To free her hand, she jammed the communicator in her pocket, bore down, and made another leap.
She caught Yost midbody. It was like hitting a slab of reinforced steel. She’d have sworn her bones rattled. But the tackle took him down to one knee. Before he could shove her aside and scramble up, she had her weapon pressed to the pulse in his throat.
Where it was lethal.
“Do you want to die?” she asked. “Want to die on the street like a sidewalk sleeper?”
Even as Yost raised his hands, she heard feet pounding behind her. McNab, sweat streaming down his face, chest heaving, moved into position, his weapon aimed at Yost’s head.
“He’s covered, Lieutenant.”
“On your face, Sly. Spread them.”
“There seems to be some mistake,” Yost began. “My name is Giovanni—”
“On the ground.” She pushed up with her weapon. “Belly down, or my finger’s going to slip.”
He spread himself out on the sidewalk, arms twitching as she yanked them back to cuff his wrists.
It couldn’t be, was all he could think. It couldn’t end for him like this, facedown on the street like a common criminal. “I want an attorney.”
“Yeah, I’m real worried about your rights and obligations right now.” She dug in his pockets, came out with an empty pressure syringe. And a length of slim silver wire. “Well, well, look what I found.”
“An attorney,” he repeated in his high voice. “I insist on being treated with respect.”
“Yeah?” She stood up, planted her boot on his thick neck. “You be sure to tell the guards and your fellow inmates at Penal Station Omega you insist on respect. They don’t get a lot of laughs up there. Call for a cooler, McNab. I want this guy on ice.”
“Yes, sir. Dallas? Your nose is bleeding.”
“Bashed it into him with the tackle.” She swiped at it with the back of her hand, looked down at the bright red in disgust. “Jacoby?”
“I don’t know. I had to jump over him to pursue. I think Stowe stayed back with him.”
“It’s her collar, McNab.”
“Aw, jeez, Dallas.”
“That’s how it is. You’re out of shape, Detective. Start spending some time in the gym so you don’t pant like a dog when you run a few blocks.”
She nodded as black-and-whites screamed to the curb and members of the tactical team streamed down the sidewalk. “Here’s your ride, Sly.”
He looked up, saw her face, saw the faces of onlookers who tried to crowd in and stare. “I should have killed you first.”
“Yeah, there’s that hindsight thing. Hold this asshole for Special Agent Karen Stowe. He’s hers. I’m Mirandizing him on her behalf.” She crouched down, waited until Yost looked into her eyes.
“Winifred Cates was a friend of Agent Stowe’s. I’m doing this for her. You’re under arrest for assault, battery, sexual assault, and the murder by contract of various individuals whose names will be listed at the time of your booking. And that’s just in this state. I’m tossing in resisting arrest, assault on a federal officer, destruction of property, and fleeing the scene of a crime. Interpol and Global will be right behind me with their party favors. You have the right, you miserable son of a bitch, to remain silent.”
Eve walked back toward Second Avenue favoring her left shoulder. She’d jammed it hard against Yost’s kidney area and it ached like a bad tooth. Her nose was throbbing in counterpoint and felt as if it had spread across her face and into her ears.
She’d have plunked down a hundred dollars for a bag of ice.
“Sir!” Peabody sprinted to the corner, took one look at Eve’s face and winced. “Ow.”
“Am I messed up?” Eve lifted hesitant fingers to her nose. Hissed.
“Just a little swollen. It’d be worse if you’d broke it. Looks like it bled really good.”
“Which explains why small children ran screaming when I passed by. Where’s Stowe?”