What Have We Done (85)
She will not cry and she sure as hell won’t scream.
The rope lowers slowly.
It jerks to a stop. The woman is toying with her. Jenna keeps her eyes closed. She won’t give her the satisfaction.
But then she hears something. Movement, a familiar voice. A French accent tinged with Russian.
Her eyes pop open and she sees Sabine. She’s accompanied by a man, who swiftly puts a black bag over the twin’s head. The man turns and Jenna sees Michael give her what can only be described as a casual wave. He picks up the detonator and carefully places it in a metal box.
Sabine looks up at her. Jenna isn’t sure if this is real or if it’s a hallucination, her mind protecting her from comprehending that she’s being melted in a vat of acid.
“Just like when you were a teenager, ignoring my calls,” Sabine says.
Jenna remembers the text when she was at Saks. The Corporation was trying to warn her.
One of Michael’s men—Jenna recognizes him from the night she breached her ex’s estate—
wheels away the barrel from under her and lowers Jenna to the floor. Releases the cuffs.
Sabine says, “You’re lucky Michael didn’t take kindly to these amateurs pretending they worked for us or he might not have been keeping an eye out when she went back in business.”
Jenna doesn’t say anything; she’s still processing.
“I thought I owed you this much, mon chéri. Now let’s get you home to your family.”
Jenna feels something release in her chest—gratitude? forgiveness?—but says nothing.
She needs to make it home in time for sushi with a sexy taxman, a blossoming teen, a charming five-year-old, and a dog named Peanut Butter. To appreciate this life. For herself. For her parents.
For Annie. And the others.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To get this novel into your hands required the work of many talented publishing industry professionals as well as the support of family and friends.
Thanks first to my literary agent, Lisa Erbach Vance, to whom I owe this wonderful career.
Through her skill and tenacity, my novels have been published around the world and adapted for the screen. Other writers would be so lucky to have such an amazing representative.
Of course, thanks also to my publisher, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur. I have the privilege of working with one of the finest editors in the business, Catherine Richards, whose expert pen and vision elevate my work. And let’s not forget associate editor Nettie Finn and copy editor Barbara Wild. All of my novels have also benefited from St. Martin’s extraordinary marketing and PR team: Martin Quinn, Stephen Erickson, and Kayla Janas. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Two other publishing professionals deserve special mention: Joe Brosnan, who started me on this journey, and Ed Stacker, my private editor/secret weapon.
Many people helped me try to understand and capture the worlds of Donnie, Nico, and Jenna. For Donnie, I’m indebted to the rock band Kix, a staple from my youth, when I blasted “Cold Shower”
and “Girl Money” from the cheap speakers of my rusted MG Midget. Kix inspired many iconic bands of the 1980s and 1990s, never receiving the full recognition they deserve. Members of the band graciously took time to talk to me about their early years and recent resurgence. Also, thanks to Keith Marlowe, my old law school buddy—and guitarist of the terrific band The Miners—who educated me on Philadelphia as well as the city’s club scene in the 1990s. I also drew inspiration from Dave Grohl’s excellent memoir. Donnie is, well, Donnie, and not based on any real person, but these gifted musicians helped me get my head into one of my favorite characters I’ve written to date.
As for Nico, Christo Doyle gave me a glimpse into the world of a TV producer. Like Nico, Christo has had major TV hits and even an aftershow for Gold Rush, but the comparison ends there. I must also express gratitude to J. Davitt McAteer and Celeste Monforton for providing information on coal-mining disasters. And many thanks to Joshua Caldwell and West Virginia University’s Academy for Mine Training, who showed me the academy’s state-of-the-art mine rescue center and provided insights into the life of coal miners, brave and hardworking individuals who risk their lives every time they go to work. All errors, and the many embellishments, are my own.
With respect to Jenna, I drew inspiration from some fictional favorites, including Jason Bourne, Nikita, Jack Reacher, Lisbeth Salander, the Gray Man, and Orphan X, among others. I relied again on esteemed author Barry Lancet for assistance with Jenna’s fighting capabilities. And I turned to UK
lawyer, friend, and fashionista Elena Jacobson for advice on Jenna’s attire for the Kalorama party.
Special thanks to additional professionals who helped me along the way. For expert medical advice I once again bothered John Thieszen, M.D. For legal, I always go to the best lawyers in the world, my friends at Arnold & Porter.
And to the other friends and family who have cheered me on through every book: Paul and Trish
Adair, Laney and Juan Altamar, Reeves and Brooke Anderson, Dan Barnhizer, Lisa and David Blatt, Mara Bralove, Deb Carpenter, Amy and Christo Doyle, John Elwood, Jenny and Garrett Evenson, Debbie Feinstein, Charles and Juli Franze, Steph Gangi, Todd and Candy Golden, Brian Hook, Stanton Jones and Carolina Chavez, Jeff Karlin and Sheila Scheuerman, Yong Sang Kim, Robert and Sae Knowles, Kat Lindsey, Jon Lindstrom and Cady McClain, Chris Man and Adam Marquez, John and Patty Massaro, Tony Mauro, John McCarrick, Sean Morris, Evie Norwinski, Brian Panowich, Elissa Preheim, Alexis Rodriquez and Craig Hoetger, Laura and Karl Roske, Mara Senn, Greg Smith, Craig Stewart, Lynn Swanson, Carmen Venecia, Rob Weiner, Andrea and Mark Williams, and Rob Wood.