The Cult of Osiris (10 page)

Macy's relief vanished in an instant. No!'

Have you still got the phone?' Nina shouted.

Yeah, but—'

Call Eddie again!

Macy thumbed through Nina's contact list. 'What can he do? You'd be surprised. Just call him!

Macy frowned, but found the number and selected it. 'It's busy!' What? Who the hell's he talking to?'

The Lamborghini powered out of 108th Street and turned sharply south, its broad tyres and four-wheel drive keeping it clamped firmly to the road. The lateral G-force of the turn, on the other hand, threw Eddie against the door. Ahead, the long straight of Central Park West stretched to infinity, the park itself a swathe of darkness to their left.

Streetlights and windows streaked into hyperspace as the Murcielago accelerated. Eddie leaned back upright. Grant holding the phone to his ear. 'So can you help us?'

I'll do what I can,' said Amy - now in her official role as Officer Martin of the New York Police Department. But it'll take a while to get the word out to every unit - if you get stopped before then, you'll get a ticket.'

That was the least of Eddie's worries. 'I'll just not have to get stopped, then.'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'

Just make sure all your guys know that Nina's the good guy and the fuckwits chasing her are the bad guys, okay? Bye!

So . . .' Grant said cautiously as he withdrew the phone, free hand tightening round the leather armrest, you've driven fast cars before, yeah?'

Yeah,' said Eddie, focusing on the road. The Lamborghini's grip and handling made weaving through the traffic a precise, almost game-like experience, but the slightest mistake would not only total the Murcielago, but probably injure or even kill innocent people as well.

Like what?'

Last thing I drove this fast was a Ferrari 430/ Grant nodded approvingly. 'Cool car. Yours?'

You think I'd be working as a bodyguard if I could afford a Ferrari?' 'Good point, man. Whoa, bus, bus!'

I see it.' The oncoming lanes were almost empty for at least two blocks. Eddie whipped round the bus and accelerated, the Lamborghini surging effortlessly past a hundred miles per hour.

Grant let a relieved breath escape. So this Ferrari - you took good care of it, right?'

Or you could not break the speed limit. . .' Amy's tone became dubious. 'You're speeding right now, aren't you?

A bit,' he admitted as the speedometer needle flashed past eighty.

Where are vou?

T05th Street. . . 104th . . . 103rd . .

God
damn
it, Eddie! Don't you know how dangerous that is?'