Orbits grinned. His instincts had been dead on.
Further cam checks showed the vehicle a few miles north of Yakima, but no sign of it in the group of cars it had been traveling in after the town.
“Find where they exited,” Orbits said as he climbed into the helicopter. “I must be right on top of them.”
Sutter was already in his seat. “Back to the highway?”
“No. Get me high enough so I can take a look at this damn town.”
Sutter flew them out of the space around the airport and up five hundred feet.
“Hold here,” Orbits said.
Through the binoculars, he scanned the roads leading from the highway, paying particular attention to the gas stations nearest the off-ramps. There were plenty of SUVs but no khaki green Jeep Grand Cherokees. Had they gone farther into the town, or slipped back onto the interstate when Donnie wasn’t watching?
“Take us a quarter mile south,” he ordered.
As the helicopter began to move, Orbits’s phone vibrated. Donnie had better have found something, he thought as he pulled the cell out. Only it wasn’t Donnie.
He pushed ACCEPT. “Hello?”
“Ricky?”
He grinned. “Kitty-kat.”
“Do not call me that,” Ananke said, “or I’ll hang up right now.”
“What’s wrong? You still mad at me? Man, you really had it bad for me, didn’t you?”
“Ricky, I swear to God…” she said, and fell silent.
“Hello?” he asked, wondering if she had followed through on her threat.
“I’m here. So?” she said.
“So…what?”
“Marko said you wanted to talk to me.”
“Maybe I just wanted to say hi?”
“Then why did he tell me it had to do with Seattle?”
“Okay, okay. Guilty. Still, it’s nice to hear your voice. I miss you, kit—”
“Last chance. Tell me what you want or I’m really hanging up and you will never hear from me again.”
Like she could stay away from me forever, he thought. “Relax. I heard a rumor that you were part of that crazy thing that went down in Seattle last night.”
“Is there a question?”
“Were you?”
“I wasn’t anywhere near Seattle last night.”
He laughed. “Like you’d say anything different.”
“If I was there,” she said, “what would it matter?”
“It ties in on a little something I’m working on. If you were there, thought maybe you could help me out a little. You know, for old times’ sake.”
“You know I can’t talk about the details of a job.”
“Sure, sure, but what would it hurt to tell me who you were working with?”
“I work alone.”
“But someone always has to clean up after you.”
“Was that your attempt at being subtle?”
“Jonathan Quinn was on the assignment with you, wasn’t he?”
“Ricky…”
“He was your cleaner.”
“I already told you—I wasn’t there.”
“Of course not. Neither was he, I suppose. He also didn’t leave with a woman he found there, did he?”
The pause on the other end was short but undeniable. “What woman?”
Instead of answering, he said, “I’m curious if you might know where they were headed.”
“Let’s pretend this hypothetical job even happened,” she said. “How would I know who he found and where they would be going? I’m always long gone by the time a cleaner comes on the scene.”
“So you don’t know where they were headed?”
“Sorry, Ricky, I have no idea where Quinn is.”
Now it was Orbits’s turn to pause. He was pretty sure she wasn’t lying this time. She might have been aware of the woman but it was very possible that was the extent of her knowledge. Which meant she was of no use to him.
“Who are you hunting?” Ananke asked. “Quinn or this mythical woman?”
“You know I can’t talk about the details of a job.”
She snorted. “If you’re going after Quinn, you’d better have some backup.”
“That’s funny. Since when have I ever needed backup?”
“No help at all? I don’t know, Ricky.”
“I’ve dealt with worse people than this Quinn without breaking a sweat. He won’t be a problem. Look, baby, I’d love to continue chatting but I’ve got to run. Why don’t we go out for dinner next week and catch up?”
The line went dead.
Orbits smiled and began scanning the streets again, sure he would get that dinner in the near future.
BOULDER, COLORADO
ANANKE SNAPPED THE SIM card in two, feeling like she needed a long, hot shower. After slipping the fourth card of the day into her phone, she called Orlando.
“He’s definitely in a helicopter,” Ananke said. “I could hear the propellers.”
“Working alone?”
“That’s what he told me.”
“Do you believe him?” Orlando asked.
“It would be out of character for him to work otherwise, so yeah, I believe him.”
CHAPTER 19
LOCATION UNKNOWN
FIRST IT HAD been electric shock, and then an injection of God knew what into Helen’s arm that had sent her world spinning.
The Wolf seemed to think Quinn was still following Helen’s directions. Helen had so far held on tight and said nothing to encourage or dispel this belief. The longer she could keep the woman focused on her, the better the chance Quinn would have to disappear.
The Wolf. Helen and most of the intelligence world had thought the woman was out of the game. A broker of mercenaries and shady deals, she had disappeared from the scene several years earlier. The rumor was her business had suffered serious cash-flow problems that had forced her into hiding from those she owed. Apparently she had settled her debt.
“A little stimulant, I think,” The Wolf said, her voice seeming to hover far above.
Within seconds after the needle punctured her arm, Helen felt as if a hand had grabbed her heart and squeezed as hard as it could. She sucked in a deep breath as she arched back in her chair, her body feeling like a pressure cooker ready to blow. If blood had started gushing out her ears or nose, she wouldn’t have been surprised. But then the crest passed, and while adrenaline still rushed through her system, she no longer felt like she was about to be torn apart.
The Wolf smiled and regarded the syringe in her hand. “It’s a rush, isn’t it? An oldie but goodie from your early agency days, I believe.” She set it down on the portable table next to the chair and picked up another. “This one’s newer but I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Fire and Ice?”
Helen tried to keep her face blank. Fire and Ice was not the drug’s official name, but that’s what most in the know called it, and for good reason.
When The Wolf moved the syringe toward her, Helen couldn’t help but flinch.
“Relax,” the woman said. “It won’t kill you.
She stuck the needle into Helen’s arm.
For a few moments, nothing happened. Helen even started to think maybe the woman had been playing her, but then every vein and capillary in her body ignited.
All thought stopped, her brain unable to process anything but the blaze under her skin. Never in her life had she considered dying an option, until now.
Finally, the burn began to recede. She knew from reports she’d read that a subject’s temperature remained unchanged throughout the drug’s interaction. Yet the fire had felt real, as did the cold she sensed coming on now.
“If you’re lucky, you’ll black out before you reach the bottom,” The Wolf said. “But don’t count on it. Now tell me, where are they going?”
Helen kept her lips pressed together.
“Where are they going?”
The cold. Oh, God!
“Where?” The Wolf demanded.
> Helen screamed.
CHAPTER 20
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON
QUINN SAW THE helicopter twice more as they continued south on I-82—the first time when they’d left Yakima, the aircraft hovering over the town, and the second time when they were almost to Richland as it raced by and disappeared to the southeast.
He decided a change of course was in order, and instructed Nate to exit the interstate when they reached Kennewick and take US 12 east to Walla Walla.
Once they were on the country highway, they had no more sightings of the helicopter. By no means did Quinn feel they were out of trouble yet, though. From Ananke, via Orlando, they had learned one of their pursuers was a hunter named Ricky Orbits. Quinn seldom dealt with hunters so he had no personal knowledge of the man, but Ananke had told Orlando that Orbits was more than competent at his job. The information Orlando had pulled together and e-mailed to Quinn seemed to back this up.
Walla Walla came into sight just after six p.m. Though they could still reach Idaho before dark, one look at Nate told Quinn his partner was as tired as he was. They needed rest, not all night but for a few hours at least, or else they were liable to make mistakes.
He checked the Internet and directed Nate to a motel near the airport on the east end of town. There, he arranged for a first-floor room on the backside as far from the office as possible. While Nate moved the car, Quinn walked through the building, listening for other guests. TVs were on in four of the rooms, but the rest, including those surrounding the one they’d be staying in, were quiet.
He went outside through the exit closest to their room, and studied the parking lot as Nate pulled into a nearby spot.
When Nate joined him on the sidewalk, Quinn said, “We’ve got three cameras.” With subtle nods, he pointed out their locations. The cameras were mounted to the building, two at either end and the third above the door Quinn had come through.
They retrieved jammers from the Audi’s trunk and placed them within twenty feet of each camera to scramble their signals.
“Our room’s two doors down on the right,” Quinn said, flipping Nate the room key. “Take the bags in, then come back and give me a hand.”
While Nate took care of the luggage, Quinn opened the car’s rear door and leaned in. “We’re going to stop here for a bit. I could give you another shot but I’d rather not. And I don’t think you want that, either.”
The look in Danielle’s eyes confirmed this.
“Can I trust you to be quiet?”
She nodded.
Quinn checked the lot to make sure no one had appeared, and then helped her into a sitting position. When Nate returned, they cut the ties around her ankles and helped her out. True to her promise, she made no attempt to try anything as they led her inside.
Their room was more than serviceable—two queen-size beds, a counter/desk that covered most of the opposite wall, a TV, and a couple of padded chairs.
They sat her on the bed farthest from the door.
“I’m going to take your gag off, but the same rule applies if you try anything,” Quinn said. “Understand?”
Another nod.
He unwound the first rag and then removed the one lodged between her top and bottom teeth. As soon as this last was gone, she coughed. Nate handed her a bottle of water and she downed almost the whole thing.
“Are you okay?” Quinn asked when she was finished.
“Go to hell.”
“I think she’s all right,” Nate said.
“I need to use the bathroom,” she told them.
Quinn looked at Nate. “Check it.”
His partner disappeared into the bathroom for a moment before coming back out. “No way out.”
“Go ahead,” Quinn said to Danielle. “But leave the door open.”
She raised her cuffed hands and stared at him.
He knew he should leave them on, but he pulled out his knife and cut the ties. He didn’t expect thanks, nor did he get any, as she walked into the bathroom.
“Maybe we should just let her go,” Nate said.
“How long do you think she’ll last out there? We know one hunter’s looking for her, and there’s probably more. With us, she at least has a chance.”
“True,” Nate said slowly. “And I know helping her is the right thing to do, but I feel I should point out that’s not our job.”
“You’re right, and you don’t have to stay,” Quinn said. “I can do this on my own.”
Nate snorted. “Right. Did you hear the part where I said it’s the right thing to do? I was just making sure we were on the same page. I’m not going anywhere.”
__________
THOUGH DANI WAS acting all tough while she walked into the bathroom, what she really felt was exhausted and scared. She had been lying down the whole trip but hadn’t been able to fall back to sleep since the sedative had worn off.
Initially, she’d been fueled by anger toward the one called Quinn for putting a gag in her mouth and then reneging on his promise to remove it, but that had soon turned to fear as she listened to talk of helicopters and hunters.
She heard a hushed voice from the other room. She pressed up against the doorjamb and listened as Nate and Quinn talked. Their words confused her. Sure, they could have been trying to trick her, knowing she would overhear them, but she didn’t really believe that. Despite the fact they had tied her up and gagged her and drugged her—twice—they had not treated her unkindly. If she were honest with herself, she’d have to admit they had been very respectful, even concerned.
You can’t trust anyone, her sister had often said. People will tell you anything to get what they want.
She knew she should heed Marianne’s words, but something Quinn had just said replayed in her mind, too.
“With us, she at least has a chance.”
__________
WHEN DANIELLE EXITED the bathroom, Quinn pointed to the bed by the window.
“You can use that bed. My friend and I are going to take turns sleeping, so try to get some rest and don’t waste your time thinking about making a run for it.”
She mumbled something under her breath as she crossed over to the bed.
“I didn’t catch that,” he said.
She looked back at him. “I said, I won’t run.”
He’d expected her to be angry and uncooperative when she came out of the bathroom, but that wasn’t the case at all.
“Look, Danielle, I know this—”
“Dani,” she said. “Call me Dani.”
“Okay, Dani.” He paused. “I know this hasn’t been easy. I know whatever secret you’re holding you don’t want to share. That’s fine. I get it. But there are other people out there right now trying to find us…trying to find you. If there’s anything you can tell us that might give us an idea of what’s going on here, it would help us know what to do. We’re kind of operating in the dark.”
Her gaze turned to the floor and she seemed momentarily lost in thought. “You should have left me with the other women.”
“That would have made it even easier for these people to find you.”
She shrugged, her eyes still on the carpet.
“Let me ask you something. Have you ever heard of a woman called The Wolf?”
Dani became very still.
“Who is she?” he asked.
She shrugged again.
“Did Mr. Black tell you The Wolf was the one who hired him to grab you?”
She finally looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “He did, but how did you know that?”
“His partner told me.”
“His partner?” she asked. “Mr. Red?”
Quinn gave her a quick description of Platt.
“You talked to him?” she asked.
“I paid him a visit while you were…sleeping.”
“Did you kill him?”
“He was still breathing when I left, but I doubt that lasted very long.”
“Good. He was a son of a bitch
.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“He wanted to, but Mr. Black wouldn’t let him. I could hear him with the others, though. Whatever you did to him, he deserved worse.”
“He told me that Mr. Black was trying to get a location out of you.”
Dani tensed.
“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?”
She stared at him but said nothing.
“How long have you been in hiding?”
For a moment she didn’t move, and then her lips parted. “A long time.”
“Then you know the people looking for you aren’t just going to give up.”
“I know.”
NORTHERN OREGON
THE BOUTS OF indigestion had started around the time they reached Portland, and had only increased in duration as they headed east. Orlando had taken an antacid but that hadn’t done a thing.
She touched her stomach. “How about shifting a few inches to the right?” she said.
The baby was less than cooperative. Orlando hoped that wasn’t an indication of future behavior.
She grabbed a couple more of the chewable antacid tablets and shoved them in her mouth before returning her attention to her computer.
Since she hadn’t received any facial matches for Danielle, she had been concentrating on learning more about what had happened to Helen Cho. If she could identify the kidnappers, they might lead her to who had hired Ricky Orbits or perhaps another group looking for the girl.
It took her about forty-five minutes of hacking into security systems and spot checking cameras in the neighborhood around Helen’s office, but she finally found a feed from two properties down that had captured the kidnapping.
Because of the distance and angle, the image detail wasn’t the greatest, but the footage was sharp enough to show the gist of what had happened. The jackpot came when the getaway car drove right past the camera, giving Orlando an excellent view of not only the vehicle and its license plate, but also of the two men inside.
She grabbed images of each man, uploaded them to the facial recognition interface, and started the searches. Like with Danielle’s picture, there was no telling how long it would be before she received any results.
The Buried Page 12