“Who is it?”
“Her name is Katie James.”
“I’ve heard of her.”
“Journalist.”
“Right, that’s right. He’s got her? You’re sure?”
“Too sure.”
“And what does he want?”
“Me.” He hesitated, licked his lips. “And you.”
“The package?”
“I told him I didn’t know where you were.”
“But that wasn’t good enough, was it?”
“What do you think?”
“So where and when?”
“Reggie, don’t even go there.”
“I’m already there, Shaw.”
“I’m not going to let you do this.”
“Are you kidding? This is the best thing that could’ve happened.”
“What?” he said in a shocked voice.
“I don’t mean for your friend. I’m very sorry about that,” she added quickly. “But we were never going to find Kuchin. And now the guy is inviting us to come to him. This is our opportunity. Our shot.”
“It’s hardly an invitation, Reggie. He’s going to kill us.”
“No, he’s going to try and kill us,” she corrected. “And we’re going to do the same to him.”
“Well, given the circumstances, I think the odds lie with him.”
“It’s still our only chance.”
“Do you understand that if you come with me you’re most likely going to be murdered in some sadistic, painful way? Do you get that loud and clear?” He pointed to the door. “Just walk out and keep going.”
Instead Reggie sat down next to him. “I guess I could say something cute or flippant to show that I’m not scared, even though I am, but I think I’ll try the truth.”
This got Shaw’s attention. He stared over at her.
“Part of me never wants to see Kuchin again, Shaw, never again. I see the man in my head all the time. I wake up with him in my brain. I see him over my shoulder. I came one instant from dying that night. I saw his eyes. There was nothing there. I might as well have been a gnat. He didn’t give a shit. There’s no way for a normal, sane person to match something like that.”
“And you still want to go?”
“I can’t live while that guy is still breathing. That’s the bottom line. I want him as badly as anything I’ve ever wanted in my life. I will kill him with my own hands, if I have to. He’ll have to kill me, because I will never stop going for him.”
“The guy is the monster.”