LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter 2

      Marty Keegan felt the cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He didn’t need to check who was calling him because there was only one person who knew the number. The cell was a burn phone, purchased ten days ago when Ray Logan had taken himself off the grid and vanished. Keegan eased out of his seat, walking away from his desk and out of the squad room. As he reached the corridor outside he eased the phone from his pocket and keyed the button to accept the call.

       “Hey, Ray,” he said.

       Logan’s voice sounded tired. “I was ready to switch off,” he said.

       “Sorry, buddy. I had to get out of the squad room before I answered.”

       “You got anything for me?”

       “Brenner and Dunn are acting like a couple of nervous old ladies. I’d be surprised if they’re not in with Fitch. They’re just standing around in a huddle and they break off if anyone goes near them. They came into the squad room last night looking like drowned rats. Dunn had a fat lip, like someone had punched him out. Don’t know what they’d been up to.”

       “They were laying in wait for me near my hotel,” Logan said. “Damn near let them take me, too. I slugged Dunn and managed to break away and run through an alley. Thought I was clear until I almost got myself run down. One of those bastards put a couple of slugs in me and I would have been finished if the driver of the SUV I ran into hadn’t fired back at them, thrown me into his car and drove off.”

       “You hurt bad?”

       “I’ve been in better health.”

       “Where the hell are you, Ray?”

       “Not quite sure. Out of the city. I’m not being vague, buddy. I just don’t know. I passed out a few times. When I came round the last time I was in a bed, bandaged up, hurting like crazy. The guy from the SUV told me the bullets had been removed. Racked up my shoulder some and one had cracked a couple of ribs. When I asked him he told me a doctor had dealt with me. Gave me blood. Pumped painkillers into me and left instructions that I wasn’t to be moved for a few days. Said I had some kind of infection.”

       “Ray, you listen to yourself. This all sounds weird.”

       Keegan wasn’t sure how to interpret what his partner was telling him. He had known Ray Logan for a long time—enough time to understand the man was not given to flights of fancy. If he heeded Logan’s story it was because the man was straight down the line.

       “It’s true. On my life, Marty. It’s all true.”

       “So who is this guy, Ray?”

       “He doesn’t give much away,” Logan said. His voice was becoming softer, the words almost whispered. He paused to take a breath. “All I know, buddy, is he saved my life. He’s in the kitchen making coffee right now.”

       “I got to ask, Ray. You trust this guy? I mean you…”

       “Yeah, I trust him. Hard to explain but he makes it so you can’t do anything but trust him. Something about the way he talks. I know I only met him a few hours ago, but…what the hell, Marty, the guy pulled my ass out of the grinder.”

       “You say he had a piece? Took a shot at Brenner and Dunn? I got to give him full marks for that. So what is he? Another cop? Some kind of Fed? Ray, he isn’t setting you up is he? Playing games while he’s really working for Senator Kendal?”

       “Marty, if he worked for Kendal I wouldn’t be calling you like I am. I’d be tied to a chair while Kendal’s lowlifes beat the shit out of me. This guy told me he works special assignments for some agency. Operates on his own. Marty, there was no way he knew I would show up when I did. Hell, I didn’t know where I was going when I took off. I’m just grateful it happened.” Logan went quiet for a minute. “You heard anything from Rachel and Tommy?”

       “Sorry, pal. Nothing since I got them relocated. You know the way we played it. Out of the city. Way up country where she feels comfortable. No contact unless she makes it. I keep the location secret. Even from you.”

      “Damn.”

       “We have to keep this in play. You don’t know where she is, so you can’t spill. Until I can figure out how to get your evidence into the right hands we need to keep this way deep.”

       “I know. You realize what this is doing to me, Marty? If anything happens to them…”

       “I’ll keep Rachel and Tommy out of harm’s way. Promise.”

       “Hell, I know you’ll look after them…”

       Logan’s voice faltered, dying to a whisper. His body was forcing a shutdown. Weakness from his wounds and the effects of the painkillers.

       “I won’t give up on this, Ray. Look at it this way. Rachel is a smart girl. You told her to lose herself. That’s what she’s done. As long as she stays out of sight so does your evidence.”

       Keegan heard a low, mumbled whisper, then the phone cut off. He stared at his cell, then dropped it back in his pocket. “You hang in there, buddy.”

       Through the partition window of the squad room he could see that Dunn and Brenner were looking in his direction. He moved away down the corridor. The pair of cops were paying him too much attention. They knew he was not only Logan’s partner, but a longtime friend. He was going to need to stay alert. Return the favor and keep his eyes on them.