Reap by James Frey Read Free Book Online Page A

think they’re as prepared. Molly and her team haven’t come back either.”
    â€œDamn,” she said. “Barbara and I were close. She’s not going to make it; I can feel it.”
    â€œDon’t think about that. I’ve got a walkie-talkie in my backpack. I don’t want to pull it out right now, but when you get discharged, we’re supposed to check in and get our next assignment. My next assignment, I mean. You’re going back to the safe house.”
    â€œNo way,” she said. “We started this insanity. We’re going to get it done. I don’t want to let all of our efforts go to waste.”
    â€œYou can’t even hold your gun.”
    â€œI’m coming with you,” she said. “We’ll figure out what we’re supposed to do, and we’ll make a plan, and I’ll do what I have to do.”
    I looked at her arm and her pale skin. She didn’t look well.
    â€œHey,” she said, gesturing to the TV. “Turn on the sound.”
    There was a news anchor sitting at a desk, the words MÜNCHEN GEISELKRISE on the screen next to him.
    I turned on the sound, but he was speaking in German and I couldn’t understand anything.
    Kat was watching intently, and she began to translate for me as we watched.
    â€œThey’re saying anywhere between three and twelve Israeli athletes are being held hostage. The terrorists are members of the group Black September—Palestinians from Jordan. The body of Moshe Weinberg was found naked in a hallway. He was shot to death. He was a coach. Another person— ringer ? I don’t know that word. He was also shot. Black September demanded the release of two hundred and something Palestinian prisoners. They gave the deadline of nine o’clock, but that time has passed, and this is still going on.”
    â€œWhat about our attacks on the Players?” I asked. “Have they said anything about that?”
    â€œNot yet,” she said.
    â€œIt won’t be long.”
    As we waited, I told her everything that had happened to me this morning—told her everything that I knew about the agent who’d detained me, and told her about meeting Mary back at the safe house. She told me about how she and John had decided to leave the park and go to the safe house. After he unwrapped the gauze on her arm to wash it, he saw how bad it was and made her go to the hospital.
    â€œI wanted to wait for you,” she said. “I wasn’t going anywhere, but I started to get really dizzy, and John said he thought I was losing too much blood. I don’t know if that was it. It might have been shock.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said. “I’m glad you came here. I’m glad you’re gettinghelp.”
    A few minutes later the doctor came back in. The two of them talked for a while in English, and she sat up and smiled. She didn’t look nearly as sick as she had when I’d first gotten there. He gave her a bottle of pills and told us we were free to go.
    Outside, we stopped on a park bench, and I pulled out the walkie-talkie and called in. Mary answered almost immediately.
    â€œKat’s out of the hospital,” I said. “Where do we stand?”
    â€œJohn couldn’t find the Olmec,” she said. “No word from Walter. Bakr is gone. He wasn’t assigned to any team yet, but I get the feeling he skipped town. Molly came back.” There was a pause. “Henry and Phyllis are dead, and they weren’t able to kill their Player.”
    â€œWho were they after?” I asked.
    â€œThe Harappan,” she said. “He’s still at large.”
    Kat took the radio from me. “Mary, this is Kat. Any word from Barbara?”
    There was a moment of heavy static, and then Mary spoke. “Barbara and Douglas haven’t reported in yet. John was going to look for them when he went after the Olmec, but he hasn’t found any