Frank glared at his friend. “She stays glued to me. I am not letting her stand out in the open like a human practice target.”
“Really, I think Ian will be more approachable if I’m by myself,” Sydney started to protest, only to have that dark-eyed glare focused on her. She took a step back.
“No. It’s not negotiable, Syd,” Castello took a step closer, then another, cornering her against the computer desk.
Wow. Talk about intimidation. The man was serious. Either she agreed to his terms, or he’d probably lock her in the upstairs room with armed guards outside the door.
She pressed her hand against his chest to halt him. “Okay. I’ll stay by you.”
“And you’ll do exactly as I tell you.”
She fought the urge to make a face. “I’ll do exactly as you tell me.”
He studied her a moment. “I don’t like it, but I guess you’re going with us in the morning.”
* * * * *
“You’re going to have one more chance, Wolfgang,” the old man said on the other end of the phone.
His mentor had forgiven him. He only used his given name when he was pleased or benevolent. Relief surged through Geist. Now, he could make good on his contract, his reputation and record would remain intact. “I will not fail you this time.”
“I know you won’t dare let me down…a second time.”
The slight hesitation was like a slap to his face. He had let his mentor down. He’d been less than perfect. Rage at the woman filled his soul. He wouldn’t just kill her. No, he planned to destroy her.
“The meeting will be tomorrow at the zoo. The polar bear exhibit. Ten a.m. The target must be neutralized.”
Those were his orders. Along with them hummed the underlying threat. Miss this time, and his life would be in jeopardy.
“It will be done.”
“Do not disappoint me.”
* * * * *
“I’m worried about the meeting tomorrow. Me carrying a backpack into the zoo is going to be conspicuous.”
Dimitri resisted the urge to crush the phone. “You’ll be in casual clothes, Congressman, not a power suit. You’ll blend in with all the other tourists.”
“What about my security detail?”
That was a problem. The last thing he needed was a paid government lackey getting in the way of his plans.
“Not to worry. They won’t be needed.”
“How do I explain that to them? They travel with me everywhere.”
Dimitri picked up the jewel-handled dagger handed down from his grandfather to his father to him—a memento of the day the Tzar was dethroned and his grandfather’s participation in the event—and hurled it toward the door of his office, imagining it was Blanton standing there. It landed with a thud, the point imbedded in the oak wood, head high.
“You will be traveling with me in the morning on my private jet. Tell them a private security firm will be handling the details. You might even give them a bonus so that they can enjoy the extra day off.”
Silence on the other end of the line. Blanton was probably pacing. The man had a nervous habit of doing that when agitated.
Dimitri closed his eyes and waited. As a boy he’d learned to hunt with his father in the cold Soviet winters. To get the rabbit to come out of his hole, you must be patient. You must make him think it’s his idea to become part of your stew. That advice had led him from the inner workings of the KGB, through the ranks of the syndicates that flooded Russia after the collapse, and into the corporate world of the capitalist West.
“Okay. Yes. I can make that plan work.”
Dimitri smiled and reached for the vodka in the crystal tumbler on his desk. “Good. I will send my car for you at five. We will fly out from my private airfield.”
“You’re coming, too?”
A nervous question. The congressman should be nervous.
“Yes. I wish to see this through to the end.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Frank slipped from the bedroom the next morning before dawn again. He’d spent the night making love to Sydney, as much to relieve her anxiety about today as to ease the need that clawed at his insides.
The aroma of coffee hit his nose like a siren calling from the sea.
Jake stood at the counter, staring out into the grey light of the morning, a mug in his hand.
“You make the coffee?” Frank asked, grabbing a mug from the cupboard and pouring some of the liquid caffeine into it, ignoring the sugar and cream on the counter.
Jake shook his head. “Nope. Doyle’s an early riser. He’s got the pot timed to go off at four.”
“He in his command center already?”
Again, Jake shook his head as he took a drink of his coffee. “No. He’s already meeting with someone in security up at the zoo. Said he’d see us. Reminded me to lock up when we head out. Dave’s gone, too.”
“Chambers?”
Jake nodded.
Before breaking up for the night, they’d decided to bring the detective into the plans and catch him up on what they’d learned. They hoped Chambers, under pressure to find Detective Abrams’ killer, would want to bring some plain-clothes people in to prevent any of the players from escaping. Frank and the Edgars wanted to keep the upper levels of command out of the loop for now. The fewer people with titles involved, the less likely their plans would get leaked. Who knew how deep Kormensky’s tentacles reached?
Dave volunteered to make the gesture, saying it would be more like one cop asking another for a favor.
“Think Chambers will help?” Jake asked.
Frank nodded. “Wants to find his fellow officer’s murderer. Pissed that he’d been sidelined. I think he’ll be on board.”
They stared out into the backyard, the sky turning a lighter grey.
“How’s Sydney?” Jake asked finally.
Remembering how he’d worked her to several orgasms during the night, Frank lifted the corner of his mouth. “Exhausted.”
Jake returned the half-smile. “Good. The longer she sleeps, the less time she’ll have to worry.”
“That was my theory, too.”
“Have you considered what you’re going to do after this?”
“Take a shower,” he said, being vague on purpose.
Jake chuckled. “I meant about your career with the Marshals.”
“Hadn’t thought about it.” Which was true. He’d always been a cross-that-bridge-when-you-come-to-it kind of man. When he made a decision, he didn’t waste time worrying about it or playing the what-if game. Sydney’s life versus his career had been a no-brainer.
“I’ve been offered a promotion,” Jake said.
“Congratulations,” he answered, not really sure if Jake was bragging or rubbing the fact that his career was going so smoothly into his face.
“I’m not going to take it.”
Frank lifted an eyebrow at him.
“It would mean moving to D.C. and sitting in an office all day long,” Jake continued.
“I can see how you’d hate that.” He knew Jake was more of a field-operative guy, just like him.
“In fact, Sami and I have been talking about me leaving the bureau completely.”
Okay. That came out of left field.
“What are you going to do?”
Jake refilled his coffee mug. “After the attack on the inaugural ball last winter, it hit me that there are all kinds of needs for private security and undercover operations that the government’s hands are too tied to handle. A group of private citizens could do more to help in crisis situations or personal security details or information gathering outside legal means, when politics or diplomatic issues block the government from acting swiftly.”
“Sounds interesting,” Frank said, seeing the possibilities.
“We could use someone with your experience and skills.”
“I’ll consider it.”
A loud yawn sounded from the doorway. They turned to find Matt stretching up to hold
onto the doorframe. “Did the Fed tell you his big news?”
“Just now.”
“Gonna join us?”
“Us?” Frank quirked an eyebrow in Jake’s direction.
He shrugged. “Had to ask him. He’s family. Besides, his wife is an explosives expert.”
Matt laughed, coming to search the cupboard for a mug. “You know you need someone smart, sexy, and good with a gun.”
“Again your wife,” Frank said.
“True.” The middle Edgars brother flashed them both a smile. “But to get her, you have to take me. We’re a matched set. So you coming on board, Deputy?”
Frank’s thoughts went to the woman upstairs cuddled around his pillow, her hair a tangled mess like a fisherman’s net, one bare foot dangling out of the warm covers. She’d barreled into his world like a whirlwind and slapped him out of his comfort zone into another dimension. Perhaps it was time to change some other parts of his life.
“Let’s get through today and we’ll talk.”
First, they had to survive the morning.
* * * * *
“A donut shop?” Chambers asked, as he slid onto the red-vinyl-covered barstool next to Dave. “Could you get anymore clichéd, Edgars?”
“Buckeye Donuts are not a cliché, they’re a masterpiece,” Dave said, digging into the chocolate covered one with the peanut butter filling meant to resemble the state nut. He’d grown up coming to eat these donuts with his dad and nearly overdosed on them when in college. “Besides, my wife has outlawed any morning carbs. Gotta get my fill when I can.”
Chambers ordered a breakfast sandwich and coffee, then shifted in his seat so their conversation wouldn’t be overheard by the college students filing in and out. “So, what got me up this early?”
“We have information on who killed Abrams.” Dave angled his body towards the other man slightly. “Thought you might want in on taking him down.”
“Damn straight.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll have to bring my boss in on this.”
Dave shook his head. “We want to keep this as low-level as possible.”
“O-kay,” Chambers said slowly, pocketing his phone once more. His food and coffee arrived. He waited until the server had moved away before asking his next question. “What’s going on?”
Dave filled him in on all they’d learned about Geist, who they believed killed Detective Abrams, the hit ordered by Kormensky, the murder of Annabeth Kelly, and Congressman Blanton’s blackmail.
“What do you need from me, then?” Chambers asked, when he finished.
“We need some fellow officers, male and female, willing to go undercover. Time is of the essence. The takedown is at ten this morning.”
Chambers didn’t even blink. Pulling out his phone he hit a number and waited. “Jenkins, get Howard, Turk, Leslie, Chavez, and the Sheik. No uniforms. Meet me in…” he paused to look at Dave.
He held up his fingers.
“In two hours at…”
Dave gave him Doyle’s address, which he repeated into the phone.
“Come armed. We’re going hunting.”
* * * * *
Sydney finished pulling her sweater on and reached for her well-worn, faded jeans to find Castello standing in the doorway. Never taking her eyes off him, she stepped into them and pulled the butter-soft material up her legs and bottom, then fastened them in front.
He didn’t blink, didn’t smile. She’d swear he was a cold statue if it weren’t for the fire in those dark eyes of his, and then the swallow he took when she finished. Finally, she reached up and pulled her freshly brushed hair into a ponytail. That’s when he moved.
Slowly, he walked across the bedroom, stopping less than an arm’s length from her. “I need you to do something.”
Inhaling, she straightened to her full height, which brought her equal to just above his shoulders. “We’ve already talked about this. I’m not staying behind.”
“I know. I made you a promise last night. I never go back on my word.”
She studied his face. Over the past few days she’d gotten quite good at reading beneath the stillness to see the nuances. He was asking her to trust him, and she did.
“Then what do you need me to do?”
He held up one of the burner phones they’d bought two days before. “Let’s try calling your brother again.”
“Why? It’s not like he’s going to answer.”
“He may not, but I doubt he’s gone completely off the grid. I’m betting he thinks he’s safe, since the hit man is going after you. If he’s working with someone, he’s going to need some sort of communication. If not, he might be connecting to his email through the phone to contact the congressman. Either way, he’ll have it turned back on.”
She took the phone with some dread. “After all I’ve learned about him the past few days, I’m not sure I want to talk to him, or even what to say.”
Frank took her elbow and steered them both to sit on the bed. “If he answers, warn him again that someone has not only torched and blown up your house, but has tried to kill you.”
“He won’t care.” God, she sounded like a pitiful thing when what she wanted was to be impenetrable and strong.
“I know, but you at least have to warn him. You’re doing it for you, not him. Don’t mention the blackmail photos or emails. We don’t want to tip our hand about how much we know. Just tell him you found some extra film, see what he says.”
“Why are we doing this?” she asked, suddenly thinking there was more he wasn’t telling her.
Resignation settled on his features. “Luke’s got a tracer on this phone number. If your brother answers, he’ll triangulate the connection and take over the GPS. We just need you to keep him on the line a few minutes.”
“He can do that?”
“Legally, no. But the boy genius has been known to cross over the lines when it’s important. Once we have the GPS, we’ll be able to track your brother’s movements inside the park.”
“If he doesn’t turn off the phone as soon as he talks to me.”
The corner of Frank’s lip lifted.
“Oh, my God. You can turn it back on.”
He nodded.
“You know, I think I liked it better when I didn’t know just how invasive people with the skills like Luke and Abby can be into people’s private lives.”
“Sweetheart, your brother lost the right to his privacy the moment he put your life in danger.”
Frank’s face lost all its humor. Back was the stone-cold warrior.
Sydney felt very sorry for her brother as she typed in his number.
* * * * *
The buzzing of his phone vibrated in his pocket. Ian reached for it automatically, didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it anyway.
“You ready, Marv?” he said.
“It’s not Marv.”
Fuck. Sydney. The last thing he wanted to do right now was get nagged by Miss Perfect.
“Hey, Sydney. Thought you were someone else. Didn’t recognize the number.”
“I had to get a new one after a car tried to run me down on Sunday.”
“No shit. You okay?”
There was a little hesitation. “Physically, yes. Scared.”
“I bet. Did they get the guy?” Damn, he hoped so. If they didn’t and they ended up killing her then they’d know someone else was running the blackmail on the congressman. That would put the killer on his tail and he couldn’t have that.
“No, they haven’t. I have to ask you something.”
He pulled the house trailer’s door closed behind him with the key inside. He wouldn’t be returning. “What?” he asked, as he headed to his rental car.
“Did you leave a tub of film in my camera case before I left town?”
Dammit. He’d hoped she wouldn’t find it. It was his added insurance.
“Yeah, I meant to ask you to hold on to it for me, but you were in such a hurry to get out of town, I just forgot.” He hesitate
d. “You, um, didn’t develop it, did you?”
Another hesitation on her end. “No, should I?”
Relief flooded him. The last thing he wanted his Goody Two-Shoes sister doing was developing those murder photos and taking them to the police. “No, that’s okay,” he hurried to reassure her. “I’ll get the film from you later.”
“Today?”
He climbed into the car and closed the door, checking the time. He needed to get off the phone with his sister and pick up Marv, the vet who was going to be his mule to pick up the money at the exchange. “No, sis. I’ll send for the film. I’m getting ready to leave town today.”
“Ian, is the person trying to hurt me actually looking for you? Does this have to do with gambling debts?”
An inkling of guilt wormed its way into his conscience.
“Look, I have to go. I’m sorry someone’s confused us, but after today, no one should be after you.”
“Eee, what are you planning?”
He needed to leave now if he wanted to get to the drop point at the zoo on time. “Gotta go.”
Not waiting for a reply he ended the call, tossing the phone into the trailer park’s Dumpster on his way out.
Time to make his future bright.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The airplane landed at the airport on the east side of Columbus. Instead of taxiing to the terminal, Dimitri had arranged for a private car to meet them on the tarmac.
“Are we going straight to the zoo?” Congressman Blanton asked, as they pulled out onto the access road of the airport.
Dimitri made a show of checking the time on his Rolex Submariner watch. Always show power, even in simple things. Another motto from his father. “We have two hours until the exchange time. I thought perhaps you would like to relax in private before you leave for the meeting. I’ve secured us a hotel suite not too far away.”
“You’re not going with me?” Blanton’s eyes widened with fear, and his skin paled slightly.
“I will be close by, but as you said earlier, we wouldn’t want to be too conspicuous, two men arriving at the zoo early on a work day. I’ll arrive first. You should get there about five minutes before the scheduled time.”
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