by Dirk Patton
“I can believe it,” Liam said. “Less than a week and I’m already terrified of her.”
“Oh, my God!”
Katarina threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. Spinning, she went back in the bathroom and slammed the door. Baldwin and Liam shared a grin, then there was a knock. They both stood, Baldwin holding back with his hand on a holstered pistol as Liam moved to check through the spy hole.
He waved Baldwin down and opened the door, admitting Jimmy to the room. He was weighed down with a backpack and a large printer beneath his arm for making IDs.
“Jimmy’s here and he’s got what... oh, hi Samuel L. Jackson!”
“Fuck me,” Baldwin groaned under his breath.
Forty-Eight
Liam and Katarina left the hotel shortly afterwards. In her purse was a brand-new driver’s license and a pair of credit cards that identified her as Bailey Macleod.
“What’s with Macleod?” she asked as Liam steered his truck onto the freeway to head north.
“It was Jimmy’s way of being funny. He made the ID so you’d be my wife. Actually, his humor turns out to be a really good idea.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, failing to note her tone. “If we do have an encounter with the cops for any reason, between my DEA creds and your new ID, they aren’t going to bother paying attention to my wife.”
“Oh,” she said after a long moment.
“What?” he asked, finally picking up on something.
“Nothing. So, what’s our first stop?”
“That big Costco in Woodinville. It’s on our way and we need a lot of stuff.”
They drove in silence for a while, the heavy traffic limiting them to no more than twenty miles an hour.
“No traffic, either,” Liam suddenly said.
“No traffic?”
“If we have to run. Wherever we go, I don’t want to deal with traffic. This sucks!”
“Really?” Katarina asked with a bemused laugh. “That’s what you’re thinking about? Bad traffic?”
Liam glanced at her then waved a hand at the congested lanes around them.
“The least you could do is be thinking about me in a bikini on a white sand beach.”
“Trust me,” he said with a grin. “I am.”
“We should update the Rabbi! Saul,” she said abruptly. “Just to make sure he’s still on board and doesn’t go out of town or something.”
Liam nodded in agreement and handed her another of the pre-paid phones he’d purchased. While she opened the package, he dug around in his pockets for the small notebook he’d started using for phone numbers since getting rid of his smart phone. Katarina made the call and talked for a few minutes.
“He’s good,” she said. “Waiting for our call.”
Liam nodded.
“By the way, isn’t the DEA starting to wonder where you are?”
“Three years undercover. I’ve still got about eight months of leave built up,” he said with a shrug. “I wasn’t in the middle of anything important, so it was easy to get approved for a couple of weeks off.”
She watched him when he finished speaking until he glanced over.
“What?”
“Could you really walk away? If I have to run, I mean. Could you really just leave everything behind and go? Your job. Friends and family? Your house?”
“A job’s a job,” he said. “I enjoy it and I’m good at it, but I never had a burning desire to be in the DEA.”
“What about the rest of it? No friends or family?”
“Friends, sure. I’ll miss them, but it’s not like I can’t live without them. As far as family; I’m once divorced with no kids, both my parents are gone, and I’ve got one brother in Ohio that I haven’t talked to in almost a year. And I’m not concerned about the house. I owe the bank almost as much as it’s worth, so they can have it.”
Katarina nodded.
“What about you?” he asked.
“I’d miss Brody and Baldwin, of course. The rest of it doesn’t matter.”
“Parents? Siblings?”
“I’m an only child. Mom passed when I was in high school and Dad’s in a home with Alzheimer’s. Went back to see him a couple of months ago and he didn’t know who I was.”
“That had to be hard,” Liam said.
“It was. But he’s being taken care of and doesn’t need me.”
Her voice didn’t match the words she’d spoken, but he didn’t press. Leaving everything and everyone behind, knowing you’d never return or even speak to them on the phone again would be a surreal experience. But as he looked at Katarina, he was certain it would be worth the sacrifice.
An hour of driving brought them to the Costco. Parking amidst a sea of cars, they got out and went inside. Liam took a large, flat surfaced buggy and handed the list he’d made to Katarina. She scanned it quickly as they walked through the massive warehouse. Working together, they quickly filled big cart to capacity but there were still numerous items they needed.
“I’ll grab another,” Katarina said, giving the list back to Liam. “You find what’s next.”
She headed toward the entrance where the flats were stored as he searched for a generator. It wasn’t long before he heard the rattle of a loose wheel and Katarina arrived with another buggy.
“Don’t react, but we may have a problem,” she said in a low voice.
Liam tensed but did a good job of hiding it as he turned a slow circle, seemingly searching for some hard to find item.
“Tell me.”
“I think we’re being followed. A woman I saw in the parking lot. She arrived the same time we did and came in behind us. I saw her two aisles back when I went to get the cart, then when I’m coming back, she’s closer to the entrance, in an aisle she’d already passed.”
“Demon?” he asked.
“No.”
Liam hesitated a beat.
“That’s pretty thin, Katarina,” he said. “Maybe she’s just another shopper.”
“It just felt... off,” she said. “What do you want to do?”
Liam thought as he continued looking around, moving across the aisle to inspect a display of light bulbs.
“Description?”
“Hispanic. Thirties. Brunette. Pretty. Close to my height and build. Jeans and a blue hoodie.”
“See her at the moment?”
“No,” Katarina said after a few seconds. “Maybe I’m just paranoid and it’s nothing.”
“Or maybe it’s not,” Liam said. “Okay. We’re already here. If she was a cop, she wouldn’t be hesitating to approach you. So, if she is following us that most likely means she’s a retriever for the cartel or working with a retriever.”
“Okay. Then what do we do about her?”
“Nothing. Yet. Finish our shopping. We need the stuff anyway. Let’s see if she’s still around when we leave. It’ll take a while to load the truck and that’ll give us time to look for her without making it obvious.”
Forty-Nine
They finished their shopping and checked out, Liam cringing slightly at the amount charged to his credit card. Walking away from the register, Katarina suddenly looked at him.
“You! They’re tracking you!”
“What? How?”
“There’s no way in hell that woman tracked me. It was your credit card used at the hotel. All she’d have to do is sit outside and wait until I showed up.”
“You’re assuming they’d actually recognize you with the new hair,” he said, pushing one cart and pulling the other across the parking lot.
“Let’s say the disguise worked and they didn’t. Maybe they’re tracking you, waiting to see if you lead them to me.”
Liam thought about that as he horsed the heavy buggies into place at the rear of his truck and lowered the tailgate.
“Okay. That makes sense,” he said, motioning for her to hop up in the bed. “Take a good look around while you’re up there. Just don’t make it obvious.”
“I might have been an FBI agent for a while,” she said with a smirk as she climbed into the bed and stood.
Liam took his time fussing with the items on the cart, giving her an opportunity to scan the area from her elevated position. He watched from the corner of his eye as she played the part of a bored woman waiting for a man to get his act together and start handing her stuff. Before the ruse could become obvious, he lifted a heavy box onto the tailgate.
“See her?”
“Yeah,” Katarina said when she bent to lift the box. “Two rows behind me, half a dozen cars down to the right. She didn’t come out with anything. And her hoodie is white, now.”
He wasted more time before handing her another box.
“She got into a gray Dodge Charger. Can’t read the plates from here but they’re definitely Washington State issue.”
Liam picked up the pace and they carried on a conversation while they loaded the truck.
“Changed her appearance,” he said. “Probably a reversible hoodie. Looks like your instincts were spot on.”
“What do we do about her?”
“What’s she doing now?
“Can’t see through the windshield,” Katarina said, grunting under the weight of a generator.
“Okay. When we’re done, I’m going to stay with the truck and light a cigarette. You wheel the carts back up to the entrance and go inside. Waste some time. I want to see if she follows you.”
“Why would she? You’d still be here, obviously waiting.”
“Well, shit,” Liam said, thumping another box onto the tailgate. “Can’t go to the house if she follows. And I wouldn’t mind having a conversation with her. Find out what’s going on.”
“Call the locals. Flash those DEA creds and ask them to detain her. Find out who she is and that would also give us time to get out of the area.”
“And draw attention we don’t want. It needs to be somewhere more private than a busy parking lot with video surveillance.”
He hoisted the last box and once Katarina put it into place, he lifted her down and placed her gently on her feet. Escorting her to the passenger door of the truck, he helped her inside, taking the opportunity to get a look at the watcher’s car.
“So, what are we doing?” Katarina asked.
Liam closed the door without answering, dragged the pair of buggies to the closest corral and got behind the wheel.
“Going to take your suggestion,” he said as he started the truck and backed out.
Exiting the parking lot, he accelerated slowly, waiting to see if the woman followed. Soon, he saw her turn out and settle in with traffic, eight cars back. Lifting the disposable phone, he dialed a number from memory, identified himself and asked to be put through to the Woodinville police. When the local agency answered, there was no need to verify who he was. The call was coming directly from the DEA.
“This is not a DEA operation, but I’ve got a CI who just witnessed some illegal firearms being bought,” he said once he was speaking with a senior officer.
He went on to describe the woman and her vehicle and gave them the location and direction of travel. Listening for a few moments, he continued.
“Nope. CI’s too important to ongoing investigations. No statement from him. I’m just giving you a heads up of what’s rolling around in your city. You’re going to have to find a reason to pull her over and search.”
“That was slick,” Katarina said when he got off the phone. “But what’s going to happen if they don’t find any guns?”
“If she’s what we think she is, they will. If she’s not, then she’ll be on her way soon enough, none the worse for the experience.”
Liam drove the posted speed limit, staying on the same road. It wasn’t long before he spotted two marked cruisers approaching from ahead. The officers inside were carefully examining each vehicle they passed. When they came abreast of the woman’s car, their brake lights flared as they slowed to make a U-turn into the lane behind her.
As soon as she saw them, the woman accelerated hard, making a right onto a cross street. Both cruisers flipped on their lights and sirens and raced after the fleeing Dodge.
“Well, it couldn’t have worked out better than that,” Liam said with a smile.
“You can’t use your credit card again,” Katarina said.
“Agreed. And we can’t go back to the hotel, either.”
“So, we’re staying at the house?”
“Looks like. Going to have to trust Baldwin with building a profile on Pettigrew. We can go back down to the city when it’s time to snatch him, but until then we’d better keep our heads down.”
“So, we’re going to hide out in an isolated house in the mountains. No TV or internet. Got any ideas how we’re going to pass the time?”
“Drawing a blank,” Liam said with a straight face. “Hoping you’d have some.”
“Hmmm. Not really. Maybe we should stop and buy a deck of cards.”
“Good idea. Always wanted to play strip poker.”
“Figured you did plenty of that in the Army. At least that’s what Baldwin would say.”
Surprised, Liam looked at her and chuckled. She smiled sweetly and they fell silent for a mile.
“He’s in love with you,” Liam suddenly said.
“No, he’s not!”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Katarina stared at him a moment.
“You’re serious?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“Does that bother you?” she asked.
“No. Not as long as it’s not mutual.”
“I love him like a brother. Always will. But I’m not in love with him. Is that why you don’t like him?”
“Who said I don’t like him?” Liam asked in surprise.
“The way you two treat each other, it’s pretty obvious.”
“I actually think he’s a pretty good guy. There’s nothing wrong between us, we just have to get used to each other. But I didn’t bring it up for no reason. If he’s jealous, could that cause a problem?”
“Absolutely not!” Katarina said immediately. “Not Baldwin. Not Brody, either. They’re like my big brothers!”
“Just checking.”
Katarina sat silently in thought then took a big breath.
“Once,” she blurted out before she lost her nerve. “With Baldwin, I mean. It was four years ago. I was single and he was home on leave between deployments. There was this big party at Brody’s, and we all drank way too much, and Baldwin came home with me. It was awkward as hell the next morning and it’s never happened since. Not even close. Okay?”
“Okay,” Liam said. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry. None of my business.”
“And I didn’t have to tell you,” she said, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. “But I’m glad I did. After the marriage I had, I don’t like secrets.”
“Me either.”
“Then tell me about your ex.”
Liam looked at her in surprise, then shrugged.
“What’s to tell? We met in Iraq. She was Army Intelligence and I was... oh, shit. It can’t be!”
He hit the brakes, slowing sharply and whipping into a parking lot. Katarina looked on in concern as he grabbed his phone and called the DEA switchboard again to get routed to the Woodinville police.
“Lieutenant,” he said when the call was answered. “Agent Macleod, DEA. It was my CI that gave the tip about the illegal firearms. Did you get the driver?”
He listened intently then thanked the man and disconnected.
“What’s going on, Liam?”
“Describe the woman from Costco again.”
“What? Why?”
“Please, Katarina. Just do it.”
She gave him a look but did as he asked.
“Well, fuck me,” he breathed when she was done. “I think I may have just sicced the cops on my ex-wife.”
Fifty
“Did they catch her?” Katarina asked when the s
hock had worn off.
“Nope. She got away.”
“What would she be doing following you? Is there something going on you haven’t told me?”
“No. Nothing! It was a clean split. No kids, and I didn’t own the house yet. Each of us just took what was ours. Hell. I haven’t even seen or spoken to her since a couple of weeks before the divorce was finalized.”
“Then why would you think that was her? It makes no sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. And the description you gave in Costco didn’t ring any bells, but then Angela’s about the last person I’d expect to run into. Last I heard she had moved somewhere back east.”
“What was she doing when you split?” Katarina asked.
“Not really sure.”
“Really?”
“I was undercover when she filed for divorce,” he explained. “No communications with anyone. The last I knew, before I went under, she was trying to get hired at the CIA, but I’ve got no idea if she ever did or not.”
Katarina thought about that for a moment.
“And there’s not something unresolved between you two?”
“Nothing! She was convinced I was sleeping with a woman who was involved with the cartel I was targeting. That’s why she divorced me. But by the time we got to actually sign the papers, she wasn’t even mad. She just wanted out, and so did I.”
“Were you?”
“Was I what?”
“Sleeping with another woman.”
“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.
Katarina waited expectantly for him to justify his actions, but he remained silent.
“No excuse? Just yes, I was fucking around on my wife?”
“There is no excuse,” Liam said with a shrug. “I spent a lot of time justifying what I did in my head before I realized that was all bullshit. Did sleeping with her make my job easier? Yes, it did. But, that’s not why I did it.”
“Why, then?” she asked when he didn’t continue.
Liam hesitated then sighed in surrender.
“My marriage wasn’t good to begin with, and I’d been under for almost two years when I started sleeping with her. Hadn’t seen my wife in all that time, but I was faithful. Up until then. I didn’t have to do it for the job, I wanted to. I liked her. A lot.”
