Part 5 (2/2)
”He who excuses himself accuses himself. I'd rather return my attention to Coltrane.”
Jack sighed. ”You're still the same control freak. Still deciding whether or not a conversation or situation has ended. Let me guess.
Your existence is still calculated and divided into time slots. Have you even taken off your watch since 2002?”
”You'd have known the answer to that if you hadn't gone, Houdini.”
Jack laughed and Chase did her best to keep a straight face.
Despite her justified acrimony with Jack, she missed their banter and easy familiarity. No one used to know her better. ”And the answer is no,” Chase added.
Jack laughed harder and Chase allowed herself a smile.
”I need to swing by my place at some point to pick up a few things. I have an apartment in the city. We can stay there if we're here long,” Jack said.
”I'm going to ignore that proposition.” Recalling the messiness of Jack's room at the EOO dorms made her shudder.
”Okay, so I need to tidy up.”
”How long since someone cleaned in there?”
”About a month.”
”Hotel it is.”
”But I can-”
”One more word and I'm calling the WHO.” They both laughed.
”Are we okay now?” Jack asked.
”No, Jack. We'll never be okay again.” They had to be civil if they were going to work together, but Chase didn't intend to make this easy on Jack. She turned up the radio.
* 53 *
* 54 *
ChaPter Five.
Was.h.i.+ngton, DC Andrew Schuster anxiously caressed the roll of quarters in his palm as he waited for the dual parking slots beside the Pennsylvania Avenue gas station to empty. When they did, he straddled both s.p.a.ces with his Lincoln Continental to reduce the chances anyone would overhear his conversation.
He dialed the number he'd memorized into the lone pay phone outside the building and dropped the requisite change into the slot.
After two rings, the line picked up. ”How can I help you?” Andrew cupped his palm over one ear to minimize the noise of the street traffic. ”I'm calling for...the Broker.”
”Speaking.”
”I was informed you could help me.”
”Start by telling me what you need.”
”My son's liver is failing,” Andrew said. ”Familial amyloidosis.
We've been on a waiting list for almost three years. His health started to rapidly decline a month ago and the situation turned critical last week. We can't afford the luxury of waiting any longer. He's fading by the day.” His voice cracked. ”I'm afraid he's given up.”
”I understand. It's a tragedy to have a child in pain.”
”Neither my wife or I is a viable candidate.” Andrew would never be able to let go of the guilt. His son was going to die and it was his fault.
* 55 *
”How unfortunate.”
”I'll do anything to save his life.”
”Of course.”
”Anything,” Andrew repeated. ”It has to be immediately.”
”We deal only with direct and full amount electronic payments.
Is that a problem?” the Broker asked.
”No.”
”The price is two hundred thousand.”
”No problem.”
”The receptor's age?”
”Seven.” Andrew could hear the clicking of a computer keyboard in the background.
”His blood type?”
”A positive.”
”Let me see if I can help you.”
More clicks. Andrew broke out in a sweat waiting for the answer.
A minute that seemed to last a decade pa.s.sed before he got a reply. ”Congratulations, I have a part for you.” Andrew sagged against the brick wall of the station and blew out a loud breath. ”Thank you, G.o.d.” If he weren't in public, he'd have let the tears of relief fall.
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