Dead Even

Chapter 20

THE CROWD OUTSIDE THE OFFICES OF WAYNE & PORTNOY was much calmer than Sara had expected, but it was still tenacious. Refusing to disperse, the evacuated workers gathered around the door, angling and elbowing for the best view of the action.

“Damn city turns every disaster into a spectator sport,” the officer grumbled as the police car slowly made its way through the ever-growing crowd.

Even before the car came to a complete stop, the officer had his door open. When they were as close as they were going to get, about half a block from the building, he let it fly wide and jumped out of the car. Guff quickly followed. Sara didn’t move.

Turning around, Guff stopped. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“But what if he-”

“Sara, you have to face it sooner or later. It’s the only way to find out.”

Nodding, she knew that Guff was right. As Sara got out of the car, Guff took off after the police officer, who was making his way toward the building. Following in the direction of her assistant, Sara fought her way through the tightly packed crowd. Within seconds, though, she lost Guff, who was too short to stand out. “Guff, wait!” she called out. It was too late. He was gone. Jumping up to get a better view, Sara caught sight of the police officer. He was holding his badge in the air and was almost at the front entrance of the building. But just as she moved toward him, she caught a glimpse of someone rushing away from the building and in the opposite direction from the crowd, approximately a hundred feet to her left. She could only see him from behind, but his athletic gait was unmistakable. Sara stopped dead in her tracks. “Jared?” she called out.

If the man heard her, he wasn’t stopping. Craning her neck, Sara struggled to get a better look, but the crowd was too thick. “Jared!” she shouted again. He still didn’t stop. Pushing through the crowd, Sara followed the figure. Forget about it, she told herself. It’s not him. But as she watched his perfectly combed brown hair disappear in the sea of bystanders, she couldn’t ignore the resemblance. At the top of her lungs, she let out one more scream. “JARED, IT’S ME!”

Suddenly, the man turned around and Sara’s mouth went dry. Their eyes locked for an instant. That was all it took. It was him. Without a doubt, it was her husband. Before Sara could even register a response, Jared turned and ran. “Jared, wait!” she shouted as the crowd seemed to envelop him.

Using her outstretched arms to wade through the masses of people, she fought to catch up with him. He was weaving in every direction, seeming to use the confusion to his advantage. “Jared!” she shouted, barely able to see him. “Please don’t do this!” But Jared still didn’t stop. And as Sara frantically collided with bystander after bystander, she realized she was starting to lose him. Between the endless crowd and the advantage of Jared’s own speed, he was slipping away.

As Jared headed farther away from the building and down Seventh Avenue, Sara completely lost sight of him. Panicking, she pulled out her badge and waved her hand in the air. “Police!” she yelled. “Stop that man!” Although not a single person reached out to stop him, they did make it easier for Sara to maneuver through the crowd. Once they started stepping out of her way, she was able to fly through the wake of people Jared was leaving behind.

When she reached Forty-ninth Street, Sara stopped. Jared was gone. She looked down Seventh Avenue, but it didn’t look like anyone was running there. Maybe he’d turned on Forty-ninth, she thought. Then she heard someone shout, “Watch yourself, asshole!” and spotted an angry man coming out of the entrance to the subway, looking over his shoulder. There. She darted down the concrete stairs, raced underground, and promptly encountered another mob of people. Judging by the size of the crowd, it appeared that everyone who was not still swarming in front of the building was trying to take the subway. Running past the long line that stretched out from the token booth, Sara hopped over one of the turnstiles.

She was stopped by a transit employee. “Sorry, not without a token,” he said as he held her by the arm.

“Get the hell off me,” Sara said, pulling away. “My husband-”

“Lady, I don’t care who your husband is, you’re not-”

She shoved her badge in front of his face. “You want to talk to my boss?”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were a-”

But before the man could finish, Sara was gone, running down the subway platform. It took her only another thirty seconds to find Jared. He was forcing his way through the crowd toward the edge of the platform. Since most of the crowd was now standing still, waiting for the train to come, Sara could see that there were two other people running with him. When she was an arm’s length away, she realized who they were. And when she realized who they were, she also realized why Jared had been running.

“You never give up, do you?” Rafferty asked. Standing behind Jared, he turned just enough to show Sara that he was holding a gun to Jared’s back. Next to Rafferty was Claire, who looked miserable.

“Are you okay?” Sara asked her husband.

“Yeah,” he said. Turning to Rafferty, he added, “Let Sara go.”

“Not a chance. Now I get an extra hos-”

“He’s got a gun!” someone shouted as chaos enveloped the crowd. Within seconds, everyone else on the platform scattered, racing for the turnstiles.

Using the confusion to her advantage, Sara reached for the gun in her right pants pocket.

“Don’t do that,” Rafferty warned. He shoved Jared out of the way and pointed his gun at Sara. “I’ll decorate the walls with you.” He was disheveled, sweating.

As Jared stopped himself at the edge of the platform, Sara froze. Seeing the gun aimed at his wife, Jared did the same.

“Now give it to Claire,” Rafferty said as people continued to scramble from the platform.

Claire reached out for the gun, but Sara hesitated. “You don’t have to do this,” Sara said.

“Shut up,” Claire shot back. She took the gun and led Sara toward the edge of the platform, near her husband.

As Sara and Claire walked in front of Jared, Sara shot him a desperate look. They had to do something.

Determined to save his wife, and unable to get a clear view of Rafferty, Jared made his decision. Just as Claire passed him, he kicked her in the back of the knees, sweeping her legs out from under her. Hitting the floor with a jolt, she dropped her gun. Wasting no time, Sara lunged at Rafferty, whose gun was now pointed at Jared.

Rafferty got off a single shot, then turned his gun on Sara. But before he could pull the trigger, Sara plowed into him, connecting with a swift knee to the groin. The gun flew out of his hands, but she was too late – he had already shot at Jared. And as Rafferty doubled over in pain, Sara registered her husband’s scream.

“Jared!” she shouted. She turned around, but he was nowhere in sight. She ran back to the edge of the platform. He was lying on the train tracks. Blood ran from his shoulder. “Jared, are you okay? Can you hear me?” she asked.

He didn’t answer. From the vacant look on his face, she could see he was in shock.

Behind her, Sara saw Claire helping Rafferty to his feet. On her right, near the edge of the platform, was Rafferty’s gun. She looked back at her husband. He was just starting to shake off the effects of his injury. Get the gun, she told herself. Jared’ll be fine. But as she moved for the gun, she heard the jarring electronic tone that signaled the imminent arrival of an incoming train. Leaning over the platform, she could see the train’s lights in the tunnel. There wasn’t much time. Jared was still lying there. So was the gun. She had to pick one. The choice was easy.

She braced herself on the edge of the platform and was about to leap down to the tracks when she felt Rafferty grab her by the hair. As Sara was yanked backwards, she managed to spin around. She lashed out uncontrollably. “Get off me! I’ll kill you!” She clawed at his arms, then his face – anything to make him let go. Taken aback by her ferocity, Rafferty released her and crouched to get his gun. Sara knew she had to be quick. At the edge of the platform, she could see the incoming train barreling toward the station. It was too close. There was no way she’d be able to get in and out in time. “Jared! Stand up!” she shouted.

Jared followed her instructions and tottered to his feet. His legs felt like they were stuffed with rubber bands, and as the pain set in, the smell of his own blood made him nauseous.

“You’ll be okay,” Sara said. “Take my hand.” Dropping to her stomach, she extended her arm down to Jared. The ground was vibrating from the motion of the oncoming train, and as the noise got louder, the nearby rats scattered.

Jared reached up and grabbed his wife’s hand. But before she could pull him up, Sara saw Jared staring over her shoulder. Someone was behind her. She turned around and looked up.

Rafferty pointed his gun at her. With a cold look in his eyes, he glared at Jared. “Let go of her.”

“Don’t do this,” Sara begged.

Rafferty didn’t answer. He could see the bright lights of the train as it emerged from the tunnel. “Say hi to Sara’s parents for me.”

The train was only seconds away. This was Jared’s last chance to climb out. He didn’t care, though. He wasn’t going to put her at risk. Letting go of Sara’s hand, Jared pulled away from his wife.

“What’re you doing?” Sara yelled, her voice barely audible above the train.

“He’ll kill you!” Jared shouted back.

“I don’t care!” Sara screamed, still holding out her arm. “Get back here!”

The train was right there. As Jared searched the space below the platform, Sara knew he wasn’t going to make it. They were out of time. It was impossible to hear anything but the shrieking of the train’s wheels against the rusted tracks, but that didn’t stop Sara from shouting one last “I love you” to her husband.

“Jared!” she pleaded. “Jaaaared!” At the last possible moment, Sara pulled her arm up and rolled away from the edge. And as he watched the train swallow Jared, Rafferty stepped back and smiled.

Claire ran for the doors when the train stopped. “Let’s go!” she shouted at Rafferty.

“No.”

“What are you talking about? Let’s get out of here!”

“Not until I see his body.”

“Not until you… Oscar, this is our chance! Let’s go!”

“Forget the train. This is more important.”

“Stop being so obsessed with them! We can-”

“Go if you want, but I’m staying. I’m not risking any more loose ends.”

As the train doors chimed to close, Claire hesitantly returned to Rafferty. “We’ll leave as soon as you check it out, right?” she said.

Without responding, Rafferty approached the edge of the platform as the train pulled out of the station. Leaning over and examining the tracks, all he saw was the blood from Jared’s shoulder wound. Maybe the train had pushed him to the other side of the – But before Rafferty could complete his thought, he saw Sara charging at him.

“You killed him!” she screamed. When she smashed into Rafferty, he dropped his gun and, caught off balance by the impact, went flying over the edge of the platform. But as he fell, he managed to catch hold of Sara’s jacket. Before either of them knew what was happening, they had plummeted to the tracks. Rafferty hit first, and Sara landed on top of him. Sara, wild with rage, was the first one up. As Rafferty struggled to rise, Sara grabbed him by his hair and rammed her knee into his face. “You psychotic piece of shit!” she screamed. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Rafferty’s answer came in the form of a single backhanded punch that hit Sara in the side of the face and sent her straight to the ground. Raising his hand to strike her again, Rafferty didn’t see Jared’s fist until it was too late. “Don’t. Touch. My. Wife!” Jared growled as his knuckles crashed into Rafferty’s jaw. Sara retraced her husband’s steps to the narrow crawl space that had saved his life. Created by the pedestrian ledge that extended from the platform over the edge of the tracks, the tiny gap was just deep enough to protect her husband.

Using his good arm, Jared hit Rafferty in the stomach. And again in the face. And again in the stomach. For every restless hour, for every frustrated moment, for every ounce of fear he and Sara had suffered, Jared was determined to pay Rafferty back. Eventually, he grabbed Rafferty by the collar of his shirt and stared at his beaten face. Then a single gunshot sounded. Jared slumped to the floor.

Sara saw blood pouring from her husband’s back. She wheeled around. Claire was standing on the platform and holding Rafferty’s gun.

“Jared!” Sara screamed, rushing to his side.

“Oscar, are you okay?” Claire asked.

Rafferty nodded, struggling to catch his breath. He reached up and reclaimed his gun from Claire.

“Jared, speak to me!” Sara cried. “Please speak to me!”

Jared didn’t say a word. But as Sara hunched over him, she caught a glimpse of the leather ankle holster that Barrow had given her husband. Carefully, she reached down, hoping to get her hands on the small pistol.

“Nobody move!” a police officer yelled as he raced down the platform. He pointed his gun at Rafferty. Guff followed behind the officer.

Rafferty pointed his gun at Jared and Sara. Claire picked up Sara’s gun and did the same. “Let us out of here now, or I’ll kill them both!” Rafferty shouted from the tracks. “I swear!”

“I don’t negotiate,” the officer said. He aimed his gun at Rafferty and inched his way farther down the platform. “And you’re in no position to make demands.”

“Oh, no?” Rafferty asked. “Between you and your sidekick, you have one gun. We have two. If you try and shoot one of us, the other’s going to kill the happy couple. I’d say that’s a damn good position.”

Looking down at Sara and Jared, Guff saw that Sara was hiding the small pistol right below Jared’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him,” Guff said.

“I’m not joking,” Rafferty warned.

“You do what you want,” Guff said confidently. “But if you try to hurt them, he’s going to blow both your heads off. He’s going to start with her and end with you.”

Unnerved, but refusing to budge, Claire kept her gun pointed at Sara and Jared.

Guff turned to the officer. “Can you make the shot?”

“I’ll make it,” the officer said.

“I’m warning you – don’t fuck with me,” Rafferty said. “You have three seconds to decide. One…”

Nobody moved.

“Two…”

Still nothing.

“Thr-”

“Her gun’s empty!” Sara shouted.

“What?” Claire asked.

“It’s empty. I emptied it before I left the office.”

“She’s lying,” Rafferty said.

“No, I’m not,” Sara insisted. “They wouldn’t let me take it out until I emptied it.”

Claire looked down at her gun. Her hands were trembling.

“Claire, fire it at me,” Sara said. “There’s nothing in there.”

“Don’t believe her, Claire!” Rafferty shouted. “She’s a liar!”

But as the tears rolled down Claire’s cheeks, she lowered her gun. Guff grinned at Rafferty. “Now what was that you were saying about one gun versus two?”

Rafferty kept his gun pointed at Sara, while the officer kept his gun pointed at Rafferty. “I’m not going to jail,” Rafferty said.

“Actually, you are,” Guff said. “The only thing you have to decide is whether you’re going to be riding there in a cop car or an ambulance.”

“That’s not true,” Rafferty said. “I’ll hire the best lawyers in the city.”

Sara knew he was right. He’d hire the best money could buy. And with the fingerprint gloves, they’d have plenty to work with. She looked down at Jared, who was still bleeding in her lap. No, she told herself. She couldn’t let Rafferty walk.

“You can get any lawyer you want,” Guff said. “All you have to do is give us the gun. You do that, and you’ll be in a much better position to get out of this.” Realizing he had Rafferty’s attention, he added, “You know I’m right. It’s the only smart thing to do.”

“This isn’t an easy case,” Rafferty said as he took his finger off the trigger. “With the right defense team, I’m off the hook. I’ll make bail by-”

“You think you’re making bail?” Sara blurted. “The judge isn’t going to allow bail for this. That cold-blooded murder of Conrad-”

“That wasn’t me!” Rafferty shouted, once again raising his gun.

“And let’s not forget what you did to Elliott and Kozlow, and Arnold, too.”

“She’s just trying to rile you,” Guff said.

“Don’t listen to him,” Sara said, still hiding Jared’s gun. Jared’s breathing became labored. She didn’t have much longer. “Once we have you, you’ll never see sunlight again.”

“Oh, I get it,” Rafferty said. “You figure if you enrage me enough, I’ll actually try and shoot you. And if I do that, this cop gets to put a bullet in my brain.” He shook his head. “I’m walking out of here, I’m making my one phone call, and I’m sleeping in my own bed tonight.”

“Not a chance,” Sara said, raising her voice. She could feel Jared shaking. “They’ll never let you out!”

“Sara, shut up!” Guff yelled.

“It’s a death penalty case!” Sara screamed. “You’re getting the death penalty!”

“Good-bye, Sara,” Rafferty said, lowering his gun. “It was lovely to make your acquaintance.” As he approached the edge of the platform, Rafferty raised his arm and held out his gun to the officer. The officer reached down to take it. But before the officer could even react, Rafferty pulled the trigger and shot him in the stomach. He then turned his gun toward Sara.

In one fluid motion, Sara pulled her gun and fired. Three consecutive bullets ripped into Rafferty. Two in his chest, one in his shoulder. As he staggered backward, Sara fired another shot. And another. And another. She pulled the trigger again, but heard only a click. Click. Click. Click. Rafferty continued to stumble. When he lost his footing on the train tracks, he fell backward and his body crashed to the ground. It wasn’t until that moment that Sara finally took a breath. The threats, the frustration, the angling and manipulation – they were all finally gone.

Hearing a soft moan from her husband, Sara dropped her gun and cradled Jared’s head in her arms. Right there: That was why she did it. “I need an ambulance!” she shouted. “Please!”

Blinking back into consciousness, Jared opened his eyes. “Did we win?” he whispered.

Her eyes welled up with tears. “Always the competitor.”

“Just answer me.”

She thought about Conrad. “Yeah,” she sobbed. “We won.”

“Terrific,” Jared whispered.

“Are you okay?” Sara asked.

“I’m not sure. I can’t feel my legs.”