“We’ll maintain radio contact for as long as possible. Check in with us as you move deeper into the hospital. If the radios stop working, we’ll switch to our cells.” Nathan turned onto Frost Street and pulled over to the curb next to the main entrance. “Hop out right here. The main entrance is behind us. We’ll let you know where we park. Reconnoiter all the ways into the ER, and pick a good spot to keep an eye on things. If anyone questions you, flash that FBI badge of yours.”
“Yeah right.”
“Stay safe, Special Agent Simpson.” An idea came to him, but he shelved it for now. Maybe they’d try it later. He glanced in the rearview mirror as Holly slid out. Karen’s expression hadn’t changed. Nathan pivoted to face her. “You okay for a few more minutes?”
She nodded.
“Once we’re certain Toby’s okay, we’ll set you up with one of our company cars and directions to our cabin. Call Cindy back and make arrangements to meet her somewhere later this morning. Make it a random place you both know, and whatever you do, don’t go back to your house. Even with our security guard stationed there, Mason or his people might make a move.”
“She won’t have any clothes,” Karen said. “Only what she’s wearing.”
Nathan pulled out his wallet and handed Karen a wad of large bills, mostly hundreds. “This isn’t a loan; it’s a gift.” He usually kept two grand in his wallet for emergencies, and Karen’s situation qualified.
“This is way too much money.”
“That should tide you and Cindy over. There’s plenty of food up at the cabin. The property’s ownership is masked by a shell company on the East Coast. There’s no way Mason can connect us to it. You’ll be safe there. Just lie low and keep your cell phone charged.” He read her expression. “You can pick up a charger at Walmart or Best Buy.”
“I can’t believe she’s dead.”
Nathan didn’t say anything. He felt badly for her, but there were times—like now—when silence was best. Karen needed to mourn her friend’s death in her own way.
In the passenger-side mirror, he watched Holly disappear into the hospital.
A few seconds later, her voice sounded off in his ear speaker. “Radio check.”
“Copy.” He turned into the parking structure and pushed the button for a ticket. He noticed the security camera, but believed it wouldn’t be a live feed.
“Holly’s your girlfriend?” Karen asked.
“Yes.”
“Does she know about us, I mean, you know . . . what we used to do?”
He turned into the driveway leading to the ER and the parking garage. “No.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“That wouldn’t be my first choice. Look, Karen, I don’t regret anything. You’re my friend and you always will be, but Holly’s helped me in ways I can’t even begin to describe.”
“Have you ever told her that?” Karen asked.
“Sort of, I mean not in those exact words, but yes.”
“You never saw Mara again after you met Holly,” said Harv, “so you haven’t betrayed her. I’m sure she hasn’t told you about every man she’s ever been involved with.”
“No, she hasn’t, and I haven’t asked. Hang on . . . ” He answered Holly’s latest radio check-in.
Harv said, “Your relationship with Holly has been tested on every level imaginable. A couple of years ago, you guys fought side by side in a gunfight. She’s proven herself.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“You don’t want her sticking her neck out for us again.”
Nathan didn’t respond.
“Look, she can handle herself.”
“You’re right on both counts, but that’s still not it.”
“You’re worried she’ll reject you because of me and Mara,” Karen said.
“I’m not worried about getting hurt; I’m worried about hurting her. I should’ve told Holly about you guys a long time ago. If I had, I wouldn’t be feeling this way.”
“Nate, that’s not fair,” Harv said. “I haven’t told Candace everything from my past before I met her. Especially our . . . questionable evening in Singapore.”
“Don’t remind me.” Nathan pulled into a parking spot on the second level where they had a perfect view of the ER’s entrance.
“Karen, Harv and I need to talk. We’ll be right outside the car.”
They got out and had walked a few paces away when his cell rang.
It was Holly.
“Hey,” she said, “you didn’t respond to my last radio check, so I’m assuming you didn’t hear it.”
“No, we didn’t. What’s going on in there?”
“It’s quiet. A few people are in the waiting area, but none of them look like BSI military contractors, whatever they’re supposed to look like.”
“Okay, good. We’re on the second level in the parking structure due east of the ER. We pulled into a spot overlooking the entrance area, so you can’t miss us. Stand by. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
Nathan ended the call.
“A lot of our strategy,” said Harv, “will depend on whether Toby or Mara gave us up.”
“Yeah, I know; if either of them told Mason who we are, we could be fighting a defensive battle, which makes protecting Toby and Karen that much harder. WITSEC might be the only option for them.”
“Well, she’ll be talking to Lansing soon. We’ll see what he wants to do.” Nathan looked at a yellow cab heading toward the freeway. “I hope she’ll be okay. I mean, she’ll have to come clean with Lansing about everything. Holly can say she objected, but she still went along with not reporting it right away.”
“We have a personal history with Lansing. Holly does too. He’s well aware of our . . . unorthodox methods.” Harv half smiled. “He flew all the way out here to visit your hospital bed after that mercenary’s bullet skipped off that block of granite you call a head.”
Nathan didn’t say anything. For some reason, he was seeing the bodies on the soccer field . . . Something about them . . .
“My point is, Lansing isn’t going to throw Holly under the bus. In fact, he’ll be grateful we’ve uncovered all of this.”
“Don’t be too sure about that,” Nathan said. “It could be the end of the FBI’s contract with Beaumont, and it’s likely to cause embarrassment and become a major hassle for Lansing.”
“Better he finds out about this before it gets plastered on the nightly news. He’ll be grateful he’s hearing about it from us first.”
“True enough. Do you think my dad’s aware of the pending contract?”
“Depending on how close he is with Beaumont, I wouldn’t be surprised if he recommended BSI. Why not call and ask him yourself?”
“I will . . . we will. You’re not off the hook on this one.”
“I’m totally okay with that. I like your dad. Now about Toby . . . ”
“Got it covered. Here’s what I want to do.”
CHAPTER 17
Speeding away from the ambush site, Mason cursed his bad luck. He was so close to scoring the perfect heist, but that idiot Haynes had threatened to bring it all crashing down.
Bad luck, he told himself again.
Driving with a spiderwebbed windshield sucked. Every source of light reflected from every crack, making the glass look like fireworks sparklers. Mason was tempted to pull over and kick the glass free, but he didn’t want to take the time. He was convinced the second shooter had purposely nailed the driver’s side of both their windshields. That guy had also been fast—he’d fired four times in less than three seconds and scored four perfect hits.
Law enforcement or military?
“How you doing, Chip?”
“I’ll live. It wasn’t a high-powered round. Probably a nine mil.”
“Still hurts.”
“The asshole taunted me.”
Mason said, “I heard him. At least he didn’t call you by name. We need to find out who they are and how they know about us.”
“It’s possible Haynes told someone before we got there, but we worked him over pretty good. His girlfriend too.”
“Either they’re a whole lot tougher than they acted, or we weren’t rough enough.”
“What about the text Haynes’s girlfriend sent to her friend?” Hahn asked. “Maybe this Karen woman called them in.”
“We’ll work on the cell phones we took from Haynes’s apartment and see what we can glean. Right now, we need to take side streets and clear the area before every cop in San Diego arrives. There’s no way we can return to our headquarters or our apartments. Without knowing who’s protecting Toby, we can’t risk it.”
“Do we make one last attempt to kill Haynes?”
Mason thought for a moment. “He’s inside the hospital by now, and SDPD is on the way or already there. We stick to the plan. We’ll exchange our vehicles at the safe house and proceed with the next phase of the operation.”
“That’s a long drive. We could get pulled over.”
Chip was right. Escondido was a twenty-minute drive—all freeway. Their windshields were still intact, but a CHP officer couldn’t miss the wrecked glass. Still, the odds of encountering a state trooper were low. “It’s our best option. We need to regroup. Call Darla and let her know the plan.”
While Chip made the call, Mason thought about their situation. That dumbass Haynes had caused more trouble than he’d ever know. Mason blamed himself for being so careless at Haynes’s apartment. He should’ve checked for a pulse. How could he be alive? It defied all odds. With a little luck, the guy’s brain was scrambled, and he’d be a turnip for the rest of his life. Or at least a victim of serious memory loss. But then again, tonight was no time to trust luck.
He heard Chip end the call. “Darla did well. That was a gutsy move placing herself between us and the gunmen.”
Mason nodded. “She’s fearless, all right.”
“How many are we facing?” Chip asked.
“At least three. I’m pretty sure the woman who ran up the sidewalk outside Haynes’s apartment was with the two gunmen. I only saw the guy charging you. He was a big sucker, probably six five or six.”
“At Haynes’s apartment, he painted me, but he didn’t fire. I’m also thinking the other guy purposely fired into the air. Did you get a look at him or see any muzzle flashes?”
“Not him, but I saw the flashes; they came from behind a parked car near the end of the block. Given the accuracy these guys just displayed, I’d agree he purposely missed me at Haynes’s apartment.”
“That big guy drilled me at the ambulance. Why didn’t he shoot me before?”
With Darla’s headlights right behind them, Mason sped down the on-ramp onto the freeway. “Because he hadn’t been inside Haynes’s apartment yet.”
“Yeah, that would definitely piss him off,” Chip said. “Especially if he knows Haynes. Could he be a Marine?”
Mason thought for a moment. “Yeah, that’s a strong possibility and it might give us a starting point to find him. I got the distinct impression he’s a formidable player. He felt like Special Forces. The guy charged us with only a handgun.”
“The woman with them was dressed differently,” Hahn said. “She wasn’t wearing tactical clothing like the guy on the grass. She had on a biker jacket.”
“Darla didn’t report seeing her, but I’m pretty sure she’s with them. Someone drove their vehicle away from the ambulance, and it was probably her. I couldn’t see any facial details, but I’m pretty sure the big guy who painted you with the laser at Haynes’s apartment is the same guy who just shot you.”
“If they’re former or active SOFs, that’s very bad news.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What about Haynes?”
“He complicates things, but we proceed as planned. We just have to make sure whoever’s running interference doesn’t reacquire us. The safe house is our best bet. We’ve got ninety minutes to exchange these wrecked vehicles and execute phase two.”
Hahn gave a tight nod.
Mason thought for a moment. “Actually, let’s make a quick detour. Get Darla on the phone again.”
CHAPTER 18
Kaunakakai Ferry Terminal,
Molokai, Hawaii—five days earlier
Using only thrusters, the captain of Yoonsuh maneuvered his ship into position at the end of the dock. The Molokai Princess was moored farther down, but there was plenty of room for the ROK private yacht. This part of the island looked quite different from the other side. By all definitions, it was a desert. The mountains made their own rain, but little of it reached the port unless a large storm passed through the area.
As a treat to his passenger and crew, the captain had approached Molokai from the north and navigated around the island’s west side. The sea cliffs of Molokai were among the most spectacular on earth. The delay had been minimal, and the captain planned to make up the lost time on the final leg. A sightseeing helicopter had buzzed his ship, but he wasn’t concerned; it happened all the time in Hawaiian waters.
Depending on its size, the refueling truck might need to make multiple trips to deliver twenty-five thousand gallons of diesel, and it could take hours to make the transfer. Refueling at Honolulu would’ve been faster and easier, but also more visible. He supposed a huge purchase like this could raise suspicion, but luxury yachts weren’t unheard of in the waters of Molokai. Besides, the fuel company loved the business; it wasn’t every day they sold a swimming pool’s worth of diesel.
Since no one was getting on or off the ship, he didn’t expect to see a customs agent. If an agent happened to show up, the first officer would be happy to give him a tour. More often than not, the inspectors were merely curious, and the captain couldn’t blame them. Yoonsuh’s elegance and grandeur was a far cry from the rusty old trawlers and cargo ships passing through the area. Charm went a long way in avoiding secondary searches.
The fuel truck rumbled over to the ship. Pleasantries were exchanged, and the refueling hose pulled aboard. Thankfully, it had a bigger diameter than some he’d seen.
Three hours later, the transfer was complete. Not surprisingly, no customs officials or any other federal agents had arrived to inspect his ship. After conducting a head count, the captain maneuvered the ship away from the terminal and set sail for North America.
CHAPTER 19
Nathan entered Sharp Memorial Hospital and found Holly across from the reception counter. Her expression showed puzzlement at his unannounced appearance.
She got up. “Did you try to call me? My cell didn’t ring.”
“Change in plans. We’re going to flash your FBI badge and ask to speak with the ER doctor on duty.”
“Okay . . . ”
“Since we’ve agreed to bring Lansing aboard, you can now act in an official FBI manner, can you not?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“You’ll take the lead, and I’ll be your colleague. Cook up a fake name for me.”
“Any preferences?”
“Not really.”
They marched down the corridor into the ER and approached the receptionist.
Holly pulled her badge. “I’m FBI Special Agent Holly Simpson, and this is Special Agent Edward Albus. We’d like to speak with the ER physician about a gunshot patient who came in a few minutes ago. It’s extremely urgent.”
“No problem, ma’am.” She focused on Nathan’s face. “She, ah . . . might be with the patient. Please wait here. I’ll be right back.” She left the reception desk and disappeared into the ER.
“Think this is going to work?” Nathan whispered.
“I have no idea. Was this your idea or Harvey’s?”
“Mine.”
“Should’ve figured. I think the combination of your blue eyes and scars rattled her. She either wanted to run away from you or have your children. I have no idea which.”
“I do.”
Dressed in blue scrubs, a tall woman came through the door. Pulled back in a ponytail, her hair was the same color as Holly’s—dark brown, bordering on black. She had kind eyes behind rectangular glasses. The receptionist stood off to the side while Holly reintroduced herself and Nathan—Edward—and thanked the doctor for coming out.
“I’m Dr. Lynne Thelan.” She locked eyes with Nathan, her expression uncertain. It wasn’t hard to read her thoughts.
He smiled and the tension vanished. “I lost a bet,” he said.
Holly took the lead. “Your gunshot patient’s an important witness in an ongoing FBI investigation. If he’s conscious, we really need to speak with him. It’s life-and-death urgent.”
“He’s in X-ray right now. If you make it brief, I’ll allow it, but we don’t normally do this, even for law enforcement.”
“Can you give us his condition? Is he conscious?”
“Yes, but he’s been drifting in and out.”
“Is he in danger of dying?”
“His life signs are stable, and we’re not seeing any signs of brain hemorrhaging, which are both good signs. Look, I don’t want to be presumptuous, but it’s quite clear he’s been interrogated. He has abrasions on both his wrists and ankles. Several of his fingers have been broken or dislocated. He’s got a broken nose, lacerations to his ears, cheeks, and lips. He’s also sustained a severe concussion. Somebody worked him over pretty hard.”
Holly gave a tight nod. “For everyone’s safety, we can’t comment on that.”
“An SDPD detective is also on the way. He wants to talk with Mr. Haynes, but he may not get here in time; we need to get Mr. Haynes prepped for surgery. The detective also wants to talk to the paramedics who brought him in.”
Holly feigned a curious look.
“They were caught in the middle of gunfire on the way over here.”
Contract to Kill Page 15
