Page 116 of The Accomplice
She stood and forced her eyes open.
The torch shut off.
In its place was darkness. But not the all-encompassing blackness of the pit.
It was moonlight.
And there, in the moonlight, in front of her face, was a hand.
She took it. Another hand grabbed her and hauled her from the pit. Only now did her eyes adjust to low, soft light. Through the blotches from the torch, she blinked, and looked into the face of her friend, staring back in the dim darkness.
Bloch took hold of Kate and wrapped her arms around her. Kate’s body was shaking, and it felt like her brain was shaking too. She couldn’t understand what was happening. Was this a hallucination from the gas fumes ?
‘I got you,’ said Bloch.
Moonlight poured through the fiberglass roof of the building, and behind Bloch she saw a man in an ill-fitting suit. He must be Gabriel Lake.
Kate couldn’t stop shaking, and then realized Bloch was shaking too.
They held each other and Kate cried harder than she had ever cried before. And when she caught her breath, she looked at Bloch, and said, ‘Thank you.’
‘The Sandman is Otto Peltier,’ said Bloch.
Kate shook her head, still confused and dizzy from the gas.
‘We traced the companies he’d set up for Daniel Miller, and himself, and found a bunch of old properties. Mostly old warehouses and depots. This is the third place we tried tonight. Jesus, Kate. I’m so glad you’re …’
Bloch choked up, couldn’t finish the sentence. She grabbed Kate again and held her.
‘Where is he ? Where’s Otto ?’ asked Kate.
‘He’s at home. Eddie has one of Jimmy the Hat’s men watching him. Some big guy who says fuck a lot. Don’t worry. We’re going to nail Peltier tomorrow. Carrie told us everything. Eddie’s going to confront him on the stand in the morning. That will provoke him to come back here and try to finish you off tomorrow afternoon. The Sandman is going to lead half of the New York FBI right to this place and then they’ll have proof it’s him.’
‘I want to be here,’ said Kate.
‘What ?’
‘I want to be here when they catch him. I want to look that motherfucker in the eye.’
Kate glanced around the warehouse, saw the office in back.
‘I can wait in there, in that office, if you stay with me. I just need some clothes and water to wash my eyes.’
‘I don’t think it’s a good idea,’ said Bloch.
‘Neither do I. But if I don’t watch this asshole being taken down, I know I’ll regret it every day of my life.’
‘I need to help Eddie tomorrow. Lake will stay with you tonight.’
‘Hi,’ said Lake. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay.’
‘I’m not okay,’ said Kate. ‘But I will be tomorrow.’
CHAPTER SIXTY
KATE
After the gas explosion, dressed in Bloch’s spare clothes, which she kept in the Jeep, blue jeans, boots and a sweater, Kate walked out of the old depot office beside Gabriel Lake. They were behind Peltier, who was on the ground.
