Part 38 (2/2)

The police squads--Lynch and his men, the warehouse precinct men, and the Safe and Loft Squad--had set up a careful cordon around the area, and were now hard at work trying to determine two things.

First, they had to know whether there was anybody in the building at all.

Second, they had to be able to locate anyone in the building with precision.

The silence of the downtown warehouse district helped. They had several specially designed, highly sensitive directional microphones aimed at the building from carefully selected spots around the area, trying to pick up the m.u.f.fled sounds of speech or motion within the warehouse. The watchmen in buildings nearby had been warned off for the time being so that their footsteps wouldn't occlude any results.

Malone waited, feeling nervous and cold. Finally Lynch's voice came through again. ”We're getting something, all right,” he said. ”There are obviously several people in there. You were right, Malone.”

”Thanks,” Malone said. ”How about that fix?”

”Hold it a second,” Lynch said. Wind swept off the river at Malone and Boyd. Malone closed his eyes and s.h.i.+vered. He could smell fish and iodine and waste, the odor of the Hudson as it pa.s.ses the city. Across the river lights sparkled warmly. Here there was nothing but darkness.

A long time pa.s.sed, perhaps ten seconds.

Then Lynch's voice was back. ”Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone,” he said. ”Can't tell how many for sure. But they're talking and moving around.”

”It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance,” Malone said.

”Just a general feeling of noise is all we get,” Lynch said. ”But it does some good.”

”Sure,” Malone said. ”Now listen carefully. Boyd and I are going in.

Alone.”

Lynch's voice whispered, ”Right.”

”If those mikes pick up any unusual ruckus--any sharp increase in the noise level--come running,” Malone said. ”Otherwise, just sit still and wait for my signal. Got that?”

”Check,” Lynch said.

Malone pocketed the radiophone. ”Okay, Tom,” he whispered. ”This is it.”

”Right,” Boyd muttered. ”Let's move in.”

”Wait a minute,” Malone said. He took his goggles and brought them down over his eyes, adjusting the helmet on his head. Boyd did the same. Malone flicked on the infrared flashlight he held in his hand.

”Okay?” he whispered. ”Check,” Boyd said.

Thanks to the goggles, both of them could see the normally invisible beams of the infrared flashlight. They'd equipped themselves to move in darkness without betraying themselves, and they'd be able to see where a person without equipment would be blind.

Malone stayed well within the shadows as he moved silently around to the alley behind the warehouse, and then to a narrow pa.s.sageway that led to the building next door. Boyd followed a few feet behind him along the carefully planned route.

Malone unlocked the small door that led into the ground floor of the building adjoining. As he did so, he heard a sound behind him and called, ”Tom?”

”Hey, Malone,” Boyd whispered. ”It's--”

Before there was any outcry, Malone rushed back. Boyd was struggling with a figure in the dimness. Malone grabbed the figure and clamped his hand over its mouth. It bit him. He swore in a low voice, and clamped the hand over the mouth again.

<script>