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Jeremy gives her hand another squeeze, trying to ignore the bustle around them. “When you stopped the first train, the engineer got word back to his dispatch, and they contacted every police and fire agency along that rail corridor. Evacuations started, roads were blocked.”
“But…I saw the bombs go off. I saw the gas clouds.”
“You sawsomeof the bombs go off,” Jeremy says, not quite believing it himself. “Something went wrong with the devices. Only a few bombs detonated. The others…they were duds, or they were miswired.”
“But I saw the gas vapors forming, lifting up.”
“You saw some clouds, but nothing like what we thought would happen,” Jeremy says. “There were some injuries and some deaths, I’m sorry to say, but it could have been much, much worse. There’s an elementary school near where the trains met. They were able to close windows, doors, shut down the A/C, and shelter in place. All because of you.”
Jeremy sees Amy’s eyes slowly widen in realization of what happened, how close it had been, and he wishes he could shut his mouth right here and now.
“You…why are you here?”
Jeremy says, “I got to the hotel roof, found Rashad. I hoped he could stop the trains in time…I even shot him in his left leg, trying to make him talk. But it wasn’t going to work. The damn explosives were set on proximity fuses so they would explode when they passed each other…we were just so damn lucky, Amy.”
Amy suddenly laughs. “Rashad…did you toss him over the roof after you shot him?”
Jeremy smiles. “I thought as much. But no, I bandaged him up some, called the NYPD, and brought him here. We had a lovely and interesting chat while we waited.”
Amy laughs again, and Jeremy—hating himself for what he now has to do—says, “Amy…I need to tell you something.”
“What?” she says. “What is it?”
“Your…Tom and Denise. They’re here.”
Amy shakes her head. “No, they’re on Staten Island.”
He gently squeezes her hand again. “No,” he says. “They were in a crowd near One World Trade Center. Smoke bombs were set off. It was…chaotic. I’m sorry, Amy, they were struck by a vehicle. They’re here in the ER.”
Amy stands up, pulling her hand free. “Where?”
Jeremy says, “I’ll show you.”
Amy says again, “No, they’re on Staten Island.”
“Amy, they’re here. And it’s not good.”
Chapter124
I FEELlike screamingThey’re on Staten Islandagain, but I walk briskly with Jeremy, letting him set the pace, wanting to grab him by the shoulder and tell him to move faster, please, move faster.
“How…why do you think they’re here?”
Jeremy’s voice is sad.
God, please don’t be sad.
“I went past one of the nurse’s stations,” he says. “Somebody mentionedCornwall.A father and daughter were admitted…and I checked it out.”
Cornwall.
A common name, right?
Must be a mistake.
That’s all.
They’re on Staten Island.
