by E B Corbin
"No, I don't trust him completely. However, the Irish guys have been able to track me pretty damn easily."
"But we lost them this morning." He raised his eyes.
"And they were parked across the street in that navy van we thought was following us," Roxanne told him. "Conor pointed it out to me before we went to the marina."
"What about the tan Toyota that followed us? How many vehicles do these guys have?"
Even though it was a rhetorical question, Roxanne answered. "As near as I can figure out, the guys that grabbed Roxy have two-- the tan Toyota and the navy van. There are three of them...well, two of them now, and they're not traveling in the same vehicle. I think they wanted a backup car if something went wrong."
"How do you know all this?" Pete asked in a level tone.
Roxanne was grateful for his objectivity after Callahan's defensiveness and aggressive questioning.
"Conor told me some of it, the rest I figured out myself." She got the impression that Pete believed her more than Callahan. At least, she could count on one person in their group since Roxy knew nothing about him. "Niall Murphy is helping Conor at the moment. It was his brother, Tommy, who was killed when the boat blew. Tommy came over with two guys, the McCarthy brothers, to get the five million dollars."
"So, this Niall's brother was one of the three we lost when they left JFK," Callahan said. "You believe Niall was working against his brother, not with him. That doesn't make any sense."
"I'm not sure what I believe." She sipped her scotch, appreciating the heat that suffused her entire body. "Right now, I'm pretty sure Pete is the only one I can trust. And maybe not one hundred percent."
Pete started to protest but Roxanne silenced him with a wave while keeping her gaze on Callahan. "He does work for Sheriff Walters. And he was rather persistent about getting involved, but at least I don't think he's the inside man keeping the IRA informed of my whereabouts."
"And you think I am." Callahan sounded disappointed.
"Not necessarily..." She was interrupted when Tiffany dashed into the bar, ignoring Pete and Roxanne.
"John, we've got a situation!"
- 16 -
"If you're talking about the Maria Elena, we already know about that." Callahan stood and inclined his head towards Roxanne as the source of the news.
Tiffany looked confused. "I'm talking about the six known IRA members who just crossed at Niagara Falls."
"Hell," he muttered. "Just what we need. Do we have eyes on them?"
"Sort of." Her brow creased. "Some young recruits were available but I don't hold much hope for them keeping tabs on six people for long."
Callahan paced in front of Tiffany, lost in thought as she continued.
"The thing is, these new guys are higher up in the hierarchy and more experienced than the three we lost before. And we still haven't been able to find those first three." She followed on his heels. The clacking of her boots echoed across the floor in the still-empty lounge.
"At least one member of the first group is probably dead." Callahan stopped so abruptly Tiffany almost collided with him. "The other two may have Roxy."
"And you know this how?" she asked.
"One of them was on the Maria Elena when it blew up," Callahan told her.
"The boat we were looking for this morning? It blew up?" Her voice rose, then lowered as she regained control. "Why haven't I heard about this before?"
"I just found out myself. Roxanne was there when it blew."
Tiffany's eyes widened. "What the hell was she doing there?"
From where she sat listening to the volley of words between them, Roxanne felt a twinge of satisfaction. The bitch wasn't going to like what came next; she hated being upstaged.
"The two guys who kidnapped her yesterday found her in the room she shared with you. They knew where the Maria Elena was docked and showed Roxanne that the cabin was rigged with wires. While they were watching, one of those guys we lost at the airport arrived and boarded. Just as he approached the cabin door, the boat blew."
"But who did it...and why?" Tiffany asked. "What about Roxy?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," he said with a shrug. "We don't have a hell of a lot of answers, just more questions. It seems for every step forward, we end up two steps back."
Pete left the table to join them, with Roxanne in his wake. "I just talked to a friend of mine with the Erie PD," he said. "He confirmed that a boat exploded at the East Erie Marina. Firefighters and half the force are on site now trying to keep the other boats safe. So far, one dead. An older gent has been found floating face up in the water."
Roxanne remained silent. If they didn't believe her story before, they would now. She watched Tiffany carefully for any sign of prior knowledge, but saw only shock and wariness on the agent's face. Maybe she was wrong about her being the mole in the group, but she wasn't ready to trust her completely. Any good actress could cover up her true reactions with the right amount of practice.
"We have to get out of here," Tiffany said to Callahan. "There's no point in hanging around if we don't have a target to watch."
"Agreed." Callahan gave a quick nod.
Roxanne started toward the closest elevator bank and hopped in as the doors opened to the lobby. Before the doors could close, Callahan stuck his arm out to stop them.
"You should wait for us."
"I'm only going to the room to pack," she told him.
"And that's where you disappeared before," Tiffany broke in. "We need to stick a tracker on you."
Roxanne gave her a feeble smile. "Too late now. Get in, you're holding up the elevator."
While they rode to their floor, Callahan tapped his ear and spoke in a hushed voice to his shoulder. He told Gabe and Ron to join them and pack up while he made arrangements for returning the rental car.
Tiffany followed her into the room they had shared for a few hours. Roxanne unplugged both new phones and the small computer, throwing them in her substitute messenger bag. Since her clothes were still rolled up in the suitcase, she just had to zip it and roll it out the door. The female agent also wasted no time. She grabbed her duffle and checked the gun on her hip before they opened the door.
Callahan already waited in the hall. They made their way back through the lobby to the front. Under the entrance portico, they met up with Pete, who sat in a Honda minivan with its motor running.
"We're going in this?" Tiffany teased him. "I never expected you to drive a mom-van."
"Hey, it's better than that little toy car you were driving," Pete shot back. "Besides, it comes in handy for Little League practice."
"Little League? I didn't know you had a kid." Tiffany kept the flirtatious conversation going as Roxanne and Callahan waited to climb in. Roxanne didn't hear Pete's reply but she wondered why he was playing along. After what Kate told her about his luck with women, she hoped he didn't get involved with Agent Bitch.
Since Tiffany slid next to Pete in the front, Roxanne and Callahan took the two middle seats without a word. Although Callahan was in charge, he didn't seem to mind.
While he talked to his boss in DC and filled Chester in on the latest, Tiffany kept a running commentary with Pete. The return to Oilville seemed to fly by, even though Roxanne felt superfluous most of the way.
By the time Pete pulled into the B&B, Tiffany had charmed her way into one of the remaining guest rooms. Callahan liked the idea of having an armed agent nearby should Roxanne run into any further trouble. Roxanne felt Pete was more than enough protection, but then nobody asked her.
Kate greeted them at the door with Puka at her heels. Thrilled to see his owner at last, the golden retriever barked, then rubbed up against Roxanne's leg with a low whine. When she scratched Puka's wagging rear, the dog butted his head against her thigh, nearly knocking her over.
"Somebody's happy to see you," Kate said.
"Was he good?" Roxanne asked. "I'm sorry he got dumped on you."
"He wasn't dumped; we practic
ally kidnapped him," Kate said with a laugh. "Jonathon and Sylvia were competing to make Puka the most spoiled dog in the world. For a while we couldn't tell who he preferred. Jonathon won out only because he took Puka out and threw snowballs for him to chase. Truthfully, it's been a joy having him around."
"Is Jonny in bed?" Pete asked.
"Yeah, I finally got him settled. Don't you go and wake him!" She turned to Tiffany. "Hello, I'm Kate Williams, the owner of this money pit."
"I'm Tiffany Parker." The agent smiled and shook hands with a charm Roxanne had not witnessed before. "Pete said you might have a room for me?"
Kate looked surprised. "Well, sure. We have a room made up. We're not exactly open to the public yet, but you're welcome as our guest."
"Tiffany works with me," Callahan explained. "It would be convenient if she could stay here."
"Certainly, glad to help," she said. "Now does somebody want to tell me what's going on?"
Callahan glanced at the front door. "I'm expecting two more guys any minute. Is there somewhere we can talk where we won't wake up Jonathon?"
"Let's go into the parlor," Kate said with a laugh. "It feels so pretentious to say that, but I don't know what else to call it."
"Parlor, it is," Tiffany swiveled her head to take in the room. "You have a lovely place. It's going to be a pleasure staying here."
For you maybe. Roxanne detested the idea of being stuck with Tiffany so close, although it beat sharing a room with the pretentious bitch.
"Can I get anyone something to drink?" Kate asked. "Coffee, tea, wine?"
"No, thanks," Callahan answered for all of them. "We have to get our heads together to decide on our next steps."
Kate nodded and led them into the parlor where a fire crackled. "Do you want me to leave? I'll understand if it's none of my business."
"I want you to stay," Pete said. "This could affect you in some way and you should know what you're taking on."
Roxanne followed with Puka glued to her side. "I agree."
"You have any objection?" Callahan asked Tiffany.
"None." Tiffany's sugar-coated voice grated on Roxanne.
"While we wait for Gabe and Ron, do you want to bring Kate up to speed?" Callahan tipped his head to Pete.
"I'm not sure I know all the details," Pete demurred.
"Don't worry, I'll fill in if you miss something," Tiffany offered.
"I should probably be the one to cover the fine points," Roxanne said. "After all, I lived through most of it."
"Very well. Go for it then." The petite blonde sat back against the sofa, patting the seat for Callahan.
He ignored her signal. "I'm going to stand out by the door so they don't ring the bell."
"Don't worry about it," Kate said. "I turn the ringer off in my apartment at night. It buzzes by my bed and a light goes on but it won't wake Jonathon."
"How clever!" Tiffany said.
The agent's exaggerated manners and phony sweetness were driving Roxanne crazy. She wanted to scream "stop it!" at Tiffany before the agent wormed her way into Pete and Kate's affections. They were her friends, dammit.
"You already know the backstory about my kidnapping and house fire," Roxanne began. "We assumed Roxy was taken to Erie because I was supposed to drop the money there. We were hoping to find where she was being held before tonight's deadline. But our only clue, a boat named Maria Elena, blew up this afternoon."
"My God," Kate said. "I hope no one got hurt."
"A man was killed," Pete told his sister. "That's why you need to know what's going on as much as we do. We all need to stay alert."
"Do you think Jonathon's in any danger?" Kate asked.
"Probably not." He shrugged. "Right now, Roxanne seems to be the only one in danger...but we should still be careful."
"Of course." Kate turned to Roxanne with sympathetic eyes. "I'm so sorry you're the target."
"If I find there's any risk to you or Jonathon, I'm out of here," Roxanne said. "You've been too accommodating for me to bring my trouble to your door."
"We'll decide that later," Kate said. "Right now, you're here and you're staying."
Callahan opened the door to usher in Gabe and Ron. He held the door open a few minutes too long for Roxanne's comfort. She finally asked, "What's wrong? What's out there?"
"There's a dark van parked at the end of the street," he said after he shut the door. "I can't make out any faces but I see two silhouettes in the front seat. I think it's time we paid these guys a little visit."
"I'm in." Tiffany jumped up from the sofa.
"Slow down." Callahan held up both hands. "We need to sneak up on them. Don't want them getting away this time."
"We can go out the back door and through the alley." Pete joined Callahan in the hall, ready for action. "They won't see us coming."
"I have to find a place to hold them for questioning," Callahan said. "It can't be here or at Chester's. We need somewhere neutral."
"I'll call Bud. We can take them to the station," Pete offered.
"That's not exactly neutral, but it might work. May even throw a scare into them if they're in a jail cell. But Bud has to understand that these guys are not prisoners. We have no proof of any wrongdoing, just hunches at this point." Callahan rubbed his chin.
"What are you going to do with them if you catch them?" Roxanne asked. "I'm not a criminal lawyer, but I know that you can't hold them indefinitely."
"Hopefully we'll be able to get a lead on where they have Roxy," Callahan said. "This Conor guy told you they had her, right?"
"Yeah, if you believe him. What if they won't tell you?"
Pete shrugged. "Then we have no choice but to let them go. Maybe they'll lead us to the hideout where they're holding her."
"But we have to catch them first, maybe put a little fear into them, and see where that leads," Callahan said as he took charge. "Gabe, Tiff and Pete, come with me. Ron, you stay here with Kate and Roxanne. Move around a bit and stay visible in the window, so they think we're all still in the room."
"The rest of us will go out the back." Callahan turned to Pete. "How long until Bud can get here?"
"If he's not doing anything, which is likely, about five minutes. I'll tell him to meet us in the alley, and to come in silent with no lights." Pete walked out of the room, pulling his phone from his pocket. "Let me find out for sure."
"Does this Bud person know what he's doing or will he be a hindrance?" Tiffany asked.
"Could go either way," Callahan answered while keeping an eye on Roxanne. "He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's a decent cop, as far as I know."
"Except he doesn't like me very much." Roxanne dropped into a chair across from the fireplace. When no one reacted to her pronouncement, she slunk a bit lower in the chair and patted Puka's head. She didn't like this plan at all and she liked involving Bud even less. But she had to agree that it was time they took action rather than wait for something to happen.
"We're all aware of that, and we'll do everything we can to keep him in line." Callahan moved to her chair and squeezed her hand as Pete rejoined them.
"We should be all set," he announced. "Bud will be here in five minutes. He understands what we need."
Callahan walked to the window, keeping his head straight but his eyes turned to the corner where the van sat. "They're still here. Let's get moving."
"I'll go first," Pete said. "It would be better if we left one at a time. Less chance of us being seen that way. There's still a layer of snow in the yard, so everyone take care going down to the alley."
Nods all around while Pete shrugged into his jacket and checked his gun. He exited through the back door.
"Gabe, you go next," Callahan ordered. "Then Tiffany, and I'll bring up the rear." He focused on Ron. "You feel comfortable with this?"
"Yeah, I'll keep alert," Ron said.
As soon as they heard the back door click shut, Gabe went to the hall for his jacket and performed the same gun check as Pe
te. After he left, it was Tiffany's turn. She changed her suede boots for a pair of black snow boots that stopped just above her ankles. "I'm set," she said as she pulled on a dark jacket and went through the same motions with her gun as Pete and Gabe.
When Tiffany exited the rear, Callahan turned to Roxanne. "You sure you'll be all right?"
"I'm not the one sneaking up on these thugs. Besides, we've got Ron should those two idiots decide to storm the castle." She stood and followed Callahan to the hall, away from the prying eyes and ears of the remaining agent. "Be careful." She wanted to kiss him, but held back, afraid to come across as too needy or too familiar.
Callahan gave her a peck on the cheek. "We'll keep you informed." He hurried to the door.
Roxanne paced the room with the dog following her every step, while Kate moved back and forth between the parlor and the kitchen. Ron leaned against the fireplace wall and fidgeted.
"Do you think this will work?" Roxanne attempted to break the tension. She barely knew Ron and had no reason to feel uncomfortable with him other than the knowledge that someone in the group was untrustworthy.
"It's as good a shot as any." Ron averted his eyes. "I'm going to check the back door is secure. Be right back."
It didn't help that he would not even look at her.
Great. While everyone is occupied elsewhere, I could be stuck here with the traitor in the pack.
When Ron pushed away from the wall and headed into the hall, her heartbeat sped up. Was he about to open the door and give the all-clear signal to his buddies in the van?
They could grab her and be gone before the others made it around the block.
-17 -
Roxanne continued to pace while Puka followed her every step whimpering. She knew he sensed her anxiety and wanted to show his allegiance. After crouching to wrap her arms around the golden, she patted his back and rubbed his ears. At least the dog could be trusted.
Kate carried a tray with three cups and a teapot into the room. "I thought we could all use something to calm our nerves."
