by Matthew Dunn
“She gets into the vehicle. So does the man, and so do two of the five walkers.”
Will saw Ben’s Range Rover Sport driving toward him at speed and in the wrong direction on the one-way street. The car skidded a little as it came to a stop, and he jumped into the vehicle. Ben said nothing and drove on.
Will depressed his pressel switch to speak to Roger. “We’re mobile.”
“You’re in luck. They’re moving toward you along Pearl Street.”
Ben braked, and their four-wheel-drive vehicle shuddered to a halt. Will looked at Ben and saw that the man was staring ahead grimly. He also saw Ben’s hand reach down next to him toward the vehicle’s handbrake and a sawed-off Remington 870 shotgun.
Roger sounded nearly breathless. “You should be able to see them at the Pearl Street and Franklin Street intersection any moment . . .”
Ben looked in his rearview mirror.
“. . . now.”
Ben forced their vehicle backward at speed and swung it around to face the intersection. He moved the car quickly forward, and they reached the intersection in seconds. They turned right onto Pearl Street, driving in the wrong direction on the one-way street for about one hundred meters before Will could see the large Dodge Durango. Ben had the windshield wipers at maximum power to try to aid his vision through the snowfall, but the weather was becoming so bad that the car ahead of them appeared and disappeared with each movement of the wipers.
Ben muttered, “We’ve got to get closer to them.”
They watched the vehicle turn right onto Milk Street, and for a moment they didn’t see it at all. Ben made the turn so that they were on the same street. Will frowned. The Dodge was stationary and had its hazard lights flashing.
“Fuck. I’ve got to keep driving.” Ben kept the vehicle moving forward, and Will knew that he was doing so because to stop would look suspicious.
They drove steadily toward the Dodge, and Will didn’t dare look at it as they cruised past the target vehicle. As they reached the next intersection, Ben turned right onto Oliver Street and stopped their car. “Get out and get close to their vehicle on foot. Something’s wrong.”
Will walked steadily back up Oliver Street until he was at its junction with Milk. There were sufficient pedestrians and other vehicles on the route for him not to seem out of place, and he scanned left and right before crossing. That brief look had allowed him to see inside the target vehicle. His heart began pounding as he reached the other side of the road, but he kept his pace normal, and instead of walking toward the Dodge he continued up Oliver Street until he felt sure that he couldn’t be seen by anyone in the vehicle. He spoke to Roger. “There’re only two people in the target vehicle, and our lady’s not one of them.”
“Damn. Laith, move up Pearl Street. Ben, get onto Federal Street and wait there. Julian, move up the Harbor Walk until you’re parallel with Oliver Street. Will, you’re the only man to the north, so cover what ground you can there in case she’s gone in that direction.”
Will thrust his hands into his pockets, where he could feel his handgun. He walked quickly but could not run now for fear of tripping over Lana and her two Iranian custodians. He moved west along Kilby Street, Hawes Street, then Congress Street before turning east along Exchange, then Water Street, then turning south on Broad Street and then west again, so that he was back where he’d started. On this route he had seen two buses, eighteen moving cars, sixty-three pedestrians, and one Boston PD vehicle, but he had not seen what he was looking for. Snow fell around him, and he cursed the weather and everything else. He spoke to Roger. “Nothing.”
“Understood. Ben, anything?”
“Nothing.”
“Then we must assume she’s traveling back toward the harbor. Laith, stay still on Pearl Street. Julian, don’t move. I’m going to Batterymarch Street. Will, I need you in Christopher Columbus Park to the northeast, and get there fast.”
Will moved now with no care for accidentally betraying his presence to the Iranian team. He ran back up Kilby Street and along State Street and Atlantic Street until he was at the small harbor-adjacent park. He bent forward and placed his hands on his knees while inhaling rapidly. Then he stood upright and looked around. Children were throwing snowballs. Adults stood nearby watching them. But there was nothing else. He kicked at snow.
“Possible sighting.” The voice belonged to Laith.
Will froze and quickly pressed a hand against his hood and the earpiece beneath it. He waited and counted in his head. He ignored the freezing air that came from the harbor waters to hit his face. He ignored all things that were not relevant. He listened and waited for Laith to speak again.
“One woman and two men. They’re walking toward my position, but on the other side of the street.” Laith’s voice was quiet, and Will strained to hear him over the wind and the city noises. “I can’t yet confirm it’s them.”
Will took two involuntary and pointless steps forward while continuing to hold his hand against his head. Nobody else spoke. They would all be waiting for Laith to speak again.
“Getting closer. Give me ten seconds.” Laith’s voice was even quieter.
Will counted the seconds. He imagined that his whole team would be doing the same.
“It’s them. It’s definitely our lady.”
Will inhaled deeply.
Roger’s voice was instant and urgent. “Laith, let them pass and then follow. Julian, get alongside Seaport Boulevard. Ben, get your vehicle onto Atlantic Avenue and hold wherever you can. They might go mobile again.”
“Where do you want me?” Will pictured the layout of the area they were in.
“Stay where you are.”
“I should be closer to her.” Will could feel the tension in his own voice.
“Stay where you are.”
Will was about to speak again when he heard Laith’s voice. “They’re going straight toward the harbor.”
Will felt useless. He looked along the Harbor Walk before him, but he knew that Lana and her escorts would be at least nine hundred meters away from him.
Julian spoke. “I see them. They’re coming right at me.”
“Okay, Julian. Laith, hold back and let Julian pick up the slack.” Roger’s voice sounded calm again. “I’m holding position to their northwest in case they double back.”
Will walked back and forth to get his circulation moving.
Julian spoke again. “They’re breaking left along the Harbor Walk.”
Will stopped moving. Lana was walking toward his position along the harbor.
“I’m ahead of them.” Julian sounded relaxed. “Suggest you put two others in so that we have a three-man perimeter around them.”
“Agreed,” replied Roger. “Laith, get in behind. I’ll move in closer to cover their west.”
Will smiled for the first time on this day. Lana and her shepherds were now trapped between Julian, Roger, Laith, and the waters of Boston Harbor. He listened to commentary from Laith and Julian.
“She’s on Rowes Wharf.”
“She passes the Boston Harbor Hotel.”
“Three members of the team have just overtaken me. They’re joining our lady and the other two.”
He heard Roger’s voice. “I’ve got one man heading toward them along East India Row.”
He heard Ben speak. “I’m in position on Atlantic, but it’s difficult to remain static here. Hold.” Will heard engine noises behind Ben’s voice. “The Dodge Durango has just passed me. But it’s going slow.”
“A mobile extraction is still probable.” Roger’s voice was no longer calm.
“She’s just broken right onto the Central Wharf.” Laith’s voice was also tense. “Julian, you should have her.”
Julian’s voice responded immediately. “Of course. Our lady and team are sixty meters behind me. They’ll be passing the aqua
rium now.”
Will stamped his feet against the cold. Children were still playing around him, and their noises were interspersed with the whistles of the harbor’s winter wind. He looked out at the water and saw that despite the blizzard and the cold and the rocky sea, the place was alive with vessels carrying cargo and tourists and workers. He rubbed ice from his face and turned back to look at the Harbor Walk. Its zigzag path and intervening buildings prevented Will from having a clear sight of it, but he knew that Lana was now only two hundred meters away from him and less than a hundred meters from Long Wharf. He stared at the pier and saw Julian walking slowly toward him. He heard Roger speak.
“I see her stop. I see one of the team speaking to her. I see that man pointing. I see four other team members move in close around her.”
Laith spoke. “I’m at stop one hundred meters behind them. What’s happening?”
“Not sure.” Roger’s voice sounded as uncertain as his words. “Everyone hold position.”
Will watched Julian stop. He saw him reach into a pocket and knew that he would be caressing a weapon.
“There’s some discussion taking place.” Laith’s voice was strained. “One of them tries to put his hand on our lady’s arm. She shrugs it off. She waves arms in the air. The man tries to touch her again. Two other men move close to her. Something is wrong.”
Will frowned. He pictured the maps of Boston that he’d studied the previous night. He pictured the road routes out of the city. He pictured the alleys and side streets that could be used to move people quickly away on foot. He remembered the timetables and the layout of the city’s subway system. He remembered the same for its public bus company. He pulled back his jacket hood so that frozen air could course over his head. He looked at the tourist families playing around him, and he looked back out at the harbor. He felt his stomach churn as he realized what was happening, and he reached for his pressel switch. He spoke very quickly. “The ferry. They’re keeping her on Long Wharf because that’s where the ferry terminal is. Either Megiddo’s coming in on the next ferry or they’re taking her out on it.”
“Which is it to be, Will?” Roger’s voice sounded as annoyed as Will’s thoughts felt.
Ben spoke. “The ferry goes from Long Wharf to Charlestown Navy Yard in the north. It’s a ten-minute crossing, but if you want me at Charlestown, you’d better tell me now, because this weather is killing the roads.”
“Which is it to be, Will?” Roger’s voice was now loud.
Before Will could answer, Laith spoke. “I can see the ferry coming in. It will berth in two minutes.”
“Will?”
The icy air was now causing the bullet wound on Will’s head to throb. He ran his fingers through his hair and stared out at the harbor. He saw the ferry and could tell that it was slowing to come alongside the jetty. He desperately tried to think and define the correct course of action. If Megiddo was on that boat, Lana would signal that it was him by taking off her fur hat. If that happened, Will needed every available resource around Megiddo on Long Wharf. And if he sent Ben ahead to Charlestown now, he’d be taking a huge risk, as he’d be diverting the team’s only mobile resource. But if he held back from deploying Ben to Charlestown and Lana did subsequently get on the boat, he would have lost invaluable time. There was no correct course of action.
Will spoke to everyone. “We wait to see if he’s on the ferry.”
“That’s cutting it fine, Will.” This was Ben. “If he’s not on the ferry and she gets taken on board, I can’t guarantee I can make the route to Charlestown before it reaches there.”
“Will’s given us his decision, so we stay here.” Roger’s voice was firm. Will wondered, though, whether Roger agreed with him.
The ferry moved alongside the pier. It bobbed up and down a little with the swell of water before ropes secured it fast against the jetty structure. People came off the boat. Will scoured Long Wharf, but from his position in the park a large jetty building prevented him from seeing Lana or the Iranians. He watched more passengers disgorge from the vessel, and then he saw no more people.
“Our lady’s being ushered toward the ferry.” Roger’s tone sounded neutral. “He’s not here. All six of them are taking her on the boat.”
Will stomped on the ground in anger. He spoke to Ben with no attempt to hide the urgency or frustration in his voice. “Come and get me, Ben. The rest of you follow her onto the boat.”
Roger spoke. “Will, if we put the whole team on there, chances are we’ll be spotted by the Iranians. The vessel’s too small. Do you want to take that risk?”
Will could not take that risk. If the Iranians discovered that Lana was being followed by others, everything would be lost, because Megiddo would suspect that she’d set him up.
“Julian, get on the boat. Everyone else, get onto Atlantic Avenue for collection by Ben.”
Will sprinted out of the park and stopped on the adjacent road. He turned and looked back at Long Wharf just in time to see the ferry leaving. He checked his watch. He glanced back along the road.
“I’ve got Laith.” Ben spoke loudly over the noise of his vehicle.
Will checked his watch again. The ferry now had nine minutes to reach its destination. Cars were moving very slowly along the road before him. Some had their hazard lights on, and in the distance to his right Will could see multiple rear taillights, meaning that traffic was grinding to a halt somewhere along the route they needed to take.
“Roger’s with me. We’re on our way to you, Will.”
The ferry would be reaching Charlestown in eight minutes.
“Okay, we see you.”
Will squinted through the blizzard, looking to his left. Multiple headlights were moving along the road, and he looked at them all to try to ascertain which ones belonged to Ben’s vehicle. He saw a car drive diagonally across the roadway and at a much faster speed than the others around it. The car’s headlights flashed twice, and as it came to within twenty meters of him, a rear door opened. The car slowed and moved alongside him but did not stop. Will ran alongside it and jumped through the open door. The vehicle immediately lurched forward at speed, and Will could feel its tires struggling to maintain their grip on the road. He pushed himself back into the seat. Roger was next to him, and Laith sat next to Ben in the front. Nobody spoke at first.
They had six and a half minutes to reach their destination.
Will looked at Roger. “I made the wrong decision.”
Roger removed a handgun from his jacket. “It could have been the right decision if he was on that boat.”
Will peered ahead. Laith was talking quietly to Ben.
“Stay on Atlantic Avenue. Switch lanes in fifty. Commercial Street joins us from the left. We’re now on Commercial Street. Massachusetts 1A joins us from left. Progress through crossroads, traffic ahead slowing. Change lanes. Change back again. Take the gap between the two vehicles ahead.”
Will placed his left hand on the back of Ben’s seat so that it exposed his watch. They now had a maximum of four minutes to reach their destination.
“Traffic slowing. We’ll have to take every gap we can. Move left, vehicle on your right. Accelerate. Now decelerate, move ahead, road goes forty-five left. Charlestown Bridge is in one hundred forty meters. Take the next gap at speed. Slow now. And accelerate.”
With his right hand, Will removed his handgun. He heard Julian’s voice. “Clock’s ticking. I can see our jetty at the Charlestown Navy Yard.”
Ben said nothing as he drove. He was clearly totally focused on his task and on the words coming from Laith.
“We move onto the bridge. Traffic looks lighter for one hundred. Make up ground now.”
The car sped forward, and Will wondered how Ben was managing to stop it from careening off its route.
They now had two and a half minutes.
“Take the inside of
the bus. Move right. Heavier traffic, try to make that gap—correction, too narrow. Go left and progress.”
“What do you want me to do, Will?” Julian’s words were hushed.
Will leaned forward to speak to the men in the front of their vehicle. “Are we going to get there in time?”
The men ignored him, and Laith carried on coaching Ben. Will sighed, because he knew they could not give him an answer. All they could do was focus on covering ground as quickly as possible.
“We’re slowing up.” Julian could barely be heard. “We’re nearly there. Do you want me to stop them from getting off the vessel?”
Will punched the seat before him.
Julian spoke again. “It’s decision time again, Will. Do you want me to intervene?”
Will looked ahead. They were nearing the end of the bridge and would soon be turning right into Charlestown.
“Our ferry will be there in thirty seconds. Do you want me to intervene?”
Will glanced at Roger while hearing Laith continue his instructions.
“Going ninety degrees right now onto Chelsea Street. Six hundred fifty meters to destination. Multiple traffic ahead. Shit.”
Their car slowed quickly and then stopped behind a wall of stationary vehicles.
Ben looked over his shoulder at Roger. “No way through.”
Roger instantly opened his car door and shouted, “Laith and Will, with me on foot! Ben, do what you can to meet us there in the vehicle!”
Will opened his door, shoved his weapon into a pocket, and ran. As he did so, Julian spoke again.
“We’ve stopped. If you want me to do anything, now’s the time to say so.”
Will’s hand flew to his pressel switch. “Nothing. You’re outnumbered, and she might get killed in the cross fire. Do nothing.”
He moved with Roger and Laith between vehicles and over thick plowed snow. Cars were sounding their horns, presumably to try to get traffic moving, and some drivers had exited their vehicles and were looking ahead down Chelsea Street. Will dodged between cars and people and ran as fast as he could around the barriers ahead of him. Over the noise of the cars and his own rapid breathing, he heard more of Julian’s words.