Night Tide
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talking!about.”!
!
She!cocked!the!hammer.!“Let’s!try!again.!Where!are!they?”!
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!
“I!swear!!I!don’t!know!what!the!hell!you’re!talking!about!!
Please,!you!gotta!believe!me!”!
!
I!took!a!step!closer.!“Baines.!Is!he!here?”!
!
The! guard! turned! his! head! warily,! Reyna’s! gun! barrel!
limiting!his!movement.!He!blinked!rapidly.!
!
“Mr.!Baines?!I!don’t!know.!Maybe.”!
!
“Which!is!it?”!Reyna!said,!applying!more!pressure.!
!
He!winced.!“I’m!not!sure.!I!heard!he!was!here!earlier,!but!I!
didn’t!see!him,!and!he!didn’t!sign!in!at!the!main!desk.!But!he’s!
the!boss.!He!doesn’t!have!to!sign!in!if!he!doesn’t!want!to.”!
!
“Have!you!noticed!anything!unusual!on!your!shift?”!
!
A! thought! stopped! his! head! in! mid6shake.! “A! couple! of!
guys! stopped! in! the! security! office! earlier! tonight.! Said! they!
were!from!the!main!office!in!San!Jose.!I!was!on!my!way!out!on!
rounds.!I!didn’t!talk!to!them.”!
!
Reyna!and!I!exchanged!a!glance.!
!
“Where!would!Baines!go!if!not!to!the!office?”!I!asked.!
!
The! guard! shrugged.! “Anywhere.! The! lab,! one! of! the!
assembly! buildings…! But! no! one’s! been! in! any! of! those!
buildings! tonight.! Oh,! could! have! been! the! conference! center,!
too.!There’s!a!guest!staying!there,!not!sure!who.!But!it’s!been!
pretty!quiet.!Guest!turned!in!a!while!ago.”!
!
I!studied!the!main!compound.!“Which!one’s!the!conference!
center?”!
!
“The!one!on!the!left.!Used!to!be!the!old!farmhouse.”!
!
“The!one!with!all!the!lights!on?”!!
!
A! tall! Victorian! house! stood! apart! from! the! rest! of! the!
campus!buildings!in!a!stand!of!big!oak!trees!from!their!size!and!
shape.!The!house!windows!burned!brightly.!
!
He!turned!to!follow!my!gaze!and!gawped.!“What!the—?”!!
!
Reyna! placed! the! gun! against! his! cheek! and! turned! his!
head!back!until!he!faced!her.!
!
“Explain!the!layout,”!she!said.!“Start!at!the!front!door.!Go!
room!by!room.”!
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!
The!guard!rolled!his!eyes!up!to!the!black!sky,!envisioning!
the! floor! plan! in! his! mind,! and! described! the! interior! of! the!
house!for!the!next!two!minutes.!
!
“Let’s! go,”! Reyna! said! when! the! words! stopped! tumbling!
out!of!his!mouth.!
!
I!gestured!with!my!gun.!“Him?”!
!
“He!won’t!be!any!trouble,”!she!said.!!
!
She!pulled!out!her!ID!and!held!it!under!the!guard’s!nose,!
angling!it!toward!the!light!so!he!could!read!it.!She!spoke!slowly,!
making!sure!he!understood!every!word.!
!
“This!says!I’m!with!the!U.S.!Office!of!Naval!Intelligence.!In!
Washington,!D.C.!That!means!I’m!one!of!the!good!guys.!What’s!
your!name?”!
!
The!guard!swallowed.!“Owens.”!
!
She! grabbed! a! fistful! of! his! collar! and! hauled! him! to! his!
feet.!Her!strength!surprised!me.!I!was!glad!I!wasn’t!on!her!bad!
side.! None! too! gently,! she! dragged! Owens! to! the! back! of! the!
vehicle!and!fastened!his!wrists!to!a!bar!with!another!plastic!tie.!
!
“Okay,! Owens,! here’s! the! deal,”! she! said.! “For! your! own!
protection!as!well!as!ours,!you’re!staying!here.!If!you!so!much!
as!make!a!peep!to!warn!these!people,!I’ll!bring!the!wrath!of!the!
U.S.! government! down! on! your! head.! We’ll! be! back! later! to!
thank!you!for!your!cooperation.”!
!
She!turned!and!motioned!to!me.!
!
“What!if!you!don’t!come!back?”!Owens!said,!plaintiveness!
in!his!voice.!
!
She! faced! him! and! jerked! a! thumb! at! me.! “Then! he! and! I!
are!probably!dead,!and!you’ll!have!to!explain!to!the!bad!guys!
how!you!managed!to!get!yourself!tied!up.!Got!it?”!
!
He!nodded!vigorously.!
!
Reyna!loped!into!the!darkness!without!another!word.!!
!
Owens!implored!me.!“You’re!coming!back,!right?”!
!
I! sighed! and! trotted! after! Reyna,! catching! sight! of! her!
silhouette! in! the! light! from! the! windows! of! the! conference!
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center.! She! skirted! the! pools! of! lamplight! at! the! entrances! to!
the! other! two! low! factory! buildings.! I! followed! her! lead! and!
hoped!the!maneuvers!kept!us!out!of!camera!range.!She!slowed!
as!she!closed!on!the!house.!I!caught!up!to!her!just!as!she!pulled!
up!and!dropped!to!one!knee!alongside!some!bushes!at!the!edge!
of!the!yard.!I!crouched!next!to!her.!!
!
The!entire!first!floor!of!the!building!was!ablaze!with!lights.!
Only! one! window! upstairs! glowed.! My! heart! thumped! loudly!
from!nerves!and!the!exertion,!but!Reyna!didn’t!seem!to!notice.!
She!stared!intently!at!the!house.!I!looked,!too,!but!saw!nothing!
out! of! the! ordinary! except! the! radiant! gleam! in! the! middle! of!
the!night.!It!finally!occurred!to!me!that!what!was!missing!was!
any! sign! of! life! amidst! all! that! light.! No! sounds! emerged,! no!
shadows!flickered!across!the!window!coverings.!!
!
“Circle!left,”!Reyna!murmured.!“`We’ll!meet!up!by!the!back!
door!and!compare!notes.”!
!
I!pushed!off!and!ran!in!a!low!crouch!to!a!huge!oak!at!the!
corner!of!the!yard.!Taking!cover,!I!peeked!at!the!house!around!
the! thick! trunk.! Nothing! stirred.! I! dashed! to! the! cover! of!
another! tree! near! the! circular! drive! at! the! front! of! the! house.!
No!one!stood!guard!by!the!front!door.!I!caught!my!breath!and!
listened! to! the! night! sounds.! The! wind! had! quieted! to! a! light!
breeze!that!carried!only!the!distant!screech!of!a!nighthawk,!not!
any!murmurs!of!human!conversation.!
!
The! thin! fabric! of! the! shirt! I’d! bought! in! California!
provided!little!protection!from!the!damp!night!air,!and!the!chill!
had! seeped! into! my! bones.! I! shivered,! and! for! a! moment!
couldn’t! stop! the! tremors.! Rubbing! my! arms! fiercely! to!
generate!some!warmth,!I!paced!until!they!subsided.!Exhaustion!
was! a! memory,! and! I! wasn’t! sure! what! force! still! kept! me! on!
my! feet.! Focus! ! Taking! several! deep! breaths,! I! sprinted! back!
through!the!shadows!to!the!rear!of!the!house.!!
!
Reyna! crouched! by! the! steps.! I! joined! her! and! shook! my!
head! silently.! She! nodded! and! tipped! her! head! toward! the!
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door,! then! crept! up! the! stairs! silently,! gun! at! the! ready.! She!
disappeared!through!the!screen!door!at!the!top.!I!went!up!after!
her! and! found! her! squatting! just! inside! the! screen,! staring! at!
the!door!that!led!inside.!A!muted!yellow!glow!came!through!a!
frilly! curtain! on! the! inside! of! the! lattice.! The! pane! above! the!
doorknob!sported!a!jagged!hole.!Reyna!slid!forward.!I!clamped!
a!hand!on!her!shoulder,!wondering!if!the!blink!of!red!reflected!
in! the! glass! had! been! my! imagination.! I! twisted! my! head.! A!
camera!was!mounted!directly!above!us.!
!
Slowly,! I! stood! and! stretched! for! it.! Gripping! it! tightly,! I!
waited! for! another! red! flash! and! twisted! it! sideways,! aiming!
the!lens!at!the!ceiling.!The!relief!on!Reyna’s!face!was!palpable.!
She!duck6walked!across!the!porch!to!the!back!door!and!opened!
it.!Light!spilled!out!from!a!modern!kitchen.!She!poked!her!head!
in!quickly,!then!scooted!inside!and!took!up!a!position!to!the!left!
of!the!door!like!a!gargoyle!sentry.!Heart!banging!like!a!stick!on!
the!picket!fence!of!my!ribs,!I!slithered!through!the!opening!and!
bookended!the!other!side!of!the!door.!!
!
The! soles! of! my! shoes! hummed! with! vibrations! through!
the!floor!from!the!murmur!of!voices!below.!The!muted!tympani!
of!heavy!feet!pounding!uncarpeted!stairs!reverberated!through!
the!kitchen.!Reyna!quickly!sidled!to!the!opposite!wall,!next!to!a!
closed! door! where! the! sounds! came! from.! She! frantically!
waved! me! off! to! my! right.! I! scuttled! behind! an! island! in! the!
middle!of!the!room!and!crawled!to!the!other!side!on!all!fours!
until!I!could!peek!around!the!corner.!Reyna!gave!me!a!nod!and!
focused!on!the!door.!It!burst!open.!
!
Keely!came!through!first,!strode!halfway!to!the!back!door!
and!stopped.!She!folded!her!arms,!stared!at!the!back!door,!and!
tapped!a!foot!impatiently.!
!
“Let’s!not!take!all!day,”!she!called.!!
!
An! out6of6uniform! NFL! nose! tackle! dressed! in! black!
fatigues! emerged,! backing! through! the! doorway! slowly,!
holding!a!gun!on!whoever!came!next.!Reyna!rose!in!a!flash!and!
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jammed! her! gun! in! his! ribs,! holding! a! finger! to! her! lips.! He!
froze!as!Reyna!twisted!the!pistol!out!of!his!hand.!She!motioned!
him! back! a! few! steps! to! make! room.! Though! several! inches!
shorter,!he!had!thirty!or!forty!pounds!on!me,!and!looked!as!if!
he! spent! spare! hours! bench6pressing! large! farm! animals.! He!
made! me! realize! how! big! I! looked! to! most! people.! He! could!
have!easily!crushed!Reyna,!but!surprise!and!a!gun!were!great!
equalizers.!!
!
Next!float!in!the!parade!was!Clayt—his!ponytail,!at!least—
staggering!backwards!through!the!opening!under!the!awkward!
weight!of!a!woman’s!legs.!Connie.!Wink!lumbered!up!the!stairs!
with! the! rest! of! her,! holding! her! under! the! armpits.!
Unconscious! and! limp,! she! was! deadweight.! Clayt! lost! his!
footing! and! stumbled! into! the! football! player,! dropping!
Connie’s!legs!to!the!floor.!The!guard!grunted!as!Clayt!fell!into!
him!and!turned!his!face!toward!me.!He!was!unrecognizable,!the!
savagery!of!what!they’d!done!bringing!bile!up!into!my!throat.!
Wink!lurched!into!the!room!under!Connie’s!weight!and!sank!to!
his!knees,!cradling!her!head!so!it!didn’t!bang!the!floor.!!
!
Keely! whirled! at! all! the! commotion! and! stared! at! Reyna.!
“Who!the!hell!are!you?”!!
!
Before!Reyna!could!answer,!the!nose!tackle’s!twin!charged!
through! the! door,! gun! in! hand,! swinging! it! from! side! to! side,!
not!sure!where!to!point!it.!I!stood!and!aimed!at!his!head.!
!
“Uh6uh,”!I!said.!“Drop!it,!please,!and!kick!it!over!here.”!
!
The!jut!of!his!chin!begged!for!someone!to!swing!at!it,!but!
the! wild! light! in! his! eyes! flickered! out! when! he! realized! his!
twin!was!unarmed.!The!gun!dropped!to!the!floor!with!a!solid!
thump.! He! nudged! it! with! a! toe! and! sent! it! sliding! across! the!
floor.!I!picked!it!up!and!stuck!it!behind!my!belt.!
!
Keely! wheeled! and! stared! at! me,! mouth! agape.! “Oh,! my!
god.! You’re!here?!Who!in!hell! politely!asks!someone!to!drop!a!
gun?”!
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!
She!shook!her!head!with!a!look!of!disgust.!My!face!flushed!
and!my!hands!closed!tighter!around!the!pistol!grip.!
!
“She!doesn’t!seem!happy!to!see!you,”!Reyna!said.!
!
“I! don’t! know! why,”! I! said.! “I! pretty! much! did! everything!
she!wanted!me!to.”! !
!
“Got!that!right,”!Wink!muttered.!
!
I! glanced! at! him.! “You! knew! she! was! using! me! to! get! to!
you?!Why!the!hell!didn’t!you!leave?”!
!
“I!didn’t!think!you’d!put!it!together.!And!if!I’d!had!a!little!
more! time,! I! would! have! been! long! gone! before! you! led! her!
there.!One!more!reason!I’ll!be!dealing!with!you!later.”!
!
Keely!put!her!hands!on!her!hips.!“Not!that!the!reminiscing!
isn’t! fascinating,! boys,! but! save! it! for! old! home! week.”! She!
turned!to!Reyna.!“You’re!obviously!in!charge.!What!now?”!
!
Reyna! appraised! her! coolly.! “I! doubt! everyone! in! this!
company! is! on! your! special! payroll.! Tweedledum! and!
Tweedledee!here!can!change!places!with!those!two!and!carry!
Mrs.!Wilson.!We’ll!head!over!to!the!security!office!in!the!main!
building,! get! her! some! first! aid,! and! call! in! some! guarded!
transport!for!you!and!your!buddies.”!
!
Keely! shook! her! head! in! disagreement.! “Who! are! you!
again?! Blake,! this! one! of! your! cop! friends?! I! don’t! know! how!
you! two! got! in,! but! I! can! guarantee! you’re! not! getting! out! as!
easily.”!
!
“Blake,!would!you!escort!Miz!Radcliffe?!Boys,!you!want!to!
grab!the!patient?!And!please!try!something!stupid.!I’d!love!the!
excuse!to!shoot!any!one!of!you.”!
!
I!circled!around!the!island,!giving!the!twins!a!wide!berth.!
Keely’s! face! was! as! dark! as! the! windows.! She! glared! at! me!
defiantly.! I! tugged! an! arm! behind! her! back! and! levered! it! up!
between! her! shoulder! blades! a! little! harder! than! was!
gentlemanly.!She!didn’t!even!wince.!Instead,!she!smiled!at!me!
over!her!shoulder.!Then!her!eyes!hardened!like!brittle!shards!
of!ice.!
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!
“Fool!”!she!hissed.!“You!have!no!idea!what!you’re!doing.”!
!
“Shut!up.!This!isn’t!what!you!want.!You!want!payback,!turn!
them!in.!They’ll!go!to!jail.”!
!
“How
! the! fuck! do! you! know! what! I! want?! You’re! really!
going!to!regret!this.”!
!
“Okay,! folks,! let’s! go,”! Reyna! said.! “Nice! and! easy.! Blake,!
you! lead.! You! big! boys! take! Mrs.! Wilson.! Carefully!! That’s! it.!
Langford,!you!want!to!help!Mr.!Wilson!out,!please?!I’ll!keep!an!
eye!on!these!folks!and!you!can!follow!at!your!own!pace.”!
!
A!piper—drab,!not!pied—I!led!the!procession!out!the!door!
and!down!the!steps.!Reyna!and!I!herded!the!little!group!across!
the! yard! into! a! tree6covered! parking! lot! adjacent! to! the! main!
building.! Halfway! there,! a! pair! of! headlights! sped! down! the!
drive! from! the! main! road! toward! the! conference! center.!
Cavalry? ! A! black! SUV! passed! us,! but! with! a! squeal! of! brakes,!
stopped,! reversed! and! entered! the! lot.! Reyna! had! frozen! in! a!
crouch,!gun!at!the!ready.!
!
“Friends?”!I!said.!
!
“I!didn’t!call!them,”!she!said.!“I!think!we’re!screwed.”!
!
The! others! stopped! and! stared! as! the! vehicle! roared! up!
and!stopped.!Keely!had!a!smirk!on!her!face.!What!looked!like!
the!rest!of!the!twins’!defensive!line!piled!out!and!surrounded!
us.!Suited!up!in!black!fatigues!like!the!others,!these!three!came!
armed! with! assault! rifles.! Reyna! and! I! dropped! our! guns! and!
put! our! hands! on! our! heads.! Keely! walked! up! to! me! smiling,!
and!put!her!hand!on!my!cheek.!Her!eyes!were!so!baleful!under!
the!lot!lights!that!I!shivered!at!her!touch.!!
!
A!figure!stepped!out!of!the!SUV!and!stood!behind!the!door.!
I! couldn’t! make! out! his! features! behind! the! glare! of! the!
headlights.!
!
A!disembodied!voice!bellowed,!“Keely!”!
!
The! sound! jerked! her! head! around! like! a! puppet! on! a!
string,!her!expression!chary.!
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!
“Can’t! you—?”! The! voice! was! explosive! with! rage,! but!
went!on!in!a!calmer!tone.!“Take!them!all!to!the!lab.!I’ll!be!there!
shortly.”!The!figure!ducked!back!inside!the!SUV.!
!
One!of!the!men!frisked!me!and!relieved!me!of!the!gun!in!
my!waistband!as!well!as!the!one!I!dropped.!He!frisked!Reyna!
next,! but! Keely! stepped! away! and! picked! up! Reyna’s! pistol.!
Glancing! over! her! shoulder! to! make! sure! the! football! team!
followed! the! playbook,! she! marched! toward! the! boxy,!
windowless!building!on!the!other!side!of!the!main!offices.!