Scent of Danger

by Judith Rochelle

  “I love you, Red.”

  Her heartbeat tripped in an uneven cadence. With all thepromises he’d made and all the references to plans, this was the first timehe’d made this declaration. She knew these weren’t words he said lightly. Shelifted her face to him.

  “I love you too. Sometimes it feels as if I’ve loved you allmy life.”

  “Me too. Must be more of that linking thing we’ve got going.”He gave her a hard kiss.

  “I think you’re onto something,” she told him. “Now. Let meanswer the call of nature. And you should take a couple of aspirins before youlie down.”

  He didn’t argue, shaking them out of the container in one ofthe backpacks and uncapping a bottle of water. He kissed her once more beforetaking her place on the thermal blanket.

  “Watch my back, Red.” He winked.

  “And a whole lot more,” she joked, taking his seat on thelog, Xena stationed beside her.

  She took a long drink from the bottle Rick had handed herand tried not to think about how hot it was.

  * * * * *

  Despite the ache in his chest, the humidity and the hardground beneath the thermal blanket, Rick was asleep almost as soon as his eyesclosed. He seldom dreamed, a discipline he’d developed during all his years in themilitary. If you dreamed you could be too deep in your sleep cycle and caughtunawares. But fatigue and a weakened condition contributed now to the lapse indiscipline.

  He was on an island, not unlike the one where they werehiding at the moment. Moving stealthily through foliage he came to the house onthe far side, a graceful two story with plantation columns and wide windows. Ona flagstone terrace a table under an umbrella was set with crystal and chinabut no one was in evidence.

  Then two men walked out from the house, voices angry. Inhis dream he strained to see them but their faces were shadowed, diffused. Hecould just make out the shape of Greg Jordan’s body but the other man was stilllike a smudge on the landscape.

  As he tried to move closer Xena was there, knocking himflat and dragging him by his t-shirt back into the foliage. At that moment apiece of paper blew up from the ground, floating on the air just out of hisreach. The unknown figure morphed into a gun that began spitting bullets at himand with a stifled cry he woke up.

  “Jesus Christ.” He dragged a shaking hand over his sweatyface.

  Kelly was beside him at once. “Rick? What is it? What’swrong?”

  “Remember when you told me your dog sometimes invades yourdreams to give you messages?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “And I told you she did that to me the other night?”

  “Did something happen just now?”

  “I think so.” He took the water bottle Kelly handed him anddrained it in great gulps. “We’re going to have trouble when we get to theother island. Someone’s going to kill me. Or try to.”

  “We figured Greg Jordan wouldn’t give up without a fight,”she reminded him.

  “No, not him. Someone else. Someone…” He rubbed his eyeswith the heels of his hands. “Someone I know? Someone I don’t expect? Thatthing just at the back of my mind, Red, that’s been teasing me since I cameback from Iraq? The trip just before we shipped the weapons? Whoever wants tokill me, it has something to do with that. I know at least that much now.”

  “How do you know?”

  He stared at her, as if he still couldn’t quite believe ithimself. “Xena told me.”

  * * * * *

  Wakened by the heavy pounding on Rick’s front door, Dan hadthrown on his jeans and shirt and opened the door to find a very angry man inthe person of Assistant United States Attorney John Hopewell. Behind him werethe two agents who’d spent the night sitting across the street in their car.

  “Either you produce Eric Latrobe,” Hopewell said betweengritted teeth, “or we’ll charge him in absentia and proceed accordingly.”

  “Nice to see you too, John,” he greeted him with heavysarcasm. “Were you just in the neighborhood and thought you’d drop in?”

  “Don’t get smart with me, Dan. I want your partner and Iwant him this minute. You and I both know he’s as guilty as hell so quitstalling.”

  “The first thing I think we should do is come inside so wedon’t wake the whole neighborhood.” He stepped back and opened the door wider.

  Hopewell raised an eyebrow. “You’re inviting me in?”

  “Why not? I have nothing to hide.”

  “Why are you staying here?” Hopewell demanded and lookedaround. “This means Latrobe’s not here, right?”

  “I’m here because it didn’t seem like a good idea to flyback to Texas with all this still on the table and Rick’s got plenty of room.”

  “Where is he? I want to know exactly where he is.”

  Dan held out his hands, palms up. “I wish I could tell youbut I just don’t know.”

  “Don’t give me that crap. You’ve got him stashed somewhereand it’s time to turn him over.”

  Dan folded his arms across his chest. “Tell you what, John.Do you have a warrant? If so, you can bring it to our offices after nineo’clock and deliver it to our attorneys. If you don’t have one, then you needto get the hell out of this house. I’m tired of you, the media and every covertand overt government agency in existence throwing dirt on a man who has servedhis country well and continues to do so. You’re dealing with circumstantialevidence here and that’s all.”

  “If you’re so sure he’s innocent, then why won’t you turnhim over to us?”

  “Turn him over?” A muscle twitched in Dan’s cheek. “You meanlike a common criminal?”

  “I want him,” Hopewell repeated stubbornly.

  “Nine o’clock,” Dan repeated. “Our offices. Now I think it’stime for you to leave.”

  He locked the door and reset the alarm, hoping that Rick washaving success on his very tricky mission. Besides the people who wanted toarrest him, too many people wanted to kill him. They needed to put this thingto bed and quickly.

  * * * * *

  The man was activating his carefully constructed plan, theonly option his greed had left him. He spent the entire day getting everythingin order, making sure his wife and family would be taken care of when he wasgone. He was sorry about the others who would be affected but not sorry enoughto stay and admit what he’d done. That would destroy everyone.

  No, this was the best solution to the problem. He had it allcarefully planned and all the arrangements had been made. He allowed himselfone last moment of regret for what he was leaving behind, then turned back tothe tasks at hand. Everything would have worked out perfectly if any of theidiots charged with the task had killed Rick Latrobe. Well, no help for it now.

  He’d decided his usual bolt hole would no longer work. Ifsomeone put the pieces together it would be easy enough to find him there. Itwasn’t so much the government he was worried about as al-Dulami’s men andothers who would want to erase all trace of him.

  He needed a new place, one completely off the radar and hehad researched some locations. He’d already moved all of his money to newaccounts, leapfrogging so many times he didn’t think anyone could follow thetrail.

  But first he had one loose end to eliminate. The only personleft who could tie him to this fiasco. As soon as he left here he’d take careof it.

  * * * * *

  The day dragged monotonously, the humid air filled with thesounds of chattering birds and the noises of insects. The heavy incense of thetropical blooms like magnolias and hyacinths clogged the still air, at timesmaking it difficult to breathe. Rick and Mike had been through this in manycorners but Kelly surprised both of them with her survival skills and herinfinite patience when there was nothing to do but wait. They slept in shifts,or rested if sleep escaped them. And made sure they drank plenty of water.Dehydration was the last thing they could afford.

  Rick and Mike checked and rechecked the weapons constantlyand went over the route to the island and the procedure they’d use so manytimes Kelly was sure she could do it
in her sleep.

  Kelly found it interesting that Xena positioned herself asclose as possible to Rick rather than her.

  “She knows you’re the one in danger. She smells it. Sensesit.”

  “I keep hoping she’ll find her way into my dreams again so Ican see exactly who this guy is but no such luck. And what the missing piece ofthe puzzle is.”

  “If anyone had told me that a psychic dog would be sendingyou messages in your dreams,” Mike commented, “I’d have told them they wereflat-out crazy. But the past few months I’ve seen so many unexplainable thingsI just don’t question stuff any more.”

  “People have been trying to explain psychic phenomena forcenturies,” Kelly told him. “Even when testing is done in labs the results areoften inconclusive. Some things you just have to take on faith.”

  “Have you thought any more about Mia’s offer to come toMaryland with Xena?” Rick asked. “Become part of our new Psi department?”

  She smiled at him. “Before the farm burned I’d have probablygiven it a pass. But now…” She shrugged. “I’m faced with starting overcompletely, so maybe it’s time to make some real changes in my life.”

  He put down the gun he was holding and took one of her handsin his. “That’s part of what I want to talk to you about. After we’re marriedwe can live anywhere. I told you that. And if Maine is where it’s at for you, Ican handle that. But you might want to look at other locations, since you’reessentially rebuilding anyway.”

  “After the wedding.” A warm feeling slithered through herbody. “That has a nice ring to it. I want to go to Texas too and meet thiswoman, Vivi and the others in her Lotus Circle group there. But let’s get outof here first, clear your name, then we can make plans.” She squeezed his hand.“Together.”

  The air became marginally cooler as the sun dropped belowthe horizon and the first edge of night crept over them. When it was full dark,they began to clear their small camp and carry their supplies back to thehelicopter.

  Mike and Rick unloaded an inflatable boat and the pump toblow it up. Kelly watched, amazed, as the small package of rubber suddenlybecame a craft that would carry the three of them plus Xena. While the menfinished getting the boat ready and loading their gear, she took Xena to thebeach to prepare her. She’d never been so grateful to have a dog who couldobviously read her mind. Xena sat perfectly still, head cocked, as she absorbedeverything Kelly needed her to know. She gave one tiny whine, obviously knowingbarking would not be a good thing and trotted back to where the men were.

  Then Mike pulled jungle fatigues out of one of thebackpacks, handing them around. Extra clips for the handguns went into pockets,along with tiny flashlights and a bottle of water for each of them.

  Kelly noticed Mike holding two small devices, one of whichhe gave to Rick, and raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

  “Thermal imaging units,” he explained. “They’ll tell uswhere any live bodies are.”

  Then he outfitted each of them with tiny ear buds and lipmics.

  “They’re all set to the same channel. Don’t talk unless youhave to.”

  Finally they were ready to launch. Once in the water theyfloated out away from the beach, then picked up the paddles they would use.Even though it would take them longer, they didn’t want to run the risk thenoise of a motor would make. Xena rode in the center of the inflated craft asif she’d been doing it all her life.

  No one said a word as they worked the paddles in a smoothrhythm. When they reached the other side of the atoll they moved away from theshore and headed toward the island where Jordan was staying. Lucky for themthere was a heavy cloud cover, shielding them from any moonlight that wouldexpose them to unwanted eyes.

  Kelly had no idea how long they paddled. She was onlythankful that all the work with her dogs had given her a toned body withwell-conditioned muscles. Finally Rick laid his paddle across his knees, pulledAndy’s satellite photo out of his pocket and studied the shoreline of thelooming island. Silently he pointed to the place they’d marked, then picked uphis paddle again as they headed for the lagoon.

  The narrow entrance to it was nearly overgrown withmangroves, the thick tree roots protruding above-ground, but the men skillfullyguided the boat until they reached the wide pool of water. Mike, at the frontof the boat, leaped out to tug it out of the water. In seconds Rick and Kellywere both over the side, helping to beach the rubber craft. Once it was onsomewhat solid ground, Kelly signaled to Xena, who stepped out onto land withunbelievably quiet steps.

  “She looks like she’s holding her breath,” Rick whispered toKelly.

  “I taught her to tiptoe,” she grinned. “Never thought itwould come in so handy.”

  Mike reached into the boat and pulled out three pairs ofnight vision goggles—NVGs—handing them around. Then he took a small flatinstrument from one of his pockets and pressed a button on the side.

  “This will alert us to the location of any alarm sensors aswe get closer to the house,” he whispered to Kelly. “Make sure Xena doesn’tstep on any of them.”

  “We’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Xena will probably sensethem before you do.”

  Then, slowly and in near silence, they made their waythrough the jungle-like growth. Vines tried to wrap themselves around them,small animals skittered over their feet and night birds split the air withtheir song.

  Kelly tapped Rick on the shoulder to get his attention.“What kind of animals am I trying not to notice?” she whispered.

  “Don’t know but all the natural sounds are good cover forany noise we might make.”

  He stopped where he was and reached for Kelly, lifting hisNVG and hers. “This has no place in this mission but I have to say it. Beforewe go any further, whatever happens, I want you to know I love you with all myheart. You are my heart.” His face was in shadows but she could see thetaut planes of his face. “I’ve lived my life… Well, anyway, one minute youweren’t there and I had no anchor. The next you were. I just wanted to tell youthat.”

  Kelly felt a sharp pain stab through her and she reached herarms up to pull his head down. “I love you too. With everything I am. We’regoing to come out of this together and have a wonderful life.”

  She stood on tiptoe and opened her mouth on his, tastinghim, relishing the flavor of him, for a brief moment blocking out everythingbut this man here and now. Then she released him and pulled her goggles back inplace.

  “Now let’s go kick some ass.”

  In another few steps the house came into view, as beautifuland graceful as it had looked in the picture. They stopped, Xena heeling atKelly’s signal. Rick and Mike each slid back their NVGs, pulled out theirthermal imagining devices and began scanning the house and the area around it.

  “I see seven people.” Rick’s voice was barely audiblethrough the ear buds. “One at the rear of the house and six in what must be theliving room off the terrace. Jordan’s got to be one of the four bodies in theheat signature, because the person in the back is too short.”

  “Who the hell do you think is with him?” Mike whisperedback.

  “Beats me. What do you want to do?”

  “Let’s wait a bit and see what happens.”

  They didn’t have long to wait. The figure in the rear of thehouse moved, heading off to what must be his or her bedroom. Then they heardloud voices and four figures emerged from the house. Two very tall men incasual clothes, one heavily muscled, the other lean and wiry, came first. Themuscular one was speaking in a loud angry voice. The other two were dressed insome kind of security uniform and urging the loud man forward with guns.

  ”Son of a bitch,” Mike whispered, his voice shocked.

  “No kidding.” Rick squinted to get a better look. “So that’swho wants to kill me. And now I know why.”

  The piece of information that had been buzzing around in hishead suddenly floated to the surface. He touched his partner’s shoulder to makesure he had his attention. “Mike? I know everything now. I remembered what’sbeen bothering me. It�
�s an email I saw on Jordan’s computer.”

  Mike turned his head to look at Rick. “What kind of email?Who from?”

  “When I was in his office at BIAP right after we unloadedthe shipment, there was an email open on his screen. I just glanced at it andJordan closed the screen before I had more than a few seconds to look at it.And when I was lying on the tarmac, half my blood leaking out, someone waswhispering something in my ear about it. But the shooting must have shut downmy brain and all this time I’ve been trying to remember what it said.‘Everything’s set on my end. Shipment ready to go. Make sure your people are readyto make it disappear. Matt’.”

  “I guess that answers the question once and for all aboutGreg Jordan’s involvement. But I can’t understand Matt. He’s got more moneythan he’ll ever need. Why take a chance on something like this?”

  “I don’t know,” Rick answered. “Maybe we should go and askhim.”

  “What is it?” Kelly asked in a whisper. “What’s going on?”

  “The man in front is Greg Jordan,” Mike told her. “But theother man…”

  It was that man who stunned them both.

  “Matt Caldwell.” Rick’s voice was so low the others had topress their ear buds to hear him but his shock was evident. “What the hell ishe doing here?”

  “Actually,” Mike said, “don’t think I’m crazy but we mayalso be looking at Matthias Grant.”

  “After this I wouldn’t think anything was crazy.”

  “This certainly doesn’t look too good for your friend Greg,”Kelly whispered into her mic.

  “I can’t believe this,” Greg was shouting, waving his hands.“I put my ass on the line for you and this is what I get?”

  “You’re a loose end I can’t afford to leave dangling.”Matt’s voice sounded almost apologetic. “If you’d been able to get rid ofLatrobe, things might be different. I’m sorry about this, Greg.”

  “Sorry? Sorry that you have to kill me? What kind of sorryis that?”

  “Rick Latrobe will never stop poking into this. If you’renot around, there’s no one left to answer his questions.”