Jumper_ Griffin's Story Part 18

"Yes, please."

"For s.h.i.+pping or hand carry?"

"Hand carryI'm going to deliver it."

The trouble was, I didn't really recall the East Coast. We'd been there when I was very young, but I just didn't remember. I bought an Amtrak train ticket for the Southwest Chief, Southwest Chief, leaving Los Angeles in three days and arriving in Chicago fortytwo hours later. "We've got some rooms available," the clerk said. leaving Los Angeles in three days and arriving in Chicago fortytwo hours later. "We've got some rooms available," the clerk said.

I nodded. "Surethat sounds good." sounds good."

She looked at me, the young teen of indeterminate age, and said, "It is is expensive. I mean, the ticket is almost eight hundred dollars more with a room." expensive. I mean, the ticket is almost eight hundred dollars more with a room."

I began counting out hundred dollar bills and she said, "Very well. Room or roomette? The roomettes don't have their own showers and toilets, but they're not as expensive."

In the end I paid a premium for the room and then again, on the Lakesh.o.r.e Limited, Lakesh.o.r.e Limited, for the ChicagoNew York run, with a twentyfourhour gap in between. for the ChicagoNew York run, with a twentyfourhour gap in between.

I wasn't going anywhere near airportsplaces where they wanted ID. The name I had them put on the ticket was Paul MacLand, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Paully from my old karate cla.s.s.

I gave Special Agent Proctor one more chance, again catching him at his desk.

"One last chance," I told him from a pay phone near BalboaPark. "You want my cooperation or not?"

He made a slight concession. "I'll answer your questions facetoface. Not over the phone."

"Where?" I seriously considered it. After all, it wasn't as if he could hold me.

"Herein my office."

"b.u.g.g.e.r that!" I bit my lip. "I might consider someplace else. BalboaPark, perhaps? You could be there in ten minutes, right?"

"Maybe."

"You'd have to come alone."

"What, alone and unarmed?" You could cut the scorn with a knife.

"Bring as many guns as you want. Just be alone." Pause. "I've got a call scheduled. How about fortyfive minutes?"

He was stalling. "Take it on your cell on the way here." "It's the deputy director. I can't." "I did mention that this is your last last chance, right?" "But I really can't! Maybe I could cut it down to thirt" I cut him off. "I won't be calling again." And hung up. chance, right?" "But I really can't! Maybe I could cut it down to thirt" I cut him off. "I won't be calling again." And hung up.

The next morning I jumped to Universal Studios in L.A., a place I'd been with Mum and Dad. Saw the shark. I left immediately, overwhelmed by the memories.

Why should happy memories hurt more than the images in my head from that that night? night?

I caught the brandnew Red Line extension at Hollywood and Vine and rode it all the way to Union Station. My train didn't leave until the next evening, but I wanted a jump site. I sketched the funky Missionstyle clock tower from outside.

Back in San Diego I called the sheriff's department from an office phone in the county courthouse. The office was empty for lunch and the door was locked but it was gla.s.s and I could see through it. The Central Investigations Division at the main office gave me a cell phone number. "Detective Vigil is coordinating with the federal authorities." She used the Spanish p.r.o.nunciation, Veehill.

I tried the number and after five rings a voice said, "Bob Vigil."

"My name is Griffin O'Conner, Detective. I sent a sketch to your department."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Really. That's odd. The Feds seem to think you're in Europe."

Huh. The U.K. Immigration Service was talking to the FBI? Maybe through New Scotland Yard? "You got caller ID?"

"Yeah. I see you're local right now."

"Any luck with the sketch? Was it helpful?"

"s.h.i.+t, yes! The car rental company ID'd him, the guy whose car they stole in Mexico ID'd him. The Azteca Airlines clerk at Rodriguez ID'd him."

"Rodriguez? Where's that?"

"Tijuana," said Vigil. "GeneralAbelardoL.RodriguezInternationalAirport."

"Where'd he fly?"

"They don't know. She doesn't remember and the ID he used apparently wasn't for 'Kemp.' That name wasn't on any of their manifests. Flights left for several cities both in and out of Mexico. The FBI are trying for security video on the departing flights in Tijuana and arriving flights at the possible cities."

"Does Special Agent Proctor at the San Diego FBI office know this?"

"That's who told me."

b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

Vigil continued, "We surmise that Sam didn't have a phone number for youthat's why the perp's camped out there, right?"

"Camped out? At Sam's place?"

"Yeahthey were there a good week. It ties into the car rental and the amount of trash they generated. I take it that Sam couldn't just call you."

I winced. "Uh, no. I called him. I'm semiregular, but" G.o.d. G.o.d. They'd held Sam and Consuelo for an They'd held Sam and Consuelo for an entire week entire week waiting for me to call? I felt like throwing up. I wanted to race to Paris and search until I found Alejandra, to protect her. waiting for me to call? I felt like throwing up. I wanted to race to Paris and search until I found Alejandra, to protect her.

You 'djust lead them to her.

Vigil interpreted my silence. "You see it, eh?"

My breathing deepened. "Yes!"

He was tactfully quiet for a moment.

After my breathing calmed I said, "Anybody else? Have you figured how many there were?"

"Paolo saw four. He's the guy who was carjacked on Highway Two. We have some pictures of them, from the camera at the rental place. You could take a look and see if you recognize them."

"Do you have Kemp in those shots?"

"No. According to the rental agent he stayed outside. One of these other guys took care of the paperwork."

I suppose he could be one of the guys I'd encountered in the London Tube, or the Big Man in Oaxaca. My train wasn't going to leave for another twentysix hours. "I guess I could come look. Where are you?"

"I'm at Lemon Grove Lemon Grove substation. Your number looks like its downtown, yes?" substation. Your number looks like its downtown, yes?"

"I'm at the county courthouse."

"I'm going to the main office. I could meet you someplace closer to downtown."

Well, he had answered my questions, unlike Proctor, and I wanted to see the picturesthe other faces.

"Okay. The main library on E Street."

"Right. Take me twentyfive minutes, okay? Just inside?"

"Sure. Are you in uniform?"

"No. I'll have a red folder with the picturesI'll wave it. I'm Hispanic, about two hundred pounds, and I've got on a brown suit, no tie. Cleanshaven. Well, I was this morning."

"Right."

I jumped to the little staff parking lot behind the central branch library and walked around to the front. For a moment I stood under the covered entranceway on the sidewalk, looking around, but it was just a busy San Diego San Diego weekday. I went inside and found a place where I could watch the door from behind a circular book display rack and lean against a wall. weekday. I went inside and found a place where I could watch the door from behind a circular book display rack and lean against a wall.

Lots of people moved in and out through the doors in the next thirty minutes. Finally, as advertised, a man in a brown suit came in, a thick red file folder in his hand. He was holding it in front of him chest high.

I pushed off the wall and went to meet him. As I pa.s.sed the reference books I heard a step and twisted to my left to see a man lunge out from between the shelves. Something flashed in his hand and I felt a pressure on my back ribs, then excruciating pain. His hand, and the flas.h.i.+ng metal, came back for another stroke, toward my stomach, and I was gone.

I staggered across the uneven floor of the Hole and fell to one knee. When I tried to lift my left hand to feel back there, I screamed, and dropped it again. Where my arm rested against my leg, I could feel the cloth was soaked. I couldn't even twist to look down but I tilted my hand and saw blood on the fingers.

I needed a doctor, urgently, before I bled to death, but I also needed to avoid the places I frequented. Going to hospital in London London could be quickly fatal. Definitely in could be quickly fatal. Definitely in San Diego San Diego, too, or the clinic I knew in La Crucecita. I managed to stand though the effort caused my sight to darken and the room to spin. I found myself staring at my sketches, pinned to the sheets of plywood.

There.

It was early evening in Hondarribia, but the old quarter was well lit, and when I sprawled facedown on the pavement, the red mess on the back of my pale s.h.i.+rt apparently stood out very well, for the last thing I heard was a woman screaming and a man's voice saying, "Por la sangre de Cristo!" "Por la sangre de Cristo!"

Indeed.

I woke up lying on my stomach, my head tilted to one side. My back didn't hurt as much but someone was tugging on it. I started to s.h.i.+ft and a hand pressed down on my shoulder. A man's voice said, "No te muevas! lEntiendes?"

I settled back down. "Entiendo." "Entiendo." After a minute I asked where I was. " After a minute I asked where I was. "Donde estoy?"

"Mi clinica. Soy el doctor Uriarte. Elpolicia te trajo." The police brought me, eh? I thought about what was in my pockets. Just money. English pounds, some francs, some U.S. dollars. Maybe an art eraser. No IDnot since my pa.s.sport had been confiscated by UK Immigration. The police brought me, eh? I thought about what was in my pockets. Just money. English pounds, some francs, some U.S. dollars. Maybe an art eraser. No IDnot since my pa.s.sport had been confiscated by UK Immigration.

"Treintanueve puntadas," Dr. Uriarte announced. Dr. Uriarte announced. "Por todo." "Por todo."

Thirtynine st.i.tches. He'd obviously numbed it but my imagination made it itch and ache and tingle all at once. He dressed it.

He helped me to sit. I was naked. My s.h.i.+rt, pants, underwear, my shoes, my socks, were all in a corner, in a b.l.o.o.d.y pileeven my shoes had blood on them. I had an IV in my left arm, some clear fluid running down the tube. The room spun and he kept his hands on my shoulders until I said, "Bien." "Bien."

He put a dressing on and fastened it by taping all the way around my ribs, watching me carefully to make sure I didn't fall over, "Usted recuerda ser atacado ? " "Usted recuerda ser atacado ? "

Well, yes, I did remember being attacked but I shook my head. "No. Sucedio muy rapido." "No. Sucedio muy rapido." It happened too fast. It happened too fast.

He took a plastic bag from the far counter and started to hand it to me. "Tenga su dinero "Tenga su dineroare you American?" He'd noticed the dollars. His English was thickly accented but colloquial.

"British," I said.

"Oh. Your Spanish sounds like Mexico Mexico."

I nodded. "Yeahthat's where I learned it."

"I went to school in Texas Texas," he said. "BaylorMedicalSchool."

"Ah. I've lived in California California. I'm a little cold, Doctor."

"Oh, forgive me." He pulled a cabinet open and took out an examination robe. "I'm a pediatrician. My clinic is near where you were mugged and I live next to it. I'm afraid I st.i.tch up a lot of the local bar fighters." He took out the IV and helped me put on the robe. "What hotel are you staying at?"

"None. Only just arrived."

"Oh, so they stole your pa.s.sport. I was hoping it was at your hotel."

I shook my head.

"The nearest British consul is in Bilbao Bilbao. I think they can issue emergency pa.s.sports."

I nodded.

"You need to be very carefulI st.i.tched together three different layers of muscle. No exercise for four weeks, and then some physiotherapy." He pursed his lips. "It could've been much worse. I think they were going for your kidney. You would've died within minutes."

I remembered twisting around at his movement. Yeah, he missed. Yeah, he missed. But if he hadn't, it wouldn't matter how fast I'd jumped? "I would've bled to death?" But if he hadn't, it wouldn't matter how fast I'd jumped? "I would've bled to death?"

"Oh, yes. The renal artery is very big. Only immediate attention in a trauma center could have saved you. Your attacker must've been a very desperate man."

I blinked. "I'm not feeling much."

"Oh, you will. You'll need something for the pain. I'll write you a script."

"And the st.i.tches?"

"Ten days. The internal ones will dissolvedon't worry about them."

"Okay."

"If there is redness or discharge or swelling, get to a hospital."

"Okay. How much do I owe you?"

"You don't have insurance?"

"No."