From the hallway they could hear the metal screech of another door opening.
“There is no time to waste.”
20
UNDULATING FLOOR LIGHTS guided them into a locker room containing five stalls separated by privacy barriers. Four of the stalls were stocked with clothes hanging from pegs, footwear on shelves, and prepacked duffel bags on the floor. The fifth stall was empty.
The sizes and styles of the outfits made it obvious whose stall was whose.
In Ananke’s were a pair of jeans, a white buttoned blouse, and a dark blue duster that went down to the top of her thighs. The duster had been modified with several handy interior pockets. She’d also been provided with a pair of stylish, reddish brown boots that slipped perfectly under the cuffs of her jeans.
After she was dressed, she unzipped her duffel. Inside she found two additional changes of clothes, a phone, a pair of compact yet powerful binoculars, comm gear, lock picks, a Heckler & Koch P30 9mm pistol with suppressor, extra ammo, and two thousand dollars in cash. The inclusion of the weapons bolstered the idea that the Administrator was telling the truth.
As she stepped out from her locker area, Dylan said, “You got a gun?” He was peeking around the barrier into the next stall where Liesel was holding her own P30. He turned back to his bag and began rifling through it. “Where’s mine?”
“Tell me, Dylan, how often have you carried a pistol on a job?” Ananke asked.
“Well, I, uh, I-I…okay, never, but—”
“Looks like your job is driving,” she said, nodding at the set of keys he tossed on the ground with the other stuff from his bag. “So same as it was on all those other jobs you didn’t have a gun for.”
He scowled at the keys, and then started shoving things back into his bag. “Fine. If I’m driving, then I decide when we stop and when we don’t.”
“Oh, look,” Rosario said. “I have a gun, too.”
__________
WHEN THEY WERE ready, the Administrator’s voice came over the speaker again.
“The phones you’ve been given have been preprogrammed with each other’s numbers. There is also one to my office. I would prefer if Ananke serves as the main contact between us. As you have no doubt already assumed, she will act as team leader. Of course, if there is an emergency, you needn’t go through her to get to me. Lastly, the fifth member of your team will be joining you at your destination.”
“Fifth member?” Ananke said.
“A hunter.”
Given the task they had before them, she thought adding a hunter wasn’t a bad idea.
“Good luck,” the Administrator said. “Find them, please. Get them home.”
Lights led the team to a staircase that took them up to a metal door. Stepping outside, they discovered they weren’t in a building but on a container ship. The vessel was moored against a dock of what appeared to be a busy port. Ananke knew the ship had to have been there since before they’d first woken or they would have felt the movements of the sea.
She studied their surroundings in hopes of getting a better idea of where they were. To their left and right was more port. Shoreside, beyond the port facilities, she could see hills dotted with homes. Given that the descending sun was behind them, hidden by the ship, the hills were to the east.
She looked up at the ship’s superstructure behind them, and spotted walkways around several of the upper levels, but no way to reach them. She wondered if the Administrator was up there somewhere. Someone who worked for him definitely had to be on the ship. Either that or they’d been fed by ghosts.
“There’s a gangway over here,” Dylan called from the other end of the walkway.
They joined him and headed down to the pier.
“Holy crap, I hope that’s our ride,” he said, staring a dark blue Mustang parked next to a pier-side building with several other vehicles. He pulled out the keys and pressed the unlock button on the fob, but the responding flashing lights came from a passenger van two vehicles away. “Son of a mother...are you kidding me?”
Stepping onto the pier, Ananke looked back at the ship and noted the name Karas Evonus painted on the bow.
“California plates,” Dylan said as they neared the van.
The cars parked around it also had California license plates. This wasn’t particularly surprising, given that the kids had been kidnapped within the state.
As they climbed into the van, Dylan tossed an envelope that had been on the driver’s seat to Ananke. “This must be for you, boss.”
Inside she found false IDs for each of them and handed them out. There were also four printouts for room reservations at Hardwick Inn, located in Groveland, California, under their new assumed names. Groveland, Ananke knew from the map that had been in her file, was near Yosemite.
As they left the port, they learned the Karas Evonus was docked at the Port of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco, leaving them a three-hour drive to the mountains where the kids were last seen.
Once Dylan got them onto the interstate headed east, Ananke began sifting through the contents of the file to commit the details to memory.
“I would like to look at those, too,” Rosario said.
“And me, also,” Liesel chimed in.
While the women studied, Dylan kept up a continuous monologue of jokes and stories that none of them paid attention to. Ananke had become so used to tuning him out that she was caught off guard when he tapped her on the shoulder and said, “What do you think?”
“About what?”
“About taking a toilet break, maybe getting something to eat. Am I just talking to myself here?”
“You don’t want me to answer that.”
They stopped at a gas station megaplex that boasted two fast-food places, a mini-market, and showers that could be rented by the minute. While the others used the facilities, Ananke went into the mini-market and purchased a burner phone and several SIM cards.
Outside, she found a deserted area near the Dumpsters and activated the cell.
“Moshi-moshi,” Shinji said. “Nakamura Restaurant. Can you hold for a—”
“It’s me,” she said.
Not a sound for two whole seconds, then, “Would…you like to hear our s-s-specials?”
This was the first part of the code to be used in situations when Shinji felt it necessary to determine whether Ananke was speaking freely or in trouble. If the latter, there were several different responses she could make, each signaling him to do something different. For instance, if she said, “Yes, please,” he would determine her location and arrange for her to be extracted ASAP. If the former, the response was more direct.
“Cut the crap,” she said.
“Oh, thank God! Where the hell have you been? Are you all right? What happened? I thought you were either dead or Perkins got you.”
“I’m fine and he didn’t. I need to know what’s going on out there.”
“‘I’m fine and he didn’t? That’s all I get?”
“We can catch up later. Update now, please.”
“Okay, okay. Well, um, word on the ’net is that you’re supposed to be detained. But I guess that’s not surprising, huh?”
“No, it’s not. Have I received any messages?”
“Only one. Quinn. He said if you needed anything, let him know.”
Given her current situation, most people would have distanced themselves from her. In fact, most had. Not Jonathan Quinn. She’d helped him out the previous summer, and he was not one to forget those he owed no matter what trouble they might be in. His message was even more meaningful because the last she’d heard, he was dealing with a personal tragedy of some sort.
“Tell him I appreciate the offer and that I’m okay.”
“Are you okay?”
“At the moment. Look, I need you to find out everything about a cargo ship called the Karas Evonus.” She spelled it out for him.
“Okay. Do I need to know context?”
“Not right now.
I’m also going to text you some names. Be very discreet.”
“SOP.” Standard operating procedure.
“Until I tell you otherwise, only text me back if I text you first, and do not call this number until I give you the go-ahead.”
“Got it.”
“Good.” She hung up.
__________
“HERE WE GO, Miss Handler.” The woman behind the desk handed Ananke a key. “You are in room fifteen.” She passed another to Rosario. “And Miss Rivera, yours is room fourteen. Now, let’s see. Miss Cooper, for you, room seven.” She handed a key to Liesel, then picked up another and gave it to Dylan. “And Mr. Drake, room five. Do you happen to know when your roommate will be here?”
“My roommate?”
“Yes…” She looked back at the screen of her ancient computer. “Mr. Brambles. His reservation was tied to yours.”
“We’re not sure of his schedule,” Ananke said before Dylan could open his mouth. “If we hear from him, we’ll let you know.”
They picked up their bags and headed for the stairs.
As soon as they were out of earshot of the reception desk, Dylan said, “Roommate?”
“The hunter, I assume,” Ananke said.
Dylan grimaced. “Why can’t the hunter and I have our own rooms and two of you share?”
“If you would like, I am sure we can take a vote,” Rosario said.
“But…you…” He stewed for a moment. “That’s not fair.”
Ananke patted him on the back. “Now you know what it’s like to be a woman.”
Though a few hours of sleep was what they really needed, Ananke wanted to get a look at the area where the van had disappeared. So they dropped their things in their rooms and were soon back on the road, heading farther east into the mountains.
Security footage had shown the kids’ van leaving the Conifer Lodge, where the retreat had been held, at 8:42 a.m. on the day they vanished. The vehicle should have next appeared on cameras outside the Groveland fire station, but it never did, so whatever happened had occurred somewhere in between.
While Dylan drove, the women scanned both sides of the road. Except for gaps here and there where a house or other type of building had been constructed, the route was lined by trees. There were plenty of places where the van could have gone, but none was any better than the rest.
“An army could search through the area for a year and never find them,” Dylan said as the Conifer Lodge came into view.
“Someone checked satellites, I assume,” Rosario said.
“So I was told,” Ananke replied.
“Every satellite?”
“That, I don’t know.”
“I am sure some were missed. When we get back, I’ll look into it.”
Ananke liked Rosario’s confidence but didn’t know how good the woman was. Even if she was the best hacker in the world, there would be only so much she could do on the laptop that had been in her duffel bag. “It’ll go faster if you had help.”
“I do not mean to offend you, but you would just get in my way.”
“I wasn’t talking about me,” Ananke said. “I have a friend who won’t get in your way. I’ll put you in touch with him.”
“A friend? Are we involving others now?”
“He works for me. Any job I’m on, he’s on.”
“I can do it myself. I don’t need anyone.”
Ananke’s phone buzzed with a text.
“Give him a try,” she said to Rosario as she pulled out her cell. “You might be surprised.”
The message was from the Administrator.
Your hunter has arrived
“Good news, Dylan,” Ananke announced. “Looks like your roommate’s here.”
__________
IT WAS DARK by the time they returned to the Hardwick Inn.
As they entered the lobby, the woman behind the desk waved and said, “Mr. Drake, you just missed Mr. Brambles. I pointed him toward Mazy’s Diner down the street not five minutes ago.”
Ananke thanked the clerk, and she and the team headed back outside.
They found Mazy’s Diner a few blocks down. A buzz of voices and clinking utensils and plates greeted them. Ananke stopped near a sign that read SEAT YOURSELF and scanned the room. All the booths and tables were occupied by couples and families. The only solo men she saw were seated at the counter and had the look of locals. Of course, the best hunters knew how to blend in.
She was in the process of assessing them one by one when a voice boomed across the dining room. “Kitty-kat!”
Until that moment, she had not been aware her blood could turn cold so fast. Eyes narrowing to slits, she turned toward the speaker. Standing outside the hallway to the bathrooms, smiling his million-dollar smile, was her misogynistic, narcissistic, supposed-to-still-be-in-prison ex-boyfriend.
Ricky Orbits.
A giant grin on his face, he began walking toward her. “Did you miss me, kitten?”
Trying to ignore the shiver of disgust running up her spine, Ananke whispered to the others, “Get something to eat,” and then, with a flick of a finger, motioned for Orbits to follow her outside.
A slight breeze blew past the front of the restaurant as she stepped into the night and walked to the corner of the building. There she waited until Ricky appeared. Before he could say a word, she headed toward the back of the restaurant, stopping near a pile of pallets and empty pickle barrels.
A few seconds later, Mr. Wonderful arrived, still wearing his ear-to-ear smile. “Baby, ain’t this great? I didn’t think I’d get to see you for years. How about a little kiss?”
He threw his arms out and stepped toward her. But as soon as he was in range, she shoved him in the chest and sent him sprawling into the side of the building.
“Kitty-kat, what did I do to deserve that?”
“Seriously, Ricky? Seriously?” She grabbed his shirt and jammed him back against the wall. “Number one, I told you to never call me that again. Number two, you’re supposed to be in prison!”
He snickered. “I know. Isn’t it awesome?”
“How did you get out?” she said, teeth clenched.
“Apparently I’m in demand.”
She bounced him off the wall. “Tell me how you got out!”
“All right. All right. Save the physical stuff for later, baby.”
Her eyes flared, but before she could do anything else, he raised his hands in surrender.
“Just a joke, just a joke.” He smiled again and leaned forward like he was about to impart top-secret information. “This woman shows up at Crestridge—you know, my home away from home—and says she can spring me if I’d do a job for her people. Like I’d pass up that opportunity, right?” He straightened back up, looking playfully suspicious. “You know this already, though, don’t you? Miss Marsh is one of your friends, isn’t she? Of course she is. Why else would I be here?”
“I would put you in solitary for the rest of your life before I would ever lift a finger to get you out.”
He chuckled. “Now you’re just being coy. Damn, woman, I knew you still loved me, but I didn’t think it was this much.”
He was dead wrong, though she’d come very close to falling in love before she’d regained her senses that night she found him playing naked Twister with a couple of twentysomething Twister professionals. In a soft yet deadly tone, she said, “Jeopardize the mission again, and I’ll have our client pull you off the team. Is that clear?”
“Hold on now.”
She stared at him, an eyebrow raised.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll be good.” He cocked his head. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“What?”
He nodded at the vibrating pocket of her duster. She jammed her hand inside and pulled out her phone. The caller ID read ADMINISTRATOR.
With a final shove to Ricky’s chest, she walked away and pressed ACCEPT.
“Good evening, Ananke,” the Administrator said. “Have you connecte
d with Mr. Orbits yet?”
“You son of a bitch. What the hell is he doing here?”
“You need a hunter. My understanding is he’s one of the best.”
His understanding was correct, but she had no intention of confirming that. “And you just happened to have a get-out-of-jail-free card lying around you used to set him loose?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“I want him out of here.”
“All right. Name me a hunter who can do a better job than Mr. Orbits and is available, and I’ll get him,” the Administrator said.
“Alan Kubik.”
“Working in Kazakhstan, I believe.”
“Noriko Motohashi.”
“We’ve attempted to contact her but have had no replies.”
“Russell Parker.”
“Retired and not answering calls.”
She dug for another name. “Donald Wilkinson.”
“Also retired, I’m afraid.”
Ananke stared at the ground, her mind scrambling. But the truth was, she’d just named four of the five top hunters in the world. Coming in at number three, Ricky rounded off that list.
“We can do this without a hunter,” she said.
“If you had more time, perhaps. My job, however, is to provide you with the best tools I can. Mr. Orbits is an asset you can’t afford to turn away.”
As much as she hated to admit it, the Administrator was right.
Damn.
It.
“Fine. He can stay. But I can’t guarantee I won’t kill him at some point.”
“Thank you. I’m sure he’ll deserve it if that becomes necessary.”
Ananke then caught him up on what little they’d been able to do so far. After she hung up, she turned back to Ricky.
“Is it official?” he asked. “Are we working together again?”
“So it would seem.”
The Ricky grin returned as he lifted his arms. “Bring it in here, baby.”
She turned and walked away.
21
SIX MINUTES LATER
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR
A SINGLE SCREEN on the Administrator’s wall flickered to life with the image of Committee member Monday.
The Excoms Page 11