“Dave! Maybe you should pull over.”
He gave his head a quick shake and did exactly that, slowing the truck to halt at the side of the road.
“Why in hel… sorry, heck, would they kill your whole family?” he demanded.
“I don’t know, Dave, but I really need to find out. I thought Aunt Minnie might be able to tell me something. She’s the only relative I have left. But she was too out of it.” I wrapped my arms around myself as a horrifying thought hit me. “Oh, God, I hope they don’t kill her, too. She’s just a helpless old lady.”
Dave’s face paled. “They wouldn’t let guys with guns into a nursing home.”
“They wouldn’t use guns. They’d make it look like a heart attack. That’s how they killed Robert. And maybe my dad, too.”
“Who are these guys?” He stared at me. “Cops don’t get orders to kill people. And they don’t kill them with fake heart attacks. These guys are spies, aren’t they? Or Mob?” His face went even paler. “And you’re running from them…”
“That’s why I was trying to get you to butt out. Just go back to your life and forget this ever happened. You’ll be safe as long as you don’t get caught with me.” I reached for the door handle, but he grabbed my hand.
“But what about you?”
I blew out a long sigh. “They’re going to kill me anyway, sooner or later. I know too much. I’d just really, really like to know the truth about this before I die. And I need to get back to Calgary and see if I can help Nichele.”
“Then I’ll take you.” He put the truck into gear again and pulled away, his scowl focused on the road.
“Dave…”
“No dice. That’s the way it’s gonna be.”
I gave in. “Thanks,” I whispered.
By the time we safely navigated the ferry and landed on the mainland, I’d come up with a desperate idea. I checked my watch. Nearly four o’clock. That would be almost five o’clock in Alberta. Spider would be getting off work soon.
I rolled my head and shoulders, trying to release the aching tension before I turned to Dave. “I need to find an internet cafe or a library or something.”
He shot me a quick glance, then turned back to concentrate on driving. “What’re you going to do?”
“I’m going to see if I can get in touch with a friend on the internet.”
“Sure you want to take the chance?”
“No. But I have to."
He scowled. “Those guys were on that phone booth like white on rice. They’ll be watching email for sure.”
“I’m not going to use email.”
His eyes widened. “You some kind of hacker?”
“Hell, no. I couldn’t hack my way out of a paper bag. But I have an idea that just might work.”
We stopped at the visitor’s centre for directions, and pulled up in front of an internet cafe about half an hour later.
I took a deep breath and met Dave’s worried eyes. “Wish me luck.” I had the door open before another thought hit me. “If you see me leaving with anybody, or if anything happens to me, just drive away and forget you ever saw me. You don’t want to get involved in this.”
“But…”
“Really, Dave. I mean it. Promise me, okay?”
He scowled and his lips pressed into a thin line.
I tugged a couple of handfuls of my hair in pure frustration. “Dave, I really need you to do this. I really need to know you’ll stay safe. Please?”
The silence lengthened. When he spoke at last, his voice was steady, but his faded eyes were imploring. “Look, I’m just a fat, middle-aged loser with a shi… crap job and a family that doesn’t care whether I live or die as long as the support cheques keep coming. I wasn’t kidding when I said this was the coolest thing that ever happened to me.” He flushed and dropped his eyes. “Just let me help, okay?”
I took his hand in both of my own. “Dave, you’re not a loser, you’re an amazing guy. You’ve already saved my life. I don’t want it to cost you yours.”
He met my eyes. “My decision to make. Get going.”
I slumped in defeat. “Okay. But Dave, don’t be a hero. A live friend is better than a dead hero any day.”
He nodded, and I climbed down from the truck resisting the urge to beat my head against the door. I’d seen the gleam in his eyes. He was going to be a fucking hero.
And the worst part was, I needed one.
Inside, I paid cash for my access time and got settled at a computer to search out the World of Warcraft site. I cursed my lack of foresight in only half-listening to Spider’s long-winded descriptions of the game and its interface. At least I knew he used ‘Spider’ as his screen name, and I knew his character was a night elf, whatever that was.
On the site I rapidly skimmed the online tutorial, focusing on the chat features. Shit, this was going to take some time. I glanced around, heart thumping, before concentrating in earnest. Thank God they offered a thirty-day free trial. Otherwise, Kane could have nailed me by my credit card activity the instant I bought the membership.
I set up a fraudulent account and debated for too-long seconds over a screen name, then impatiently clicked through the character setup, creating a human female with long red hair. None of the rest of it made much sense, but I only needed to get into the game. Please God, let Spider be playing tonight.
When I completed the setup, my heart sank as I stared at the complicated interface. Realm. That was it. What the hell was the name of the realm Spider was always babbling about? Maybe it didn’t matter.
The name of the realm occurred to me just as I discovered how to look for other players online. A surge of triumph filled me when I recognized Spider’s screen name. Thank God. I scanned the chat interface. Whisper. There it was.
“Pssst. Spider.”
The chat screen scrolled. “who r u?”
“Look at my character. From Dog Star.” Come on, Spider, figure it out.
“OMG! where r u??? r u ok??”
“Hiding. I’m fine.”
“r u crazy?? dept-wide alert for u dead or alive.”
“Need your help.”
“i’ll call K.”
“NO!!!”
“y not? he’ll help.”
“NO. He killed my husband.”
The data stream halted, and I imagined Spider’s horrified expression. After a few seconds, another message came through. “WHAT!! pls repeat.”
“He killed my husband.”
“no way.”
“He told me himself.”
The scrolling text stopped again. Then, “what do u need?”
I paused, thinking. I really didn’t want to name names, just in case. The text window scrolled as Spider demanded my attention.
“r u there? r u there?”
“I’m here.” I hesitated over the keyboard, then added, “I was with N on Tuesday night when K came to get me. Do you know who N is?”
“yes”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “N is in danger. She’ll be killed if the police get involved. Can you help her?”
Jesus, speak of the devil. Movement caught my eye as two uniformed police officers strode in, scanning the patrons. I hunched down behind the computer screen, praying they wouldn’t see me.
I ignored Spider’s text response and rapidly logged off, trembling. As I cleared the cache, the officers moved past me to speak to the kid behind the counter. Maybe they weren’t looking for me at all.
I stood and meandered in the general direction of the door, forcing myself to stop and examine a display of coffee mugs on the way. Trying not to jitter from foot to foot, I casually lifted one to check the price, then replaced it and made my way out the door.
Then I hustled back to Dave’s truck, my bastion of safety. He eyed me with alarm when I scrambled up into the cab. “Those cops looking for you?”
“I don’t think so.” I took a few deep breaths, trying to stop shaking. “But let’s get the hell out of here anyway.”
“Di
d it work?” Dave demanded as we pulled away.
“Yes. I made contact.”
“So did you get help?”
“I hope so. But I had to run before I knew for sure. I’ll have to check back with him later.” I shot a glance behind us. “At a different cafe.”
“Okay.” He frowned. “You’re still shaking.”
“I’m just hungry. I missed lunch.”
“Oh.” He shifted in his seat and rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting my eyes. “Do you… uh, want to eat something a little nicer tonight? I’ll get another hotel room, and we can get room service.”
“Thanks, Dave, but I don’t want to take the chance. And anyway, it’s too expensive.”
“I don’t mind,” he said quickly. His eyes stayed glued to the road, and a flush climbed his neck. “I owe you, for hitting you. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay, you were just scared. I’d probably have done the same thing in your place.”
“I feel bad, though. Let me buy you a nice dinner.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but changed my mind. I really couldn’t face another greasy meal. “Thanks, Dave. That would be great.”
He flushed and nodded, smiling.
Once again I sneaked in the back door of the hotel, enveloped in Dave’s hooded jacket. I gobbled a crisp, fresh chef’s salad with a delicious garlic baguette, then leaned back in the chair with a long sigh, stretching out my legs.
The small room was dim and cozy, the heavy draperies drawn, and the peace and safety soaked into my bones and made my eyelids droop.
Dave’s quiet voice startled me out of a semi-doze. “Why don’t you lie down? You look wiped.”
I roused myself and sat up. “Thanks, but I better not.” I checked my watch. “Do you think we can find another internet cafe?”
“Yeah.” He held out the jacket, and I shrugged into it again. “Hold on, I’ll scout the halls first,” he told me, and ducked out the door. He was back within seconds, giving me a thumbs-up, and I scuttled back out to the truck.
Parked near another cafe, I scanned the surrounding area before reaching for the door handle.
Dave reached out to stop me. “Wait. Do you have a cell phone? I could just call you if the police show up or if anything weird happens.”
“No, I don’t have one.” I didn’t bother to explain why. “It’s okay, I won’t be long.”
I climbed down and made my way inside, finding a table that faced the door. Back in the World of Warcraft interface, I located Spider again and engaged the whisper mode.
“Spider.”
“r u ok?”
“Fine. Did you find out anything about N?”
“gone. left work early today, not home, not answering cell. where r u & what r u doing? S thinks ur rogue.”
He would. That suspicious bastard. I sighed. I was totally screwed if Stemp decided I’d turned to the dark side. He’d have me shot, no questions asked. But at least Spider didn’t seem inclined to turn me in. Yet.
“I’m not. I’d never do that. You know that.” At least I hoped he knew it.
“i know.”
I blew out a breath of relief. Thank God.
“what r u doing tho?” he persisted.
“Trying to save N. Trying to find info about my family.” I pressed Send, and then berated myself for telling him that. Then again, somebody had obviously known I was in Victoria. Somehow. Hmmm.
I typed again. “Was N’s phone bugged?”
“yes.”
That explained a lot. I typed again. “Who else is bugged?”
“everybody. me, K, N, dog from hell.”
Shit. I blew out a sigh. On the upside, at least he was up to speed with Nichele’s situation. Maybe I’d better confirm that…
“Then you know what’s going on with N.”
“yes.”
“Can you save her?”
“i’ll try.”
“Thanks, Spider.” I shot a tense glance around the quiet cafe. I felt like I had a glowing target painted on my back. Nerves seized me.
“Got to go,” I typed.
“WAIT!!!”
“What?”
“how can i contact u?”
“You can’t. Over & out.”
I logged off, cleared the cache, and got out of there.
Dave tried to talk me into sleeping in the hotel room, but I eventually convinced him I’d be safer in the truck. I didn’t know if that was actually the case or not, but I could tell his back was hurting, and it seemed to me the hotel bed was probably better for him than the narrow berth in the sleeper.
Besides, I didn’t feel right about making him sleep in the truck when he was paying for a hotel, and I wasn’t about to propose sharing the room.
Chapter 16
The next morning, we hit the road loaded and started the long drive back to Calgary. We chatted off and on, and I tried to encourage him to talk as much as possible. The more he talked about himself, the less I had to tell him.
After I’d deflected his questions for the umpteenth time, he glanced over at me, his brow furrowed.
“You really don’t want to tell me anything about yourself, do you?” he asked point-blank.
I sighed. “No, not really. Sorry. The less you know, the safer we both are.”
“I knew it. You are a spy.”
I clutched my head. “No, Dave.”
He gave me a conspiratorial smile and went back to watching the highway. But at least he stopped asking personal questions.
We were on the home stretch when an idea struck me. It was after five o’clock. Maybe Spider had news. And if he still hadn’t managed to find Nichele, I might be able to approach the problem from a different angle.
I turned to Dave. “Can we go into Canmore for a few minutes?”
He frowned over at me. “Yeah, as long it doesn’t take too long. I gotta have this load in by eight.”
“How much time do I have?”
He checked his watch and returned his attention to the road. “Half an hour, tops. You got a plan?”
“Maybe.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Find another internet cafe.”
After a short stop at the visitor information centre, I gained fresh respect for Dave’s driving ability as he manoeuvred the huge truck around the cramped streets. When we pulled up near the cafe, he shot me a worried glance. “What are you going to do this time?”
“Same thing.” I warily surveyed the parking lot. “Back in a flash.”
Spider was in the game again, and I heaved a sigh of relief.
“Spider.”
“where r u?”
I knew if he really wanted to know where I was he’d trace my IP address, so I ignored the question and typed, “Any news on N?”
“no. can’t find her."
I swore quietly, trying not to attract attention. Time for Plan B. I typed, “Need to see dog from hell.”
“when & where?”
“Tonight, Hotel Village, eleven o’clock. Don’t tell anyone we’re meeting.”
“ok.”
“Thanks, Spider. Over & out.”
I hoped Spider would have more luck convincing Hellhound to talk to me than I’d had. And I hoped Hellhound would be willing to help me if he did show up.
Back in the truck, I faced Dave’s expectant expression.
“I’m meeting my friend tonight,” I told him with more confidence than I felt. “I think he’ll be able to help me.”
“What’s the plan?” Dave asked.
I hesitated.
“Come on, Aydan,” he cajoled. “Two heads are better than one, right?”
I sighed. “There isn’t a plan. Yet.”
“Thought you said you talked to your friend.”
“No, I talked to a different friend who’s going to get a message to him.”
His bushy eyebrows met. “So you don’t even know if he’s coming.”
“He’ll come.”
Apparently I didn’t sound any more convinced than I truly was. Dave’s scowl deepened.
“You sure he’ll be able to help you if he does show up?”
“Yeah. The guy who kidnapped Nichele is his brother. He might know where to start looking.”
Dave jerked back in his seat. “Aydan, that’s nuts! You’re gonna trust this guy? When it’s his own brother?”
“Don’t worry,” I reassured him. “He’d love to see his brother back behind bars.”
“Back behind bars,” Dave said, his scowl deepening. “So you’re gonna go looking for a guy you already know is a dangerous criminal. With the guy’s brother for backup.”
“No, I’m not going to involve Arnie at all,” I told him. “I just want him to point me in the right direction. I don’t want to drag him into this.”
Dave blew out a heavy breath. “So you’re gonna go by yourself. Aydan, that’s nuts. I’ll go with you. Got a layover for the weekend in Calgary anyway.”
“No, Dave, this is the part where it gets really dangerous. You need to get clear.”
“Come on, I want to help.”
“I know, and I appreciate it. But I’ll be fine.”
He continued to argue while we drove. When the unloading was finally complete, he turned to me again in the parking lot at the freight depot. “Look, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.”
“I really just need you to drop me off.”
“Yeah, I’ll take you there, but…”
“Thanks, Dave. Let’s go. I have to be there at eleven.”
He unhitched the trailer and left it in the lot before pulling out to thread the highway tractor nimbly through the light evening traffic, frowning.
In the parking lot at Hotel Village, I spotted Hellhound immediately. He lounged against his Harley Fatboy, the black beast on the back of his leather jacket snarling in the glow of the streetlights.
“Thanks, Dave!” I reached over to squeeze his hand. “I couldn’t have done this without you. Take care.”
I grabbed my backpack and swung out of the cab before he could protest.
Hellhound turned to give me a quizzical look as I approached, and I jumped at the sound of Dave’s voice from behind me.
“This is your friend?”
Tell Me No Spies Page 12