“I don’t know, but I need to get away from here.”
Rory fully agreed with him, but as she observed Zeke’s drained features, she didn’t know how he was going to move one more step, let alone escape the police pursuit.
Before she could even begin to think what to do next, she heard Tony coming through the warehouse, shouting for her.
“Don’t bother hunting for those filings no more, Rory. We don’t need them.”
Rory moved to cut Tony off before he could see Zeke, but it was already too late. Tony sauntered toward the stairs, only to draw up short. He stared first at the bloodied clothes littering the floor, following the trail to Rory, then beyond to Zeke.
“Holy hell! Where the devil did he come from?”
“Zeke is trying to get away from the police,” Rory said, her words tumbling out in a rush. “They shot him.”
“Guess that’s what they usually do to runaway murderers.”
“Tony! Zeke is not a murderer, only a suspect. And O’Connell is shooting to kill”
Tony relaxed some of his belligerence, but he still said, “Well, whatever kind of trouble Morrison is in, it’s his problem. He shouldn’t be getting you involved.”
“Tony!”
But Zeke spoke up. “For once I agree with Mr. Bertelli. I should never have come here.”
“No, you should have just collapsed on the street out there so O’Connell could shoot you again,” Rory cried. “And if neither you nor Tony have anything sensible to say, I wish you would both be quiet so I can think what to do.”
Tony lapsed into a dour silence, but Zeke said, “If I only could make it back to Fifth Avenue, out of O’Connell’s precinct. I have powerful friends that can help me get clear of this mess.”
“There’s no way at all,” Tony said, shaking his head. “My brother says the police are all over the streets. They’ll probably start a building-to-building search soon.”
“Right. Then I shouldn’t be found in here.” He braced himself with his good arm, struggling to his feet. Rory placed one hand on his shoulder, gently restraining him.
“No, stop, Zeke. Tony is wrong. There is a way, a very good way to get you out of here.”
She glanced back at Tony. The boy seemed to comprehend what she was thinking instantly, for he protested, “Oh, no. You just forget it, Rory. It’s completely out of the question.”
But Rory caught Tony’s arm, pulling him a distance away from the steps. They got into a heated discussion with much gesturing of hands, but Zeke could not hear one word. He leaned wearily against the step rail, feeling his mind going hazy again.
What had he been thinking of, creeping into Rory’s warehouse like this? If he had been more himself, he would never have done such a thing, never risked bringing the danger to her door. He had staggered in here almost out of a blind instinct, a wounded animal going to ground in the first familiar place. Now he would have given all his strength to be able to stagger out again.
Rory rushed back to his side, Tony hard after her. Whatever she had been saying to the boy, he still looked unconvinced, but resigned.
“Zeke, we have a plan,” Rory said, but she was interrupted by a loud hammering on the warehouse door.
The three of them froze, not moving, barely breathing. The knocking raged louder, a voice calling out in O’Connell’s unmistakable brogue, “Open up in there. This is the police.”
“Let him in,” Zeke said, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Tell him I broke into the warehouse. He can hardly shoot me down in front of witnesses.”
“No, he’ll just wait and do it later.” Rory moved purposefully forward to drape Zeke’s arm about her shoulder. “Come on, Tony. Help me.”
After a hesitation, Tony complied. Linking his arm about Zeke’s waist, he and Rory managed to lead Zeke forward. Zeke cooperated as best he could, although he was not sure that he should.
He didn’t know what Rory had in mind, only that he wished she were out of it. In another minute, O’Connell would be kicking in the door. But all resistance was fast draining out of Zeke. It was all he could do to plant one foot after the other, leaning heavily on Rory and Tony, following wherever they were taking him.
He squinted against the bright flood of sunlight as they emerged onto the dock. A roaring rang in his ears, so loud hethought he was passing out. It took him a moment to realize the loud hiss came from one of Rory’s floating monsters.
Glancing upward, Zeke stared at the mammoth balloon casting a shadow over him, and suddenly Rory’s plan struck him with crystal clarity.
“Oh, no,” he groaned, halting in his tracks. “I would rather take my chances with the police.”
