Point Blank

by Fern Michaels

  “Wuss! Why are you being so shy, Annie? Go for both,” Myra shot back, pleased with Annie’s praise.

  “Well, okay then, here we go! You rock, old girl!” Annie crunched down with one foot while the other traveled farther south. Myra, in the nick of time, dropped to the ground and clamped both her hands over the stalker’s mouth so he couldn’t give an alert.

  “Done! And really done!” Annie grinned. “Let’s see if the others are in need of our help. This piece of human garbage is not going anywhere, and Cooper can stand guard.”

  Annie and Myra did their best to stay in the shadows as they made their way back the way they had come. There was no noise, nothing out of the ordinary, only the sigh of the light wind.

  “Silence can be deadly sometimes,” Myra whispered.

  “Tell me about it.” Annie stopped to step into the lush shrubbery where Nikki was using her shoelaces from her sneakers to tie her quarry’s hands behind his back. He looked bruised and battered, and a slow stream of blood oozed down his chin. One leg stuck out at an awkward angle. “Looks like you snapped his kneecap, dear!”

  “I was going for the other one when he gave up,” Nikki said, straightening up. She blew a wisp of blond hair out of her eyes. “Is this two down?”

  “It is, darling girl. Oh, dear, in all the excitement I forgot to get the man’s cell phone. I’ll be right back.” Myra was off like the wind. She looked down at the man Annie had rendered harmless. She bent over to search the man’s pockets. There was nothing else to be found. She slipped what she knew was a burner phone into her own pocket. “You really are a low-life bottom-feeding bag of scum for trying to harm a precious little girl.” To show she meant business, she gave the man a vicious kick to the ribs. She was delighted to hear the sound of his ribs snapping and to see his eyes roll back in his head. “Like Annie says, done and done.” She scampered off, her heart lighter, truly believing they were getting closer and closer to rescuing little Lily.

  Nikki burst out into a soft giggle when she saw Yoko sitting on her assignment’s chest. She was yanking at his ears, demanding he speak English. “Give it up, Yoko. He has no clue. Knock him out. Cold. Take his phone.” She whistled softly, the sound that of one of the night birds nestled in the trees. Alexis and Isabelle stepped onto the driveway. “Status report?” she continued to giggle.

  “One crushed windpipe, three broken legs, one broken shoulder, two smashed noses. One lost significant hair. We’re good here. No English,” Alexis said cheerfully.

  “We have their phones. Nothing else in their pockets,” Isabelle said.

  Kathryn appeared out of the darkness. “My little pissant understands English. How much, I don’t know. When I told him I was going to pull his tongue out through his nose, he begged me to stop. In English. Of course I didn’t. I broke all his toes and all his fingers. He put up a hell of a fight, I have to give him that. Oh, yeah, one of his ears is . . . you know . . . kind of . . . sort of . . . just hanging there.”

  “Well then, I think our work here is done. Avery’s people can take over. If those lowlifes know anything of value, he’ll pass it on to us.” Annie whistled softly. Cooper appeared as if by magic.

  “The café in the hotel is still open. Let’s all get a double-decker chocolate ice-cream cone, my treat,” Myra said. “I think we deserve a reward for a good night’s work.”

  “Smashing idea, old girl! Someone should alert Mr. Snowden and the others that our job is done, and we’ll be joining them momentarily,” Annie said.

  “I just did,” Nikki said, laughing.

  “Did we do good or what?” Kathryn queried.

  “Damn straight we did good,” Yoko trilled as she bounced along, one knee sock at her ankle, the other one at midcalf. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost her broken glasses.

  “I just love it when we win out. First string, my ass!” the ever-verbal Kathryn expounded. “I thought these guys were supposed to be good.”

  “They are . . . were good. They weren’t expecting a sneak attack by women. It’s just that we’re better,” Nikki said.

  “And the reason for that is . . .” Isabelle said, the rest of the sentence hanging in the air.

  In unison, the girls shouted, “Because we’re women.”

  Avery Snowden caught sight of the women, all licking ice-cream cones. He shuddered as he tried to avoid them by scooting behind a thick fern. Son of a bitch! The women did pull it off. And they did it without anyone even knowing what was going on. If this level of expertise were maintained, he and his people would become expendable.

  His perch behind the thick fern was suddenly disturbed by Cooper, who nudged his leg and barked. A playful bark, but a bark just the same.

  “We saw you before Cooper did, Mr. Snowden,” Yoko trilled. “No need to hide.”

  “Goddamn it,” Snowden seethed as he made his way out the lobby doors and down the driveway, to where his people were waiting for him. Sometimes, he decided, the end really did justify the means.

  Inside Myra and Annie’s luxurious suite, between licks on their ice-cream cones, the women regaled their partners with a summary of what had happened down in the gardens of the famous hotel.

  While young Dennis felt a little queasy, he managed to display approving looks of admiration, while Dishbang Deshi fought to control the contents of his stomach. Crushed windpipe, ear hanging by a thread, all those broken bones. And they were licking ice-cream cones as if they were at some young girl’s sweet sixteen party. These women truly were vigilantes. He couldn’t help but wonder who had trained them. Harry? The one named Jack, who appeared to be Harry’s equal? Were they secret agents of the American CIA or the FBI?

  The fact that they were here in China could mean CIA because the CIA didn’t operate domestically in America. That’s why they had the FBI. He wished he knew more. Then he canceled the thought, realizing that what he already knew was more than enough to cause him endless sleepless nights.

  “So, Dishbang Deshi, what do you think of my little band of warriors now?” Harry asked.

  “Well . . . I . . .” Seeing Kathryn headed in his direction with a cold gleam in her eye, he quickly said, “I am very impressed. And pleased. And . . . and . . .”

  “Yes?” Kathryn drawled as she finished off her cone by popping the crunchy bottom of it into her mouth.

  “You . . . um . . . ladies are to be commended. I am sure those . . . thugs out there put up a good fight, and the fact that you bested them tells me you all have . . . no equals.”

  Sweat beaded up on Dishbang Deshi’s forehead at the expression he was seeing on Kathryn’s face. When she burst out laughing he almost blacked out.

  “And don’t you ever forget it,” Annie shouted from across the room.

  Like I could ever forget this nightmare, Dishbang Deshi thought to himself.

  “Okay, people, gather around. We need to discuss our departure for Macau tomorrow morning,” Charles said. He looked over at Harry, and his voice softened. “We’re one day closer, Harry.”

  Harry simply nodded and squeezed his wife’s hand. One day closer.

  Cooper let loose with three soft yips before he retired to his position by the door, where he snuggled down with his one-eared half-tailed rabbit.

  Chapter 14

  Promptly at ten o’clock the following morning, a gaggle of bellboys appeared with wheeled racks to deliver the group’s purchases of custom clothing and handcrafted footwear from the previous day. Everyone rushed to find their designated orders, which were clearly marked. Now all they had to do was sign off on the delivery and redirect all the packages to a dead-drop address in Las Vegas, Nevada, home of Crescent China Tours, which Lizzie Fox had set up for them. The hotel would see to it that the items would be packaged into one order and shipped from the hotel to the address provided. For a fee, of course. An outrageous fee, according to Annie.

  Harry was like a cat on a hot griddle as he shouted instructions in Chinese. Finally, Maggie, Crescent China Tours
’ designated tour-group leader, signed the last sheet of paper, handed out tips to all the bellboys, then sighed with relief. “People, we are good to go. Everyone, make a final check of your rooms to make sure you aren’t leaving anything behind. We will all assemble in the open courtyard to await our ride to the ferry, compliments of the hotel’s green Rolls-Royces. Remember now, act your parts and do not deviate from the roles you’ve been playing.”

  “What about Mr. Snowden and his people?” Dennis asked. “Shouldn’t we wait for them? What if they get lost, or they don’t meet up with us on time?”

  “They will be meeting us at the ferry, Dennis. Don’t worry about them. We have it all under control,” Charles said. Behind his back, Charles crossed his fingers, hoping that what he was saying was true. Snowden had yet to check in this morning. While Charles was worried, he wasn’t particularly alarmed. Yet. Avery Snowden marched to his own drummer and, in all the years of his employment, had never failed him. Then again, there was always a first time for everything. Along the lines of the best-laid plans of mice and men . . . or something like that.

  Maggie and Ted checked out the tour group at the front desk, offered a tip for the impeccable service, smiled, bowed, and then joined the group in the courtyard.

  Maggie clamped her hat firmly on her head, making sure the plumed feather was straight up. Ted did the same thing.

  While they waited for the green Rolls-Royces to arrive, Maggie and Ted both went into their tour-guide spiel.

  “Okay, people, listen up! We are about to depart for the Macau ferry terminal, where we will be leaving by Turbojet. Travel time is approximately sixty minutes. We will disembark at the Macau Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal. Since the Turbojet leaves every fifteen minutes, there is no need to purchase tickets in advance. If Mr. Snowden is running late for some reason, he will simply take the next ferry. I do not think we need to concern ourselves with his late arrival. He and his friends are seasoned travelers, and it is my understanding that several of his party have been here before. As I said, I see no cause for worry or concern.

  “We could make this short journey in first class, but this tour is on a budget, as are all travel tours, so we’re traveling economy. This was all explained at the outset, but I feel I need to make a point of our economizing. I don’t want any of you getting all pissy on me about accommodations.” Yoko started to giggle, and the others joined in. It was hard for Maggie to keep a straight face when Cooper started barking to express his opinion. No one was sure if he was for or against first-class travel or economy. There were some things a bark simply could not succeed in conveying, and this was one of them.

  “When we arrive in Macau, since we are all US residents, immigration should take us only a few minutes. I hope this is true. I’m reading this straight off a pamphlet. We all know our passports are current. And the visas here are good for thirty to one hundred eighty days. Not that we have visas, of course, those being unnecessary for US citizens coming to China. I’m just saying.

  “Now, as to money. We all have Hong Kong dollars with us—we saw to that yesterday—so there is no need for us to convert to Macau pataca currency. The tradespeople actually prefer Hong Kong dollars, I am told. Any questions?” God, I hope not, Maggie muttered.

  “And our rides approach,” Ted called out cheerfully as the green Rolls-Royces appeared in a straight line, engines purring like contented cats.

  There was still no sign of Avery Snowden or his people.

  The ride to the ferry terminal was short, and there were no snafus along the way.

  Once again, Maggie and Ted took center stage. This time, Ted took the lead as Maggie pretended to count heads and check carry-on bags while she let her gaze wander to the hundreds of people waiting to board the ferry. She could see no sign of Snowden or his people. She looked over at Charles, who, to her mind’s eye, looked worried, as did Fergus. If the others were worried, they weren’t showing any signs or giving off any bad vibes.

  “We’ll be boarding in seven minutes, people. Line up, and remember who is in front of you and who is in back of you. Always, always, watch for the feathers. Once we are on board, snacks will be distributed. We do not have to pay for those. There will be no tipping on this ferry ride.

  “When we reach Macau, our hotel van will be waiting to take us to our accommodations. We will be staying at the Wynn Macau on Rua Cidade de Sintra, NAPE, right here on Macau. We got a special rate because there are so many of us. Otherwise, this tour couldn’t afford such accommodations. Just so you all know. Any questions?” There better not be, Ted’s expression said.

  “They’re lowering the chain. Orderly fashion, people. Ted will go first. I will be last. Move, people!” Maggie said forcefully.

  They moved.

  “You know, Annie, in my opinion Ted and Maggie aren’t half bad as tour guides. I’m starting to believe they actually are tour guides. If I were an outside observer, I would never question their professions, would you?”

  “I wouldn’t either. I’ve seen a lot of people looking at us. I can read speculation with the best of them. I think we’re pulling this off. I really do,” Annie said. “I also have not seen anything that is worrisome. Have you?”

  “So far, so good. Each hour brings us one hour closer to finding Lily. It’s been a long, roundabout process, but I think we’ve been doing everything right. Even Harry’s old friend Dishbang Deshi is cooperating. Which, by the way, I find very amusing for some reason,” Myra said.

  Annie nodded. “You know, Myra, I am worried about something. Once we get to Macau, I am really going to need to talk to Bert. And then there’s Kathryn and her current itch in regard to Bert. We need to be mindful of that because she can be a hothead when she wants to be, and God help anyone standing in her way.”

  “We’ll figure something out. For now, let’s just relax and enjoy this rather choppy ferry ride, knowing that once we hit Macau, we are one step closer to that mountain we have to reach.

  “Yoko appears quite serene. Harry just looks tense and Cooper . . . Cooper just looks like . . . Cooper. That has to be a good thing.”

  “You do realize, don’t you, Myra, that this mission almost solely depends on that very strange dog. It’s like he has all the answers but can’t tell us what they are. We are to follow him blindly. A dog! We’re actually following a dog! It blows my mind.”

  “A dog with superior intellect, Annie. You and I are very tuned to the spirit world. I don’t know whether Cooper is part of that world or not. What I do know is, I will follow that animal wherever he leads us, knowing that when we reach our destination, it will be all we hoped it would be.”

  The rest of the ferry ride was made in silence on the part of the Crescent China Tours group. The other passengers carried on and on about whatever it was they were jabbering about in Chinese.

  When the ferry captain came on the loudspeaker to announce they would dock in seven minutes, Harry translated for the group.

  “Everyone remain seated and we’ll be last off the ferry,” Ted shouted, to be heard over the bedlam as passengers gathered up their gear, babbling to anyone who would listen.

  And then they were on dry land again. Directly ahead of them were Avery Snowden and his people, properly dressed in their Crescent China Tours clothing. He merely nodded to show they were all present and accounted for. It was now obvious they had taken an earlier ferry to be here waiting for the rest of the group.

  Ted looked around for the Wynn Casino transportation that would take them to the hotel. Their transportation turned out to be two white Mercedes travel vans. Riding in the first van was Bert Navarro, who looked lazy and comfortable in the front passenger seat.

  The minute Kathryn spotted her former lover, she grabbed Nikki’s hand and pulled her in the direction of the second van. “You need to help me avoid him, Nikki. I don’t want anything to screw this mission up and have everyone blame me. Please, spread the word to the girls. I’ll take a seat in the back of this van and wait it ou
t. Will you do that for me, Nikki?”

  “Of course I’ll do it, but you do realize that at some point you two are going to come face-to-face. What then?”

  “I don’t know. When we parted, it was over. He agreed to go his way, and I would go mine. And yet, here he is.”

  “But Kathryn, he was part of the mission Charles put together. He’s here because he is needed. Bert has always been a team player, you know that.”

  “Then ask yourself what the hell he’s doing here taking up a seat in the van. Is he going to talk to Annie and the others in front of a Chinese driver? I don’t think so.”

  “Calm down, Kathryn. The minute we reach the hotel, I can corner him so you can get away clean. I can have Jack and Harry talk to him. Or better yet, Annie. I think you’re overreacting, I really do.”

  At Kathryn’s skeptical look, Nikki hastened to explain, “Do you really think the Bert we all know would do anything to screw up Harry’s getting his daughter back? He would never do that. The fact that he’s here tells me he needs to talk to Annie or Charles or someone, and he has something worthwhile to report. It is entirely possible that you’re flattering yourself, Kathryn, in that you believe he’s here to see you. I know how awful that sounds coming from me, but it is possible, Kathryn. Think about it, okay?

  “I’m going to take the first seat up front so I can be first off when we get to the hotel. I’ll get to him as soon as I can. In the meantime, relax.”

  “Okay. Okay. Of course, you could be right. I hope you are.”

  Nikki made her way to the front of the van and sat down across from the driver, a Chinese with a gap-toothed smile and wire-rim glasses. She smiled in return as she settled herself into the comfortable seat, where she tapped out a text to Annie and asked for her help as well as an explanation as to Bert’s appearance.

  Next to board were Avery and his crew. The last person on was Dennis, who made his way to the back of the van to take a seat next to Kathryn.

  Conversation was nil as the Wynn van made its way to the casino hotel. The ride was short. Dennis was glad when it was time to step out of the van. Kathryn’s anger bothered him because he didn’t understand it. In the end, he decided that was probably a girly thing. He was learning, these days, more about women than he really wanted to know. When he hit the ground, he grimaced as he heard Maggie going into one of her never-ending spiels. He gritted his teeth and listened, knowing it was all part of the plan should there be eyes and ears on the alert.