* * * *
“I hope you ladies enjoyed our scenic tour of Sarasota,” Gus spoke up, as he drove toward St. Petersburg.
“What are we doing, Gus? Is the woman from the bank still following us?”
“She’s back there. Every once in a while I catch a glimpse of her white Lexus.”
“Where’re we headed now?” Jean asked.
“A warehouse spot near the ocean almost to my house,” Gus answered. “We’ll only be stopping there for a moment before we go back to the condo.”
Because the traffic thinned out considerably, both Rachel and Jean saw more of the Lexus as they traveled. When Gus turned into a dock area, lined with graffiti covered warehouse buildings, Rachel looked around worriedly. Gus slowed to a crawl as they drove along the litter filled access road. The Lexus had plainly followed them.
“What the hell are you doing, Gus?”
“Calm down, Rachel,” Gus urged as he approached a winding curve.
Gus stopped the Town Car. Rachel and Jean watched the Lexus get larger in the tinted rear window. It stopped only twenty yards behind the Lincoln. A few seconds after the Lexus halted, its windshield shattered. Rachel and Jean both jumped. The passenger side door of the Lexus started to open; but the woman they could see plainly through the now open windshield area suddenly pitched backward, her left shoulder a bloody pulp. Gus turned the Lincoln around.
“Close your eyes ladies,” Gus advised.
He drove by the idling Lexus. Neither Rachel nor Jean looked away. The Lexus driver no longer had a head. His woman companion moved only slightly. As the Lincoln accelerated, Rachel saw Nick’s Escalade round the curve and stop next to the Lexus. Rachel turned toward the front. She knew the end of this particular story.
“That’s the Terminator,” Jean said quietly, still watching out the back window.
“Yes it is, honey,” Gus agreed.
* * * *
“Hello, Kate.” Nick peered into the Lexus, his H &K at the ready. “Does Frank have anyone else down here right now?”
“An…an army,” the woman moaned, clutching her wound where the.50 caliber slug had ripped the top of her left shoulder off. “Christ…Nick…you did this on purpose.”
“You know me and loose ends, Kate. This is going to hurt a little.”
* * * *
Kate’s high pitched scream dropped into an agonized wail as Nick backed off from prodding her wounded shoulder. Nick had revived the woman twice in the last forty-five minutes, noting that blood loss would quite shortly put an end to the interrogation. Kate’s story had not changed in any significant detail as Nick had taken her through it three times.
“Now, Kate,” Nick urged. “Is -”
“Pleaaaaaasssssseee…Nick,” Kate sobbed grotesquely, head writhing from side to side, her blue and green top soaked in blood. “No…no more -”
“Just a little more, baby,” Nick implored in a soft but urgent voice. He added a new question. “Where were you to take the flash drives?”
Kate hesitated. In doing so, she knew instinctively it would mean more pain. She began crying piteously. “You…you cared for me once.”
“About as much as you cared for me, Kate. You knew who Frank sent you down here against.”
“I never thought…you’d protect the Hunter woman. I told Frank I thought you’d send her down here to get the drives…and…and if she didn’t get them you’d -”
“Write her off?”
Kate’s mouth moved for a moment, but no words issued forth. She looked away from Nick, life and pain fading from her anguished features. “Jason…Bidwell…”
Nick heard the rattling exhale of life, as the final loss of all worries in this world erased the lines from the woman’s face. It took nearly thirty minutes for him to position the Lexus. Five minutes later, he watched the vehicle sink beneath the ocean’s surface.
* * * *
Deke ran into the condo, charging across the room to Jean, his whole body wagging. Jean immediately began wrestling with him on the floor near the dining room table where Gus and Rachel sat drinking coffee. Nick, carrying the clothes he had discarded before setting up his trap, walked in only seconds after Deke and closed the door. Jean gave him a hesitant wave from where the dog had her pinned on the carpet. Nick waved back and threw the clothing over a chair back before sitting down.
“How we doing, partner?” Gus asked.
“Pretty fair,” Nick answered as Rachel reached over to cover his hand with hers. “It seems my little feint toward Washington didn’t draw everyone away from the area. The good news is those two in the Lexus were the only ones. Frank had his own insider at the bank; but it’s no one we have to worry about, because Rachel won’t be going in there again. I made the call to the cops about Santora. They won’t be finding the Lexus and its occupants anytime soon.”
“Did you know the woman outside the bank personally, Nick?” Rachel asked.
“I knew both of them,” he answered without any change of expression. “The woman gave me a name: Jason Bidwell. He’s the one they were to take the drives to. I believe we can count Frank out of helping us return things to normal.”
“As in Jason Bidwell, former senator, financier, and big time trader in carbon offsets?” Gus rattled the facts off with a low whistle and small shake of his head. “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
“We?” Nick exchanged smiles with Gus. “You signing on for the duration or something, Gus? I figured to transfer some funds and you’d be on your way like always.”
“I think I have a chance to finally get even with you, brother.”
“If you mean Jamaica, we’ve been square a long time.” Nick’s smile diminished into a tight-lipped grimace. “What the hell makes you think I have you on the pad for Jamaica? Those two runs off the keys, when no one else in the world would have anything to do with me, evened us up just fine.”
“Those were cake-walks.” Gus waved Nick off with some annoyance. “My brother’s a doctor now up in Boston because of Jamaica. You need me on this, just like I needed you back then. Burning Jason Bidwell will bring all kinds of hell down on you, Nick. I like your new family here, if you haven’t scared them off with that stunt today.”
“Stunt? Well, maybe it was a little creative, but -” Nick started.
Gus cut him off. “Without me, your ass would’ve been hanging out in the breeze.”
“Which is why I brought you into the Florida part of this,” Nick reasoned. “I didn’t turn your offer down. For the first time, I don’t know where this shit ends. Bidwell’s just the newest addition to a growing list of guys we can’t run from. If word gets out you’re in this with me, no one you ever knew will be safe, Gus.”
“We’ll just have to be careful then, won’t we, Boss?” Gus stuck out his hand. “Don’t worry, it’s going to cost you a nice tidy sum I ain’t decided on yet.”
“If we pull this off, my friend, you’ll be able to retire in style.” Nick shook Gus’s hand. “Best think it over tonight before throwing in with us.”
“Hey, what are friends for, right Rachel?”
“That’s right, Gus,” Rachel nodded her head happily. “I’m glad you’re staying.”
Nick shook his head. “Would this be a good time to tell you those two folks in the Lexus were friends of mine too?”
* * * *
Deke ran full out to the fence after the bouncing softball. Gus ran toward second base to help Jean who waited halfway to the fence for Deke to bring the ball back. Rachel streaked around second base, while Nick moved from first base to cover home plate. Deke dodged Jean and faked Gus off his feet to one knee. When Deke reached Nick, he dropped the ball with Rachel still ten feet from home plate. Rachel squealed and barreled into Nick, who had grabbed up the ball and moved to block her. They went down in a heap as Gus and Jean ran up to umpire the action. Deke poked his nose into the squirming, two-player pile. Suddenly, Nick’s right arm shot up from under Rachel with the softball in his
hand.
“Yoooooooouuuuuuuuu'rrrrrrrrreeeeee out!” Gus and Jean yelled in chorus to Rachel.
Rachel sat up on Nick with an outraged look, red faced and panting.
“No fair!!! I scored before he tagged me.”
“Oh waaahhhhh. Get off me you big baby… you are so out.” Nick used the softball to bop Rachel in the forehead, which set Gus and Jean off on a laughing jag.
Rachel went for Nick’s throat, forgetting about the ever vigilant Deke. Rachel’s left forearm ended up in Deke’s mouth, while the dog stared her down with a growl.
“Damn it, Deke! I had my first homerun, you ungrateful cur!” Rachel complained, disengaging herself from Nick and the dog. “Now I have slobber all over my arm and forehead, and I’m out. Thanks a lot.”
Deke barked. He plopped down on his paws next to Nick.
“Nick, your dog never hits the cutoff man.” Gus knelt next to Deke and stroked his head.
“Deke is the star. He doesn’t need no stinking cutoff man, right Deke?” Nick received a short grunt of acknowledgment from the dog.
“He slimes the ball anyway,” Jean added.
“Put a fork in me, I’m done,” Nick stated, lying back over home plate.
“I’m taking off too.” Gus stood up. “Will you require a new vehicle to check out the bank tomorrow, Ace?”
“Only for a short time,” Nick answered, sitting up. “I want to see if Santora goes to work tomorrow. I’ll go alone. I don’t want anyone to even get a glimpse of Rachel.”
“What about the flash drives?” Rachel kicked Nick’s leg, while keeping an eye out for Deke.
“I’ve already compressed all the content,” Nick answered, slapping Rachel’s foot away and standing up. “They’re all ready to send over to Suzan’s husband. Then we’ll hang around and wait for his input. If it matches or enhances what I gleaned from the drives, we’ll call Grace and put her in touch with Suzan. They’ll have plenty of bargaining power. Suzan and Jim will have to handle their own deal with the government.”
“Can we go swimming again, Nick?” Jean asked.
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll leave you to it then.” Gus handed the glove he had been using to Rachel. “See you all tomorrow.”
“Bye, Gus,” the three chorused in varying tones as he walked away.
“I need a beer,” Nick announced as he picked up their equipment bag and began stuffing it with balls.
“What happened to your iced tea craze?” Rachel took charge of the bat.
“It turned into a beer craze the moment I had to endure ninety degree heat and humidity.”
“Can I have a beer too, Nick?” Jean asked as they walked with Deke toward the parking lot. “Deke always gets one.”
“Sure, Danger.”
“Nick!” Rachel pushed him off balance.
Nick shrugged at Jean with his ‘I’m not in charge’ look.
“Well, how about a shot of Jack Daniels?”
“Jean!” Rachel ran after her giggling daughter with Deke nipping Rachel’s heels.
Nick watched his team of terminators for a moment before shaking his head and walking after them. Oh boy.
Nick and Rachel watched Jean practice swimming laps from the lounge chairs they had set in the shade of the building that housed the bathrooms for the condo pool area. Nick had packed a cooler for their sojourn to the pool. Deke lay next to his water dish, sleeping in the shade between the lounge chairs.
“It looks like Danger finally wore out Deke today.”
“Maybe, but I don’t trust that dog.” Rachel noted Deke’s head didn’t pop up at his name. “We have the whole pool to ourselves this afternoon.”
Nick glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly six. Everyone else is probably eating by now.”
“I heard you talking to Suzan.”
“I gave her the domain address on the internet where she could access the information off the drives I uploaded. She said her husband Jim would go over the information right away. I’ll call her tonight after we get something to eat and see what he thinks.”
“It may be dangerous for you to go over to the bank tomorrow. What if Frank sent more people? They’ll be looking for you this time instead of me.”
“I figure I have a day before Frank figures something’s happened to Kate and Jessops.”
“I’m sorry you had to -” Rachel began, having heard Nick call the woman he’d killed by name for the first time.
“Don’t.” Nick cut her off with a quick wave of his hand. “Kate made an error in judgment. It cost her. They would have killed you, Jean, and Deke without blinking an eye. If the name she gave me pans out with Jim Benoit, there will be lots of pond scum floating to the surface. Bidwell would have a few layers between him and this mess. The sooner we put the Benoits together with Grace and Tim the better. Some of the heat on us will most definitely cool once the rats start scurrying for cover.”
“And then what?”
“We go rat hunting.”
Chapter Twenty
Slight Correction
Nick spotted Javier Martine the moment he walked through the bank door. He was talking to Rene Santora in front of the safety deposit box section. Nick walked over to where customers stood in line to access a safety deposit box. Santora immediately closed off her talk with Martine. He glanced at Nick and walked away. Santora smilingly waved Nick to the window.
“Hello, Mr. Weatherby.” Santora checked the ID Nick slid into the tray under the window.
“Hi, Rene.” Nick appeared to look at her nametag. He then did a double take, pretending surprise. “What happened to your face?”
Rene smiled crookedly at Nick, patting her splotchy face, the result of hours in contact with duct tape. She pushed the sign-in sheet clip board around so Nick could sign it. “I’m okay, just a little rash.”
“Oh. Good.” Nick signed the clipboard sheet and handed it back.
Rene let Nick in the back. After helping him get his safety deposit box, she settled him into one of the rooms and left him alone. He took his satellite phone out of the case holding his computer and called Rachel’s throw away cell-phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Rach, guess who I spotted in the bank this morning.”
“I’d rather not. I thought you weren’t going to call. My heart stopped when the phone rang. Even Gus looked at me weird. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he answered, surprised how tightly wound his companions were. “Our Javier was inside talking to Rene.”
“Holy shit! Tanus is after him too. Why would, oh…Rene must be feeding Fletcher instead of Tanus.”
“Which would explain how Frank had two people on site. He must be in charge of acquiring the drives for Tanus, the prick. Since I’m here, and I see Javier’s hanging around, too, why don’t I follow him and see what happens?”
“Aren’t you afraid whoever Frank has in place will ID you?”
“They didn’t make me yesterday. Frank’s probably still trying to reach Kate and Jessops. Your girlfriend Rene looks okay.”
“My girlfriend? Bite me! I’m feeling better about you risking your neck already. Have fun.”
“Still want to have a meet with Javier?”
“From a couple hundred yards?” she asked.
“Not this time, Nikita. Sarasota and sniper killings do not mix. It will have to be up close and personal. Whether you want a piece or not, Mr. Martine will have to be sent in search of an afterlife very soon.”
“Can I get back to you on that once you see if it’s feasible?”
“Absolutely.”
* * * *
Rachel hung up the phone. Gus waited patiently for her to enlighten him. Jean was in her room with Deke, playing video games, while Rachel and Gus had coffee at the dining table.
“Nick says Javier Martine, the guy who helped kill and torture my husband Rick, is at the bank. He was talking to Santora, so she was spotting for Fletcher, not Tanus. Nick is going to fo
llow Javier.”
“I take it from your side of the conversation, he offered to set Javier up for you.”
“I asked him about doing it when we found out Javier had transferred to Fletcher,” Rachel admitted.
“Be careful what you wish for. Are you going to take him up on it?”
“It seemed like a good idea when it was an unknown in the future.”
“Reality’s a bitch.”
“Gus, what happened in Jamaica?”
“That’s classified,” he joked guardedly.
“We could trade Nick adventures,” Rachel coaxed. “C’mon, Gus, it’ll be fun.”
“You don’t know Nick if you think it would be fun to tell stories about his adventures, Rachel.” He raised his hands palm outward toward her in a stopping gesture. “That guy’s one of the most dangerous men on earth. When he suddenly showed up with you, Jean, and Deke under his wing, I checked to see if the earth had flipped on its axis. The fact he and I hooked up in the past professionally doesn’t mean I don’t get a tingle of dread when I see him. Watching him playing softball with you, Danger, and that damn dog was the most disconcerting thing I’ve ever seen.”
Rachel laughed. “Then you definitely don’t want to know about our traveling road show. I have no illusions as to what Nick is, or what he’s capable of.”
Gus leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, as if coming to a decision. When he leaned forward again, he began talking while looking down at his cup.
“My younger brother Phil graduated from college seven years ago and received an internship at Boston General. He decided a trip to Jamaica with his friends, Damian and Julie Butler, who are sister and brother, seemed like a great way to celebrate. Phil did so well in school, and because he’s the only family I had left, a vacation to Jamaica seemed like a good graduation present. Phil claims he and his friends were at a party on the beach. He ended up bound and gagged along with his friends by the Jamaican Posse. They wanted a million dollars ransom. The Butler kid’s parents and I were able to round up the money, but as happens many times, we were sold out by the official in charge of helping us exchange the money for hostages. They ended up with the money and held on to the kids. No one cared a crap about it in either the Jamaican government or ours.”
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