Night Tide
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wrong! and! they! knew! all! about! the! notes,! I’m! not! sure! that!
would!have!been!the!first!thing!they!thought!of.!They!got!out!in!
a!hurry,!Reyna.”!
!
“We!better!check!the!rest!of!the!house!to!be!sure.”!
!
I!heaved!a!sigh.!“I’ll!start!back!in!the!bedrooms.!You!want!
to!start!in!the!kitchen!and!meet!up!in!the!middle?”!
!
She! shrugged! and! turned! on! her! heel.! I! tromped! back! to!
the! furthest! bedroom! and! did! a! cursory! inspection.! It! was! a!
Bible.!I!figured!they!weren’t!likely!to!hide!it!after!letting!it!sit!
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out! in! plain! sight! all! those! years.! I! went! through! the! second!
bedroom!as!quickly!as!the!first.!By!the!time!I!got!to!the!master!
suite,!I’d!cooled!down!enough!to!do!a!more!thorough!search.!As!
expected,!I!saw!no!sign!of!a!Bible!or!a!notebook.!!
!
As!I!headed!down!the!hall,!a!bell!chimed!somewhere!in!the!
house.! I! detoured! to! the! front! door.! Reyna! intercepted! me!
there,!finger!held!to!her!lips.!Before!I!stepped!to!the!peephole,!
movement! on! the! little! video! monitor! on! the! wall! caught! my!
eye.!I!pointed!to!it!and!took!a!step!closer.!A!white!sedan!near!
the!entrance!from!the!road!crossed!the!small!screen.!Above!a!
diagonal! orange! slash! across! the! car! door! was! the! word!
“POLICE”!in!blue!letters.!!
!
“Shit!”!I!said.!“What!do!we!do!now?”!
!
Words!in!smaller!type!across!the!bottom!of!the!door!were!
too! hard! to! read! on! the! moving! vehicle.! Reyna! moved! closer,!
peering!at!the!monitor!as!the!car!drove!into!range!of!the!next!
camera.!
!
“That’s!Navy!police!out!of!Bremerton,”!she!said.!“How!the!
hell!did!they!find!us?”!
!
“The!lights!!Get!the!lights!!Follow!me!”!
!
Reyna! ran! to! the! family! room! and! hit! the! light! switch,!
plunging!us!into!relative!darkness.!The!glow!from!a!bathroom!
nightlight! down! the! hall! gave! us! enough! light! to! navigate.!
Reyna!raced!down!the!hallway!behind!me!as!I!ducked!into!the!
master!bedroom!and!stopped!in!front!of!the!linen!closet!next!to!
the!bathroom.!I!bent!down!and!clawed!at!the!carpet.!
!
“What!are!you!doing?”!Reyna!said.!“We!need!to!get!out!of!
here!”!
!
“There’s!a!tunnel!down!here.”!!
!
I!pulled!back!the!flap!of!carpet!and!felt!for!a!way!to!open!
the!hatch!with!my!fingers.!“Got!a!flashlight?”!
!
She! tapped! me! on! the! shoulder! with! a! tiny! penlight! a!
moment! later.! By! then! my! fingers! had! hooked! the! ring! of! the!
recessed!pull!latch,!and!I!yanked!the!hatch!open.!
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!
“Come! on,”! I! said,! scrambling! down! the! ladder! into! the!
black!hole!below.!!
!
I! slid! down! the! last! few! rungs! and! stepped! away! in! the!
tight!space!as!Reyna!swung!her!feet!over!the!edge,!holding!the!
penlight! in! her! teeth.! The! hole! was! so! shallow! the! top! of! my!
head!was!only!a!foot!or!so!below!the!opening,!and!barely!wide!
enough! for! the! two! of! us.! I! pressed! myself! against! the! wall!
while!Reyna!secured!the!hatch!door!and!descended!the!last!few!
steps.! She! took! the! flashlight! out! of! her! mouth! and! shined! it!
around! the! hole! and! down! at! the! tunnel! entrance.! The! light!
played! across! rough! cinderblock! walls! painted! a! ghostly! gray!
and!a!packed!dirt!floor.!!
!
The! mouth! of! the! tunnel! was! about! five! feet! tall.! Reyna!
bent!and!pointed!the!beam!inside.!I!squatted!next!to!her!as!she!
poked! her! head! into! the! opening.! Pressure6treated! six6by6six!
beams! held! sheets! of! marine! plywood! against! the! walls! and!
ceiling.! The! floor! was! dirt.! The! passage! narrowed! to! a! black!
square! in! the! distance! where! the! light! no! longer! penetrated.!
Damp! earth,! wood! and! mildew! crowded! out! all! other! smells,!
disguising!the!edginess!that!dampened!my!shirt.!
!
“This!is!how!they!got!out?”!she!said!in!a!low!voice.!!
!
“Cops! said! it! comes! out! about! three! hundred! yards! from!
here.!Shall!we?”!
!
She!put!a!hand!on!my!arm.!“Wait.!Let!me!think.”!
!
Like!faces!around!a!campfire!telling!ghost!stories,!hers!was!
lit! from! below.! Instead! of! casting! her! features! in! creepy!
shadows,!it!accentuated!the!symmetry!of!her!sculpted!visage—
de*Milo!in!a!darkened!Louvre.!I!touched!a!fingertip!to!her!lips,!
marveling!at!the!sensation.!Her!brows!curved!into!a!question!
mark.!I!yanked!my!finger!away!like!a!kid!touching!a!hot!stove.!
!
Dispassionate,!she!murmured,!“The!rental—it’s!got!a!GPS!
locator.! ONI! must! have! called! Navy! Region! Northwest! and!
dispatched!a!patrol!car.”!
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!
“Then!they!definitely!know!we’re!here,”!I!whispered.!“Let’s!
go!”!
!
“No,!listen.!The!cop!only!knows!what!they!told!him,!and!I!
doubt!they!told!him!much.!He’s!a!scout.!They!want!to!verify!our!
whereabouts! first,! then! send! in! the! troops.! Like! you! said,!
there’s! no! way! they! could! know! you’re! with! me,! so! he’s! only!
looking!for!me.!Let’s!hang!tight.!The!car’s!out!of!sight.!He’ll!do!a!
walk! around! the! perimeter,! check! the! doors,! find! everything!
locked!up!tight!and!figure!they!must!have!given!him!the!wrong!
location.”!
!
“You!sure?”!
!
“Bremerton!doesn’t!even!know!about!this!place,!about!the!
shootout.!HQ!does,!but!all!they!gave!this!cop!was!an!address.!
Trust! me,! big! guy.! You! didn’t! see! Navy! personnel! out! here,!
right?”!
!
I!thought!about!the!assemblage!of!emergency!vehicles!on!
scene! the! day! Charlie! was! shot.! “No.! County,! Seattle,! Port!
Orchard,!EMT!vans…!I!think!that’s!it.”!
!
She! nodded! and! leaned! into! me.! “We’ll! be! okay.! Give! it! a!
few!minutes.”!
!
After! one,! a! different! bell! from! before! chimed! above! us,!
followed!by!a!distant!pounding!like!the!rumble!of!a!woofer!in!a!
gangbanger’s!ride.!After!two,!a!faint!voice!called!out!something!
unintelligible,! sounding! first! from! one! direction! and! a! few!
moments!later!from!another.!After!five,!silence!gnawed!at!me,!
amplifying! the! ringing! in! my! ears! to! a! roar! and! causing! my!
muscles!to!twitch!and!my!scalp!to!tingle.!The!wall!sandpapered!
my! arm! in! the! tight! space,! its! chill! seeping! into! my! back!
through!the!thin!shirt!fabric.!Reyna!put!a!hand!on!my!shoulder!
and!drew!it!slowly!down!my!arm,!her!touch!calming!me.!
&n
bsp; !
“What!if!he!stays?”!I!whispered.!“He!might!call!in!and!wait!
for!reinforcements.”!
!
“Then!we’ll!try!your!way.!But!we!need!wheels,!Blake.!Give!
this!a!little!more!time,!first.”!
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!
“Okay,!okay.”!
!
She!stood!up!on!tiptoes!and!gently!kissed!the!corner!of!my!
mouth.!“Just!so!you!know,!I’m!glad!you’re!with!me!in!this.”!
!
“Misery!loves!company?”!
!
The! corners! of! her! mouth! turned! down.! “No,! because! I…!
Damn!it,!Blake.”!
!
She!turned!away!and!shut!off!the!light.!I!bit!my!lower!lip!
hard,!drawing!blood,!hoping!it!would!take!away!the!taste!of!my!
foot! being! where! it! didn’t! belong.! I! put! my! hand! on! her!
shoulder.!She!drew!away!from!my!touch.!Extending!my!arm,!I!
put!my!hand!between!her!shoulder!blades!and!pulled!her!close.!
!
“I’m!sorry.!I’m!nervous.!Scared.”!
!
She!tipped!her!head!back.!“It’s!okay.!I!get!that.!No!reason!
you—”!!
!
I! bent! and! kissed! her.! Her! body! stiffened! momentarily,!
then! melted! into! me! as! she! returned! the! favor,! hands! gently!
caressing!my!cheeks.!
!
“I’m!glad!I’m!with!you,!too,”!I!said!when!we!broke!the!kiss.!
!
“Oh,!shut!up.”!She!laughed!and!punched!me!on!the!arm.!
!
A! sound! stood! me! upright! and! accelerated! my! already!
racing! pulse.! For! a! long! moment,! all! I! heard! was! the!
syncopated! rhythm! of! two! hearts.! Then! came! a! low! exhale! of!
breath.!I!let!mine!out,!too.!
!
“It’s!nothing,”!Reyna!whispered.!!
!
“Then!why!are!you!whispering?”!I!murmured.!
!
She! turned! around! and! climbed! the! ladder,! aiming! the!
penlight!at!the!hatch.!Before!I!could!object!she!cracked!it!a!few!
inches! until! she! could! peer! through! the! opening.! She! opened!
the! hatch! wide,! and! clambered! through,! leaving! a! gray!
rectangle!in!her!place.!
!
“Reyna!”!I!said!softly.!No!answer.!
!
I! climbed! out! after! her.! The! master! bedroom! was! empty!
and!still.!I!stood!motionless!outside!the!small!closet!until!dark!
shapes! revealed! themselves! against! darker! or! lighter!
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background—bed,! bureau,! nightstand,! doorway.! A! muffled!
tread! emanated! from! an! unseen! part! of! the! house.! I! followed!
the! sound,! expecting! to! catch! up! quickly.! But! Reyna! proved!
elusive!as!a!ghost,!vanishing!from!each!room!before!I!entered,!
leaving! only! a! vague! remnant! of! her! scent! in! her! wake.! I!
steered! clear! of! windows! and! ducked! low! past! doorways,!
mindful! of! the! possibility! that! someone! was! still! out! there,!
watching.! The! dark! house! closed! in! oppressively,! shifting!
shadows! threatening! menace.! I! shook! off! the! nervousness,!
chiding!myself!for!allowing!in!childish!fears.!
!
New!sounds!led!me!to!the!garage.!Reyna!busily!transferred!
gear! from! the! rental! car! to! the! Prius! I’d! seen! parked! in! the!
drive!the!week!before.!I!bent!over!the!open!trunk!of!the!rental!
and!unzipped!the!bag!containing!the!few!clothes!I!had.!I!pulled!
out! Charlie’s! gun,! tucked! it! in! my! waistband! and! put! two! full!
clips!of!ammunition!in!my!pocket.!As!I!stashed!the!bag!in!the!
back!seat!of!the!Prius,!I!noticed!that!Reyna!now!wore!her!.45!
holstered! on! her! hip.! I! wondered! if! maybe! my! case! of! nerves!
wasn’t! unfounded.! A! muffled! buzz! stopped! Reyna! mid6stride,!
and!she!dug!into!her!jeans!for!the!throwaway!cell.!!
!
“Yeah?!…!Okay,!that’s!good…!How!long!ago?!…!Hang!on!…”!
She! leaned! into! the! car! and! pawed! through! a! soft6sided!
computer! case! that! doubled! as! purse,! coming! up! with! a! pen!
and! scrap! of! paper.! She! lifted! a! shoulder,! pressing! the! phone!
against! her! ear,! pen! poised! over! paper.! “Again?! …! Got! it,!
thanks.”!
!
Slipping!the!phone!into!her!pocket,!she!held!up!the!piece!of!
paper.!“We’ve!got!her.”!
!
“Where?”!
!
“A!couple!hours’!drive!north.”!
!
She! eased! into! the! passenger! seat! and! pulled! her! laptop!
out!of!her!bag.!In!seconds!the!screen!lit,!coloring!her!face!blue!
as!her!fingers!flew!over!the!keys.!Moments!later,!she’d!mapped!
the! location! her! source! had! provided.! Peering! over! her!
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shoulder!at!the!screen,!I!recognized!the!north!end!of!Whidbey!
Island.! She! tabbed! to! a! blank! search! screen! and! typed! in!
something! so! fast! I! didn’t! have! a! chance! to! see! it! before! the!
search!engine!served!up!a!page!of!results.!Reyna!clicked!a!link!
and!quickly!scrolled!through!pages!on!a!site!before!stopping!on!
a!contacts!page.!She!scrolled!down!quickly!toward!the!bottom!
before! stopping.! The! cursor! hovered! near! an! address! on!
Whidbey,! giving! me! a! chance! to! identify! the! website—Ross!
Industries.!
!
“Bingo,”!she!said!softly.!!
!
“Baines?!Keely’s!at!a!company!facility?”!
!
“Manufacturing! plant.! Guidance! system! components,!
according!to!this.”!
!
Toggling! back! to! the! map! page,! she! pulled! up! a! satellite!
view! and! zoomed! in! on! the! property.! I! moved! in! closer! for! a!
better!view,!almost!brushing!her!cheek,!the!faint!floral!scent!of!
her! shampoo! making! my! head! spin.! I! slowly! drew! in! a! deep!
breath,! hoping! she! didn’t! notice! the! effect! she! had! on! me,!
forcing!myself!to!focus!on!the!images!onscreen.!
!
Onscreen…!The!little!wireless!icon!in!the!tool!bar!winked.!I!
straightened,! pulling! my! face! away! as! if! the! screen! had! just!
hissed!at!me.!
!
Reyna!glanced!over!her!shoulder.!“What?”!
!
“Can!they!trace!your!computer,!too?”!
!
Her! hands! hovered! over! the! keyboard.! “No,! I! don’t! think!
so.!This!is!mine,!not!Navy!issue.”!
!
“Even!so…”!
!
“I’ll!use!it!sparingly.”!Closing!the!laptop,!she!peered!up!at!
me.!“You!up!for!this?”!
!
I!shrugged.!“Rock!and!roll.”!
!
“The!notebook?”!
!
I!shook!my!head.!“No!sense!looking!anymore.!It’s!not!here.!
The! Wilsons! didn’t! know! what! they! had.! Someone! else! came!
and!took!it.”!I!just!hadn’t!decided!who!yet.!
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!
After!keying!in!the!alarm!code,!I
!pressed!the!button!for!the!
garage!door.!It!opened!with!a!rumble!as!I!walked!to!the!car!and!
got!in.!Reyna!handed!me!the!keys.!I!backed!out,!put!it!in!gear!
and! glided! silently! down! the! drive.! The! first! drops! of! rain!
splattered! the! windshield! with! loud! plops,! and! the! crowns! of!
the! big! firs! lining! the! narrow! lane! dipped! and! swayed! in! the!
intensifying! breeze.! An! ominous! black! sky,! darker! than! night,!
replaced!the!twilight!from!earlier.!
!
Reyna!pointed!right!when!we!reached!the!road.!I!cranked!
the! wheel! and! headed! that! direction.! We! hadn’t! gone! more!
than! a! few! hundred! yards! when! the! car’s! interior! lit! up! with!
alternating!flashes!of!blue!and!red.!!
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!
!
Chapter&48&
!
!
The!front!moved!in!quickly,!a!high!line!of!maleficent!black!
clouds!soaring!in!over!the!coast!and!blotting!out!the!lowering!
sun,! bringing! night! on! early.! A! stiff! wind! barreled! down! the!
Strait! of! Juan! de! Fuca! ahead! of! the! rain,! channeled! by! the!
Olympics!on!one!side!and!the!Vancouver!Island!Ranges!on!the!
other.! The! temperature! had! dropped! twenty! degrees! in! a!
matter! of! minutes,! and! the! mercury! was! still! falling! slowly.!
Langford!zipped!the!windbreaker!tight!up!under!his!chin!and!
wished! he’d! brought! a! rain! slicker! instead.! The! jacket! would!
repel! a! light! drizzle,! but! a! hard! rain! would! soak! through!
quickly.!Too!late!to!worry!about!it!now,!he!shrugged!and!raised!
the!field!glasses!again.!
!
A! security! guard! had! patrolled! the! complex! every! half6
hour! during! the! workday,! but! the! patrols! had! come! more!
infrequently! since! early! evening,! about! once! an! hour.! Guards!
on!the!later!shift!also!seemed!more!lax,!less!punctual.!After!the!
parking!lots!had!emptied!at!the!end!of!the!day,!the!campus!had!
seen! little! activity.! A! few! employees! had! straggled! out! of! the!
windowless! building! after! hours,! likely! working! late! on!
projects,!and!more!had!left!the!office!building!even!later.!The!
only! sign! of! life! in! the! house! had! been! the! illumination! of! a!
couple! of! ground! floor! windows! when! the! sky! had! darkened!
with!clouds.!!
!
Now!nearly!ten,!his!attention!was!drawn!back!to!the!house!
as! floodlights! blazed! suddenly,! bathing! the! parking! area! in!
light.! Through! the! lenses! he! watched! two! men! escort! Baines!
out!the!front!door.!Langford!recognized!them,!both!dressed!in!