Page 79 of The Paradox Club

“I can understand that.”

“I haven’t been able to contact Calvin 4 to tell him where we are and find out what he wants me to do. And if I don’t show up back in that motel room with a bag of burgers pretty soon, Montag 5 will know something is up and he’ll either shoot me or he’ll take Tess somewhere else and leave me behind.”

“Did you say motel?”

“Yeah, they’re holed up in some dump called the White Pine Motor Lodge a few miles from here.”

“At least you’re telling the truth about one thing.”

“I’m telling the truth about everything. And if I can call Calvin 4, maybe all three of us can work together.”

“I’m not giving you my phone.”

“You call him, then,” said Nemo 7.

Valentine 6 considered this suggestion for a moment. Calvin 4 had told her very little about what was going on. She knew from the portions of the club history a provisional member was allowed to read and from gossip in the hallways that Calvin 4 and Harry Maxwell had been friends. And she knew that Maxwell had died about ten years ago. But why would Pilgrim 3 want to kidnap Maxwell’s daughter? And why was Calvin 4 so eager to get his hands on Gatsby the Great? And should she trust Nemo 7, who stood in front of her looking no more threatening, and every bit as expectant, as a puppy waiting for affection?

“Fine,” said Valentine 6. “I’m going to walk out of here. If you follow me, I won’t call him. If I’m not back in five minutes, you’ll know it’s because I found out you were lying to me.”

“Call him,” said Nemo 7. “It won’t take five minutes.”

Nemo 7 was right. Three minutes later, Valentine 6 returned. “We’ll take your car,” she said. “And on the way you’ll tell me everything.”

She left her order sitting on the counter.

COUNTING CARS

“I have to count the cars!” shouted Tess. “I have to count the cars!”

“If you will shut up for a minute,” said Montag 5, the strain showing on his face, “I’ll let you count the damn cars.”

Tess stopped her nervous pacing—or what she hoped looked like nervous pacing—and stood inches from Montag 5, staring into his exhausted eyes.

“Okay, okay,” said Montag 5. “Here’s how this is going to go. I’m going to take the chain off that door and you’re going to walk out. But I’ll be right behind you with your friend here.”

“I have a name,” said Vivian.

“You keep quiet,” said Montag 5. “And I’m going to have my gun digging into her side the whole time. And if you make one false move, if you try to run, if you do anything other than count the cars and come right back to the room, your friend here—”

“Vivian!” said Tess.

“Fine, Vivian here is going to get a bullet in the kidney. And I’m going to drag her back into this hotel room where she’s going to slowly bleed out, knowing that she died because of you.”

“All I need to do is count the cars,” said Tess.

As soon as he saw the door to the motel room opening, Richard started his car and eased around the pile of tires. Tess walked out, followed by Montag 5, who was holding Vivian by the arm and, Richard guessed, digging a gun into her side. Montag 5 and Vivian stood in the open doorway—Richard could swear Montag 5 was slumping against the doorjamb—while Tess walked slowly to the far end of the parking lot and placed a finger on a battered blue Honda Civic. Richard didn’t know what she was up to, but he knew he didn’t have much time and he didn’t see any way to save both Tess and Vivian unless…

Valentine 6 had insisted on driving and made Nemo 7 sit in the back. She still did not entirely trust him. If he could be a double agent, he could also be a triple agent, she reasoned. When her burner rang, she picked up immediately.

“How far away are you?” asked Richard

“Maybe three minutes,” said Valentine 6.

“We don’t have three minutes,” said Richard. “You get Vivian, I’ll get Tess.”

Valentine 6 slammed down the accelerator and the speedometer jumped from forty-five to ninety, the car screaming down the two-lane highway.

“What exactly does he want us to do?” asked Nemo 7.