King and Maxwell

by David Baldacci

  Grant held up her phone, which had been taken from her previously.

  “I’m going to hit Tyler’s number.”

  “I could just text him.”

  “I think he needs to hear your voice. If you text him he can’t be sure it’s from you.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot about that. But where should we meet?”

  “How about Tysons mall? There’s a Starbucks there, right? I know it’s not that close to where you both live, but it’s a central place with lots of people.”

  “Yeah, we’ve actually gone there sometimes.”

  “We’ll take you to the mall and drop you there. You meet with him. Deliver the message. And then you go home. And we’ll take it from there. How’s that sound?”

  “That sounds really good,” she said, relief in her voice.

  Grant smiled. “I thought it would. And your country really appreciates your help.”

  He hit the key for Tyler’s speed dial.

  He had to call the number twice before Tyler picked up.

  “Kathy?”

  She delivered the message as calmly as possible.

  “I’ll meet you there,” said Tyler. He clicked off.

  Kathy looked at Grant.

  “You did the right thing,” he said. For me.

  CHAPTER

  64

  TYLER HURRIED INTO THE MALL and looked around. Hearing from Kathy had floored him. The CIA wanted to talk to his dad! He could hardly believe it. Kathy had said they thought he’d been set up. If he could get to the CIA, maybe he had a good shot at getting all this sorted out.

  The Starbucks was up ahead. He looked cautiously around again. He trusted Kathy completely, but with all the crazy things happening he knew he needed to be careful. The mall was pretty full, though, and thus he felt safe.

  He felt the hand on his arm and whirled around. He was staring up at a police officer.

  “Tyler Wingo?” the man said.

  Tyler stammered, “Yu-yes?”

  “You need to come with me, son.”

  “Why?”

  Another man in a suit appeared behind him. He held out his ID card.

  “FBI. Special Agent Martin. You need to come with us, Mr. Wingo. Down to the WFO in D.C. for questioning.”

  “What about?”

  The man looked at him incredulously. “About your father, Mr. Wingo. What else would it be? You running a drug ring or something?”

  “No. But I’m meeting with someone at Starbucks.”

  “We know all about Ms. Burnett. We have already collected her. She’s in big trouble, Mr. Wingo. Do you know what accessory after the fact means?”

  Tyler looked like he might throw up. “N-no. Is it bad?”

  “It could be very bad, depending on how this turns out. Now let’s go.”

  They escorted Tyler out of the mall and the three climbed into a black SUV with tinted windows. It immediately drove off.

  Tyler’s phone vibrated in his pocket. His father’s text had finally come through. He did not have a chance to answer it. The text sat there unanswered, as did the message his father had left on Tyler’s voice mail.

  Thirty minutes later Sean, Michelle, and Wingo rushed into the mall.

  Michelle held up a warning hand. “Wait. Let’s do this right. They could have used Tyler to flush you, Sam, which means they could be waiting to ambush us.”

  “In a crowded mall?” said Wingo.

  Sean said, “They’ve already done it once to us. These guys don’t seem to care where they hit you or who gets hurt in the process.”

  They spread out and advanced on the Starbucks that Tyler had mentioned in his text. When they arrived it only took a few seconds to see that neither teenager was there.

  Wingo said, “They’ve already got them.”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” said Michelle.

  “The hell we don’t. They’ve got my kid. Shit!” He slumped against a wall and put a hand over his face.

  Sean put a hand on Wingo’s shoulder. “We’ll get him back, Sam. We just need to keep calm and think of a way.”

  “I can’t think straight. Not with Tyler…”

  “Which is exactly what they want to happen,” observed Michelle.

  “Let’s continue this discussion outside,” advised Sean.

  They returned to Michelle’s truck and climbed inside.

  Sean was in the passenger seat and Wingo in the rear. He turned to look at Wingo.

  “Assuming they have Tyler, they’ll contact you to make a deal.”

  “Right, me for Tyler.”

  “That’s what they’ll offer.”

  “And that’s what we’ll give them. Tyler goes free. There’s no debating that. And Kathy too if they have her.”

  “They may not want that. They might want you both.”

  “Tyler knows nothing about any of this.”

  “They can’t be sure of that. They might be afraid you told him something.”

  “Look, I’m just the scapegoat. They’re planning to dump this whole thing in my lap.”

  Sean said, “But they can’t count on that working perfectly. Tyler is insurance.”

  Michelle said, “What did you see over there in Afghanistan?”

  “A bunch of guys. They flashed CIA creds. The leader’s name was Tim Simons. At least that was on his ID. They said the plan had changed. That I was to turn over the cargo to them.”

  “How did you get away?”

  “The truck was wired with explosives, and I had the detonator set with the button depressed. If they shot me, my finger would release.”

  “And boom,” said Sean. “Idiot switch.”

  Wingo nodded.

  “So you could recognize him? This Simons guy?” asked Michelle.

  “Yeah. But I also already told that to my superior.”

  “Colonel Leon South?” said Sean.

  “Right.”

  “What else?”

  “I had a contact over there who helped get me out of the Middle East and back here. He told me that there might be a connection with the missing cash and Heron Air Service.”

  “Which was why you were staking out the place at Dulles,” noted Michelle.

  “That’s right. That’s when I saw one of the guys who jumped me in Afghanistan come out of the Heron Air Service building.” Wingo slapped his thigh. “I forgot.”

  “Forgot what?” asked Michelle.

  “When I was tailing the guy from Heron, he drove into D.C. and went into the offices of the Vista Trading Group, like I said. When he left there I followed him. But then I picked up a tail and had to shake it. Only did so by the skin of my teeth.”

  “So they know you’re on to them. That you know of the connection to Vista and Heron. That alone was enough to get you on their hit list, Sam,” concluded Sean.

  “I guess so,” said Wingo glumly.

  Sean looked at Michelle. “Do we call in the Feds on this? If the kids have been kidnapped?”

  “No! If you do that they’ll just kill them, Sean,” said Wingo. “This is not a simple kidnapping. The stakes are a lot higher. These guys are not concerned with ransom money. They want me. Like you said, collateral damage means nothing to them.”

  “Then the question becomes what do we do when they make their demand,” said Sean.

  “We have to make sure that when I give myself up, Tyler and Kathy get out of there safely,” said Wingo.

  “Easier said than done,” observed Michelle.

  “But there are ways,” said Sean. “And the ideal plan would be to walk away with all three of you safe.”

  “When do you think they’ll call?” asked Wingo.

  “Not right away. They’ll want to make you sweat. Think about the consequences of noncompliance.”

  “But that will give us some time to prepare,” noted Michelle.

  “Yes it will,” said Sean. “And we need to put that time to good use.”

  “Are you guys expert with kidnapping situation
s?” asked Wingo.

  Sean and Michelle exchanged a glance. “Suffice it to say, this won’t be our first time,” said Sean.

  Michelle put her truck in gear and they drove off.

  CHAPTER

  65

  “WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU’RE NOT with the FBI!” yelled Tyler.

  Tyler and Kathy sat bound and blindfolded in chairs.

  Alan Grant sat across from them. “It’s more complicated than that.”

  “You’re bad guys,” said Tyler angrily. “You set up my dad.”

  “But he’s back now. He was with you. That’s good news, right?”

  “You’re trying to kill him.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “That’s bullcrap.”

  Grant glanced up at one of his men who had hovered in the background but now stepped forward and gripped Tyler’s shoulder so hard he gasped in pain.

  “Enough,” said Grant simply and the man let go.

  Grant looked back at Tyler.

  “Why do you think we want to harm your father?”

  “Because you’ve already tried to kill him.”

  “How do you know that was us?”

  “I just know. Who else could it be?”

  “Maybe his own government. And you’re right, we’re not with the government.”

  “Then who are you?”

  This question came from Kathy, who had not spoken before.

  Grant focused on her. “Ah, now that’s a good question. Who are we? Who do you think we are if we’re not with your government?”

  “Spies, terrorists,” exclaimed Tyler. “Which makes you bad guys.”

  “Sometimes spies are on the right side,” said Grant. “Even spies who have to kidnap children because there is no other way to proceed.”

  “Bullcrap,” Tyler said again.

  “You’re as stubborn as your father.”

  “You don’t know my dad.”

  “On the contrary, I know him very well. And the woman who was pretending to be your stepmother.”

  “Pretending?” said Kathy.

  “She’s missing,” said Tyler.

  “I know she is. Do you have any idea where she went?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “You’re very brave, Tyler, even though I know you’re very scared.” Grant reached over and gently gripped Tyler’s arm. The teenager flinched.

  “I have no idea how this will turn out, Tyler, but I do know that you will see your father at some point. I can guarantee you that.”

  “Why?”

  “Like I said, I need to speak to him. And once that is over, you and he can be reunited.”

  “Just like that?” scoffed Tyler.

  “A call will be made. He will ask to talk to you.”

  “Then I’ll tell him to keep very far away.”

  “Are you sure of that?”

  “I’m not afraid of you.”

  Grant let go of Tyler, placed his hand on Kathy’s head, and squeezed slightly. “But your friend is, Tyler. Remember, you need to think of your friend here.”

  All of Tyler’s courage seemed to drain away at this remark.

  Grant let go of Kathy, turned, and left the room. The other man followed, locking the door behind him.

  When he heard the door close behind the footsteps, Tyler said, “I’m really sorry, Kathy. I never meant for you to get involved in all this.”

  Kathy fought back tears but managed to say, “It’s okay, Tyler. You had nothing to do with this.” A sob escaped her lips and Tyler tried to reach out to her, but his bindings held him back.

  “We have to get out of here because I know they’re never going to let us go.”

  “How?” asked Kathy.

  “We have to think of a way. Both our parents are in the military. They taught us stuff. At least I know my dad did me. How about your mom?”

  “She made me take Tae Kwon Do. And I know how to survive in the woods with no food and water. But that doesn’t help us right now.”

  They listened as a car started up and drove off.

  Tyler said, “I can sense you’re right next to me. If I lean my head toward you, do you think you can use your teeth to get my blindfold off?”

  “I can try.”

  It took five minutes but Kathy finally clamped her teeth onto the knot behind Tyler’s head and worked away at it.

  “I can feel it coming loose,” she said at last.

  Another minute passed and then the cloth slipped off Tyler’s face and fell into his lap.

  He blinked and looked at her. “Great job,” he said quietly. He looked around the room. It was small, and the only pieces of furniture were the two chairs in which they sat. There was a window, but it was blacked out.

  “Okay, I’m going to get your blindfold off. Lean your head toward me. It’ll be easier now that I can see.”

  In less than a minute Kathy’s cloth dropped away.

  They sat there staring at each other, visibly heartened by this small victory.

  “Now we have to get these bindings off,” said Tyler.

  “How about if we sit back-to-back? I can work on yours. I have really strong fingers.”

  “All right, but we have to take it slow. They might hear the chairs scraping the floor.”

  They managed to turn their chairs around as quietly as possible until they were back-to-back. Tyler could feel her fingers clenching and unclenching around the rope holding him.