9. Hokus Pokus

by Fern Michaels

  Ted moved his face gingerly as he tried to feel the key chain with his bruised and bloody lips. He knew he was bleeding because he could taste his own blood. There definitely was a God, not that he had ever doubted it. The key chain felt wet and slippery. His teeth clenched tightly over it.

  Ted tried rubbing his hands up and down on his pants legs, hoping to restore some feeling to his numb hands. His left hand seemed to be coming back to life, but what good was that going to do him? He was right handed. He started to rub his right hand with a vengeance. The moment he felt the feeling return to his hand he dropped the key chain into the palm of his bloody hand. He sucked in his breath again as he tried to pry the little knife out of the sleeve it was in. Then he remembered how tiny the blade was. It would take him forever to saw through the nylon cord that bound his hands and legs.

  Forever turned out to be ten minutes, give or take a few seconds—because while the blade was tiny it was razor sharp. “Thank you, Maggie, thank you, Maggie,” he muttered over and over as he sawed through the nylon rope. He wanted to scream his joy when his hands were finally free. Instead, he gulped another breath and sawed away with renewed determination. And then he was free! At the same time he saw a sliver of light under the door. He heard voices from behind the door. Two voices. No, three voices. Panic rivered through him as he tried to get into the same position he’d been in before he freed himself. He wound the ropes over his hands and feet, hoping he was getting it right. If the men on the other side of the door decided to check on him he hoped they wouldn’t notice how raw his face was. He prayed then. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

  Ted knew light had spilled into the room even though his eyes were squeezed shut. He listened for footsteps. The voices babbled in a language he didn’t understand. Obviously they could see his still form and were reassured that he was still unconscious. The door closed. He didn’t hear a lock snick into place. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. He waited to see if the light outside the door would disappear. It did, a good ten minutes later when the high-pitched jabbering stopped. He shucked off the ropes and sat up, the blood rushing to his head. He looked down at his watch with the glow-in-the-dark numerals and waited another ten minutes before he got to his feet. He had another head rush before he was able to take the steps that would carry him to the door. He opened it gingerly. He could see out into the training room and he could see neon lighting coming through the top half of the plate glass windows.

  Was the dojo empty? Were there guards outside? He tried to remember all the things Jack had told him about Harry Wong and his people. He vaguely recalled him saying some of the instructors stayed in one of the three apartments on the second floor. Harry, he knew, had his own apartment on the other side of town. Jack said Harry owned the building and was an astute businessman. Like he gave a good rat’s ass about Harry Wong.

  The moment Ted’s eyes became accustomed to the dark he inched his way toward the back door. He looked around to see if there was any kind of alarm system in place but he didn’t see one. The door, however, had three different locks. His heart started to pound as he worked quietly to slide the three bolts back. He turned the old-fashioned door handle, hoping and praying that the babbling voices weren’t waiting for him outside. He stepped outside into pitch-blackness. Again, he waited. He strained to see in the darkness. He didn’t want to bump into a trash can or anything else that might create a noise.

  Ted looked upward and could see dim lighting on the second floor. Unfortunately the light was so dim it didn’t light up the alley. He made his way slowly, his arms out at his sides in case there was something he could bump into. His steps were small, first one foot going to the left, then the other foot going to the right to see if anything was on the path. Then he was on the street. He wanted to run but he knew that would be a mistake. He forced himself to saunter down the street. He took a minute to stare into a shop that sold electronics and was so well lighted he could see himself in the window. What he saw horrified him. He looked like some alien creature. If he wasn’t careful he was going to get picked up for vagrancy because he looked like a derelict.

  Ted looked down at his watch again. In a while the concert was going to be under way. Staying in the shadows he tried to figure out what he should do. Should he try to make it to the Post or should he go home? No, to both. He looked up at one of the street signs. He was closer to the Post apartment where Maggie was currently living. What did he do with the key? He couldn’t remember. Maybe he could use the little knife to pick the lock. If not, he’d just have to break down the damn door. After he rang the bell of course. Shit!

  He damn well needed a plan and he needed it right now.

  Thirty minutes later he was standing in front of the door to the Post’s apartment. He rang the bell and waited. He rang it a second time. Satisfied Maggie wasn’t home, he tried the doorknob. Locked. What a surprise. He groped in his pocket for the little knife on his key chain. It took a full fifteen minutes of gouging, digging and body slamming the door before he could get it open. He was light-headed with relief. He blasted into the apartment and headed straight for the bathroom where he tried not to look at himself in the mirror as he stripped down. He stepped into the shower and almost screamed in pain when the warm water washed over his head and down his face that was scraped raw. He looked down at his hands where the skin on the palms of his hands and wrists was raw and oozing blood. He wanted to cry.

  He stepped from the shower and awkwardly wrapped a towel around his middle as he walked out to the kitchen. He used the phone on the counter to call his colleague. “It’s me, Espinosa. I need your help. We’re pretty much the same size. I need you to bring me some clothes, from the skin out. And some medical supplies. Ointments, peroxide, some gauze. I got kidnapped and I’m in bad shape.” He listened a minute and said, “Jack Emery and that goon Wong had his people snatch me right in broad daylight at the Willard. Now, Espinosa. Like in immediately, and bring some food with you.” He listened again and said, “I’m in the Post apartment.” He rattled off the address. “Make it snappy, Espinosa. I’m counting on you. Yeah, yeah, you get half the byline.”

  Seething with rage, Ted pressed the numbers that would block the phone number he was dialing from and then pressed in the numbers to Jack Emery’s cell phone. Jack clicked on after three rings, sounding frazzled and angry.

  “Hey, asshole! Guess who? I’m calling you an asshole because you couldn’t find your ass if I gave you a mirror on a stick. I’m free! That means I got away from those cruds of Wong’s. Bet you don’t have a clue as to where I am! I’m on my way to the Hoover Building! You and that evil little man of yours are going to pay for what you’ve put me through. I’m going to charge you both with kidnapping. How do you like them apples, hotshot?”

  Jack’s voice was so dangerous sounding, Ted flinched. “I don’t like it. Now I’m going to have to kill you. You know that, right?”

  Ted tried to bluster. “Yeah, right, you and what army?”

  “No army, Teddy. Just me.” Ted choked on his own saliva when he realized Jack had hung up on him.

  Chapter 22

  Jack Emery snapped his cell phone shut. He couldn’t help but notice how his hand was shaking. His guts were churning, too. That was new. Usually he was cool under fire. The proverbial cool cucumber. That must have been in his other life before he became a member of the Sisterhood. Harry Wong, who was standing next to him, noticed his shaky hands, too. He looked up at Jack’s eyes and then he, too, started to twitch.

  “You gonna tell me what that was all about or are you going to let me stand here and guess that we’re in some kind of deep shit, which is par for the course when I’m around you?”

  Jack whirled around, his gaze raking the lobby of the hotel. All seemed busy but normal. Six people were in line to check in. Two guests were checking out. Two bellmen were pulling a dolly with luggage piled to the top. The concierge looked harried with a knee-deep line of gray-haired ladies waiting for an audi
ence with him. Normal.

  Ignoring Harry he whirled around and asked, “Where’s Navarro?”

  “I haven’t seen him in the past fifteen minutes. He was here but he might have stepped outside. What’s going on?”

  “Find him, Harry. Then we’ll talk.”

  Harry rolled his eyes. A second later his Blackberry was in his hand. Three minutes later Bert Navarro raced across the lobby.

  “Bert, call some of your friends at the Hoover Building. Have them stake out every exit. Ted Robinson is on the loose. Again,” he said angrily, eyeballing Harry. “This time, lock him in a cage and throw away the key. Just make sure you remember where you threw it when it’s time, if that time ever comes, when we have to let him loose.

  “Now, Harry, we can talk. You heard what I just said. That bastard is going to charge us both with kidnapping. He’s on his way to the Hoover Building. I’m not sure I believe that. Ted is smart as hell. He might have just said that to spook us. But one thing I am sure of and that’s that he knows the girls are here. I just want you to tell me how the hell he got away from your guys.”

  The Whippet-thin martial expert winced at Jack’s words. Like he didn’t want to know the same thing. His shoulders stiffened as he worked his Blackberry. A second later his cell phone came to life.

  Jack had no idea what Harry was saying to the person on the other end of the line. If facial features were any indication of what was going on, the person he was talking to was going to have a hard time of it when Harry got his hands on him. He’d never really seen Harry pissed off but he was pissed off now. Big-time.

  The cell phone clicked off. “I hate you, Jack.”

  “Oh, yeah? Well, guess what, you took responsibility for Robinson and your guys were asleep at the switch. He got away from you twice, Harry. Twice! Just tell me how the hell that happened.”

  “He had a knife in his pocket, that’s how. Must have been one of those mini things because my guys searched him. The guy had deep pockets, I’m thinking. Sometimes things get jammed in the corner of your pockets. It’s happened to me and you’re a damn liar if you say it never happened to you. Look, it happened, okay? We can’t unring the bell. Tell me what it means. Tell me what you want me to do.”

  Jack’s gaze swept the lobby again. Things still looked normal—nothing different other than a florist who was switching out the wilted flowers for fresh ones. The gray-haired ladies were walking out the door, brochures in their hands.

  “Finding Robinson is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. He could be on his way to several different places, mainly the armory, where the concert is being held. I don’t think he’s been in touch with Maggie yet or she would have called. Hell, he could be on his way here for all I know. What I know for certain is it’s not wise to underestimate Ted Robinson. Shit, he might be at the Post convincing his editor the women are here. I can’t pull anyone off this detail. You got any guys stashed someplace we can use? What that means, Harry, is we’re operating blind.”

  “Six guys, tops. They’re not detectives, not into this spook shit. I can call them and have them available but where?”

  “Put all of them at the armory. I have to go upstairs now and alert the girls. We need to switch to Plan B. Call Maggie and tell her to get her tail over here ASAP.” Without another word, Jack turned on his heel and headed for the elevator.

  Harry flipped him the bird, his eyes just as angry as Jack’s. He worked the Blackberry with his left hand while his right hand worked his cell phone.

  The Sisters stopped what they were doing the minute Jack walked through the door. He knew they were already aware that there was a problem. Good old Charles.

  “Change of plans, ladies. Robinson is on the loose again.” He saw no reason to sugarcoat anything. “He called me and said he’s on his way to the FBI. I sent Navarro to check it out. I’m not sure I believe Robinson. I think it’s a red herring to throw us off his tracks. Seems Harry’s people didn’t check his pockets because he sawed through the ropes they tied him up with, so I guess he had one of those key chain mini-pocket knives in his pocket. He’s loose, that’s what matters at the moment. He’s going to charge Harry and me with kidnapping. Right now that’s not important, either. What’s important is you need to get back into your police attire. You can’t travel in your G-String…uh…costumes to the armory. Is that going to be a problem, Alexis?”

  Alexis looked around at her sisters who were in various stages of transformation. “I need at least another ninety minutes to turn them into the G-String Girls. If I get them fully made up the police uniforms shouldn’t be a problem. That’s just a matter of the uniforms and wigs. We can do the stage makeup at the armory. It will be tight but I think we can do it.”

  Jack almost fainted in relief. “Okay. I need to make alternate transportation plans. I think what we’ll do is you each walk down a floor or two, don’t take the elevators. Wear sunglasses. I’ll commandeer a van of some sort and a few police cruisers if possible. I’ll get back to you on the specifics. Do any of you have any questions?”

  Yoko stepped forward. “Where is Harry? You cannot hold him responsible for what his people did or didn’t do. He’s helping us the best way he can. If you didn’t trust him you should have done it yourself. That is all I have to say.”

  Chagrined, Jack turned to Nikki, who simply glared at him. Then she smiled and Jack’s whole world turned right side up. “We don’t deal in blame, Jack. We’ve been under the gun in every mission we’ve undertaken to date. It’s a ripple, a bump in the road. We’ll be fine. We can’t worry about Ted. Right now we have enough on our plates.”

  The others shouted their agreement as Isabelle shooed Jack toward the door. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the love of his life in her G-String Girl attire. She looked like a goddess. She wiggled her fingers and winked at him. His heart felt a little lighter as he rode the elevator to the lobby.

  Jack barked questions at Harry the minute he saw him.

  “We got it covered, Jack. Maggie was at the Post but she’s on her way here. Ted has not made an appearance. Yet. He doesn’t have his cell phone because my guys took it. But, Maggie did say Joe Espinosa, a colleague of hers and Robinson’s, has been calling her. She didn’t answer any of the calls and the guy didn’t leave messages. It’s possible Robinson hooked up with him. She said Espinosa is his flunky, whatever the hell that means. I didn’t know reporters had flunkies.”

  “They do if they want bylines. Robinson knows how to network. As does Maggie. She might have some information we can use. Keep your eyes open. I have to make arrangements to get the girls to the armory. If Maggie shows up before I get back, tell her to stay because I need to talk to her. Look, Harry, I’m sorry about…I meant it but I didn’t mean it, okay? I feel like a train wreck right now so cut me a little slack. I swear to God those women are so damn cocky they make my head spin. For whatever it’s worth, your girl defended you. She was ready to deck me, I could tell. I don’t mind telling you I think my heart stopped beating for about five seconds. She loves you, you…you…”

  “Enough with the sweet words. Get the hell out of here. I’ll hold the fort. When I don’t hate you, I love you.”

  “Aw, gee whiz, you’re making me go all mushy.”

  Harry discreetly flipped him the bird a second time. Jack grinned as he sprinted to the back of the lobby and the exit door.

  The Sisters’ suite was a beehive of activity as the women rushed about trying desperately to help Alexis in their transformation, aware of the problems and the time constraints. The police uniforms were unpacked, the holsters and guns checked. ID was scrutinized. Alexis worked feverishly as she manipulated the yards and yards of latex required for the Sisters’ transformation.

  “This is so exciting, isn’t it, Myra?” Annie asked as she checked the safety on the gun that was in its holster. “I actually feel like I belong in law enforcement. I just can’t believe we’re doing all this. It’s like one of those edge-
of-your-seat movies where you’re chewing your nails down to the quick.”

  “What’s the latest on the girls’ arrivals? What time is wheels down?” Kathryn asked as she buckled the gun belt around her slim waist.

  “If all goes well, we’ll only be onstage twenty minutes,” Myra responded. “If there’s a glitch, it could be an hour onstage.” She searched for the pearls that always adorned her neck. She wanted her pearls. No, she needed those pearls.

  “Easy does it, Mom. You need to stay cool and calm. Remember, you’re in control.”

  Myra whirled around when she felt a light touch to her arm. She walked away in the direction of the bathroom. “Darling girl, you always come to me when I need you the most. I…I don’t think I can do this. I’m too old. I’m frightened, Barbara,” she whispered.

  “I know, Mom. Daddy is just as frightened. I was with him a little while ago. He’s worried about you and trying to pretend he isn’t. It’s going to be okay. It really is. You’re just frightened of going onstage. And another thing, age is just a number. You can do this. You’re my mom. Remember how you used to tell me and Nikki that moms could do anything? Are you telling me that was a lie?”

  “No, dear. No, no, no. This is just uncharted territory for me. I’ve never been comfortable in the public eye. You know that. Wearing virtually no clothes in front of thousands and thousands of people…at my age…I’m afraid I might freeze on the stage and ruin everything. I know it’s not really bothering the others but I’m…”

  “Mom, I’ll be right there with you. I promise. Another thing, Mummie, you aren’t really going to be naked. You’re going to be plastered with latex. That means your own skin is not going to be showing. Think of it as a nude costume. Can you do that?”