by L. T. Ryan
Chapter 44
Tenerife.
THE NOISE OF the crowds slowly faded and gave way to the wind and the ocean. Brett remained close to the shoreline. Salt spray enveloped him, a sensation he enjoyed from as far back as he could remember. Though he had grown up within an hour of the ocean, visits to it were limited. The joys of being an orphan and foster child.
He produced a small pen light and used the weak beam to scan the area in front of him. Its glow barely lit ten feet up. And that's why Brett nearly stumbled over the body when he reached it. Kneeling, he focused the light on the woman's head. Or what was left of it. Two bullets had entered from the rear and taken out chunks of her forehead and face.
There was no doubt who it was.
Brett had arrived too late.
He swept the area with the light in search of Mia. The girl was nowhere to be found. Fear of drawing attention to his position prevented him from calling out too loudly for her. Still, he tried, to no response. He searched the ground for tracks. What he found was a mishmash of a day's worth of beach-goers' prints.
Think, he told himself. The man had brought them this far only to kill Erin. He wouldn't double back with the girl. Right? Brett knew the guy wouldn't. He had somewhere to go. Brett ran north, scanning the ground with his small light. After a mile or so, he found the tracks of an ATV. Someone, he presumed, had picked the man and Mia up.
He had to contact Ballard and find out if he had uncovered who else was on Tenerife.
Ballard, however, beat him to it.
"Tell me you found something," Brett said.
"I'm going to tell you to abort your position and get to the airport. You have a reservation with a small executive airliner."
"What are you talking about?"
"Get moving and call me when you get there."
"Whoever I spotted has the girl. And he killed her mother. If you know who was here, tell me, Ballard."
There was a long pause before Ballard responded. "I don't know. And it doesn't matter. The woman was a target anyway."
"But not the girl. We're not child killers."
"Keep telling yourself that."
"Dammit. Tell me what you know."
Ballard cleared his throat. "Here's what we know. We know where Noble is going to be tomorrow morning. Now it is up to you to finish him before someone else does if you want your paycheck." Ballard paused to clear his throat again. "And to live."
"You threatening me now?"
"I'm just telling you the situation. You knew going into this that the job was unlike any other. If you fail, you're done. Plain and simple. So, I'd recommend you get to the airport, get on that plane, and handle Noble the moment you spot him."
Chapter 45
New York.
CHARLES LINGERED NEAR the railing, looking over Niagara Falls. The place had always had an effect on him. He'd learned it was something to do with positive or negative ions. Couldn't recall which. Same thing they said about those Himalayan salt lamps, though he'd never tried one. A couple days near the falls, though, left him feeling pretty good. Damn near invincible. More so than usual.
But the Paolo situation weighed down on him. He'd held up his end of the bargain by delivering Noble to Merrick. And what had he heard since then? Not a damn thing. Complete silence. His calls wouldn't even go through to the guy. Son of a bitch, he thought. But, the upside was that right about now, Noble was being fitted for a toe tag. Somewhat of a consolation, he figured.
Returning his thoughts to Paolo, Charles decided that he'd take care of the guy himself. He had the kind of contacts that could tell him the moment the man surfaced. And then Charles would be there, ready to pounce.
After a few more minutes of gazing at the rushing water, Charles found a quiet area inside a touristy spot loaded with t-shirts and hats, a coffee shop, a diner, and tables spread throughout. He waited while a young family finished their meal. Then, when the general area surrounding him was empty, he called in a favor.
PAOLO KEPT THE speedometer pegged at fifty-five. No point in drawing attention to his catatonic sister and himself. His hopes that she'd break free from the condition hadn't materialized. If anything, she was worse. A few hours earlier, she had responded to his questions. Vocally, at first. Then with gestures. Now she stared blankly. Through him. Past him.
"Just hang tight, Essie," he said. "A glass of wine and a good night's sleep will make it better."
She said nothing. He hadn't expected her to.
Essie's condition left him in a predicament. He obviously couldn't cross the border with her. Taking out the danger factor of border patrol being on alert, her presence would be an issue. They'd want to ask her questions, and she wouldn't be able to respond. Leaving her with an associate was out of the question. Anyone he trusted was within reach of Charles. The right threat - or offer - would seal Essie's fate. The people he knew in western Pennsylvania and New York weren't the kind of men he'd leave a semi-conscious woman with.
So the new plan called for Paolo to drive. Past New York, into Ohio. Perhaps travel along the edge of the lake, looking for the right kind of place to stop for the night. A place with cabins in the woods. Hidden from view. If he didn't find it, then they'd continue on into Indiana or Michigan. Hell, he'd go as far west as necessary. Traveling fifty-five miles per hour. Staying under the radar.
A while later, on I-86, they skirted the city limits of Jamestown, the last city he recalled on the map before they reached the northwestern tip of Pennsylvania, then passed into Ohio. Maybe twenty more miles to go. The border symbolized a barrier between Paolo and Charles. He had to reach it. Drive past it. Then, he'd be one step further from his boss's reach.
TROOPER BARRET JOHANSON seldom paid attention to the scanner on his day off. It had irked him when they required him to install it in his Tundra. His personal vehicle, for Pete's sake. Always the good trooper, in more ways than one, Johanson relented. Didn't mean he had to keep it on. Only when on-call. Which was today. It was a pain in the ass, but a necessary one. With over twenty thousand square miles to cover, and only a handful of troopers on duty at any given time, someone had to be ready to pick up a call.
And so it happened that he had the scanner on instead of his CD player blaring through the speakers. And it happened that he heard the call to be on the lookout for a car suspected in a homicide. And it happened that he approached a matching car about five miles east of Jamestown. Johanson lowered his speed, made a slow approach. The plate matched. He eased off the gas until he matched the vehicle's pace, a tranquil fifty-five miles per hour.
The instructions had been specific. Stay with them. Don't make any attempt to pull them over. The man is believed to be armed and dangerous. The woman his captive.
Johanson called it in. Dispatch rerouted him to his boss, a grizzly old bastard by the name of McGillicuddy. The man's words were clear: Stick with them, even past the border, don't bother to attempt to detain, and let me know when and where they stop.
Trooper Johanson agreed, partly because he was a good cop, but mostly because he had no choice.
Chapter 46
Washington, D.C.
BECK ARRIVED ON time. Early, in fact. Clarissa expected no less of the man. He knocked on her door at two minutes to seven. She had a hunch he had been in the hall longer than that.
"You see anyone unusual out there?" she said after opening the door.
"This suit? Had it for years. You look great by the way."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. I tried calling you earlier. Someone was tailing me. Don't know where they picked me up, but I first spotted him at the Lincoln Memorial, then as I exited the store after buying my dress. He made no bones about me seeing him as the cab drove off. His face was hidden though. Only knew it was him by his hat."
"What was on the hat?"
She pictured the man in her head. "It was a Mets ball cap."
"Could you give enough of a description to a sketch artist?"
She led h
im to the kitchen, opened a beer for each of them. "The first time I saw him, he had a camera to his face. When I looked back, he was blocked from view. Next time was outside the store. But he turned away immediately. And a few minutes later, on the sidewalk, he had his hands over his mouth and nose, and sunglasses on."
"So a guy in a Met's hat with no discernible facial features?"
Frustration passed and Clarissa smiled. "Guess we'll have to see if he shows up tonight, huh?"
FOR THE FIRST time in months, Clarissa had a conversation about something other than work. Beck had been charming and funny. And normal. Took her a bit by surprise.
The topic of Charles, or the FBI agents, or the guy they were going to see tomorrow never came up.
She started to feel normal.
How long had it been since she'd had that sensation?
After dinner, she declined Beck's offer to go out for a few drinks with some guys from the office. Knowing he'd use the drive to her apartment as an opportunity to convince her to go out, she preempted the pitch by stating she'd grab a cab home. Otherwise, the temptation to extend the evening would be too great.
She had the cabbie drop her off two blocks from her apartment building. The streets were dimly lit. Lingering heat left behind a veil of haze. Couples strolled past on either side. After a casual glance, she ignored them.
There was one person she was looking out for, and she had no idea what he looked like.
By now, the guy with the camera will have changed his clothes, and in effect, his appearance.
The lights wrapping the awning that stretched out from the front door lit the sidewalk. From where she stood, the entrance looked deserted. Another hundred feet, and she'd be inside.
She approached the alley before her building. Her pace slowed. Her hand slipped into her purse and wrapped around her pistol's grip. She rested her index finger on the trigger guard. The muzzle pointed toward the brick wall to her right. Soon, it would aim directly in the alley.
She turned her head toward the opening as she passed, careful to take in all of her surroundings prior to doing so. She knew the location of every visible person on the street.
She narrowed her eyes in an effort to allow her vision to cut through the dark. The immediate area proved to be barren. She stepped back onto the sidewalk with fifty feet left to go to the door.
Clarissa's sweeping glance showed that the few people on the street had moved the same distance as her, in their respective directions. She cast a glance back at the alley. No lingering shadows advanced from within the corridor.
And then the car door opened.
Whipping her head around, she regretted the decision to release her pistol.
The guy rushed toward her, his ball cap pulled down, the shadows hiding his face. He held something in his hand. A weapon, perhaps, Clarissa couldn't make it out.
She turned quickly in a tight semi-circle. Her purse responded by continuing around her back.
The man lifted his arm. From a black handle emerged a telescoping black pole about three feet long. He lifted it up and back over his shoulder.
Clarissa tried to pull her pistol, but the purse was in an awkward position. She had to decide, compromise her position in an all-out effort for the gun, or stand her ground and attempt to dodge the blow.
She stood her ground.
The guy swung the nightstick as he continued forward. Its trajectory put the weapon on a crash course with her skull.
Big mistake.
Dodging the blow was easy. She rolled away, managing to deliver an elbow strike to the side of the guy's head.
He halted his momentum and spun back toward her. He swung the nightstick blindly.
Clarissa stepped forward, using one arm to stop his swing, and the other to strike him in the throat.
It only half-worked.
The guy coughed and gagged after her fist connected with his windpipe. But at the same time, the nightstick slammed into the back of her head.
Pain radiated out from the spot of impact. She dropped to a knee.
He dropped to two, releasing the nightstick and wrapping his hands around his throat.
Clarissa's vision darkened. As the pain localized, she felt the slow warm trickle of blood crawling down her neck. She fell forward. Her left arm stopped her progression. She spotted the nightstick off to the side and dove for it.
Rolling, she secured the weapon and then rose up to her knees.
The guy had also managed to get himself under control and was scrambling toward the car. The vehicle roared to life before the man reached it. Headlights cut on. The glare blinded Clarissa.
Her attacker dove into the passenger side of the car, then the vehicle peeled away.
Clarissa hopped to her feet, took a second to regain her balance, then hurled the nightstick through the air. It hit the back of the car, shattering the rear window.
A couple ran across the street toward her.
"Are you OK?" the guy asked.
Clarissa reached behind her head, felt the cut. A surface wound. No underlying damage. Lots of blood, though the pain had faded a great deal already.
"Did either of you get the license plate?" she said.
They both shook their heads. The woman said, "Too dark."
"Can we call the cops or ambulance for you?" the guy said.
Clarissa shook her head. "It's OK. I live right here. Cops won't do anything but waste my time."
The couple continued to ask her if she needed help even as she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked away.
Once inside the building, she headed to the stairwell and called Beck. His voicemail picked up.
"Beck, call me when you get this. The guy from earlier showed up outside my building. He tried to attack me, but I managed to send him scrambling. He was with someone, too. Don't like this. At all."
By the time he called back, she was in bed and nearly asleep.
He can wait until morning.
Chapter 47
Eastern France.
BEAR HADN'T REALIZED the road they'd been on for five minutes was in fact a driveway. He hadn't seen a streetlight in over an hour. Everything was black: the sky, the horizon, the earth. All except for the orange glow of a porch light at the end of the lane. Who or what was inside the house? His heart skipped a beat. Several, actually. He gritted his teeth against the sharp pain on the side of his head. Since leaving Nice, it hadn't dissipated. Seemed to occur more frequently lately. The duration longer. The pain more intense.
Pierre had cut his headlights when the porch light was a pinprick. Now he switched off the parking lights. How he knew where to go was beyond Bear. What if the road curved? Were there ditches along the side? Probably not. Like most country driveways, it probably followed the natural contours of the path. Presumably, Pierre knew it. Or the guy had great night vision. Whatever the case, Bear kept from worrying by thinking about Mandy being present. From here, the two could go anywhere.
Fifty feet from the house, two floodlights exploded in a wash of white. Motion activated, Bear guessed. The front door swung open. A slender figured waited. The silhouette bore a resemblance to Kat. Bear craned his neck as though it would allow him to see past the woman and locate Mandy. A short expanse of concrete led to the garage. The white door was down. No windows. The Audi Kat and Mandy had left in had to be parked inside. Pierre stopped there and cut the engine. He left the keys in the ignition and exited the car.
Stepping out to join the Frenchman, Bear heard the woman on the porch call out in her native tongue. The voice was too mature to be Kat's. He looked over and saw her standing in the light. She looked to be in her late forties. Slim, attractive, hair still dark. But not Kat.
"Pierre," the woman said, looking past the man. "Where is Kat?"
The feeling in Bear's stomach was something he'd only felt on a couple occasions. The day he'd been falsely told that Jack had died was one. He struggled to recall another. If Kat wasn't here, neither was Mandy. He rush
ed forward, colliding with Pierre at the base of the steps leading to the porch. The Frenchman appeared to be in a similar state of panic. They hadn't been able to contact Kat since leaving Nice, but that was easily explained by the fact that cellular service was spotty at best in the region. And local phone service outages were common, according to Pierre.
"You tell me," Pierre shouted to the woman. "She should have been here hours ago. Are you saying you haven't heard from her at all? Why didn't you call me?"
She shook her head violently, as though the action could keep the inevitable truth at bay. "Our phone has been out for quite some time."
Pierre didn't seem to hear her as he pushed past and entered the home. Bear and the woman remained outside. Her on the porch. Him on the walkway. Staring at each other.
"Who are you?" she asked in English after a few moments.
"Friend of Pierre's," he said. "My girl was with Kat."
"So you're a criminal, too." Her eyes narrowed. She stepped back.
Bear didn't know what to do so he shrugged. It'd been years since he had been anything other than a contractor. Never considered himself a criminal. Not in the sense of thugs who hang on the street mugging innocent people. Not in the way that bank robbers, rapists, or serial killers are. He'd worked with Jack, offering services to the highest bidder.
"What did you want with my Kat?" she asked.
Bear leaned back; an attempt to dodge the verbal blow. He'd never met the old lady before, much less had a conversation about her daughter that would result in her seeing through his facade. Able to tell he was in love with Kat.
"Nothing," Bear said. "She was accompanying my girl."
"No man just relinquishes control of his daughter to some woman he doesn't know or have feelings for."