by R. A. Lamb
Kat went to the car to get money from the pouch while I signed the papers.
Key in hand we drove across the parking lot to our new apartment and quickly unpacked. Kathy looked quizzically at me when I went to the hallway and pulled on the cord extending from the door to the crawl space. It opened and exposed a folding ladder. I climbed up and stuck my head in the attic. Satisfied, I climbed down, folded the ladder and closed the opening.
It was really hot up there so I turned the A/C down and collapsed on the sofa.
“Now we’ve done it, Cowboy. We couldn’t get much closer to the terrorists. Holland would kill us if he knew.”
“He’ll have to get in line;” I joked, “we need to know if Suky is there and I have an idea.”
“Not again,” Kat threw up her hands in disbelief.
That evening after dinner we went to the shopping center across the road and bought groceries at Food Giant, some hand tools at Sears and a laptop, wireless speakers and other electronic stuff at Best Buy.
Back at the apartment I found that the couch was really a sofa bed. Things were working out after all.
The next morning I was up early and sat by the window that looked out at the parking area where the terrorists parked their vehicles. I saw ponytail get on his cycle and leave. The maroon Honda was still parked in front.
Kat walked into the kitchen wearing a pink nightshirt, more like a long tee shirt with a scooped neck. She plugged in the coffee pot. “You’re up early. Want a toasted bagel?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Ponytail left for work.
“The Honda’s still there.” I walked into the kitchen and looked for some peanut butter. “They’re better with peanut butter.”
“Huh?”
“Cinnamon bagels. That’s the way my Mom makes them.”
Kat bent down to pick up a dish towel she’d dropped, “Well I’m not your mother.”
“So I see.”
Kat glanced down. I was hit by a flying dish towel.
I poured our coffee, handed one to Kat and walked back to the window. The maroon Honda was gone.
“The car’s gone. Wonder if they all left.”
There was a knock on our door. Kat looked startled and cautiously looked out the peep hole. “It’s just a teenage boy passing out flyers.” She opened the door a few inches. “It’s from a pizza place in the shopping center.”
I saw him walk by our front window and knock on the terrorist’s door then hang a flyer on their doorknob.
I finished my coffee and went outside. The flyer was there.
They’re gone, I thought.
Kat was taking her bagel out of the toaster when I came inside and closed the door. “Time to check out what we bought. I think their place is empty.”
I tested everything. It worked fine then I pulled down the door and folding ladder to the attic, got a flashlight and climbed up so I could look around. Fortunately there was no firewall separating the units. I cast the light down the long expanse of the roofline.
I ducked my head and said to Kat, “I need the sack of tools, the camera, the transmitter and the roll of duct tape.”
I climbed up and carefully made my way to the A/C vent over the terrorist’s living room stepping from one exposed floor joist to the next. It took me a while but I attached the camera and listening devise to the air vent. It was already hot in the closed space and I was sweating profusely. The handle of the screwdriver was slippery and as I reached for the duct tape to seal the vent it dropped with a clang.
I caught my breath. Sweat poured down my forehead and burned my eyes. I didn’t hear anything below nor did their attic door open.
I just dodged a bullet.
Kat was standing on the ladder trying to see what I was doing. What I was doing was trying to quit shaking and trying not to put a foot through the ceiling.
I climbed down our ladder and stood dripping with perspiration and headed for the shower and a change of clothes. All we had to do now was wait and watch.
The shower felt great. I put on a white knit shirt and tan Bermuda’s.
Kat was next to shower. I booted up the laptop and activated the camera. Except for one corner it gave a good view of the terrorist’s living room. We would see more tops of heads than faces but Kat and I knew what the terrorists looked like. I heard the shower turn off. It seemed like a good time to connect the wireless speakers so I went down the hall to the bedroom to get them.
The bathroom door was ajar. I paused and glanced at the reflection in the mirror. It was steamed but I could see Kat wrapped in a towel. She stepped toward the mirror and peered into it, pulled the towel loose and wiped the steam away. Kat stared at her face, leaned forward and ran her tongue over her teeth. She rubbed the towel over the back of her head and reached for her clothes.
My cheeks felt hot as I picked up the speakers and returned to the living room. They worked fine. Everything was fine.
Kat came in wearing peach shorts and matching blouse. She leaned over to see what I was doing. Her hair was damp and smelled of lavender.
“Pretty good picture Cowboy, I guess all that sweat was worth it.”
“All we need to do now is wait, I said. I’ve been putting off calling Hank. What do you think?”
“I think he’ll be pissed and you’re in for a tongue lashing but you may as well get it over with.”
Kat handed me the cell phone.
“Is that you, Todd?”
“Hello Hank.”
“What are you up to now?”
“Trying to help you find Suky.”
“You’re putting your life and Kathy’s in jeopardy. Is she still with you?”
“I’m here Mr. Holland we have you on speaker.
“If Alkobar sees you he will kill you on sight. You are interfering with his plans. Do you understand?”
“What we understand is that if Suky is successful he will put many lives in danger. We’ve found Hendricks and think he may lead us to Alkobar. We’re close Hank; closer than we have ever been, in more ways than one. We promise to stay in touch.”
“I don’t suppose it would do any good for me to ask you to let us take care of this.”
“Kat and I have discussed it. So no, not right now.” I touched the end button.
The wait was hell. We tried reading, watching TV, every so often I would hit the spacebar on the laptop and the screen would come to life showing us an empty room. About six o’clock ponytail arrived. He walked across the living room and off screen. We could hear some shuffling and the refrigerator door open and close. He came back on screen holding a can of beer and sank into a chair. Ponytail flipped on the TV and I heard the ding of his microwave. Ponytail ate and watched the news. Kat and I heated our own microwave dinners and watched Ponytail on the laptop.
Near ten o’clock Kat changed into her pink nightshirt. I slipped on a baggy tee shirt with the words Virginia Beach scrolled across the front and a pair of loose blue and white swim trunks. Great for sleeping. Might as well be comfortable while we wait, I told myself.
Kat came in and sat close to me on the sofa. I hit the space bar and the terrorist’s living room came into view. Ponytail was slumped in his chair. We could hear him snore.
“Guess he’s out for a while,” I said leaning back and putting my arm on the back of the couch.”
Kat leaned against me and whispered in my ear, “Did you like what you saw this morning?”
I slowly turned my head, her nose grazed my cheek and our lips met softly at first then more intensely. I turned toward her and put my hand on her shoulder and slid it down her back.
Kat leaned toward me placing her hand on my leg just above my knee.
I stroked Kat’s back and lightly slid my fingers along her side cupping her breast through her nightshirt, gently rolling the tip between my thumb and forefinger.
Kat moaned into my mouth and pushed her tongue between my lips. I felt the smooth touch of her hand slide along my thigh under
the loose leg of my trunks. Slowly they inched up until she exposed me to the soft light of the lamp on the side table. Kat moved down dragging her silky brown hair across my leg. Then the warm wetness of --
Crackling static suddenly burst from the speaker beside us. The sound of a door opening and a loud voice, “Hendricks where the hell have you been?”
Chapter 16
I sat bolt upright and hit the space bar, our moment shattered. Kathy and I could see the terrorists on the laptop screen.
“And who’s that with you?”
“This is Housad al Emuri, he’ll be staying here awhile, Jamie Hendricks pointed at Emuri and put a small suitcase on the coffee table. “Alkobar brought him in from Newark to funnel money to us from other cells for operations.”
“I thought we had all the money we needed for the July gig.”
“We have more than enough but you need to think bigger, Freddie. Alkobar talked about some of the plans he has for New York, Chicago and Houston. The Fourth of July in DC is only the beginning.”
“Bloody hell, mate. Good on you.”
Housad al Emuri didn’t say anything. He shook hands with Ponytail and took a seat on the couch. Emuri had straight black hair, dark eyes and a large sharp nose. He was shorter than Hendricks and had a light complexion, more East Indian. Housad al Emuri was probably Ponytail’s age but much thinner, almost skinny.
Kat and I were totally focused on the screen and what was happening on the other side of their wall. Hendricks went to the kitchen. We heard the refrigerator door open and close. He returned with three beers and handed one to Ponytail, another to Emuri. Ponytail popped the top and took a big swig. Emuri opened his and remained expressionless. Jamie Hendricks offered a toast, “Here’s to good luck for us and bad luck to the U.S.”
I raised my fist at the screen and muttered, “You bastard, I’ll…”
Kat put her hand on my arm, “I know, Todd, it won’t be much longer.”
I tried to control myself, but it took everything I had.
Hendricks looked down at Ponytail, “He wants to meet you tomorrow about noon to discuss a change of plan.”
“The bloke has lost it. I can’t just walk off the job anytime his highness wants. Chanley will want to know where I’m off to.”
“Find a reason. Tell him you have a doctor’s appointment, your aunt’s sick, just be there.” Hendricks and Ponytail bantered back and forth another few minutes. When Hendricks finished his beer he motioned, “I’m turning in. You can grab a bunk in the back when you’re ready, Housad.”
Kathy and I watched Jamie Hendricks walk toward the hallway and off our screen. Housad al Emuri quietly got up and without uttering a word carried his beer can to the kitchen and out of view.
“What are we going to do? We can’t follow all of them,” Kat whispered.
“We’ll watch the apartment as long as we can and follow Hendricks if he leaves first. We can pick up Ponytail at the fireworks plant before noon if we lose Jamie.”
“What about this third man? What do you make of what Hendricks said?”
“I don’t know yet. But I don’t like what we heard about other cities.”
“Do you think we should call Hank?”
“Yeah, we need to but I want to wait until we know more. One of them could lead us to Alkobar and he’s the one we want.”
We watched as Ponytail glanced toward the bedroom then undid the clasps on the case on the coffee table. It was filled with yellow plastic tubes, at least that’s what they looked like, each about eighteen inches long and about as big around as the handle of a baseball bat. He picked one up, examined it, put it back and closed the case.
Ponytail went to the kitchen, returned with another beer and watched a movie on TV until he fell asleep.
I looked at Kat, hoping for a signal, wanting to continue where we left off. It was an awkward moment until I finally said, “We’d better get some sleep too. It could be a long day tomorrow.”
Kat pressed her lips firmly together, nodded slightly and slowly walked to her bedroom as I curled up on the couch.
A voice from the speaker woke me.
“Were you out here all night?”
“Bloody hell Hendricks, you don’t have to shout.” Ponytail dragged himself into the other room while Hendricks made coffee. Ponytail returned a few minutes later, in a change of clothes and headed for the front door. “By the by, what’s in the case?”
“My part of the puzzle,” Hendricks growled. “You’ll get yours at noon.”
Ponytail sneered and closed the door behind him. I heard the motorcycle start and roar off.
Kat entered wearing blue plaid Bermuda’s, a pale blue knit shirt and sneakers. God she looked great. Kat smiled and started puttering around in the kitchen. I headed to the bathroom to shave and dress.
Hendricks did not seem in a hurry. A few minutes later Emuri appeared dressed in a dark suit and tie.
“Coffee, Housad?”
“Tea, Mr. Hendricks, and perhaps a biscuit.”
I looked at Kat, “Well he does speak.”
Hendricks turned, “No biscuits, we have toast or crackers.”
“Crackers will do nicely”
Kat raised her eyebrows, “Well at least he didn’t ask for crumpets.”
“What’s a crumpet?”
Kat shrugged, “Just like a cowboy.”
Kat and I had breakfast and watched Hendricks read the newspaper and drink coffee while Emuri booted up a laptop. Hendricks cell rang.
“Yes.”
Hendricks listened.
“He went to work and will meet you at noon.”
Silence.
“No, I don’t like him, but I’m confident he’ll do his part.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for your call.”
“Damn it, Kat, he’s not going to meet Alkobar. Ponytail is going to meet him by himself. We’ve got to get to the Black Dragon plant before he leaves.”
We hurried to the car and sped toward the fireworks company. My heart was racing. What if we miss him? A voice kept saying it over and over in my head.
We slowed as we approached the parking area. The motorcycle was nowhere in sight.
I slapped the steering wheel hard with both hands. Kat sat frozen in her seat. “Damn it,” was all I could think of to say.
“It’s not your fault Todd. Let’s go back and…” her voice trailed off. She knew how upset I was.
The drive back seemed to take forever. I pulled in and parked.
“Todd, the maroon car. It’s gone.”
Kathy and I entered our apartment. Neither of us felt like talking. We were back to square one.
I hit the spacebar, the computer monitor came to life. I pointed at the screen, “Maybe there’s still hope.”
Housad al Emuri was closing the laptop and reached for the phone, “Yellow Star Taxi?”
He listened.
“I need a pickup at…” And he gave them the address of the apartment.
“About how long?”
He paused.
“Fine, I’ll be waiting outside.”
“Kat, maybe he’s meeting Alkobar. Let’s follow him.”
“I don’t know, Todd, let’s call--.”
“It’s okay, you stay here and I’ll follow him. This may be the break we’ve been waiting for.”
“If you go we’ll go together, ah, I’ll drive.”
We got our car and drove to the shopping center parking lot across the street from the apartment and pulled in a space so we could watch it. We waited ten minutes and I was getting nervous. Kat and I listened to our car idle and watched Emuri wait for his ride. A taxi with yellow stars on the door panels pulled in the apartment’s lot and Emuri got in carrying his laptop.
Kat put the car in gear. “Here we go.”
“I’m pumped, Kat, don’t lose them.”
We followed cab 541 at a safe distance. If worse came to worse and we lost Emuri; Hank could check the cab company’s log and find o
ut where Emuri was dropped. Fortunately traffic wasn’t heavy, just enough cars on the road to give us cover. Kat did a great job.
We headed toward the north side of downtown DC, went northwest on Connecticut Avenue, toward DuPont Circle and the cab pulled over at the intersection of Connecticut and Eighteenth. Housad al Emuri got out and headed toward one of the buildings. The marquee flashed in red and white neon, T & A Gentlemen’s Club.
“Holy crap, Kat, we’re getting close.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“The tee shirt.”
Kat looked at me like I had lost my mind.
“The tee shirt that Alkobar was wearing when I saw him in custody had Club T & A on the front. This has to be a meeting place.” My heart was pumping double time.
Kat slowed and pulled over a few buildings from the club entrance. I reached for the door handle, “Give me five minutes. If I’m not out call Hank.”
“No you don’t mister, if you go in we go in together.”
“Kat, it would look strange. I guarantee there are no women in there other than--.”
“Todd, I guarantee there are no gentlemen in that gentleman’s club either.”
Emuri was already inside. I got out and headed for the entrance. I shouted as I closed the door, “Five minutes, Kat, five minutes.” And I was inside. The foyer was dark except for a light on a podium beside drawn velvet curtains. The hostess, standing in five inch heels and little else was collecting the cover charge. I hesitated, paid and pushed my way through the curtains and into the room.
It was fairly large with booths along three walls. Their dark color seemed to suck up what little light there was. Between the booths and the raised stage in the center were round tables with dark colored tablecloths. Several of the tables were occupied and the odor of tobacco and spilled beer was heavy.
On stage, a dancer was performing under a kaleidoscope of moving colored spotlights to a loud beat of unidentifiable instruments and doing things on a brass pole that I couldn’t believe a dancer could do.
I stood in front of an empty booth and scanned the tables for Emuri. No luck so I slowly moved trying not to attract attention and examined the booths. Some were occupied but not by the person I was looking for. The music stopped and the MC announced the next dancer. She stepped onstage and I headed toward the MC. He was standing beside an entrance which read