Already Gone

– 41 –



Briggs asks questions for the rest of the flight, and I answer them all. It’s easy to keep Gabby’s secrets. He’s kept a protective shell around himself for so long that talking about him is like talking about two different people with two different lives. I tell Briggs about one, and nothing I say is a lie.

When we land, Diane helps me up.

The woman who gave me the ice pack opens the door. We step off the plane and walk out into snowfall, the first of the year, heavy and thick. There are two black SUVs, identical to the ones we left behind in Flagstaff, and a Lincoln town car waiting for us on the tarmac. Several men are standing outside the vehicles, watching us.

Besides the snow, it’s as if we never left.

Briggs pulls his jacket tight around his chest then turns to Hull and says something I don’t hear. Hull nods and motions for Diane to follow him to one of the SUVs.

Diane takes my arm and we start walking.

“Not you, Jake,” Briggs says. “You’re with me.”

I feel Diane’s grip tighten.

I shake my head. “Not without her.”

Briggs’s shoulders lift, then fall with his breath. He steps closer. “I thought we’d made progress.”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“No one said anything about leaving her. She’ll follow in one of the other cars. This will give the two of us a chance to talk.”

“She comes with me, or I don’t make the call.”

Briggs frowns. He looks past us and nods.

I hear a metallic click and hear Diane’s breath catch in her throat. When I look over, I see Hull standing behind her with a black pistol pressed against the back of her head.

Diane eyes are wide, glowing.

“I’m going to give you one chance to save her life.” Briggs stares at me. “Only one.”

I want to play it tough and tell him I don’t believe he’ll do it. But I can’t. I do believe him, completely.

I let go of Diane’s arm.

“Jake?”

“It’s okay. I’ll see you at Gabby’s.”

She’s still watching me when Hull reaches for her arm. Diane pulls away, then starts walking toward one of the SUVs. Hull follows her.

I watch them go.

“For what it’s worth,” Briggs says. “I give you my word she’ll be okay, as long as everything goes smoothly.”

“That’s not up to me.”

“Maybe not.” Briggs puts his hand on my shoulder and leads me toward the town car. “But I’m sure you’d tell me if you thought something unplanned might happen tonight.” He pauses. “Especially with Diane involved.”

I stop walking.

Every part of me wants to reach out and rip him apart, but each move I make sends jagged waves of pain through my body, and he knows it. I can’t hide it.

“Do we understand each other?”

“If anything happens to her…”

Briggs holds up one finger and ticks it from side to side. “Let’s not. It’s such a waste of time.”

He turns and walks toward the town car, leaving me behind.

I glance back at the SUV, hoping for one last look at Diane, but all I see are dark windows and the slow pass of the windshield wipers pushing away the snow.

Time to go.

I walk to the town car alone, feeling each step.





We drive away from the airport, and the two SUVs follow close behind. Once we’re on the highway, Briggs reaches into his pocket and takes out a cell phone.

He doesn’t say a word. I know what he wants.

I take the phone and dial Gabby’s number.

“What do you want me to tell him?”

“The truth, of course.”

I put the phone to my ear and listen to it ring.

When Gabby answers, I tell him what happened and that we’re on the way to meet him.

“Where are you?”

“Half an hour away, at least.”

He asks me who I’m with, and I tell him, then add, “They’ve got Diane in another car. They want you to return the diamonds, otherwise they’re going to—”

“Don’t worry about that,” Gabby says. “Is he there?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, do everything he tells you, and don’t argue. When you get here, pull around back by the loading dock and I’ll meet you outside.” He pauses. “Let me talk to him.”

“This has to go smooth. Diane is—”

“Don’t worry,” Gabby says. “I’ll handle it. Now let me talk to him.”

I hand the phone to Briggs.

Briggs puts the phone to his ear. “Mr. Meyers, it’s good to—” He stops and listens for a long time. At one point he reaches down and runs his thumb over a spot on his knee. He smiles and says, “It’s certainly something we can discuss.” Another pause, then, “Very good. We’ll see you soon.”

Briggs hangs up the phone and slides it into his jacket pocket. He turns to the window, ignoring me.

“What does he want?” I ask.

“I’m sorry?”

“Gabby,” I say. “He must want something.”

“What he wants is irrelevant. He is a common thief, nothing more.”

“He won’t just hand them back to you,” I say. “He’ll expect something in return.”

“We’ll see.”

I want to argue with him, but there’s no point. What I care about is getting Diane as far away from all of this as possible.

Nothing else matters.





Once we get to the city, I give the driver Gabby’s address and say, “It’s in the warehouse district.”

Briggs asks him if he knows the area.

“Yes, sir,” the driver says. “I’ll find it.”

I watch Briggs across from me. He looks too relaxed.

“You’re not worried?”

“About what?”

“You’re driving into a situation you know nothing about. Gabby has the diamonds, so what’s to stop him from getting rid of you and keeping them for himself?”

“Is that something he’d try to do?”

I consider lying, but there’s no point.

“Of course it is.”

Briggs smiles. “Not this time.”

“You sound sure.”

“I am sure,” he says. “Mr. Meyers knows who we are, and he understands the situation. Plus, we have you.”

I laugh but it turns into a cough, and I taste blood in the back of my throat.

“From what Diane tells me, you two are close. He won’t risk you, which is why I wanted you to make the call. I wanted him to hear your voice.”

“That doesn’t matter to him. Gabby does what he wants, always has.”

“I’m betting your presence will change that.” Briggs motions toward the front of the car. “Do you see the man in the front seat? His name is Carlos. His only job tonight is to shadow you. He has no other duties.”

I look at the man in the passenger seat. He’s staring out at the road, and all I see is the back of his head.

“If anything goes wrong tonight, anything at all, then Carlos will kill you.”

I don’t say anything.

“After that, I’ll give him your wife, along with very specific instructions to take his time, and to make it hurt.” Briggs stares at me. “Do you believe me?”

My jaw is clenched so tight that it takes a minute before I can open my mouth to speak. When I do, I try to keep my voice quiet.

I say, “I can’t control what Gabby does.”

“But you can explain the situation to him. If he understands what’s at stake, perhaps he’ll be less likely to do anything foolish.”

“I told you, Gabby does what he wants. You’re overestimating our relationship.”

Briggs turns back to the window and looks out at the city lights and the slow falling snow. He hesitates, then says, “I honestly hope not, Mr. Reese.”