7. Free Fall

by Fern Michaels

  Maggie started to get excited then when she thought about what Alan Nolan had divulged to her just hours ago. Ted would go over the moon when she told him. If she told him. She needed to get up to use the bathroom. She heard the voice when she swung her legs over the side of the narrow bed. Someone talking. A voice that was agitated. She slid off the bed and made her way to the doorway. It was Alan Nolan talking to someone. Just one voice. Was he on the phone? People didn’t talk to other people in the middle of the night unless it was serious. She shrugged, thinking she was going to hear the computer expert talking about being snowbound. Her jaw dropped when she heard the Wizard—that’s what Alan said his cyber name was—say, “How reliable is this info, Scratch Man?” Maggie wiggled her eyebrows. Scratch Man? Must be another cyber name. She continued to listen, making a mental note of the name.

  “You gotta be shitting me, Scratch Man! I can’t cut and run. No way. I’ll call the agency. Yeah, yeah, I sort of/kind of glanced at the stuff. I knew you were the one who set it all up. That one look was all I needed to know I didn’t want to be part of that mess. I can’t believe you set that guy up knowing what he’s into. Yeah, money is money but damn, that’s over-the-top, man. You’re getting out, too? You’re really going to let the bastard swing in the wind? Damn! Okay, okay, soon as the roads are clear, I’ll shut down both shops and head for the ranch. You’re welcome to join me, Scratch Man. We’ll both be safer there than the gold at Fort Knox. I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not but since you’re close to the source, I’ll take your word for it. Yeah, yeah, this is an encrypted phone, no one is listening in. What happened to those nerves of steel you’re always talking about? What we should do is turn the son of a bitch over to the proper authorities.”

  Maggie was so excited she thought she was going to pee her pants. Talk about being on the inside track. Pulitzer, here I come. Nolan wasn’t talking now, just listening. She’d have given up her pinkie finger to know what the other party was saying. And then Nolan was speaking again. Maggie could hear the awe in his voice.

  “Don’t con me, Scratch Man. We both know to crack Lyons’s remaining system you need both passwords, the sender’s and the recipient’s. Don’t bullshit me, cowboy. You cracked the recipient’s code? Well, hot damn. I bow to you, Scratch Man.”

  The testosterone was really flying, Maggie thought. She wished she knew what the two wizards were talking about. What remaining system? Who did it belong to? The movie star? Who was the recipient they were talking about? She pressed her ear against the door frame.

  “I’ll call you when I’m on the way. Thanks for the heads-up.”

  Maggie scurried back to the tiny bathroom and closed the door quietly. She waited a few moments and then flushed the toilet. She walked out to the bedroom, looked around and pretended to walk sleepily to the café side of the cybercafe. She pretended surprise at seeing Nolan sitting at the counter. She tried out her voice and was surprised to hear how normal it sounded. She didn’t sound hoarse at all the way she had before she went to bed. “Whatever those pills were, they worked wonders. Do you have any coffee? Guess everyone’s asleep, huh?”

  “Yeah, they pretty much all crashed around midnight. Did you just wake up? I made some coffee a few minutes ago. I’ll get you some. Do you want anything to eat?”

  “I woke up drenched in sweat. I must have had a fever and it broke because now I feel fine. Coffee will be real good. Is it still snowing?”

  Alan walked around to go behind the counter. “It stopped around one o’clock. The plow went past about twenty minutes ago. So, you’re feeling better, huh?”

  “Oh, tons better. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re a really nice guy, Alan Nolan.” Maggie realized she meant everything she’d just said.

  “You’re pretty nice yourself, Julie Jett. Listen, I just remembered that I have to go out of town this weekend. I promise to work on your computer the minute I get back.”

  Maggie winked at Alan. “Big secret job, huh?”

  “Yeah, something like that. Are you okay with waiting a little while?”

  “Sure. I just won’t turn my computer on. I’ll give you my number and you can call me when you get back. Are you going far?”

  “Far enough. I’ll probably be gone two, three weeks, maybe four. The movie will have to wait, too.”

  “Hey, business first, I always say. Boy, this coffee is good. I saw you grinding the beans earlier. Guess that makes all the difference, huh?”

  Nolan came out from behind the counter and sat down on the stool next to her. “Yeah, it does make a difference. Grinding the beans, I mean.”

  Such drivel, Maggie thought. Maybe he wants to talk but doesn’t know how to go about saying what he wants to say. Careful, Maggie, don’t overplay your hand, she cautioned herself.

  “So you just close up your businesses when you…uh, go off on an assignment? I’m assuming you’re going away on business.”

  Alan tapped his spoon on the side of the cup. “More or less. What other choice do I have? These two shops pretty much pay the bills. The special assignments put money in the bank and my retirement account. When the weather is bad like this, there isn’t all that much business.”

  Maggie thought he was trying to convince himself of what he was saying. He looked tense, though, maybe even a little frightened. She couldn’t decide which.

  Maggie was off the stool and massaging Nolan’s neck within minutes. “You’re way too tense, Alan. Relax. Things always work out. Look, I know we just met but you’re a nice guy, and I’m a nice person, so if you want me to keep the café open while you’re away, I’ll do it to help you out. I can’t promise this but there may be someone in my apartment building who could help you out with the bakery. You get the dough ready-made, right? Then you just punch it down and pop it in the oven. That can’t be too hard to do.” Oh, God, she didn’t just say what she said, did she?

  “Damn, that feels good,” Nolan said as Maggie kneaded his shoulders. “Are you kidding me? You’d really do the café? There’s a possibility I’ll be gone longer than a month. Are you sure you want to commit to this?”

  “I can use the money, Alan. The move here left me with almost a zero bank balance. You can trust me if that’s what’s worrying you. I’ll keep precise records.”

  “Then it’s a done deal,” Alan said, turning on the stool to face her. “Boy, you have strong hands. Can I make you some breakfast?”

  Maggie felt sick to her stomach at what she’d just proposed. What kind of person was she to take advantage of a guy like Alan Nolan? “No, the coffee is fine. But thanks for the offer. Maybe you should show me what I would have to do. Everyone is asleep and there’s nothing else to do. Are you going to make a lot of money on your assignment? I’m sorry, that’s none of my business and I never should have asked such a personal question. It’s just that what you do is so…so fascinating.”

  It was obvious to Maggie that Alan Nolan was not an accomplished liar. He looked everywhere but at her. “No. It’s phase two of my last project. I’ve already been paid. I always take my money up front.”

  “Boy, that sure is smart of you. See, see, that’s what I mean, it’s all so fascinating. I bet you could write a book about what you do.”

  “God forbid. I’d be behind bars the minute the proposal left my hands. Maybe when I’m old and gray with nothing to do, I’ll consider it.” Nolan laughed then, a genuine sound of mirth. Maggie grinned. She was liking this weird guy more and more.

  “So, how much will you pay me?”

  “How much do you want?” Nolan asked.

  “I don’t know. I never managed a cybercafe before. What’s the going rate?”

  “Well, guess what, Julie Jett, I don’t have a clue because I’ve never hired anyone before to manage the café. How about half of whatever you take in for the day. You pay your own taxes. Make a deposit at the bank once a week. I have a safe in the back where I keep the week’s money. If you don’t want to mess wit
h food, just serve coffee and Danish. If you want to do the food, I have an account with Schwan and they bill once a month. It’s up to you.”

  Maggie’s conscience pricked her. “I can’t take half. I’m thinking an hourly wage would be better. What would half come to?” she asked craftily.

  Nolan laughed again. “About eighteen hundred bucks a week, Julie.”

  “Mercy! Okay, I’ll take half.” How she was going to explain all this to the Post, she didn’t know. “Would it be the same deal if I can find someone to do the bakery? Does it generate as much revenue as the café?”

  “More.” Nolan laughed again at Maggie’s surprised look. “And all the bread, pastries and muffins you can eat.”

  Ted, you just got yourself a new job. Her next thought was they would both pork up big-time. Her second thought was that that would be okay because they’d both be fired from the Post but they wouldn’t starve.

  Nolan’s face turned serious. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. This is just so generous of you. We hardly know one another and here I am, sick, you give me cold pills, let me sleep in your bed, you’ve fed all of us and now I’m going to run your business while you’re away. It’s a bit mind-boggling. I just want you to know you can trust me.”

  Alan Nolan swiveled around on his stool so his back was against the counter. He wished he could tell the young woman sitting next to him that he wouldn’t be coming back to the cybercafe and the bakery, but what was the point? In his line of work, he’d had to relocate so many times he’d lost count.

  “It’s going to be light out soon,” Nolan said.

  The words were no sooner out of his mouth when the power came back on. Maggie clapped her hands.

  “It’s a good thing. I only have about two more hours of gas for the generator. See, everything happens for a reason. Be right back. I want to shut off the generator. I think maybe we should wake up our customers and make them some breakfast. You start frying the bacon and I’ll be right back to help you.”

  Maggie wished she could call Ted. As soon as it was light enough she was going to attempt to make it back to the apartment. If bad came to worse, maybe she could hitch a ride with one of the people in the café or even in the snowplow if it was going her way. She tried not to think about what she was doing as she slapped bacon onto the mini-grill behind the counter. If only she had heard the other half of Nolan’s conversation. If only…words to live by, she thought.

  The computer wizard returned and they worked side by side. One by one, the customers stirred. There was an immediate run on the small bathroom. Some of the young girls volunteered to help by setting the tiny tables and the counter with the stools. Two of the guys—hackers, she was sure—wanted to go back on the computers, coffee in hand.

  Outside, the day was just beginning. Snowplows could be heard going up and down the streets. By noon, Maggie knew, Washington would be clear to travel.

  “So, how am I supposed to get in touch with you while you’re away, Alan? Are you sure you can’t tell me where you’re going?”

  “I’ll call you. I’m probably going to be moving around a bit. When I finally settle in for the last phase of this project, I’ll let you know.”

  That was all she was going to get and Maggie knew it. She started to mutter under her breath.

  “What did you say?”

  Maggie looked Nolan square in the eye, hating herself as she did so, and said, “I said, it’s just my stupid luck. Here I finally meet a really nice guy and off he goes into the wild blue yonder saying, Yeah, he’ll call me. Yeah, right. I’ve been around the block a few times. I know how that works.” She slid the cooked bacon onto a large plate and put more on the grill. “I won’t hold my breath waiting for your call. Just so you know that, Alan.”

  The wizard frowned. “A really nice guy.” She thought he was a really nice guy. He almost told her then where he was going but he didn’t. He, too, had been around the block and what he did was dangerous stuff. Early on he’d been taught by the experts to leave no trail behind of any kind. As much as he liked Julie Jett, he didn’t really know her. She’d popped into his life just a little too conveniently. Scratch Man would tell him to zip his lips and that’s exactly what he was going to do. “I will call you, Julie,” he lied with a straight face.

  Maggie decided it was time to become cheerful. “Okay, but I still won’t hold my breath while I wait. How many eggs should I scramble?”

  “All of them. I think we have a hungry crowd here. I appreciate you pitching in, Julie. I’m going to close up here as soon as the roads open. Will you be able to open tomorrow?”

  Maggie looked down at the yellow froth in the bowl in front of her. So quick? She’d thought maybe a week. She’d need at least that long to square things with the Post.

  “Sure, no problem.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. “Are you leaving today? Why did I think you…? I don’t know what I thought—next week, I suppose.”

  “When the client calls, especially a client who has already paid you, you have to hustle your butt and do what he says. In this business, you’re only as good as your reputation. I’m sure the airport will be open by noon. I’ll get the first flight I can wrangle.”

  Nolan wasn’t going to any airport. He was going to drive to his destination in his Pathfinder that he kept in a garage in town. A vehicle no one even knew he owned.

  Maggie offered up a sickly smile as she slid the scrambled eggs onto the grill. Where in hell was he going?

  Chapter 16

  Charles Martin stood at the kitchen door looking out at the melting mountains of snow. Three days of sunshine guaranteed a flood in the yard. The roads were sopping wet but free of snow. He felt better sending off his girls, knowing they’d make it safely to the airport. He’d stood here in this same position at first light to send Myra and Annie off to California. He started to miss Myra the moment she walked through the door to the waiting town car that would take her and Annie to Reagan National Airport. With nothing on his immediate agenda other than his chaotic thoughts and seeing the rest of the Sisterhood off to their destinations, he opted to make a huge breakfast, everyone’s favorites.

  A chill washed over him when he saw the limousine arrive and park outside the gates. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. Only time would tell if he was sending the women into danger. He’d worked tirelessly through the snowstorm and through the following three days to make their trips as foolproof as possible. He’d called in so many favors, paid and otherwise, that he’d lost count. It wasn’t that he doubted any of their capabilities; he didn’t. It was the unknown, the human element that could foul things up. Each of them was going to be alone this time around with absolutely no backup other than the special encrypted cell phone.

  He’d argued with himself, and with Myra, that what he was doing was best. Worrier that she was, she’d made him promise the girls would return unscathed and unharmed. He’d made the promise, albeit reluctantly. If he hadn’t made the promise, Myra would have refused to accompany Annie to Los Angeles.

  “Any last-minute instructions, Charles?” Isabelle asked as she joined him at the door. “Other than to wear sunglasses. I’ve never seen the snow look so blinding white.”

  “No, I think we covered everything. Your meeting was confirmed at five o’clock yesterday afternoon. Retired General Josh Tappen has graciously given you ten minutes of his valuable time today at four o’clock. I think you will have his undivided attention by two minutes past four. Your return flight is at seven, so please be on time. Myra will be calling in every ten minutes until all of you are back safe and sound. By the way, I received an e-mail late last night saying the general received a seven-figure advance to write a book on his experiences in the Iraq War. He’s only been retired for six months and in his current position for three months, earning twenty times what he earned in the military. The man has expensive habits, as we all know. I think that’s about all for now. The car is waiting. Good
luck, ladies.”

  The women all hugged Charles as they headed out the door. Yoko stood to the side with Murphy and Grady next to her. She waved good-bye.

  “I made some tea, dear,” Charles said when the sound of the limo could no longer be heard. “I couldn’t let you go with them, Yoko, but I do know how you feel. All I ask is that you be patient just a little longer.”

  Yoko nodded as she took her place at the table. “Will it be all right if I go out to the nursery today? I really should check on things.”

  “No, you have to stay here. We can’t risk anyone seeing you or knowing where you are. There’s a manhunt going on. I hate to say this but the price on your head is enough to make someone turn in their own grandmother for the money. It’s just too risky. And you cannot use your regular cell phone. If you absolutely must make phone calls, use the encrypted phone so the calls can’t be traced.”

  Yoko nodded again as she accepted the cup of tea Charles handed her. “I’ll clean up the kitchen. I know you have things to do. It was a wonderful breakfast. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “I’ve got it covered. Please don’t fret, all your sisters will be back by ten this evening since I scheduled everyone’s appointments for four o’clock. Return flights are within fifteen minutes of each other. If you need me for anything, just call me on the cell.”

  Left to her own devices, Yoko, her stomach churning, finished her tea and poured a second cup. When she finished it, she cleaned the kitchen and turned on the dishwasher. She wanted to call Harry so bad. Was it a good idea or a bad idea? Probably a bad idea but she was going to do it anyway but not until she called the nursery to see how things were going. And she needed to check the messages on her private cell phone as well as the messages on the business phone in the shop.