Page 35
She swung the beam to a large air conditioning intake grate low on the wall.
Bingo . She put the end of the penlight in her mouth, holding it steady with her teeth while she plucked a screwdriver from her toolkit.
Seconds later, she had the metal grating off and was staring at a one-foot by three-foot— WTF !
The rapid beat of her heart slowed. This was definitely not the Grandy safe she’d been expecting.
She ran the red beam over the safe’s make and model, confirming what she suspected.
This was a Burnbridge 5000, the queen—no, make that the king —of all high-end safes.
What in the world was Tino doing with this puppy? It cost as much as a Porsche .
Duh . She and her friends were to blame. He’d probably bought it because of all the rips they’d been doing.
The Burnbridge 5000 had 10-gauge steel-alloy armor plating on the door and all five sides, eliminating typical safe vulnerabilities and making it virtually torch and drill resistant.
Not that she’d brought along a borescope and a drill with diamond or tungsten carbide bits, all of which she’d need to drill a hole through this type of reinforced metal to watch the tumblers align.
She sank to her knees. The duffel bags slipped off her shoulder and fell to the floor. All their plans had just gone down the crapper. She’d come prepared for the Grandy’s digital keypad, one for which her robotic dialer could run all possible combinations.
Think . Think ! Gina rubbed her forehead, wracking her brain for a solution.
This beast was old school, using a combination dialer.
With massively thick alloy surrounding the locking mechanism, it would be nearly impossible to feel—let alone hear —the notches as they lined up on the multiple interlocking wheels inside.
I’m not good enough to crack it . Dear god, she’d been arrogant. And stupid.
She fisted her hands. I have to try . Giving up wasn’t in her genetic makeup.
Unzipping the largest pouch on her belt, she slipped out her stethoscope, one with astounding acoustic sensitivity and earpieces specially molded to fit her ears.
She pulled off her gloves and stuffed them in her belt.
Leaving prints behind was a risk, but she’d need every bit of touch for this job.
Besides , it didn’t matter. She’d never been fingerprinted in her life, so her prints weren’t in any database, and Tino would never call the police.
What would he say? Officer , someone ripped off all my illegal cash?
She yanked off her hood and plucked the com unit out, letting it dangle against her shoulder.
Next , she positioned the pink rubber tubes in her ears, adjusting them until the world around her went dead silent.
She pressed the chest piece firmly on the door and closed her eyes. Slowly , she turned the dial.
At first she heard nothing except the beat of her own heart. She had to slow the darn thing down. Just breathe. In . Out . In . Out .
It wasn’t working. The earpieces were so sensitive she’d have to hold her breath. She held her breath and tried again, turning the dial nearly a full revolution before she heard it. Click .
One number down.
After letting out the breath she’d been holding, she inhaled and turned the dial in the other direction. Slow it down. If she turned too quickly, she’d miss it. Click .
Holy cow, I’m really doing it . This was safecracking in its purest form.
Exhale . Inhale and hold . Again , she turned the dial in the opposite direction. Nothing . Nothing . Nothing . Her lungs screamed. Whoosh . She exhaled, keeping her fingers in place on the dial.
She took in another breath and held it, turning the dial painstakingly slowly. Nothing . Nothing . Noth — Click .
Gina snapped open her eyes but didn’t move. With trembling fingers, she released the dial and grasped the silver handle. She cranked down and tugged. The door opened.
Did I really just crack a Burnbridge 5000? Yep . She smiled, wishing she could tell Sergio about it yet knew she’d be taking the secret of this triumph with her to the grave.
Inside the safe were three shelves and cash.
Lots of cash. Again , her heart raced, only this time from sheer joy.
She unzipped one of the duffels and shoveled cash into it from the top shelf.
She zipped the bag closed, then began the same process with the second duffel, emptying the middle shelf and most of the bottom one.
As she tugged the last of the bills out, her fingers contacted something hard.
She stuffed the cash into the bag, then swept the flashlight beam into the back of the safe.
Eight small jelly jars stared back at her.
Grabbing one, she turned it around, trying to identify the contents—a flap of something fleshy and dripping with black goo.
Blood . Bile rose in her throat. It was an ear.
Fairly fresh, judging by its condition. Jack was right.
Tino really did collect souvenirs from his victims.
Unable to stop herself, she reached inside for another jar. The flashlight’s beam glinted off something metallic—a gold ring with a green gemstone. Something dark and shriveled was stuck through the ring. More bile rose in her throat, nearly making her gag. A man’s finger.
A whisper of sound. The stethoscope’s chest piece hung between her breasts, and she hadn’t removed the earpieces. She’d definitely heard something.
She wasn’t alone.
The lights snapped on, blinding her. The jar fell to the floor. She squinted, but not before glimpsing the slim woman standing in the doorway. The other woman gasped and held a hand to her throat.
Gina jerked back and fell ass first on top of one of the duffels. She yanked the stethoscope off and stared. Her heart thundered faster than a thoroughbred galloping down the track.
The woman’s face was puffy, but not from crying. From being beaten. Fresh bruises marred her cheekbones. Her eyes were bloodshot, and even from this distance the broken blood vessels were obvious.
“ Wh -who are you?” the woman asked in a shaky voice.
Now it was Gina’s turn to gasp. “ You’re Maria . Aren’t you?” Tino’s wife. While they hadn’t been introduced, she’d been at Tino’s side last night at the fundraiser.
So where was Tino ? She could swear it had been him in the Caddy that had driven off.
“ Y -yes. Do I know you?”
“ Not exactly.” With her heart still thudding, she pushed to her feet. This was bad. Very bad.
The woman looked at the open safe. “ You just robbed my husband.”
There’d be no getting out of this one. She nodded. “ I did.”
Hysterical laughter bubbled from Maria’s throat. When it stopped, she put a hand to her heart and wavered, looking a second away from passing out.
Gina rushed forward and helped her to a chair, crouching beside her. “ Lean over. Take deep breaths in slowly, then let them out.” At this point, she couldn’t be certain whether Maria was ill or having a panic attack. She clasped the woman’s cold, clammy hand.
After another minute, Maria’s breathing evened out, and she sat up straighter. “ Why are you doing this?” Her eyes clouded with confusion. Eyes filled with pain and suffering.
At this point, what could the truth matter? “ Because that money is blood money, and there are families that need it more than Tino and Franco Falzone .” It was impossible to conceal her bitterness.
Maria uttered a strangled laugh. “ No . I meant, why are you helping me?”
She tried taking her hand back, but Maria held fast. “ Because you’re in pain. I know what you’re going through.”
Maria shook her head. “ How could you possibly know? You don’t—” Through puffy, beaten eyes, she stared harder at Gina . “ Oh . Oh . You’re the woman from the fundraiser. You work for the women’s shelter.” She released Gina’s hand.
“ In a way.” She nodded. Maria might be a Falzone , but Gina’s heart went out to her.
“ I help women like you. Women who can’t get free.
” She waited to see what Maria would do.
She’d expected her to scream or run for the phone and call Tino , but she didn’t.
By some bizarre stroke of luck, she was listening. Really listening.
What she ought to do was take the money and run, but no way could she leave this woman. “ I know he’s hurting you. Come with me. There are wonderful people who can help you make a life somewhere safe. Without Tino Falzone .”
“ No .” Maria began shaking her head. Tears leaked from her eyes. “ It isn’t possible. He’ll never let me go.”
She nodded. “ He probably won’t. Which is why you have to leave him . It won’t be easy, but I promise I’ll help you if you come with me.”
Maria stared at the floor. Eyes that had been bloodshot and dead were now lit with a flicker of something else. Hope .
“ Gina ,” came Margo’s distant voice. The com unit. She’d never put it back on.
She picked up the unit, holding it to her ear and the mic to her mouth. “ I’m here.”
“ A light came on inside the house. Are you okay?”
“ I’m fine. I’ll explain later.” To Maria , she said, “ I have to go. Come with me.”
When she lifted her face, the ray of hope Gina had glimpsed only moments ago was gone.
For most victims of domestic abuse, escaping wasn’t solely a matter of opportunity.
It often took months to wrap their brain around leaving their spouse and to believe they could do it and survive.
They had to want it bad, and they had to know there was help on the outside.
Gina spotted a pen and pad on a table. She scribbled down her cell phone number and was about to tear off the page.
“ Gina !” Margo shouted. “ A car is slowing down. Jesus , it’s turning into the driveway. It’s Tino ! He’s back!”
She tore off the sheet and handed it to Maria . “ I have to go. Call me when you’re ready. I’ll help you. I swear it.”
A car door slammed outside.
“ Gina ! Get out of there!”
“ On my way.” Her heart tripped. Tino would be coming in the front door, so that was out. She unlocked the nearest window, cranked it open and punched out the screen with her fist. Thankfully , this window didn’t open over the driveway.
“ Maria !” Tino bellowed.
Gina grabbed the duffels and heaved them out the window. They were so heavy they landed with a hearty thunk on the grass. “ Maria ,” she whispered. “ Please don’t say anything.”
“ I won’t.” With surprising speed, Maria stood. “ Go . Hurry . I’ll try to buy you some time.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.
The house was on stilts, making the drop to the ground at least twelve feet. Gina grabbed onto the sill and climbed out. To minimize the distance to the ground, she clung to the ledge, letting her legs dangle. This would hurt like a bitch.
“ Maria !” Tino’s angry voice bellowed from the other side of the door. The door flew open.
Gina let go of the ledge. A second later, her feet hit hard. Pain shot from her feet to her shoulders and she fell to her side, rolling several times. Her heart pounded, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing the stabbing pain in her ankle to subside.
“ Motherfucker !” Tino leaned out of the window, his expression furious, his eyes blazing. Then he disappeared.
“ Kinsey , I need you! Emex , emex! End of the driveway, now!” She pushed to her feet and took a step toward the bags. Her ankle screamed in agony, but she kept going. Leaving the cash behind wasn’t an option.
She grabbed the bags and fast-limped to the end of the driveway. The heavy weight of the cash made the stabbing pain in her ankle stab harder. Tires screeched as Kinsey braked the Charger . The rear door flew open, and she heaved the bags in first.
“ Get in!” Anna screamed. Her eyes flew wide. “ He’s coming!”
Footsteps pounded behind her.
Pop . Pop . Pop .
As Gina dove onto the seat, something pinged against the open door.
Bullets .
“ Go , go, go!” she screamed, and Kinsey hit the gas, flinging her and Anna against the seat.
Gina pressed Anna face-first into the seat cushion just before the rear window of the Charger shattered.
Anna and Margo screamed.
Gina risked a look through the rear window—the one that was no longer there. Behind them, the dim glow of headlights turned onto the main road. “ Punch it, Kins !” They had a good head start, but like the Charger , that Caddy had a lot of horses under the hood.
“ You got it.” Kinsey’s voice was strained and higher than usual, but she kept her cool and gunned the vehicle north on Ocean Avenue .
Gradually , the distance separating them from Tino’s oncoming headlights grew until she could no longer see them.
Kinsey blasted onto the ramp for the Garden State Parkway . Cold air swirled into the car through the busted window. The vehicle swerved, and they nearly drove off the ramp.
“ Kinsey , be careful.” Margo shot her a worried look.
At first, Kinsey didn’t answer. She gunned the Charger onto the highway. “ Is he following us?” she asked in an unsteady voice.
“ Kins ?” Gina leaned between the headrests. In the dashboard glow, Kinsey’s mouth was pinched, her knuckles white where she gripped the wheel. “ Pull over,” she ordered. Something was wrong with her friend, and it wasn’t just fear.
Kinsey slowed the Charger and braked to a stop on the shoulder. Gina punched on her penlight, twisting the top to switch over to white light. “ What’s wrong?” She aimed the flashlight beam at Kinsey’s face, then her neck and chest, and?—
Gina gasped. Blood poured from an open wound just below Kinsey’s rib cage.
She’s been shot.
Table of Contents
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- Page 35 (Reading here)
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