The Nightmare Thief. Meg Gardiner

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СКАЧАТЬ Grier along. “Hey, I’m a U.S. Marshal. If anybody plays with handcuffs, it’ll be me.” She tucked a finger under Grier’s belt. “And I’m talking to you.”

      Grier popped the collar of his shirt. “You won’t get me. I pay people off. That’s my job. If I can’t, I run.”

      Kyle looked like he was trying to keep a straight face. “If you like shackling prisoners, Miss Mackie, shouldn’t you be wearing a police uniform?”

      She smiled, patently coy. “You like handcuffs?”

      He smirked and poked up the brim of his cap. “Knots are more my style.”

      Autumn pushed Peyton forward and climbed out. “Move, Mackie.” Before you start doing a pole dance.

      Candlestick Point State Recreation Area was virtually deserted. The grass was unmown. The trees were gnarled by the wind. On the sand at the water’s edge, a man was performing tai chi. In the distance an elderly couple ambled along, pushing a baby stroller that held their tiny white poodle.

      Past the glittering water, on a spit of land that protruded into the bay, giant loading gantries and cranes stood idle at the abandoned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. On the bay, a container ship steamed toward Oakland, its wake as white and frothy as cake icing. The wind battered Autumn’s hair away from her face. She pulled on a Marine Corps utility cap and smoothed down her gold cashmere sweater.

      She inhaled the strong sea air and shivered. All at once she felt great.

      Dustin came up behind her and nuzzled her neck. “Last kiss before battle?”

      She leaned her head back. “Last kiss till one of us takes the other as a prize.”

      On the asphalt next to the limo, Grier and Noah shadowboxed. Lark’s phone rang, and she answered, “Reiniger Cartel World Headquarters, Sobieski the Assassin speaking. How may I direct your call?” Then, giggling, “Hi, Mom.”

      Kyle scanned the parking lot, one hand steepled over his brow. After a minute he reached inside the Hummer and took out a walkie-talkie.

      “Ritter calling base.”

      Static.

      “Ritter calling base, come in.”

      More static. He got his phone, made a call, and frowned. Autumn knew that look. It was the one she got when she called her father. Voice mail.

      She tugged on Dustin’s sleeve. “All that crap from my dad about getting here on time, and we have to stand around waiting for the game to start?”

      Dustin shrugged. His smile was slippery, like it had been oiled. “They’re going to spring things on us. It’s cool.”

      “Ask the driver what’s going on.” She pinched him. “Dustin. This is boring.”

      Dustin raised his hands in submission and walked toward Kyle. “Hey, man, thought your team was supposed to be waiting for us here. What’s going on?”

      Kyle looked up, sheepish behind his sunglasses. “Coordinating with HQ.” He frowned again at his phone. “It’s just . . .” His lips, full and red, had constricted. He looked baffled.

      Autumn crossed her arms. “Where are the other game runners?”

      Ritter raised his hands, a mollifying gesture. “Guys, I’m as new to this as you. Let’s just ride it and see what happens.”

      “New?” Autumn said.

      He smiled, greasy and uncertain, trying to play it. “I’m Edge’s most recent addition to the team.”

      “You’re brand-new on the gig?” Dustin said.

      “First time for everybody, man. It’s no biggie. And I’m sure this delay is just a glitch.” Kyle gave one more beseeching glance at his silent cell phone.

      “Are you telling us we came to the wrong place?” Dustin looked around, weaving.

      Autumn’s voice rose. “This has been planned for months. And you came in at the last minute?”

      The others stopped horsing around and walked over. Noah said, “What’s going on?”

      Autumn pointed at Kyle. “Did you screw up? Because if you did, my dad will have your ass on a skewer.”

      Kyle’s expression dried, like a chunk of Sheetrock. “I did not screw up. We changed plans at the last second, thanks to a specific request by your father for Edge to provide this limo. My boss called me at seven A.M. We had to scramble to get this Hummer and pick you all up,” he said. “So no offense, Miss Reiniger, but if there’s a problem, it’s your dad . . .”

      Autumn stiffened, but Kyle caught himself.

      “Let’s all cool down.” He forced a smile. “It’s just a hiccup. I’m sure the rest of the team will be right along.”

      Peyton grabbed the champagne bottle from Dustin. She took Grier’s hand and pulled him toward the Hummer.

      “Knock on the window if anybody shows up,” she said.

      Autumn swallowed. The hot pellet in her stomach had returned. How could this turn bad, so quick? It was her day.

      Lark looked around: at the empty, wind-bitten park, the flying saucer stadium, the bay. Then she stood straighter. “Oh. Look.”

      Dustin’s gaze swerved around. “Whoa.”

      Lark jogged toward the bay. Noah ran after her. “All right.” Autumn blinked, fighting the sting in her eyes. On the water, arcing around the abandoned cranes at Hunters Point, was a white speedboat.

      Kyle let out a breath, half laugh, half sigh. “There you go.”

      “That’s them?”

      He waved her forward. “Let’s hit it.” He banged on the window of the Hummer. “Peyton. Grier. Out. We got bogeys incoming.”

      Autumn’s anger let go and a bright stripe of excitement painted the view. She grabbed Dustin’s hand and pulled him toward the beach.

       Chapter 5

      The speedboat razored through the chop past the cranes at Hunters Point and skipped across the bay toward Candlestick Point. Dane Haugen held the throttle wide open.

      “Masks on,” he said.

      Von Nordlinger pulled a black ski mask over his face. Haugen did likewise. Over the mask he put on the wraparound sunglasses he had purchased that morning. His hands were already covered by black calfskin gloves.

      He picked up his walkie-talkie and clicked Transmit. “This is Viking. We are three hundred meters from the beach and closing.”

      The boat bounced on the whitecapped water. Over the walkie-talkie, a woman’s voice scratched at him.

      “This СКАЧАТЬ