hurwitz, Gregg Andrew.
The survivor / Gregg Hurwitz. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-312-62551-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-00972-2 (e-book)
1. Veterans—Fiction. 2. Psychological fiction. I. Title.
PS3558.U695S87 2012
813'.54—dc23
2012013914
e-ISBN 9781250009722
First Edition: August 2012