“Screw him.”
“He might have a gun.”
“I seriously doubt he’d actually shoot, but he might wave it around. You stay on the controls after touchdown.”
“Don’t get yourself shot, partner. He’s not worth it.”
“I second that,” Jeremy added.
“I’ll be okay. I can always jump in the water if he gets trigger-happy.”
“You guys are something else. Do I want to know what you used to do for a living?”
They answered simultaneously. “No.”
He circled the ship around to the north, bleeding off altitude. “Power lines?”
“Negative,” Harv said. “We’re good.” He skimmed the south wall of the inlet by no more than thirty feet and dropped down to water level.
“Oh, man….” Jeremy said.
“You okay back there?” Harv asked.
“I think I left my stomach on the cliff.”
“The worst part’s over. Harv, you see any crossings? Cables or ropes, anything like that?”
“We’re good.”
The target LZ was straight ahead, several hundred yards distant. They were totally engulfed by the towering red walls above them. Nathan had done some confined flying before, but nothing like this. Total focus.
“It’s loud enough to wake the dead out there,” Harv said. “All this rotor noise must be reverberating like a freight train.”
Nathan concentrated on a flat spot near the middle of a rocky island and slowed his approach to twenty knots. “He definitely knows we’re here.”
“I don’t see anyone,” Harv said.
He slowed to ten knots and looked at the water. Smooth. No wind. A slight amount of dust swirled as they went feet dry. He eased forward and hovered over the LZ.
Total focus now. Eyes straight ahead. Ease down on the collective.
A little more…. The helicopter shuddered slightly. They were down.
“I think I need to change my shorts,” Jeremy said.
“Nate’s a good pilot.”
Jeremy pointed. “There’s our man.”
Nathan throttled down and looked up. Their mark stood on the sundeck with his hands on his hips. Even from this distance, he didn’t look real happy. Understandable, but too bad.
“I’m getting out. Harv, you’re on the controls.”
“You sure about this? Maybe we should all get out.”
“That would appear threatening. Jeremy, I want you to get out, but stay here.”
“You got it.”
He climbed out, removed his flight helmet, and walked across the uneven terrain toward the houseboat. Halfway there he stopped. Mr. Houseboat didn’t move.
Nathan cupped his mouth and shouted, “May I come aboard?”
The man put a hand to his ear.
He walked another twenty yards and repeated the request. To his surprise, he received an affirmative nod and a wave over. Well, at least they weren’t off to a combative start. The houseboat looked a lot nicer than the floating wreck he’d expected. The man disappeared from sight. A few seconds later, Nathan saw him reappear at the bow, unlatch a gate in the rail, and slide a gangplank onto the island.
Nathan turned and gave Harv a nod before continuing toward the boat. The man, like his boat, also surprised him. He was clean-shaven and dressed in blue jeans and a black Oakland Raiders T-shirt. In his sixties, he looked fit, except for a slight gut.
“That was some damned fine flying.”
“Thanks,” Nathan said. They shook hands. “I’m Nathan McBride.”
The man studied the scars on his face and offered a nod. “Lars Stiegler. I flew Hueys for the Army in ’Nam. Two tours.”
“Thank you for your service.” Nathan placed Stiegler’s accent as Texan.
Stiegler attempted a smile, but it didn’t quite shine. The vet nodded toward the helicopter. “Bell 407?”
“Good call.”
“Your friends are welcome too. Might as well make it a party.”
“One of them is an FBI special agent.”
“Don’t matter to me. I ain’t done nothing wrong. At least not lately.” This time he did smile, for real.
“I apologize for the intrusion.”
He waved a hand. “I figured you’d come and find me, just didn’t figure it would be from a helicopter. Expect the unexpected.”
“May I ask why you left the marina?”
“That park ranger pissed me off, told me I couldn’t leave. Screw him. Is that your ship?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll bet it handles like a dream.”
“It does.” Nathan looked up at the canyon walls.
“Truly God’s country. I feel at home inside here… couldn’t tell you why. I just do.”
“No cell phones or Internet. Just you and the rocks.”
“What branch were you in?”
“Marines.”
“Officer?”
“Yes.”
“My father was a bullet catcher. Saw lots of action in Korea, nearly froze his ass off at the Chosin Reservoir.”
“My father was there too.”
“No kidding? You Marines are a tough bunch.”
“Thank you. We don’t need much of your time, Mr. Stiegler.”
“Call me Lars.”
Nathan turned when he heard Harv cut the engine. It would take a minute for the main rotor to wind down. “We were worried you might have a gun.”
“I do.”
Nathan waited.
“Hell, anybody crazy enough to strap himself into a flying blender, hover down this narrow canyon, and land on this rock isn’t a threat. To himself, maybe, but not to me. I have a kindred heart for helicopter pilots. Screw all them fixed-wing pussies. I couldn’t give a hoot in hell about them.”
Nathan feigned agreement. “Amen to that.”
More introductions were made as Jeremy and Harv joined them. Nathan watched Lars size up the new arrivals.
“Come aboard,” Lars said. “I can offer anyone who isn’t flying or on duty a cold one.”
“We’re good,” Harv said.
The interior of Stiegler’s floating home could’ve doubled for a showroom model. Neat to a T. Nathan’s preconceptions had been dead wrong. This man was meticulous and organized. Nothing out of place. Vacuumed. Dusted. No dirty dishes in the sink. Or clothes strewn about.
“You run a tight ship,” Harv said.
“A man’s home is a reflection of how he sees the world.”
“Then you must see the world in a positive way.”
Stiegler popped a Corona. “I do.”
An awkward silence ensued.
“You guys want to know why I’m so positive someone stole my boat and returned it.”
“Yeah, we do,” Nathan said.
“It’s simple. I always tie my mooring rope to the cleat in a special way. Whoever took my boat nearly got it right. It was the same kind of knot, but tied differently. I go left over right on the last part, not right over left.” He waved a hand. “Hell, I know what I know.”
“How easy is it to hot-wire one of these things?”
“I couldn’t say, but they didn’t need to. I’m sure they found my spare key. I keep it on a hook inside the cabinet over the sink. They put it back on the hook backwards.”
“You don’t keep your doors locked?”
“Nope. Despite a few rowdy kids now and then, this is an honest community.”
“Don’t you live on your boat full-time?” Harv asked.
“I do, but I was staying with a cousin in Banning for a few days. But here’s the clincher. I found this under my sofa, just out of sight.” Stiegler pulled a ziplock Baggie from his pocket and handed it to Jeremy. Inside was a piece of dull, silver wire with an offset 90-degree bend on one side. It looked to be about 1/8 of an inch thick. “I’m willing to bet my boat that came from galvanized chain-link fencing. I’ve worked with it before.”
Nathan exchanged a glance with Jeremy. Arthur Kr
amer’s body had been wrapped in chain link before it went into the water.
“I may not be the brightest bulb in the ceiling, but I’m also willing to bet this has something to do with that body they found a few days ago.”
“This is an important find. Jeremy, can your forensic people magnify the cut edge and try to match it against the fencing found on the body?”
“Yes. It’s like a ballistic signature.”
“I knew it,” Stiegler said. “Pisses me off they used my boat.”
Jeremy tucked the Baggie into his pocket. “Thanks for giving this to us.”
“I wasn’t going to. That lousy park ranger. Do I look like a vagrant to you guys?”
“He called you a vagrant?” Harv asked.
“The jackass. Don’t get me wrong, I like the federal park rangers and think they do a great job, but this particular turd has it out for me. He’s constantly harassing me.”
Harv smiled. “Maybe he doesn’t like the Oakland Raiders. He wouldn’t be the only one.”
“Hey, watch it.”
“Is there anything else unusual or out of the ordinary that’s happened around here lately?” Nathan asked.
“Except all the commotion a few days ago, not really. It’s a fairly quiet place expect for a few partying college students now and then. I don’t mind too much, lots of T and A in the narrows.”
Nathan stood. “I think we’ve taken enough of your time, Lars.”
“Y’all are stand-up guys. I’m sorry I made you chase me down.” He turned toward Jeremy. “If you talk to that park ranger again, will you let him know I cooperated? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already on his way. You raised quite a ruckus landing in here.”
“I will,” Jeremy said. “Thanks for talking to us.”
Leaving offered less of a challenge. From a hover, Nathan executed a vertical takeoff, cleared the canyon walls, and headed back toward the marina. Stiegler waved from his sundeck.
“That went better than I expected,” Jeremy said. “He seemed like a pretty decent guy.”
“He told me he flew Hueys in Vietnam.”
“Professional courtesy?” Harv asked.
“Probably.” Nathan’s cell interrupted them.
Harv patched it through. “It’s Thorny,” Harv said.
“Hi, General.”
“Where are you?”
“We just left our rendezvous with the houseboat owner. We’re flying back to the marina.”
“Flying?”
“Our contact left the marina. We had to track him down by air.”
“How did it go?”
Nathan filled him in.
“Good work.”
“General, we’re not alone. We have an FBI special agent with us.”
“This is for your ears only.”
“I’ll… ah… remove my headset,” Jeremy said.
Nathan nodded his thanks. With all the engine and slipstream noise, Jeremy wouldn’t be able to hear them, especially from the rear seats.
“Okay, it’s just Harv and me now.”
“This isn’t easy for me to say, but I have to back off. I just finished a face-to-face with the secretary of the navy. He thought it was important enough to meet in person, and he was crystal clear. I am not to inquire into Kramer or the kidnapped Dalton family ever again or support you in any way. He asked me to forget I ever heard those names. He also let me know that certain people in high places are questioning your ability to deliver a live prisoner. I’m sorry about this, Nate, but I’m a good soldier. I follow orders even when I disagree with them.”
“Don’t worry about it, General. We’ll handle things from here. We’ll be fine. I understand your situation. If the roles were reversed, I’d do exactly the same thing.”
“For what it’s worth, I suggest you call your father. As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Domestic Terrorism, he’s privy to all national security issues. He’s got better intelligence resources than I do. He may even know what’s going on.”
Thorny was right. He felt a pang of guilt for not doing it sooner. “I’ll call him.”
“I may not be able to help you directly, but I’m staying in the loop. Keep me informed.”
“Will do. We’ll call you later this afternoon.” Nathan ended the call.
“While Jeremy’s unplugged,” Harv said, “we should call Holly and see if she’s got anything new.”
Holly answered right away.
“What timing. I was about to call you. We have at least one answer about Kramer, why he was in Bullfrog Bay. His brother-in-law owns a condo out there.”
Nathan looked at Harv. “That could be our crime scene.”
“Are you ready for the address?”
“Yes,” Harv said, and wrote it on the edge of his chart. “We’ll check it out as soon as we land.”
“One other thing, but I don’t know how significant it is. Kramer recently shut down his company, Energy Solutions, Incorporated. He flew home from Hungary a little over a week ago. Kramer was a loner. No wife or kids or girlfriend. As far as we can tell, his sister’s his only living relative.”
“That sudden shutdown of his firm could be significant,” Nathan said. “We should find out all we can about Energy Solutions, Inc.”
“We’re trying, but so far it’s what we don’t know that stands out. It’s a Delaware corporation and likely nothing more than a shell company. You know, a business-cards-only-type deal. Henning is scouring Delaware’s public records, but we’re not expecting to find much more than what’s required legally to be a legitimate corporation. Have you learned anything useful from Hawthorne’s connections?”
“Yes and no. His boss just ordered him to back off, in person. He also told us there are people in high places who don’t think we’ll deliver Montez alive. Which tells us three things. First, it’s pretty obvious that something big is going on. Second, it virtually guarantees that the Dalton and Kramer cases are connected, meaning Nichole and her daughters were taken by Montez. And third, someone wants Montez alive. In other words, it’s all about Montez and whoever’s calling the shots doesn’t want it getting out in the open. Whatever it is.”
“What could Montez be doing that makes defense and intelligence agency chiefs react like this?”
“Good question. Montez is an interrogator by trade. When he interrogated me, he was working for the Sandinista holdouts. But now he could be working for anyone. One thing’s certain. Whoever hired him to take Kramer and the Daltons wants information. It could be a corporate espionage thing, maybe related to Kramer’s clean coal technology. Whatever it is, you can bet there’s serious money involved.” Nathan paused for a moment. “I’m only speculating here, but what if a scientific breakthrough has been made in clean coal technology? A breakthrough that solves the carbon dioxide problem you mentioned. It could change the global energy dynamics. The OPEC countries would be quite concerned. Oil exports would drop. How much, I couldn’t say, but I’m willing to bet we’re talking billions of dollars. Ask yourself this. What would the Saudis and other OPEC nations be willing to do to keep their oil empires healthy?”
“That’s an interesting take on things.”
“I could see that,” said Harv. “And it might explain why Thorny’s ‘people in high places’ want it kept under wraps and why they want Montez alive.”
“My assistant just handed me a note. I’ve got to take a call. Will you promise me something?”
They both waited.
“I don’t want you guys getting killed trying to collar Montez. He’s not worth it, even if it means letting him go.”
“That wouldn’t be my first choice.”
“Letting him go, or getting killed?”
“Getting killed.”
“Good, because my world’s much more interesting with Nathan McBride and Harvey Fontana in it.”
“First things first,” Nathan said. “I’ll call you as soon as we’ve looked at the condo.”
Holly agreed, and
they said their good-byes.
Harv turned and nodded to Jeremy. The FBI agent donned his headset.
“Sorry about that,” Harv said.
“No problem.”
Nathan said, “I wish we could share everything with you, but we can’t. We can tell you we may have located the crime scene. Kramer’s brother-in-law owns a condo at the marina.”
“We going there?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to call in the cavalry until we’ve had a chance to look around.”
Ten minutes later Jeremy drove them down State Highway 276 toward the marina.
“Somebody’s screwing with us, right?” Nathan asked.
“I’m afraid not.” Jeremy turned into the same condo complex they’d stayed in last night.
Holly’s address led to a different building, but it stood uncomfortably close to their own.
Jeremy parked fifty yards shy of their destination. “Is there any chance the bad guys could still be in there?” he asked.
“It’s been three days, but let’s play it safe. I think Harv and I should be packing.”
Jeremy opened the trunk and Harv removed their gun belts from the duffel bag. He watched Harv give the Sigs a quick assessment.
“Suppressors? Subsonic rounds?” Harv asked.
Nathan said no.
Jeremy donned his Windbreaker with huge FBI letters on the back. “If anyone sees us walking around out here with guns, I don’t want them to be alarmed.”
“Good thought,” Nathan said.
They walked past two covered parking areas. Nathan pointed to his eyes, then pointed to the rear of the next condo building. Jeremy veered off to the right, staying as close to the condo’s wall as possible. He watched the FBI agent weave his way through some small shrubs and cacti growing in terra-cotta pots. If anyone looked out their sliding glass doors, they’d see Jeremy for sure. There was no place to hide in this arid landscaping. Nathan and Harv continued along the sidewalk and entered the courtyard between the target building and its neighbor to the left.
“Looks like it’s the second unit on the right,” Harv said. “Are we worried about trip wires or booby traps?”
“I don’t think so. From what we believe, they left in a hurry. We’ll be careful anyway.”
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