When Darkness Falls

chapter 47

J ack placed the call from his own cell phone. Sergeant Paulo wanted it that way. Paulo refused to be anyone’s puppet, and Jack was more than willing to help cut the strings. If that meant calling from the mobile command center on a wireless phone that wasn’t encrypted, Jack was on board, even if he did not yet fully understand Paulo’s strategy. There was no time to debate every decision, and Jack figured that his show of trust in the sergeant’s instincts would only serve to solidify their alliance.

The phone rang several times, but Jack was certain that Falcon would answer soon enough. Falcon was using Theo’s cell phone, and Jack’s number was programmed into it. The display would identify Jack as the caller.

“Changing phones on me, Swyteck?” said Falcon.

“Yeah. I figured it was time to shake things up a little.”

“I thought that was my job.”

“We’ve got the same job. Let’s end this thing and keep everyone safe.”

“Did you get my money from the Bahamas yet?”

Jack had been hoping to avoid that matter, and the abrupt change of subject caught him somewhat off guard. “Soon,” he said, but the bluff rang hollow even in his own ears.

“You’re stalling,” said Falcon.

“No, I’m working on it.”

“You’re lying.”

“It’s more complicated than you think.”

“You stole it, didn’t you?”

“No. I didn’t steal it.”

“You stole my money, and now you think you can just keep on talking in circles.”

“That’s not true at all.”

“You stole my money, and I want it back now!”

“I just need a little more time.”

“Time? How much time do you think I’ve got here? Time is up, Swyteck. Tell me where my money is, or I swear, I’m going to-”

“It’s gone,” said Jack. He cut off Falcon before he could say the words “shoot a hostage,” which would have unleashed an immediate breach by SWAT.

“What did you just say?” said Falcon.

Jack collected himself. Paulo offered a nod of encouragement, as if to say that the truth was out, there was no taking it back, and perhaps it was even better this way. Jack said, “We went to your safe deposit box, just like you told me to. A manager named Riley met us there. When we opened the box, the money was gone.”

“All of it?”

“Yes. Even Riley was shocked. The only thing inside was a note. It was handwritten in Spanish.”

“Really?” said Falcon. The shrill edge was gone from his voice. He sounded genuinely intrigued. “What did it say?”

“It read: ‘Donde están los Desaparecidos?’ Where are the Disappeared?”

The words were met by stone-cold silence. Jack waited for a reply, and, after several moments of dead air, he wondered if Falcon was still on the line. “Falcon?” he said.

Falcon replied in a soft, calm voice, a tone that Jack had not heard in any of their previous conversations. It was a combination of pleasure and relief, punctuated with a hint of sheer joy. “She came,” he said. “I can’t believe it. She finally came.”

“Who came?” said Jack.

There was no reply.

“Falcon?” said Jack. “Who came? Who are you talking about?”

The silence on the other end of the line was suddenly more profound, and Jack realized that no response was coming. The call was over. Falcon was gone. Jack closed his flip phone and laid it on the table in front of him. He stared at it for a moment, trying to comprehend the exchange that had just ended.

Paulo said, “Not exactly according to plan, was it?”

“No,” said Jack, looking off to the middle distance. “At least not our plan.”