From Manhattan With Revenge Boxed Set by Christopher Smith Page A

sense him
wanting to protect her.   She waved
at him from her waist.   He blew her
a kiss.
    Addy was
coming at her with a microphone.   As
they passed each other, he winked.   “I know these events are awful,” he said.   “Give me five minutes.   It’ll be over with sooner than you
think.”

 
 
 
    CHAPTER TWELVE

 
    With
Jean-Georges Laurent in full view, Carmen and Alex felt more at ease to move
into a better position.  
    Only
moments ago, Carmen made a call to her most reliable and efficient contact in
Manhattan.   What she requested of
him would cost plenty, particularly given the speed with which he’d have to
work to pull this off, but she and Alex agreed it was the only way to go if
they were to create the kind of chaos they needed to create in an effort to
stay alive.  
    The
complications were clear.
    Without
the help of Carmen’s contact, the moment Alex pulled a gun on Jean-Georges,
someone undoubtedly would see it and the place would be turned on its
side.   But with the help of the
distraction her contact was offering, which would take the focus off him and
place it elsewhere, that was a game changer.  
    While
fear reigned, Alex would be able to take out Jean-Georges and Leana Redman as
the shock of what had happened fully registered.   Then, he and Carmen would escape through
the corridor, running from the madness as if they themselves were threatened by
it.
    Carmen
looked at the time on her watch while Addison Miller started to speak.   The award would be given out in
minutes.   Her contact promised he
could pull it off regardless of the short notice, just as she knew he could
because he generally had these sorts of emergency situations covered.   He said he’d call her moments before he
arrived.   They wouldn’t talk.   Her cell phone was set to vibrate.   He’d allow for one vibration before
coming through with what he promised.
    She
watched Tootie Staunton-Miller take the microphone from her husband.   She allowed him to kiss her on the cheek
before she stepped in front of him.  
    “Who
among us hasn’t been touched by suicide?” she asked the crowd.   “Maybe a relative took his or her life,
a friend, an acquaintance.   In the
wake of this Wall Street disaster, which has robbed so many of our own in ways
that are unconscionable, I can’t imagine that somebody here doesn’t know
someone who has turned to a darker way out because of it.”
    She
looked at Leana.   “When Harold
Baines took his life, Leana Redman felt the full weight of his grisly death and
decided to do something proactive about it.   She has gifted our organization fifty
million dollars, which will go for support and education at our satellite
organizations throughout the country.   It’s an incredibly kind, meaningful gesture and I hope all of you will
join Addy and me in recognizing the importance of stepping forward and doing
the right thing when you have the means to do so.   Leana Redman is one of those people and
I want to say publicly to her, thank you.   Thank you, Leana, for your gift of love, because I know that’s what it
was for you.   I can promise you that
your gift will help others.   What
you’ve done will touch people you’ll never know, people you’ll never meet, but
it will touch them.   It will change
their lives for the better.   They
will go forward because of you and for that, we all applaud you.”
    And they
did.
    Carmen
looked at Alex.   His hand was
resting inside his jacket and he was ready to take action when the time was
right.   They watched Tootie step
over to Jean-Georges and hand him the crystal award for philanthropy she and
Addy had formed years ago.   When he
took it, he seemed surprised by its weight, which generated a polite chuckle
from the crowd.   The award was tall
and solid and gleamed in the light of the snapping cameras and the orange light
filling the room.   He took the
microphone from Tootie just as Carmen’s cell phone buzzed in