Chapter Eighteen

“It’s a good thing we followed our original plan. Security tomorrow will be tighter than a noose around everyone’s neck.”

“Please. Could you use a different analogy?”

“Sorry.”

“The money is in our account?”

“One hundred million. Wired into the account I gave him. Then it gets transferred automatically six times, and I’ve already set that up. No one could follow its trail. We’ll get the other half when we deliver Oscar.”

“You’d better be right. This is the big payoff for us. Then it’s adios to all this bullshit and on with our new lives.”

“You’d just better hope these guys from Phoenix haven’t got something up their sleeves besides their arms.”

“Quit worrying. So far they haven’t been able to find their ass with both hands.”

“Well, let’s just get through tomorrow’s fiasco and play our parts, and Saturday we’re out of here.”

“Okay. Meanwhile I’ve got a call from our Nervous Nellie who’s predicting doom for the company. Let me call him back and get him quieted down until after tomorrow. After that I don’t care what he says to whom. It’ll all be over.”

* * * * *

“I know what you did and how you did it. And I want my share.”

Whoa! This wasn’t exactly the expected conversation.

“I don’t know what you think you know, but whatever it is, you’re very much mistaken. Nothing’s happened.”

“Don’t bullshit me. I know exactly what you did.” And the voice proceeded to tell him in detail. “So whatever you’re getting for it, I want my share.”

Shit!

“Listen, why don’t we get together and talk about this. You’ve come up with some off-the-wall story, and we don’t need this floating around right this minute.”

“If you’re coming to talk about money, come on over. Otherwise, stay the hell away. I’ve got other fish to fry.”

Double shit!”

“I think we need to discuss this in person. Give me half an hour, and I’ll be there.”

The call was disconnected and more numbers punched in the disposable cell phone.

“We’ve got a problem.” The explanation was terse and to the point. “I need you and your trusty .22. Can you get away?”

“Now? Are you kidding me?”

The heavy sigh carried over the connection. “We have to shut him up.”

“Then you’ll have to do it. And figure out a way to keep everyone off the trail until tomorrow night.”

“You don’t want much, do you?”

“Just for you to take charge for a change and get it done, nice and neat.”

“We’re piling up the bodies, you know. Every one of them brings up more questions.”

“Not to worry. We’ll be long gone before this one causes a problem.”

“You hope.” Another sigh. “Fine. Is it at all possible you can bundle up the .22 and leave it at the front desk? Without raising a lot of questions? I’d like to stick to the same gun. We can ditch it when we’re out in the Gulf on Saturday.”

“I can do that. In fact, I hear the shower running, so this is a good time for me to run downstairs. You can pick up the package from the security guard. Don’t worry, I’ll camouflage it.”

“I’m on my way. I just hope nothing else jumps up to bite us in the ass.”

* * * * *

John Grant pulled his motorcycle into the parking lot of Forest Bank in Millsap, Colorado, set the kickstand, and sauntered in as casually as he could. He’d used the bank many times for wire transfer, having set himself up us a businessman who came to the area to relax.

“It’s just a lot easier than having to drive to the city,” he told the bank president, who was only too glad to have such an important customer.

Grant smiled icily to himself as he thought of the royal treatment always accorded him. He especially liked the fact that nobody asked him any questions. They simply accepted his explanation that he was the head of a multinational business. Well, if you listed all the jobs in all the different countries that he’d done for the blonde witch, the description wasn’t so far from wrong.

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Grant,” the teller smiled. “Back up here to relax for a few days?”

“Whenever I can, Nita. This place is good for my nerves.”

“Well, we’re always glad to see you. What can we do for you today?”

Did she seem a little nervous, or was that just his imagination? Jesus, he needed to do something about the bad case of nerves that suddenly was overtaking him. Missing that girl had been part of the problem.

“I need to transfer a deposit out of my account to these two banks.” He slid a sheet of paper across the counter to her. “Same process as before.”

“Certainly. It’ll just take a minute.”

She moved away to the computer used for wire transfers. As she did two men who’d been completing deposit slips moved in behind him.

“If you’re smart, you won’t make a fuss,” one of them said. “Just back up slowly and move out the door with us.”

They had a tight grip on his arms and tugged him away from the counter.

“What the hell is this?” he asked, belligerent. “Who are you?”

One man pulled out a small leather badge wallet. “Department of Homeland Security. Trust me, I think it won’t make much difference what condition we deliver you in.”

Grant’s first inclination was to fight. Cut and run. But he looked at the men on either side of him, at the grim expression on their faces, and nausea rolled up from the pit of his stomach. So this was it, then.

But how the hell had they found him?

* * * * *

Mia was sleeping when Dan entered the room.

Faith grinned at him. “She’s been waking up off and on, but she just fell asleep again a few minutes ago.” She frowned. “She seems a little agitated again. I wonder if they need to change her medication.”

“How’s she been during the day?”

“More alert now whenever she wakes up. She’s had some liquid nourishment. Soup and juice. And she kept it down.”

“That’s good. Very good.” Dan had seen his share of extreme injuries during his stretch with the marines, people who had recovered in worse situations than Mia’s. The difference here was his heart was involved, so it was hard to be detached and logical.

“This woman has guts, that’s for sure,” Faith told him. “If I were in her condition I’d be sobbing like a baby and begging for more drugs every minute.”

Dan was already at his usual place beside the bed. Mia had her eyes closed, but her legs were moving restlessly and little moans whispered from her dry lips. Dan brushed his knuckles lightly against her cheek, trying to soother her. But when he bent down to kiss her mouth, her hand reached up and grabbed his shirt, clutching it in a death grip.

“Don’t go.” Her voice sounded dry and raw. “Please. Don’t go. Gun. Gun.” Her voices was rising and her legs moving faster, as if she was trying to run away from something. “Dan,” she cried. “Gun!”

Heart thudding, not sure whether he was doing the right thing, Dan put his hands on either side of Mia’s face and kissed her hard. “Wake up, sweetheart. It’s all right. I’m here.”

He was afraid to shake her because of her injuries and all the equipment she was hooked into. He looked over at Faith, who had moved to the other side of the bed, a worried frown creasing her forehead.

“She must be having a vision,” he said. “I don’t know what the protocol is for waking someone in this condition. I don’t want to do any damage.”

“Try kissing her again,” Faith told him and took the fingers of Mia’s other hand, the one on her injured side. “Mia.” Her voice was soft. “Mia, honey, it’s Faith. Come awake now. You’re safe, and so is Dan. He’s right here next to you.”

Dan still had his hand closed over the fist holding onto him. He kissed Mia again, this time a little more firmly. “Mia, sweetheart. I’m here. Open your eyes, and you can see I’m all right.”

After a long, interminable moment Mia’s eyelids began to flutter, then her eyes opened as if the lids had heavy weights on him. Gradually her eyes began to focus.

“Dan?” She tried to sit up, then bit her lips as the sharp wave of pain hit her.

“When did they adjust her meds last?” Dan asked Faith.

“Almost four hours ago. My guess is the onset of the pain triggered her subconscious and brought on the vision. She associates the gun with the pain.”

“We’ll see. Can you get the nurse?”

Faith picked up the call button and pressed it.

“D-Dan?”

His eyes fastened on her face, now pale again, light beads of perspiration on her forehead.

“It’s me. The one and only. Take it easy, honey. Were you having a vision?”

“She blew out a breath, trying to ease the pain. “Yes.” She gripped his hand tighter. “Yes, I was. And it had to do with you. Dan, you have to be careful.”

He eased her back onto the pillows just as the nurse came in to adjust the drip.

“I’ll go to sleep again,” she protested. “Don’t let me go to sleep until I tell you.”

“It’s okay. I’m right here. Go ahead.”

She swallowed, wincing at the abrasion of her raw throat. “Gun. Tonight. Someone will try to kill you. Tonight or tomorrow.”

“It’s all right. We know everything, Mia. And we’re taking extra precautions. Let me give you the nickel description.”

He stroked her hair as he told her everything they had dug up, about Oscar, about the people involved. And how they planned to handle things in the morning.

“I’ll have enough people watching my back that no one will be able to get near me. And tonight,” he said, kissing her cheek, “I plan to spend here with you. Those two husky guys outside your door won’t let anyone in here who shouldn‘t be here. Okay?”

She relaxed slowly. “All right. But I saw it, plain as day. A gun pointed at your back.” She tried to sit up again. “And Dan? It was the same gloved hand I saw with the knife.”

Dan’s stomach knotted. So the killing wasn’t finished. He’d have to tell Mark and Rick in the morning to tighten up all security. And have Mike fly air cover over the demonstration site and at the Carpenter building.

“I’ll take care of everything, beautiful. And when it’s over I’ll be back up here in one piece.” He kissed her fingertips. “Meanwhile I’ll be sitting right here all night with you. That recliner chair looks pretty comfortable, don’t you think?”

“In that case, I think I’ll go home and reacquaint myself with my husband,” Faith joked. “But I’ll be back first thing in the morning.” She put her hand on Dan’s arm. “Try to get some sleep, okay? You’ve got a tense day tomorrow.”

“I learned years ago how to be alert without sleep,” he grinned. “But yes, I will catch a few winks.”

He pulled the recliner closer to the bed took Mia’s hand in his again and leaned back in the soft leather. He’d be damned glad when this was all over.

* * * * *

At five thirty in the morning the tiny alarm on Dan’s watch roused him. He looked over to see Mia awake and watching him.

“I ate soup yesterday,” she croaked and rolled her eyes. “Yum. Not.”

“Before long I’ll be feeding you pasta primavera and a wonderful wine. That’s a promise.”

“Dan?” She gripped his fingers. “Please be careful today. That vision was very clear. I couldn’t see faces, but I recognized the arm and hand.” She nibbled at her bottom lip. “I think it’s a woman.”

He nodded. “I think Joy Rivers is our prime candidate. Remember what I told you last night we’d learned about her?”

Mia’s eyes widened. “But that means she killed Stan and cut off . . . cut out . . .”

“I know. She’s got nerves of steel and no heart at all. But we’ll get her. Okay?”

She nodded. “Come right back . . . afterward.”

“You bet. Faith will be here shortly, and I’ve got to get ready. Do your best to rest, okay?” He gave her one long last kiss, then disappeared into her bathroom where he’d stashed his stuff the night before.

He couldn’t believe it when Faith showed up at six.

“Mark’s making so much noise at our house I couldn’t sleep anyway,” she told him. “And the chopper’s due soon. Besides, I’ve got a galloping case of the nerves today. So I got dressed and came here.”

Dan hugged her. “You know I’ll never be able to repay you for any of this.”

“Just get going and get this done. And don’t you dare get hurt. You or anyone else.”

“That’s a promise.”

Then he was gone, jogging down the corridor to the elevator.

* * * * *

Mark waited until the chopper took off with Dan and his package before getting into his SUV and heading for Carpenter Techtronics. The guests were due to arrive at eight o’clock, with the demonstration at nine. That gave Chase enough time to introduce the key players and explain what was going to happen.

“Ladd’s not here,” was the first thing Chase greeted him with. “He was supposed to be here at seven to go over any last legal details with us.”

“Did you call his house?” Mark asked.

“Of course, I did.” Chase grimaced. “Don’t you think that’s the first thing I did?”

An uneasy feeling settled over Mark. “Let me have Captain Holcomb send one of his men over there.”

“No.” Chase was nearly shouting. He swallowed and lowered his voice. “No police. If something did happen, I can’t have it disrupting this event.”

“All right. I’ll send one of my men. Do you have an extra key to his place?”

“He keeps one in his office here, just in case. Come on, I’ll get it for you.”

“What’s going on?” Joy slithered up and linked her arm through Chase’s. “You should be greeting your guests, honey.”

Chase removed his arm. “You and Lucas do it for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

“But what’s wrong?” she persisted.

“I said, I’ll be right back,” he snapped. “Just one time can you do what I ask? Come on, Mark.”

Mark pulled one of the men from Oscar’s area, knowing he really wouldn’t be needed anymore, and sent him off to Ladd’s with the key. Then he hurried back to the large hall where Chase, Lucas, and Joy were doing the glad-hand thing with enough military brass and corporate executives to plan world domination.

“Where’s Dan?” Joy whispered as Chase headed for the podium.

“Doing what he’s supposed to.”

“But he insisted on taking Oscar to the site himself, and I haven’t even seen him around here collecting the robot.”

Mark took her arm and guided her toward the front of the room. “Don’t you worry one minute, Miss Rivers. Dan’s got it all under control.”

“But . . .”

Mark urged her into the chair reserved for her in the front row, then ran to call Dan on the satellite phone.

“You think he’s dead?” Dan asked.

“I’d say there’s a good chance of it. I sent one of our guys to check.”

“Okay. Whatever you find, sit on it until we’re done here. We’re just about to start.”

“Got it.”

At exactly eight o’clock Chase began his presentation. Nervous at first, his confidence grew as he got into the specifics of Oscar’s technology and what the robot could do.

“The demonstration is set up at a remote location. If you’ll watch any of the screens in the room, you’ll be able to see everything.”

The room darkened, and the screens lit up. Chase sat down next to Joy, and Mark heard her say, “Please don’t be too upset if something goes wrong, honey. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it and do this again.”

“Don’t you understand,” he hissed at her. “There is no second chance here. They won’t trust us next time.”

“Then I’ll just cross my fingers.”

“Damn it, Joy. It will take a lot more than some stupid good-luck symbol to fix this if I fall flat on my face. Don’t you know that?” He moved slightly in his chair, as if trying to put distance between the two of them.

Mark saw her glance at Lucas before she turned her gaze back to the screens.

Everyone stared at the abandoned adobe house and the rock-strewn yard. Then, without warning, one of the rocks began to move, bumping along. Suddenly the image of a computer screen replaced the scene and the audience could see hot spots where people were identified. But more than that, they heard conversations coming through the speakers, and a closed-captioned program printed out the conversation at the bottom of the screen.

Then the picture switched again to show black-clad warriors breaching the house quietly, capturing the occupants, and signaling a successful mission. The screens darkened, the lights in the room came on again, and thunderous applause greeted Chase as he mounted the stage again.

“That, ladies and gentlemen, is Oscar. For obvious reasons we didn’t print brochures.” A ripple of laughter ran through the room. “But I’ll be happy to answer any questions and make appointments to meet with you individually. Meanwhile, please help yourself to coffee and refreshments at the back of the room.”

Mark and Rick were especially interested in Joy and Lucas, who looked at each other with shocked expressions on their faces. Mark had managed to plant a tiny transmitter under the lapel of Joy’s suit jacket when he ushered her to her seat. Now he and Rick stood at the back of the room, miniature receiving buds in their ears, pretending to study the crowd as they listened to the conversation between Joy and Lucas.

“What the hell happened?” Joy demanded. “I thought you switched the robots and put the dummy in Oscar’s place.”

“I did,” Lucas answered through clenched teeth. “I handled it myself.”

“So how did the real Oscar get here? How did Dan Romeo get him and bring him back? How did anyone even find the damned boat?”

Lucas pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, punched in a number, and put the phone to his ear. His frown told Mark and Rick that no one was answering on the other end. And with good reason, as they knew.

“Something’s not right,” Lucas told Joy, his jaw tightening. “Jesus isn’t answering.”

“What do you mean he’s not answering? He’s supposed to be right there in the salon with the crate. Stupid ass. I told you we couldn’t trust him.” Her voice quivered with rage and something else. Fear.

“We have to get there right away.”

“Exactly what do we tell that idiot Chase about why we’re running off on his big day?” she demanded.

“Tell him we’re going to the site to make sure they pack up properly, and we’ll be back soon. Then run like hell.”

“They’re on their way,” Rick commented, as he watched the couple moved quickly from the room.

“I’ll stay here with Chase,” Mark said. “Someone’s got to hold his hand, especially when this all comes down. Call Dan and have Mike take you and him to Galveston.”

“I’m on it.”

* * * * *

Rick snapped his phone shut and climbed into the helicopter on the roof of the Carpenter building. “Tolbert’s dead. Our man found him, and I told him to call Holcomb. I also asked him to keep a lid on things until we can wrap up all the loose ends.”

“Jesus,” Dan said. “They don’t mind piling up the bodies.”

“Holcomb also said they’ve got shadowy footage from some of the security cameras at the airport. The person who parked next to Nate Wilson and got into his car was a woman. Short. With a ponytail.”

“I don’t think we have to wonder who that is. Okay. Mike? Let’s make tracks. I want to be there, waiting for them. We don’t need this to play out in a roomful of bigwigs.”

The day-shift man was there when they landed at Block House Marina. He poked his head out the door, but when he saw the men climb out wearing their NODT jackets, he moved all the curiosity-seekers away, mumbling something about the government, then went back into his little shack. Luckily two other helicopters were there, having delivered their high-dollar passengers, so there shouldn’t be any warning signs to their prey.

They were ready, guns locked and loaded, when they heard running footsteps on the pier and voices arguing, coming through their ear buds.

“But I’m telling you, I saw a black helicopter over there with the other two.” Joy, edgy and angry. “Just like the one Phoenix has.”

“You think that’s the only black helicopter in the world? Honest to Christ, Joy. People fly out here in choppers all the time. We’ve done it ourselves.”

“But what if they know?”

“About us? The boat? Oscar? Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way they could possibly know anything.” Lucas, abrupt and just as angry. “If they did, they’d have been all over us today.”

“So where’s Jesus? And where did they get the real Oscar?”

“We’re about to find out.” He clambered up the ladder, Joy behind him, and slammed open the glass door to the salon. “Well, the crate’s still there. Come on, let’s open it.”

But as he moved down into the room, Dan and Rick moved from where they’d been hidden, guns in hand, tight smiles on their faces.

“I think you’ll find that crate a little empty, Lucas,” Dan told him. “Uh-uh-uh,” he admonished when Lucas reached for his gun at the small of his back. “Nice and easy, please. If you just sit down over there, we’ll all be very happy. You, too, Miss Rivers.”

Joy had paused at the open door. Now she turned to back away, only to find Mike at her back, holding his own gun. He reached under her jacket and pulled the gun from the small of her back, then patted all her pockets. Then he nudged her with his gun.

“Nice to finally meet you, Miss Rivers. How about joining our little party?”

She stopped, looked down into the salon and back at Mike, and then started down the stairs. At the bottom she looked as if she’d tripped and bent to catch herself, but when she straightened up she had a small gun in her hand. Quickly, she backed herself against a corner, and her eyes moved from one man to another.

“Ankle holster.” Her smile was evil. Her gun was leveled at Mike’s crotch.

“Well, shame on me,” Mike said in his slow drawl. “To think a nice lady like you would want to shoot me.”

“Put the gun down, Joy.” Dan’s voice was like steel. “You won’t be going anywhere. You can’t shoot all of us at the same time.”

“But Lucas can get his gun, and then we’ll be a little more even. So all of you put your weapons down before this gentleman here has permanent birth control.”

But Dan was quicker than Joy Rivers ever thought of being. As he dropped his hand to lower the gun, he fired upward, shattering her hand that held the gun. She screamed in pain and began swearing in three different languages.

“You bastards,” she spat out. “How about some help here?”

“Let me go to her.” Lucas tried to get up from the couch.

“She’ll live.” Rick had his gun pressed against Lucas’s temple. “Don’t move, or both of you will need help.”

Mike grabbed dish towels from the galley and wrapped them around Joy’s hand.

Dan pulled out his cell phone and punched a number. “Holcomb? Tell the guys here to come on in and pick up the trash. And we need a medic.”

“What’s in that crate if it’s not Oscar?” Lucas demanded.

“Nothing,” Dan told him. “We emptied it last night. Oscar’s been at a different location since then, waiting for his big performance.”

“And where the hell is Obregon?”

“Sitting very comfortably in a motel with one of our men, ready to sing whatever sweet song we ask him to.”

Joy was sitting in a chair now, cradling her hand, her face pale but rage flashing in her eyes.

“How did you figure it out?” she asked. “We thought we covered all our bases.”

Dan shrugged. “A lot of hard work and a great computer expert. You were smart, but we were smarter. We know everything now. And I mean everything.”

“Lucas?” Joy’s voice was little more than a whisper now.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“The buyer. He’ll kill us.”

“He’ll have to get to you first,” Mike told them. “And here comes the cavalry to save you. You might want to decide which of your choices is the lesser of two evils.”

Six men flashing Department of Homeland Security badges boarded the boat, the team leader introducing them as he shook hands with Dan.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” he said with a wry grin.

“No kidding. Well, they’re all yours. My guess is someone wants them badly enough that they’d prefer your company. Pump them for all you can. Give me your email, and we’ll send you everything we’ve dug up on them.”

The man, who introduced himself to the others as Jack Henry, handed Dan a small card. “This will come directly to me.” He nodded at everyone else. “Nice meeting you, gentlemen.”

They escorted Lucas, in handcuffs, and Joy, still moaning in pain, up the steps and off the boat. Dan climbed up to the deck with Rick and Mike and watched three black SUVs pull out of the parking lot.

“I think we’d better go back and let Chase know what’s happening,” Dan said. “He’s probably ready for a nervous breakdown right about now.”