Night Tide
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!
Wink! rubbed! his! chin.! “Same! reason! I! did,! I! suppose.! To!
find!out!what!they!knew.”!
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!
“You!didn’t!want!to!kill!them!for!what!they!did!to!you?”!I!
said.!
!
His!blue!eyes!reminded!me!of!pools!of!water!in!arctic!ice.!
!
“They! say! Fitch! approached! them! with! the! job.”! His! tone!
was!as!cool!as!his!gaze.!“Sold!it!to!them!as!one!last!hurrah,!a!
last!chance!to!relive!their!old!days!as!radicals.!Convinced!them!
that!no!one!would!get!hurt,!and!that!he!had!a!crew!all!lined!up.!
Wilson! said! Fitch! even! brought! another! member! of! the! crew!
around!a!couple!of!times!to!help!sell!the!idea.”!
!
Reyna!tipped!her!head!sideways.!“You!don’t!buy!it?”!!
!
“Fitch!wasn’t!smart!enough!to!put!a!job!like!that!together,”!
I!interjected.!!
!
Wink! nodded.! “The! explosives! were! military.! And! the! lab!
they!bombed!wasn’t!the!one!Fitch!told!the!Wilsons!about.”!
!
“You!don’t!think!he!made!a!mistake?”!
!
“Fitch?!He!made!a!huge!mistake.!He!trusted!whoever!really!
set!up!the!job.!And!it!wasn’t!the!Wilsons.”!
!
“They!got!played.”!Reyna!sighed.!“They!have!no!idea!who!
set!them!up?”!
!
Wink! looked! at! the! floor! and! wagged! his! head! slowly.!
“Look,!I’m!not!proud!of!what!I!did,!but!I!sweated!them!for!days.!
They!don’t!know.”!
!
Reyna!considered!him.!“But!you!have!an!idea.”!
!
He!pulled!at!an!earlobe,!not!meeting!her!gaze.!Something!
he!said!finally!registered.!!
!
“Wait,! you! said! Clayt—Wilson,! whatever—met! someone!
else!on!the!crew?”!
!
Wink!looked!at!me!curiously.!“Yeah,!a!guy!named!Phil.”!
!
Sarah! had! mentioned! that! “Uncle! Sebastian”! had! brought!
Phil! around! the! house! that! summer.! It! got! me! thinking! about!
how!even!when!people!like!the!Wilsons!changed!identities!they!
used!new!names!close!to!their!old!ones!so!they!wouldn’t!easily!
forget! them.! Some! people! didn’t! even! bother! changing! their!
first!names.!It!made!me!wonder!if!old!man!Donato!had!been!on!
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the! hit! list! along! with! Fitch! and! the! Wilsons! and! it! had! just!
taken!twenty!years!to!find!him.!
!
Reyna!cocked!her!head.!“We’ve!got!company.”!
!
I! frowned,! then! heard! tires! crackle! softly! in! the! dirt! out!
front.!
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!
!
Chapter&38&
!
!
Reyna! was! on! her! feet,! halfway! to! the! door,! gun! in! hand,!
before!the!sounds!ceased.!
!
She! glanced! over! her! shoulder! and! murmured,! “You!
expecting!anyone?”!
!
Wink! shook! his! head,! slid! out! of! his! chair! and! padded!
toward!the!fireplace!to!retrieve!the!shotgun.!An!amplified!voice!
filled!the!room,!stopping!him!cold.!
!
“Perry!Langford!!This!is!the!FBI.!Come!out!with!your!hands!
in!the!air!”!
!
Reyna!cursed!under!her!breath.!“Stay!here.”!
!
She!holstered!her!gun,!opened!the!door,!letting!in!a!flood!
of!sunshine,!and!stepped!onto!the!porch.!Wink!and!I!followed!
partway!to!a!vantage!point!where!we!could!watch!her!from!the!
shadows!of!the!interior.!
!
She! held! her! ID! aloft.! “Morning,! boys.! Name’s! Chase.!
Lieutenant!Commander!with!ONI.!Something!I!can!do!for!you?”!
!
A! small! black! man! in! a! suit! approached! and! stopped! ten!
feet! from! the! bottom! step.! Drucker. ! He! peered! up! at! her,! face!
pinched!with!suspicion.!!
!
“Naval!intelligence?!What’s!your!interest!here?”!
!
“Perry! Langford! has! information! concerning! a! case! we’re!
working.”!
!
“Is! Langford! inside,! Lieutenant! Commander?! If! so,! you’d!
best!send!him!out.”!
!
“Has! he! done! something! wrong?”! Her! voice! was! all!
innocence.!
!
“Violated!parole,!ma’am.”!
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!
“Well,! we! were! just! having! a! conversation.! And! when!
we’re!finished,!Mr.!Langford!is!accompanying!me!to!Naval!Base!
Kitsap.!A!little!matter!of!national!security.”!
!
Drucker!frowned!and!his!hand!trembled.!“Like!hell!he!is.!I!
don’t!care!who!you!are!or!what!bullshit!you!invoke,!you!don’t!
have!jurisdiction!here.!Langford’s!ours.”!
!
Taylor! showed! up! at! Drucker’s! side! in! shirtsleeves,! cuffs!
rolled! halfway! up! his! forearms,! tie! loosened! and! collar!
unbuttoned.! Glossy! shoes! were! already! coated! with! dust.! His!
shaved! head,! wet! with! perspiration,! sparkled! in! the! sunlight.!
He!held!a!gun!with!both!hands.!
!
“Shall! we! let! our! bosses! decide?”! Reyna! reached! for! the!
phone!in!her!hip!pocket.!!
!
Taylor!sighted!on!Reyna.!“Hold!it!right!there!”!
!
She!took!her!hand!away!slowly.!
!
Drucker! pulled! his! suit! coat! aside! revealing! a! shoulder!
holster! and! slid! his! hand! into! his! pocket.! His! shirt! was! crisp!
and! unwrinkled! despite! the! heat.! He! waved! his! other! hand!
airily.!
!
“Got! anybody! else! in! there?! No?! Didn’t! think! so.! Me! and!
three!of!my!agents.!One!of!you.!Your!odds!aren’t!too!good.!Let’s!
try!this!again.!Send!Langford!out!here.”!
!
Reyna!shrugged.!“You!want!him.!Come!get!him.”!
!
She! folded! her! arms! and! leaned! against! the! rail,! lips!
pressed!together!in!a!grim!expression!as!Drucker!marched!up!
the! steps! with! Taylor! right! behind! him.! Drucker! breezed! on!
past! without! looking! at! her! and! through! the! open! door.! He!
stopped! just! inside,! letting! his! eyes! adjust! to! the! dim! light.!
Taylor!stepped!in!and!stood!at!his!shoulder.!
!
“You!”! Drucker! said! when! his! gaze! settled! on! me.! “What!
the!hell!are!you!doing!here?”!!
!
He! turned! to! Taylor! without! waiting! for! an! answer.! “Get!
Andrews!in!here,!have!him!cuff!this!sorry!bastard!and!put!him!
in!your!car.”!
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!
Taylor! spun! on! his! heel! and! walked! out,! twisting! a!
shoulder! to! avoid! running! into! Reyna.! She! stood! in! the!
doorway,! framed! by! the! bright! light.! Drucker! noted! her!
presence!with!a!grunt!and!fac
ed!me!again.!
!
“Sanders,! you’re! under! arrest.! If! I! were! you! I! wouldn’t!
open! my! mouth! until! I! had! the! best! lawyer! I! could! afford.!
Langford,!quit!thinking!about!making!a!move!for!that!shotgun!
and! sit! your! ass! back! down! at! that! table.! We! need! to! have! a!
little!chat.!We!had!a!deal.”!
!
I!jerked!my!head!around!and!stared!at!Wink.!“Deal?!What!
deal?”!
!
He!raised!his!shoulders!and!offered!a!rueful!smile.!
!
Drucker! grimaced.! “We! offered! him! early! release! in!
exchange!for!his!cooperation.!Which!has!been!lacking.”!
!
I!stared!at!Wink.!“Cooperation!for!what?”!
!
“They!want!the!Wilsons,”!he!said.!
!
Drucker! jutted! his! jaw.! “I’ve! been! chasing! those! two! for!
forty!years.!Langford!said!he!knew!where!to!find!them.!Based!
on!what!he!told!us,!I!was!willing!to!give!him!a!chance.!But!he!
gave! us! the! slip! after! he! was! released.”! He! scowled! at! Wink.!
“Where!are!they?”!
!
“Not!here.”!Wink!settled!wearily!into!a!chair!at!the!table.!
!
“What!the!fuck!did!you!do!with!them?”!
!
“An! assault! team! came! in,! I! don’t! know,! maybe! twenty,!
thirty!minutes!ago!and!took!them.”!
!
Drucker!looked!as!if!Wink!had!just!told!him!the!dog!ate!his!
homework.!“Assault!team.”!
!
“Same!team!that!shot!my!friend!the!cop,”!I!said,!reminding!
him!he!knew!damn!well!what!Wink!was!talking!about.!
!
He!brushed!me!off!with!a!wave,!glare!still!focused!on!Wink.!
“Guess!you’re!screwed!then.!Deal’s!off.”!
!
A! beefy! man! with! a! round! head! and! no! neck! quietly!
excused!himself!as!he!squeezed!past!Reyna!in!the!doorway.!A!
roll!of!flesh!crept!over!the!too6tight!collar!of!his!starched!shirt.!
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Perspiration! covered! his! florid! features.! He! gestured! toward!
me! while! looking! at! Drucker! for! confirmation.! The! furrow!
between!Drucker’s!eyes!deepened!as!he!nodded!impatiently.!
!
A! flash! flood! of! anger! coursed! through! me,! its! currents!
twitching! muscles! that! rippled! the! skin! on! my! arms! and! face.!
Unanswered! questions! swirled! through! my! head,! stirring! up!
frustration! and! confusion! that! clouded! an! already! overtaxed!
and! spent! brain.! I! could! feel! the! flood! rise! to! the! point! of!
spilling!over.!I!never!knew!what!form!that!might!take—usually!
just! an! inappropriate! comment,! but! sometimes! I! lashed! out!
physically.!The!meds!helped!me!control!it,!but!my!system!was!
so! fried! from! exhaustion! they! probably! wouldn’t! have! done!
any!good!even!if!I’d!remembered!to!take!another!dose.!
!
Just!when!I!thought!I!might!explode,!I!saw!Reyna!pat!the!
air,!pushing!her!palm!toward!the!floor.!I!heaved!a!sigh!and!held!
my!arms!out,!wrists!pressed!together.!Andrews!lifted!the!flap!
of!his!coat!and!reached!behind!his!waist!for!a!pair!of!cuffs.!He!
stood! in! front! of! me! and! snapped! them! on,! looked! up! at! my!
face!and!said,!“Let’s!go.”!
!
Before!we!reached!the!door,!Reyna!put!a!hand!on!my!chest!
and!said,!“Hold!it!”!
!
All!eyes!turned!to!look!at!her.!She!wrapped!an!arm!around!
my! waist,! tugged! the! pistol! loose! and! held! it! up.! Then! she!
fished!in!my!pocket!and!pulled!out!one!of!the!extra!magazines!
and!held!that!up,!too.!A!tic!jerked!at!my!eyelid,!and!my!fingers!
balled! into! a! fist.! I! glared! at! her.! She! stared! back,! her! face!
impassive,!then!swung!her!gaze!away!and!looked!pointedly!at!
Andrews.! Andrews! spread! his! hands! and! glanced! at! Drucker!
with!a!sheepish!expression.!!
!
“Christ,!get!him!out!of!here,”!Drucker!growled.!
!
Andrews!led!me!past!another!agent!standing!at!attention!
on!the!porch!to!one!of!the!sedans!parked!out!front.!He!walked!
around!to!the!far!side,!opened!the!back!door!and!gestured!me!
in.!I!ducked!to!fold!myself!inside!and!he!pushed!my!head!down!
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to!keep!me!from!banging!it!on!the!frame.!He!straightened!and!
put!a!hand!on!the!door.!!
!
“Hey,!hold!on!”!Reyna!lightly!skipped!down!the!steps!and!
hustled!over!to!the!car.!!
!
I! hunched! over! and! peered! sideways! at! her! out! the!
opening.!
!
“I!need!to!talk!to!him!a!minute,”!she!told!Andrews.!
!
“Suit!yourself.”!He!took!his!hand!off!the!door!and!stepped!
back.!!
!
She!crouched!by!the!opening!and!looked!over!her!shoulder!
at!him.!“It’s!okay.!I!got!this.”!
!
He!stared!at!her!for!a!second,!shrugged!and!walked!back!to!
the!cabin.!
!
Reyna!turned!to!me,!leaned!into!the!car!and!spoke!in!low!
tones.! “Don’t! talk,! just! listen.! I’ve! got! a! friend,! a! commander!
over! at! the! sub! base,! who’s! got! a! cottage! over! here,! a! couple!
hours!away,!maybe!less.”!
!
As!she!talked!her!hands!were!busy!slipping!a!thin!piece!of!
metal!into!the!keyhole!on!one!of!the!cuff!bracelets.!She!popped!
it!open!within!seconds.!
!
“I’ll!figure!out!a!way!to!get!Andrews!and!his!buddy!to!come!
in! with! me,”! she! said.! “As! soon! as! they’re! inside,! get! the! hell!
away!from!here.!I’ll!meet!you!at!the!cottage!as!soon!as!I!can.”!
!
“That!was!an!act!in!there?!Reyna,!why—”!
!
“Shut!the!hell!up.!We!don’t!have!time.!We!can!talk!later.”!
!
She! fumbled! with! the! second! cuff! and! finally! released! it.!
Quickly! reaching! into! a! pocket,! she! pulled! out! a! card! and!
handed!it!to!me.!An!address!was!written!on!the!back.!Her!hand!
went! behind! her! back! and! reappeared! holding! Charlie’s! gun.!
She!slid!it!across!the!seat!to!me.!
!
“Take!this.!You!might!need!it.”!
!
Before! I! could! reply,! she! rocked! back! on! her! heels! and!
stood!up.!She!slammed!the!door!and!stalked!toward!the!cabin,!
even! from! the! back! looking! like! a! woman! rebuffed.! Andrews!
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stood!facing!the!other!agent,!arms!crossed,!leaning!against!the!
railing.! Their! heads! turned! to! watch! her! curiously! as! she!
walked! up! the! steps.! She! said! something! I! couldn’t! hear,! and!
their! expressions! smoothed! into! friendly! grins.! She! engaged!
them!in!conversation!for!a!moment,!then!headed!for!the!door.!
Pausing! in! the! opening,! she! turned.! Her! mouth! moved! again,!
and! her! eyebrows! arched.! She! waited! a! moment,! twitched! a!
shoulder! and! went! in! the! cab
in.! The! agents! looked! at! each!
other.!Andrews!pushed!away!from!the!rail!and!followed!her!in.!
The!younger!man!trailed!behind.!
!
Heart! pounding! so! loud! it! drowned! out! other! sounds,! I!
sucked! in! a! deep! breath! and! levered! open! the! car! door! with!
both!hands.!With!an!eye!on!the!cabin,!I!slid!out!and!crouched!
next!to!the!car.!Hunching!over,!I!ran!up!the!road,!keeping!the!
car! between! me! and! the! cabin! as! long! as! possible.! After! a!
couple!hundred!yards!the!road!curved!up!the!hill.!Once!around!
it! the! cabin! was! out! of! sight.! I! slowed! to! a! jog,! chest! heaving!
from!the!uphill!climb,!intent!on!increasing!my!distance!before!
they!discovered!the!empty!car.!
!
When! I! left! the! road! and! headed! through! the! woods! the!
way! Keely! and! I! had! come,! my! breathing! came! a! little! easier.!
But! my! mind! chivvied! a! hundred! different! thoughts! and!
questions!like!a!dog!gnawing!a!bone.!!
*!*!*!*!*!
!
!The! drive! took! closer! to! three! nerve6wracking! hours.! It!
traced!the!shore!of!the!Hood!Canal!south!to!its!elbow,!east!to!
its! tip! and! south! again! along! one! of! the! many! inlets! of! Puget!
Sound.!I!kept!my!speed!below!the!limit!and!a!twitchy!eye!out!
for! cops.! By! the! time! I! found! the! place,! I’d! gone! beyond!
exhaustion!to!something!approaching!a!fugue!state!that!had!me!
wondering! who! and! where! I! was.! Sort! of! like! a! dream! from!
which!I!couldn’t!wake!up.!!
!
The! clapboard! cottage! was! weathered! a! rusty! gray,! and!
looked! ramshackle,! dilapidated.! Nestled! in! a! stand! of! trees,! it!
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fronted! a! wide! beach! on! a! rounded! point! of! shoreline.! A! low!
tide!exposed!sand!flats!that!stretched!a!hundred!feet!out!before!
dropping!steeply!into!deep!water.!With!the!nearest!neighbor!at!
least! a! nine6iron! over! the! trees,! the! small! house! was! private!
and! semi6secluded.! Some! of! the! tightness! in! my! neck! and!
shoulders!eased!for!the!first!time!in!hours.!
!
I! walked! out! to! the! water’s! edge,! working! out! kinks! in!
places! cramped! for! hours! in! a! car! built! for! the! average!
Japanese!office!lady.!My!limbs!still!vibrated!at!the!same!high6
pitched!hum!of!the!little!four6cylinder!engine.!A!couple!of!small!
boats! plied! the! dark! blue! water! offshore,! leaving! white! froth!
behind! that! quickly! disappeared.! The! fishy! smell! of! decayed!
seaweed! was! stronger! with! the! tide! out.! I! picked! a! flat! stone!
out!of!the!sand,!turned!it!sideways!and!threw!it!hard,!skipping!