Couples
Chapter 121
Setting up his Canal Street stake-out, Jack studies real-time infra-red satellite scans of the underground. What is that moving streamer of heat? It's similar to a subway train but with a much shorter profile. A private transport? He's heard about trains used as conveyances from one covert facility to another. If that's the way Azra is getting in and out, observing the subway entrance won't buy him a thing. What he needs to do is find out what's at the other end of the hidden tracks.
He shifts satellite views. "RESTRICTED!" flashes in red on his screen. Hell! His clearance isn't high enough! There are very few intelligence operatives in the world with anything higher, and they're pretty much all at the director level. If Azra is involved with what's going on, it has worldwide implications – big ones. Jack can hook into the Metropolitan Transit Authority's video surveillance of the subway station, just in case Azra might come through it. But he doubts that will happen.
If Azra's involved with an operation that's this high level, she'll be as heavily protected as the participants. In a way, that's comforting. Whatever agency is involved will be doing its best to keep her safe. But by keeping away unwanted eyes, they'll be blocking his view as well.
As soon as he accesses the MTA feed, Jack's got some research to do. Older tracks and whole stations lie below the level of those presently in use. If maps still exist, they'd be in the archives of the Hall of Records. If, as he suspects, the undocumented transport took over a previously abandoned line, the route will be marked. And if he can find it, it won't matter if a satellite view is restricted or not. He'll have an inventory of possible stops. From there, he can figure out what buildings above them are potential hives of covert government activity.
Leaning against a stainless steel prep table in the Imagination Patch kitchen, Christine takes a deep breath. She hadn't been wrong about expecting a crush of customers on Black Friday. She's been part of the consumer rush herself. So she understands how exhausting as well as disappointing it can be to dash for deals – only to find them gone. Eventually, she decided that Cyber Monday yielded as many bargains with a lot less effort. But some of the customers seem to genuinely enjoy bucking the crowds for discounted treasures. The number of calories the effort burns is good for business. And what's good for business keeps her employed.
As she expected, Auchincloss is spending the day at Pot Pie Palace. He's serving savory offerings his customers can dig into to restore both energy and enthusiasm. Successful shoppers can also celebrate with sweeter treats. The menu is limited compared to what comes out of Imagination Patch, but Auchincloss put his heart and soul into perfecting every item. It's very early to tell, but so far, his plan seems to be working.
As long as Madison is with her in the Imagination Patch kitchen, the two of them can turn out whatever the front of the house needs to fill orders. Between waves of shoppers, they've even been able to catch a break now and then, such as at the present moment. However, neither she nor Auchincloss will have any time to work on Kitchen Klash. They've tentatively set aside a couple of hours early Sunday morning. So much for her one day of sleeping in.
Esposito vaguely hoped that Bambi would come back to his apartment with him after they left Abuela Maria's home yesterday. But it didn't happen. However, she did offer a consolation prize – even if he doubts she looked at it that way. Her preschool is closed until Monday, so she has the day off. It's a rarity, but so does he. Bambi proposed skating at Central Park's ice rink.
In Esposito's neighborhood growing up, ice skating wasn't much of a thing. But in college, he had a roommate who'd grown up in Canada and was a hockey fanatic. The game's fast action captured Esposito's attention enough that he was willing to learn the basics of getting around on blades. He wasn't bad at it. And he has taken a couple of girls skating, as much to see the short-skirted outfits as anything else. But he can get along at a rink. And if skating is what Bambi wants, he's willing to take her. And if he's lucky, they can cuddle up together afterward to get warm.
"Can you believe Lily slept more than eight hours straight!" Kate exclaims, pointing her bare toes and stretching her arms above her head.
"It scared me," Rick confesses. "I went into her room to make sure she was breathing OK and wasn't running a fever or anything. Thank God for non-contact infrared thermometers. She was fine. I guess we finally found something that would tire her out. Nothing like performing for adoring relatives. Shoving down all the toddler-sized pieces of turkey everyone kept putting on her tray probably didn't hurt either, although I read an article saying the tryptophan thing is a myth. Getting sleepy on Thanksgiving has a lot more to do with overeating, especially on carbs. And she put away plenty of stuffing and yams too. But she'll probably burn it all off in the corral. Too bad you have to go into work later, we could take her somewhere."
"Uh-huh, but I promised Ryan I'd cover for him. Montgomery wanted him to take the three to eleven, but he has a family thing. He and Jenny were with her folks yesterday, so he's going to be with his sister and her kids today. His brother-in-law, the one with the celebrity security company, has a job out of town. So Ryan thought the family should have a guy around for at least part of the holiday. Normally, he and Espo do a thing when they're off together, but …."
"Bambi," Rick fills in. "That man is falling so far he thinks he's flying. I know the feeling. I just hope he doesn't land with a crash."
Kate pulls herself up against the headboard. "I don't think he's going to crash. When we saw them at the zoo, the way she was looking at him was exactly how he was looking at her. She's just as caught as he is. I wonder how long it's going to take for them both to figure it out?"
"If they were on T.V., I'd say 42 minutes, max. And in a romance novel, it would have to be by the last page. In real life, who can tell?" Rick grins. "But it will be fun to watch them realize what everyone around them already knows."
Jack is amazed by the lack of dust on the huge map book in the city archives. He wouldn't have expected many people to be looking up ancient subway routes. So he examines the old-fashioned sign-out card in the back. These days, anyone who checks a reference out has to swipe an I.D., but before the city put the new system in place, signing your name was enough. Richard is one of the names on the list. It figures. The agent's author son used the underground labyrinth in at least two of his books that Jack can think of. In one, Derrick Storm had to break into a bricked-up side-tunnel to rescue a kidnapped child. As far as Jack can recall, the other instance involved a cult of body snatchers. It wasn't in one of Richard's more successful books.
Jack flips through the newsprint-sized pages until locating the map he wants. Sure enough, there was an old set of tracks leading uptown. As far as he can tell, they terminate around 34th street, about where the long-defunct Kresge's used to be. Maybe the old store was more than it seemed. In any case, a structure in that location now will be more than it appears. But hopefully, Azra spends time in whatever it is.