‘Is that how they found him, you think? By tracking his phone?’
‘I guess it depends on whether he was using his own vehicle or not. But if he’d ditched his truck and was using a car that couldn’t be linked to him, then there aren’t that many options.’
‘So we just have to wait for him to contact us?’
‘We can go and talk to Lucky, see if he’s been in touch with her,’ said Standing. ‘Unless you can think of somewhere else he might be holed up.’
She shook her head. ‘I just hope that wherever he is, he’s okay.’
Standing wanted to say something, anything, that would put her mind at ease, but Bobby-Ray was most definitely not okay.
8
They walked back to the car in silence. Standing got behind the wheel and tapped it as he considered his options. If the men in the SUVs had been following Kaitlyn, there was a good chance that they were also watching Bobby-Ray’s girlfriend.
‘What’s wrong, Matt?’ asked Kaitlyn.
He turned to look at her. ‘I’m wondering what’s the best way to approach Lucky.’
‘You think they’ll be watching her?’
‘That’s exactly what I was thinking,’ he said. ‘Maybe phoning her is the way to go. Do you know where she works?’
Kaitlyn shook her head. ‘No.’ She shrugged apologetically. ‘Sorry.’
‘What about her family name?’
She shrugged again. ‘All I know is Lucky. And Lucy.’
‘But you can find her place?’
Kaitlyn nodded. ‘She’s three roads up from the beach.’
Standing looked at his watch. It was just before three, so it would probably be a couple of hours at least until Lucky got back from work. ‘We could do with a change of car, and a change of clothes,’ he said. ‘The car rental company has an office here, let’s get that sorted first.’
He drove the car to the rental company and told an earnest young man with thick-lensed glasses that the vehicle he had kept making a grinding noise at high speeds. There was a scrape on the front bumper from where he’d pushed the SUV off the road but the man didn’t mention it. Standing opted for a different model and colour, choosing a grey Chevrolet Cruze. The man amended the paperwork and five minutes later he and Kaitlyn were back on the road. ‘Do you have charity shops in LA?’ he asked Kaitlyn but realised she couldn’t see his lips. He made sure the road ahead was clear, turned to look at her, and slowly repeated the question. ‘The American Cancer Society has a store on Wilshire Boulevard,’ she said.
She gave him directions and he followed, constantly checking for tails. He was reasonably sure they weren’t being followed, so he drove to the charity store and parked close by.
‘I’ve got money,’ she said as they walked to the store. ‘We can buy new, you know.’
‘It’s not about money, it’s about not looking as if we’re walking around in brand new clothes,’ he said.
They went inside. Standing headed straight for the men’s clothing section and chose a pair of faded blue jeans, a couple of dark work shirts and a brown wool jacket. He also grabbed a couple of baseball caps, one advertising Coors Beer, the other the LA Lakers.
‘You need something, too,’ he said. ‘Different style and colours to what you’re wearing now.’
‘Second-hand clothes?’ she said. ‘Seriously?’
‘They’ll help you blend in,’ he said. ‘They’ve already seen us, so we need to look as different as possible. If it helps, think of it as vintage rather than second-hand.’
She wrinkled her nose and went over to a rack of shirts. She selected a couple, then chose a pair of jeans and a leather jacket with a pink fringe across the back. He shook his head at the jacket. ‘Nothing distinctive,’ he said. ‘You don’t want anything memorable.’
‘Like an LA Lakers cap?’ she said.
He held it up. ‘First of all, you see LA Lakers stuff all over town,’ he said. ‘But second of all, if I ditch the LA Lakers cap and change it to the Coors cap, that alone will fool a lot of tails. Most of the time a follower will pick on one thing and stick with that. Alter that one thing and it’s as if you’ve disappeared. So grab a few hats yourself.’ There were a dozen or so wigs hanging on the wall and he gestured at them. ‘They might come in handy, too.’
Kaitlyn took a long black wig and a shorter, curly, brown one. She also took a faded denim jacket, a short denim skirt and a pair of white shorts.
Standing found a scuffed Samsonite backpack and added it to his purchases. They carried everything over to the counter where a middle-aged black woman wearing bifocals scanned everything and put them in two large carrier bags.
‘Can we use your changing rooms?’ asked Standing.
‘Sure,’ said the assistant, who was already serving another customer.
There was only one changing room, so they took it in turns. Kaitlyn went in first and changed into her denims, then Standing put on his jeans, one of the work shirts and the jacket. They put the rest of their clothes in the backpack and went out to the car.
‘We need to check out where Lucky lives,’ he said as he got behind the wheel. ‘If she is under surveillance it’s going to make reaching out to her that much more difficult.’
Kaitlyn gave him directions to Lucky’s apartment. He drove past slowly but didn’t see anyone waiting in a vehicle outside. She lived in a four-storey block with a metal shutter gate leading to an underground parking garage.
Standing took a series of right turns and drove by the block a second time. It still looked clear, so he found a parking space and pulled up at the side of the road.
‘Is it okay?’ asked Kaitlyn, twisting around in her seat and looking out of the rear window.
‘Maybe,’ said Standing. ‘The street seems clear but they could be watching from a building.’ He realised that she hadn’t been looking at him, so he tapped her on the shoulder and once she was looking at his lips he repeated what he’d said. She nodded. ‘How about this?’ said Standing. ‘You go and get her, then bring her out and walk her to the pier. I’ll follow and check if she’s being followed.’
‘Why don’t we just talk to her inside?’
‘Because if she is being watched and the watchers are good, they’ll have bugged her apartment. And tell her to leave her phone in her apartment.’
Kaitlyn nodded. ‘Okay,’ she said.
‘You’re sure? You’re okay with this?’
She nodded, more confidently this time. She climbed out of the car and walked to the apartment block. She pressed a button on the console at the side of the door, and a few seconds later pushed the door open and went inside.
Standing continued to scan the pavement as he waited. No one else went into the building or came out. After five minutes Kaitlyn reappeared with an Asian girl with waist-length black hair wearing a University Of Southern California sweatshirt and cut-off jeans. They left the building and headed towards the ocean. Standing climbed out, locked the car and went after them, pulling on his LA Lakers cap.
He kept on the opposite side of the road, checking all pedestrians and vehicles as the two girls walked down to the beach, then turned left and went to the pier. Standing was certain that no one was following them. As they walked onto the pier and headed towards the amusement section at the far end, Standing hurried after them. He caught up with them and Kaitlyn introduced him to Lucky. They shook hands. She was a pretty girl with high cheekbones and olive skin and a pair of sunglasses pushed high up on the top of her head. Her hand felt tiny in his but she had a strong grip. ‘I don’t understand what’s happening,’ she said. ‘Is Bobby-Ray in trouble?’
‘What did he tell you?’ asked Standing.
‘Just that he had a problem, that I wasn’t supposed to believe anything I read in the papers or saw on television, and that he would be back in touch with me when it’s safe.’
‘He didn’t explain what had happened?’
Lucky shook her head. ‘No.’
Stan
ding looked at Kaitlyn, wondering how much they should tell her. ‘He had a problem at work,’ said Kaitlyn. ‘One of his clients was killed and the police think he did it.’
Lucky put her hands up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide. ‘No way.’
‘It’s all a mistake,’ said Kaitlyn, reaching out to touch her on the shoulder. ‘Bobby-Ray’s innocent, but he has to stay hidden until it’s resolved.’
‘How does hiding from the police resolve anything?’ said Lucky, taking her hands away from her face. ‘He needs a lawyer and he needs to tell the police everything.’
‘It’s complicated,’ said Standing. Two men walked by wearing baseball jackets. One of them had a white earpiece. It was probably a Bluetooth unit but it didn’t match with the man’s casual attire and gleaming white Nikes. Standing turned to watch them walk by as he continued to talk to Lucky. ‘There’s some confusion about what actually happened.’
‘He can tell the police what happened, and if he didn’t do it then he’ll be okay.’
‘It’s not as simple as that,’ said Standing. The two men walked towards the big wheel. One of them reached out and held the other’s hand. If they were on surveillance and it was a cover move, it was a clever one. ‘He thinks the best thing is for him to stay hidden for a while.’
‘Why hasn’t there been anything on the TV or in the papers?’ asked Lucky.
It was a good question, Standing knew. And one that he didn’t have an answer to. ‘We don’t know,’ said Standing.
‘If they were looking for him, surely they would release his picture?’
‘Lucky, you’re right. But this isn’t a normal case. There is something very strange going on here, which is why Bobby-Ray is lying low. Do you have any idea where he might be?’
She shook her head. ‘He said I shouldn’t call him or look for him, and that he would call me when it was over.’
Kaitlyn nodded. ‘That’s what he said to me.’
‘What about the police, did they talk to you?’
Lucky shook her head. ‘No.’
‘What about the FBI?’
Lucky frowned. ‘The FBI?’
‘Did anyone from the FBI talk to you?’
‘No. Nobody.’ She folded her arms. ‘I don’t understand any of this,’ she said. She looked at Standing. ‘Kaitlyn said you’re a friend of Bobby-Ray’s.’
‘I was with him in Syria.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Are you the guy who was with him when he got hurt?’
Standing nodded. ‘There was an IED. A booby trap.’
‘He hated having to leave the SEALs but they said he couldn’t dive again. They wouldn’t even let him stay on as an instructor.’ She sighed. ‘None of this would have happened if he hadn’t left the SEALs.’
‘Was he happy in his new job?’ asked Standing.
‘Not really,’ said Lucky. ‘But he didn’t have many options.’
‘How long had he been working for Redrock?’
She frowned. ‘What’s Redrock?’
‘That’s the company he was working for?’ said Standing.
‘He didn’t tell me the name, he just said he was going to be working with Kurt, bodyguarding some rich Russian guy.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Was that the client who died? The rich Russian?’
Standing nodded. ‘Did Bobby-Ray tell you anything about the job?’
‘Just that the guy they were bodyguarding was an asshole. He treated everybody like shit.’ She smiled nervously. ‘He did actually say once that he could understand why someone would want to kill him, but he was only joking.’
‘What about the guys he was working with?’ asked Standing. ‘How did he get on with them?’
‘Kurt got him the job. Kurt Konieczny. They were in the SEALs together. Have you spoken to Kurt?’
‘Kurt’s dead,’ said Kaitlyn.
‘What? How? No.’
Kaitlyn nodded. ‘He was killed when the client was killed.’
‘What about the other bodyguards, the Russians?’ asked Standing. ‘Did he tell you anything about them?’
Lucky was still shocked at learning of the death of Kurt Konieczny, so Standing had to repeat the question. ‘He said they were a surly bunch,’ she said. ‘He thought that the Russians resented the Americans. But Bobby-Ray said they needed people with local knowledge. They had two American drivers. One was called Paul, I think. He and Kurt didn’t socialise with the Russians but they had a few arguments as to who should do what. Bobby-Ray said they liked to throw their weight about and sometimes that caused problems in LA.’ She frowned. ‘You think he fell out with them and had some sort of fight?’
Standing shook his head. ‘Bobby-Ray wasn’t the sort to lose his temper like that,’ he said. ‘And he’s certainly not the type to shoot an unarmed man, no matter what the provocation.’
‘So what’s going on?’ asked Lucky.
‘I wish I knew,’ said Standing. ‘Look, if he does contact you, let us know straight away. And if the police contact you, tell us.’
‘I will,’ she promised.
They walked her back to her apartment block and waited on the pavement until she was safely inside.
‘What are we going to do, Matt?’ asked Kaitlyn.
‘I need to talk to Bobby-Ray’s pals, see if they’ve any idea what he was up to. I know a few people at their base in Coronado. I’ll drive down.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ she said.
‘I think it’s best I go alone,’ he said. ‘I’m fairly sure I can get on the base, but you’re a civilian.’
‘I can’t go back to my apartment, not after what’s happened.’ She bit down on her lower lip and he could see she was scared.
He realised she was right. ‘How about this? We drive down to the base and we check you into a motel? Depending on what happens, we can stay there tonight. I figure a room close to a Navy SEAL base is as safe as it gets.’
Kaitlyn forced a smile. ‘That works.’
9
It was a two-hour drive south from Los Angeles to the Naval Amphibious Base at Coronado. It was just across the bay from San Diego, reached by driving across a massive steel girder bridge. Standing had spent a month at the base before flying to Syria with the SEALs. The base was one of eight separate military facilities, covering more than 230 square kilometres stretching from San Clemente Island, seventy miles west of San Diego, across to the Mountain Warfare Training Camp, sixty miles to the east. Through an architectural oversight in the late Sixties, six of the buildings on the base had been erected in a swastika-shape when seen from the air. The design quirk was only spotted when Google Earth became widely available and despite some modifications and landscaping, the base still sported one of the largest swastikas on earth. There were more than twelve thousand military personnel and reservists at the base and it dwarfed the SAS’s camp in Hereford.
As soon as they had driven over the bridge, they stopped off at the El Rancho Motel and Standing used his credit card to book a room for Kaitlyn before he drove on to the base. He was stopped by a uniformed guard, who scrutinised his UK military identification and listened to his request, then pointed him in the direction of a car park outside the base. When he returned to the guard post on foot, the same guard made an internal call and spoke to the administration office for SEAL Team Six. After a few minutes he waved Standing over and handed him the receiver.
‘Matt Standing? Seriously? Is that you? This is Skip Dunnett. What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t heard from you in months.’
‘Sorry to drop by without an appointment, LT,’ said Standing. ‘Is there any way you could spare me a few minutes? It’s important.’
‘Sounds mysterious,’ said the Lieutenant. ‘Let me talk to the guard there.’
Standing gave the receiver back to the guard, and a few minutes later he was walking through the base with a visitor ID clipped to his jacket pocket.
Lieutenant Dunnett was based in an administration office a short walk from the guardhouse.
He had to wait in an outer office for a few minutes, then the Lieutenant threw open his office door and came out. He was wearing desert fatigues and had a Glock in a holster on his hip. Standing saluted and Dunnett laughed and returned the salute, then hugged him and clapped him on the back. ‘How the hell are you?’ asked the officer. He had a small scar on his cheek from where he’d been hit by shrapnel from the IED in Syria.
‘Keeping busy,’ said Standing. ‘You?’
‘They’ve got me training at the moment, but word is I could be back in Syria in a month or two.’
‘I’m sorry about the surprise visit, LT.’
‘I’m just glad you didn’t come in through the window after throwing in a couple of flashbangs,’ said Dunnett. ‘I’m just on my way to the firing range. Walk with me.’
The two men walked out of the administration office and across a grassy area. ‘I’m here because of what happened to Bobby-Ray,’ said Standing.
‘So it’s not a social visit?’ He clapped Standing on the back. ‘Sounds like Bobby-Ray’s got himself in a right mess.’
‘Did the cops talk to you?’
The Lieutenant scowled. ‘Yeah, we had a couple of LAPD detectives here asking questions. They seemed sure that Bobby-Ray had killed his client and the other bodyguards in his team. I tried to point out that they’d be better waiting to hear Bobby-Ray’s side but they looked at me like I’d farted.’
‘It was Bobby-Ray’s gun, right?’
‘That’s what they said. But that means nothing. Anyone could have grabbed his weapon. And one of the bodyguards he was supposed to have killed was a friend of his. Former SEAL, Kurt Konieczny. I didn’t buy it for one minute.’
‘Yeah, me neither.’
‘So do you know where he is?’ asked the Lieutenant.
Standing shook his head. ‘I haven’t spoken to him.’
‘So no offence, why are you here?’
‘His sister called me. She doesn’t know what to do.’
‘Has she spoken to Bobby-Ray?’
Standing’s mind raced. He didn’t want to lie to the Lieutenant, but admitting that Bobby-Ray had been in contact with his sister might well get her into trouble. And the attack on the way from the airport suggested that they would be better off staying below the radar. ‘She’s got no way of contacting him, and hasn’t seen him since three days before the Russian was killed.’ That much was true, so he figured he hadn’t actually lied to the officer.
Last Man Standing Page 8
