Chapter 72

Chapter 72— Jack tries to comfort 

his fallen friend

9:36 p.m., Thursday, December 29

Reginald had fallen flat on his face, and was stretched out on the sidewalk right where Jack left him. Jack placed his fingers on Reginald’s neck, searching for pulse. He adjusted his probing fingers several times, but could detect nothing.
Jack then rolled his friend over. It was immediately obvious from his dilated pupils, that Reginald was dead.
Jack just sat there for several moments, staring into the emptiness that now owned his friend’s eyes. He bent over Reginald’s face, placed his face against Reginald’s cheek, and held it there for several long moments. He then sat back again, gazing up into the New York night. Without even looking at his friend again, he felt around until he found Reginald’s cooling hand, and held it tightly between his, and wept.
As far as Jack was concerned, time was standing still. He was totally oblivious to what was transpiring around him. He didn’t hear the sirens growing ever closer. He didn’t even notice the black SUV, with darkly tinted glass, that had bolted over the curb and had pulled up within a few feet from where he sat with Reginald on the cold, damp concrete.
“Roger sent us to clean up,” a man said, as he jumped out of the vehicle. Jack had seen this fellow before. He never knew his real name, always referring to him as “Scarface,” for obvious reasons.
Before Jack had time to react, another man had ran around from the other side of the SUV, and the two of them were lifting Jack up and almost tossing him into the grasp of a third man inside the vehicle.
As soon as they had pulled Jack in, the two men then snatched up Reginald’s body, and rolled it into the rear hatch, which the driver had opened. They closed the hatch, and jumped in the vehicle.
Jack looked back at his daughter, who was still leaning against the tree where Reginald had placed her.
“Kate!” Jack cried out. “You can’t leave my daughter behind! We have to go back for her!”
“There’s nothing you can do for her—she on her way to the hospital. This is what Roger ordered. … Staying with her, or taking her with us—it would raise too many questions,” the driver said. “Roger has this under control. Kate is okay, but we’re getting her to the hospital for observation. … Mark, he’s the man with your daughter right now. Mark is briefing her on her story.”
“You’re sure she’s okay?” Jack asked.
“Mark is one of our best,” the driver re-assured Jack. “If he says your daughter is okay, she’s okay. For sure she is in good hands with Mark. … And she’s headed to the hospital.”
The driver paused for a moment, and then continued. “You’ve got to understand what’s at stake here, Jack. It’s imperative that you be left out of this. And the same goes for Reg and Roger. … Kate’s bright, she will appreciate the ramifications in this for her, and her department, if you are tied to this.”
“Kate knows nothing about what I do or who I know,” Jack responded.
“And we’re gonna keep it that way,” the driver said. “Anything that gets you involved in this business with Kate would ultimately drag Roger into it too. And who knows where that could go. … It has to be handled this way.”
“What hospital you taking my daughter?” Jack asked.
“We’ll let you know,” the driver said. “First we have to get you cleaned up. We’ve got a room for you at a hotel by LaGuardia. According to their records, you’ve been there since the 25th. We’ve moved your stuff in there, and have a car parked in the garage under your name. It is also dated from the 25th. We’ve got to separate you from all that went down over by Penn Station. … And this, too.”
“You got messed up, Man.” one of the men observed. “How bad you hurt? I see you got some blood in your hair, and a very nasty lump on your head. Any bullet holes we don’t know about?”
“I’m not hurt,” Jack said. “I just breathed too much smoke.”
“We’ve got to get you out of those clothes before you get to the hotel,” Scarface said. “You can’t walk in looking and smelling like this.”
“He’s about your size,” the driver said. “Switch with him. And help him get washed up, too.”
The man sitting beside Jack immediately started removing his clothes, and so did Jack. When Jack handed the man his bloody shirt and jacket, the man just wadded them up and tossed them in the back. “I don’t think I’ll be needing these,” he said.
Using a bottle of water, and his undershirt, Jack washed the blood off his face and hands, and put on the fresh shirt and jacket.
“You’ve still got blood on the back of your left hand,” Scarface told Jack. “Once you get that off, I think you’ll be fine until you get to your room.”
“Here’s the card for your room,” Scarface said handing Jack the mag-striped plastic card. “And here’s the keys for your rental. It’s parked on level three, section two. Just hit the remote, and you will find it. It’s a black Chevy Tahoe. I also wrote your room number on the key card in case you forget it. I suspect you are still in shock. I would be.”
Jack took the key card and the car keys from Scarface, and examined them. “You guys think of everything,” he said.
“We have to,” Scarface said, “if we want to keep working for Roger. … I’m also giving you a new cell phone. Roger’s orders. He does not want you using your cell phone anymore. ... Same number, just some additional security built in. … Once you get settled, Roger will call you, and we’ll go from there.”
“And you’re gonna fill me in on Kate?” Jack asked.
“Sure will,” Scarface said. “Most likely Roger will give you that info. Probably you will be able to see her yet tonight.”
“Maybe,” Jack said. “Sure bet the cops are going to be de-briefing her as soon as possible. I might not be able to talk to her until after they’re done.”
“Probably so,” Scarface said. “Just remember, you were not on the scene when Kate was rescued. Just let Kate fill you in on all the details. She will be the source of all your information. Go along with what she says.”
Just then the driver’s cell phone rang. “It’s Roger,” he said, checking the caller id. “Yes, Rog,” he said.
There followed a period of silence lasting for nearly a full minute. Finally the driver asked, “And just how badly is she injured?”