“With that kind of call-out, we’ll be lucky if they’re here in an hour.”

“I’m guessing it’ll be closer to two.”

“No LAPD?”

“I don’t think he wants anyone stealing what’s left of the thunder.”

She looked over at Vail and could see he had shifted gears. “I don’t like sitting here waiting,” he said. “They’re not going to stay in there forever.”

“If I have to hold you at gunpoint, we’re not going in there until everyone gets here.” Then recognizing that look in his eyes, she said, “Steve, I’m begging you, don’t.”

Vail put his head back and closed his eyes. “Okay, then you’ve got first watch.”

She studied him as he sat there. His breathing slowed and she could tell he was already half asleep. She just shook her head in wonder.

For the next fifteen minutes, she busied herself with writing down the license plate numbers of passing cars. She knew it was an exercise in futility, but she hoped it would help the time pass. Then a full-size sedan pulled up to the construction door, a blue light flashing on its dashboard. She nudged Vail. “Is that an agent?”

Vail put the monocular up to his eye. “I don’t recognize him, but that doesn’t mean much. It does look like a BU car.”

A man in a suit and tie got out and, after turning off the light and drawing his weapon, carefully opened the construction door and slipped inside. She said, “Damn! Someone must have put out an ‘agents need assistance’ call at this address. We have to stop him.” Vail got out quickly and went to the trunk.

Kate hurried after him. He took out magazines and put them in his jacket pockets. “What are you doing?”

“Either someone at the office put out the wrong information or whoever’s inside found a way to lure an agent in there. They knew we’d see him and chase after him. He’s bait for us.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Are you willing to take that chance? Call the office and let them know. When they get here, you can follow me in.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Wait until somebody else gets here.”

“You did hear yourself use the word ‘bait,’ didn’t you? I won’t allow you to go alone.”

Vail stared at her for a second before a short burst of laughter escaped from his mouth. “Then you’d better make that call quick.” As she took extra magazines herself, he shoved a flashlight in his back pocket. They started walking toward the building. She dialed the office. In a low tone, she explained the situation and that every available agent should proceed to the West Seventh Avenue address immediately.

They reached the door and Vail said, “When we get inside don’t say anything or move around. Just stand there and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. There should be enough light coming in off the street for us to be able to see. If you’re going to shoot, make sure of your target. A construction job this big should have a night watchman.”

“You’re not going to use the flashlight?”

“We’ll be enough of a target.” They stepped inside, and he eased the door shut as they both listened.

Kate said, “What now?”

“If that guy was an agent, we just have to listen. Are you familiar with the expression ‘Ride to the sound of gunfire’?”

“Who said that?”

“Custer.” He turned and walked toward two dots of white light across the darkness.

“Very reassuring.”

“Stay directly behind me.”

As he suspected, the two tiny circles of light were the Up and Down buttons for an elevator. He pushed Up. “How do we know what floor?”

Vail said, “They’ll find a way to let us know.”

“Again, reassuring.”

The elevator came and they got in. Vail pushed the buttons to all the floors and then drew his automatic. Reaching up, he used the muzzle to break the single lightbulb and the car went dark. Kate took her gun from the holster and wrapped both hands around it. He said, “Don’t hold it with both hands. It makes it too hard to maneuver. You’re probably going to be ducking a lot sooner than you’ll be shooting.”

The car jolted to a stop and then swayed back and forth slightly as the doors to the second floor started to open. As soon as they were wide enough, a body in a gray uniform fell through the opening. It was tied to an eight-foot-long two-by-six to give the corpse enough rigidity to lean against the door. The handle of a large screwdriver was sticking out of the guard’s chest. Vail checked his throat for a pulse. “I’m going to guess they know we’re here.”

Kate stared down at the body. The brutality with which he had been killed and displayed released a panicked surge of adrenaline through her bloodstream. In the dark, quiet surroundings, it seemed dreamlike, vivid but not real, something that would surely go away if she closed her eyes for just a second or two.

Vail grabbed her roughly by the arm. “You’re going to need to focus, otherwise you’re a liability.” He picked up the body, carried it out of the elevator, and laid it down with a surprising gentleness.

Kate shook her head as if trying to come out of a deep sleep. “I’m here, I’m here.”

“Good,” Vail said, pressing the button to close the elevator doors.

“You don’t think they’re on this floor?” Kate asked.

“They’re going to be closer to the top.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because it’s their MO to wear us out before we get to…”

“The Little Big Horn?”

“Close enough.”

As the doors opened at each floor, she caught herself holding her breath. With each stop, she understood the odds were increasing dramatically that the next time the doors opened, they would be waiting. Then she realized she was letting happen exactly what Vail had warned her against—the group psyching her out. But how was it possible not to be intimidated by this? She glanced over at Vail, who appeared as matter-of-fact as usual.

Whether it was Vail’s composure or fear’s tendency to eventually diminish itself through logic, by the time the doors opened on the eleventh floor, the terror she felt was at a level only high enough to give her a combative edge. She stared into the darkness, ready. Again there was nothing. As the doors started to close, Vail grabbed one of them and pulled it open. “What!” she whispered.

“Smell it?”

She started to say no, but then she did recognize something. “Garlic?”

“Overpowering garlic.”

“So?”

“That means someone had their dinner up here. Which means they’ve been here for a while.”

“Waiting for us?”

“Once Radek found that car gone, he knew that it would only be a matter of time until we worked our way here.”

“Can you explain to me how you know that?”

“Not now, dear.”

She regripped her automatic. “Are we getting off?”

“Let’s go up one more floor.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the garlic isn’t intentional.” He let go of the door and it closed. “These people have played with our minds so much that logic has become a handicap. We just have to go with instinct and hope we can react quickly enough when the time comes.”

“Wasn’t that Custer’s plan?”

“And it worked every time but one.”

The door opened on the twelfth floor. Vail and Kate could see an office straight ahead at the far end. A single light illuminated its half-glass walls. The man they had seen exiting the automobile with the flashing blue light and enter the building sat in a chair facing them. His mouth was gagged and his hands were pulled back behind him and immobile. He spotted them and started nodding his head furiously. Vail let the doors close without getting off. “What are you doing?” Kate asked.

He took out his lock-back knife. Opening it, he handed it to her. “Be careful, it’s like a razor. You go to him slowly, and I mean slowly. I’m going to walk backward right behind you. Once you get to him, cut him loose.”

“Do you think they’re here or down a floor?”

“I wish I could tell you a floor down.” He pushed the button and the doors opened. Vail grabbed Kate by the arm, pulling her into the relative darkness. She felt his back against her. She tried to slip her finger onto the trigger but realized she was gripping her gun too tightly. She loosened her grip until it felt more familiar. With the knife in her left hand, she started toward the gagged man. Vail followed gently against her back.