The Traffickers (Badge of Honor 9)

What if Amanda tries to reach me?

THREE

3519-A North Broad Street, Philadelphia Thursday, September 10, 9:56 A.M.

Dr. Amanda Law had just paid for her usual morning double cappuccino with nonfat milk at the Cup O’Joe’s Internet Caf? location across Broad Street from the Shriners Hospital for Children.

She stepped outside and looked up at the morning sun and smiled. Her cellular telephone chimed once. She looked at the screen and her smile became larger.

The box showed the first two lines of the message. It read: matt how?s your day going?

And she thought, I haven’t felt this good in a long time.

I’d forgotten what it was like to have someone thinking about me.

And being genuinely affectionate.

Amanda slid her left thumb across the bottom edge of the big glass of the computer-phone and the touch screen lit brightly. Now she could clearly read the box that had popped up in the middle: matt how?s your day going? just had an interesting development in the case… need to postpone lunch (frown) sorry… i?ll make it up to you… promise!

She thought somewhat sadly:

And so that begins, or continues…

But I can deal with it.

She tapped out:

I?m still fine.

Same as the last time you asked-what? — a half hour ago? (wink) And that?s fine about lunch. I have a busy day, too.

Besides, I told you I know how your days can go.

So, be safe! — A Then she hit SEND. She had no way of knowing that it would be some time until it would be received and read.

Dr. Amanda Law took a sip of her coffee and prepared to cross the street and enter Temple University Hospital.

She looked left, checking for southbound traffic. There was a package delivery truck, a big boxy brown one, accelerating down Broad. She glanced right, trying to judge the northbound traffic, wondering if she could go after the delivery truck flew past her at the hammers of hell.

A block south, the traffic light had all the vehicles on Broad stopped in both directions. A taxicab was parked in front of the hospital, and behind that a beat-up old black minivan was rolling to a stop. She saw a skinny dark-skinned man in baggy jeans, a zipper hoodie sweatshirt, and a wife-beater T-shirt get out of the sliding door on the far side, walk to near the front door of the hospital, and stop to look back at the minivan.

Suddenly, there was the enormous sound and wind of the delivery van blowing past. It went so fast it left a huge wake. Amanda caught herself clutching at her phone and coffee, afraid she’d drop one or the other, or both.

Then all was calm again. She glanced left and saw that no other vehicle was coming, and stepped off the curb. Just shy of halfway across, she glanced to the right. The taxicab was now rolling forward. It made the right turn onto Tioga just as Amanda stepped around its rear bumper.

As she stepped up on the sidewalk, she noticed movement to her right.

The black minivan, too, was rolling.

And the man in the T-shirt was moving away from the front door of the hospital.

Then all of a sudden the minivan accelerated and was right behind her.

And the man in the T-shirt was running right at her. He charged into her, his right shoulder hitting her just above the stomach, at the same time wrapping his arms around her, like a football tackle. It knocked the wind out of her.

The impact also caused her to squeeze and crumple her cup, the hot coffee spilling on her and her attacker, and she dropped her phone on the sidewalk.

As she slowly went backward, Amanda Law began anticipating hitting the hard concrete sidewalk.