The Discarded

CHAPTER 9

The moment Eli heard the doorknob turn he closed his eyes, hoping his captors would leave him alone if they thought he was asleep.

The slap to his face told him otherwise.

“Mr. Becker. Your attention, please.”

He recognized the voice as belonging to the woman who had called herself Tina, though he now doubted that was her real name. She’d followed him off the elevator at the Azure Waves Hotel when he was returning from his errand. She’d acted drunk at first, but once the doors had closed after the other riders got off, she had sobered up in a hurry and shoved a gun into his side, telling him to take her to his room.

Once inside, he’d felt the sting of a needle, and the next thing he knew, he was here — wherever here was — strapped to a gurney and wearing only his underwear.

The woman slapped him again. “Mr. Becker, I know you’re not asleep.”

As he reluctantly opened his eyes, she grabbed his chin and tilted his head up so she could lock her gaze onto his. “Are you listening?”

He nodded.

“Good,” she said. “Overtake. The name familiar?”

Eli tried, really tried, to keep his face blank, but his eyes couldn’t hide the truth.

“So that’s a yes,” she said. She let go of his chin and straightened up. “Here is what’s going to happen now. You will tell me everything you know about Overtake. After you do, you can go home. Nod again if you understand.”

As he nodded, he whispered, “I don’t really know anything.”

She smiled. “We both know that’s not true.”

“I swear, I don’t. I’ve heard the name, yes, but that’s all.”

She leaned forward again, not stopping until her face was a few inches from his. “You will tell me everything I want to know,” she said. “The more you cooperate, the less painful it will be for you. So, Overtake.”

She stared at him, waiting for a response. When he said nothing, she shrugged. “Very well,” she said, turning for the exit. “I’ll be right back. Just need to fetch one of my colleagues. We’ll see how long you can hold out once he starts in on you.”

His eyes stayed on the door as it closed.

He knew that no matter what he said, she would never let him go.

So say nothing, Abraham’s voice whispered in Eli’s head.

If only it were that easy, he thought.

What does easy have to do with it?

He had no answer for that.

While waiting for Orlando to call back, Abraham returned to the Azure Waves Hotel and made his way up to room 721.

According to the hotel registry, Eli had booked the room for three nights, meaning it was possible it had not yet been cleaned and given to someone else. Abraham listened at the door and heard only the quiet of an empty room. Working not quite as quickly as he had before he retired, he disabled the lock and let himself in.

In the bathroom he found a used towel dumped on the floor, dry to the touch. It had been there since at least early that morning, long before any new guests would have been assigned the room. Therefore, Eli must have dropped it there the night before.

Abraham moved into the bedroom. The only evidence that anyone had been there was the rumpled cover on the bed. If his friend had come with any luggage, it was gone. About the only good news was that Abraham saw no signs of a struggle or any bloodstains.

His phone vibrated. He yanked it out and raised it to his ear. “Orlando?”

“You expecting someone else?” she asked.

“Were you able to figure out where it went?”

“I was.”

“Well?”

“Abraham, I’m going to ask you again. What’s going on?”

“I told you, it’s…a favor.”

“A favor,” she repeated, not sounding convinced.

His jaw tensed. “Are you going to give me the information or not?”

“I want to know what you’re getting yourself into. You’re too old to be messing around in anything dangerous.”

“What I’m up to is not your business. If you don’t want to help me, that’s fine. I’ll find someone else who will.”

“Abraham, you know you can tell me anything,” she said.

He tried to rein in his frustration. “I know that. And I realize you’re only trying to do what you think is best for me.” He paused, knowing this was getting him nowhere. “I apologize. I…I shouldn’t have involved you.”

Before she could say anything, he hung up.

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Dammit, dammit, dammit.”

A second later Orlando called again. He sent her to voice mail.

It didn’t matter that she was right and he was too old to be messing around. He had no choice. He had involved Eli in the search for information about Tessa and now Eli was in trouble because of that.

The phone vibrated again, and once more he rejected the call.

With his former apprentice no longer an option, who else could he ask? He stared across the room, thinking. The vast majority of his contacts weren’t working anymore. They were either dead or living out what time they had left in peace and quiet. Anyone still in the business would likely barely remember him.

There has to be someone.

His phone beeped. Not a call this time — a text.

Of course it was from Orlando. What was unexpected, though, was the content of the text — an address in Moss Point, Mississippi. As he was reading it, a second message came in.

Be careful

He sent her a reply.

Thank you.

Orlando read the text from Abraham.

“Well?” Quinn asked.

She turned the phone so he could see.

“He’s going there, you know,” he said.

“I know.”

“Maybe this Charles Young guy is just an old friend he’s trying to track down.”

Her look indicated she didn’t believe that for a second. Neither did Quinn, for that matter. If it were that simple, Abraham would have told them what was going on instead of going all George Smiley.

“How involved do you want to get?” he asked.

“It’s Abraham,” she replied.

Of course it was. Abraham had brought her into the business, helped her become who she was. Which meant Quinn owed him a huge debt, too, because if Abraham hadn’t given her a chance, Quinn and Orlando would have never met.

“Do we know anyone in the area?” he asked.

“Winger was working out of New Orleans last I checked,” she said.

“Right. Marguerite Caron might be there, too, if she’s not on a job.”

“I’ll call them. See if one of them is free.”

Quinn put his hand on her back. “See if they’re both free. While you do that, I’ll check on flights for us.”

She kissed him hard. “Thank you.”