Takedown (An Alexandra Poe Thriller)

by Robert Gregory Browne

  “Do you mind if I ask what you ordered? I’m having a hard time deciding.”

  “The mutton,” he said. “But it’s a little on the spicy side, so you might want to try something else.” He grinned. “Unless you like it spicy.”

  He was about as subtle as a sledgehammer, and Alex felt like rolling her eyes, but she resisted. “Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. I’d better order something else. Any suggestions?”

  “I can think of a few I’d like to make, but no, this is the first time I’ve eaten here.”

  “Oh? When did you get in?”

  “This morning.”

  “Are you here on holiday or business?”

  “A little of both, I guess. What about you?”

  She smiled. “Strictly business, I’m afraid. I couldn’t afford this place otherwise.”

  “I saw you in the lobby. Are you with some kind of news station?”

  “I wish. I’m still working my way toward the networks. In the meantime I’m doing destination profiles for a travel website. Maybe you’ve heard of us. Travel Planet Lifestyles?”

  He shook his head. “Can’t say that I have, but I’ll be sure to check it out now that I’ve seen what they have to offer. You have a lot of videos on there?”

  “Actually, this is my first gig for TPL.”

  “Well, I’m sure the camera loves you. I’m thinking you may be one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever—”

  “Alex?”

  The voice came from across the room and she swiveled her head, surprised to see none other than Thomas Gérard, in all of his Clive Owen glory, brushing past the maitre d’ and heading in her direction.

  What the hell?

  “Alex,” he said again as he stepped up to the table, blocking Favreau from view. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you said you were going to Sweden.”

  This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. If the words bounty hunter or fugitive came out of his mouth, her cover would be blown.

  “Change of plans,” she said quickly. “What are you doing here?”

  “A client invited me. He has a house he wants me to look at and I was near the island, so…” He paused. “I really can’t believe it’s you. After that last phone call, I was convinced I’d never see you again. I keep thinking about what a wonderful night we had and I—”

  “Thomas, not here, okay?”

  “What?”

  She tried to send him a message with her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m here on a job.”

  “You mean—?”

  “Yes. I’m working. And right now I just want to eat in peace, if you don’t mind.”

  He put his hands on the table and leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “Listen, I don’t know what I said or did to upset you, but—”

  “Thomas, I mean it. Not now.”

  He looked at her as if she had slapped him. “Then when?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know. But I have work to do and I can’t have you interfering. Do you understand?”

  He stood up. “I suppose I do. Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, Thomas, I really am, but this just isn’t the right time. How long will you be on the island?”

  “A few days.”

  “Then we’ll talk before I leave. Are you staying at the hotel?”

  He nodded.

  “All right,” she said. “I’ll call you. I promise.”

  He stood there and she could see he wanted to say more, but he didn’t push. Instead, he bowed slightly, said, “Enjoy your meal,” then turned and walked out of the cafe.

  Alex felt like the world’s biggest bitch, but at the moment that was the least of her worries.

  When she looked over at Favreau’s table—

  —he was gone.

  CHAPTER 17

  “WHO THE HELL was that?” Cooper asked as Alex emerged from the cafe.

  Deuce and Warlock were nowhere to be found.

  “You heard all that, huh?”

  He tapped his ear. “You’re on comm, remember? Who is he?”

  “Believe it or not, he’s my real estate broker.”

  “The guy who contacted you about the Key Largo house?”

  She nodded.

  “Jesus, Alex. Did we just get blown?”

  “No. You heard everything. I think we’re okay. He didn’t say anything compromising.”

  “I don’t care,” Cooper told her. “This is sloppy. What’s he doing here? Did he follow you?”

  “Were you listening or not? He thought I was in Sweden. It’s a stupid coincidence.”

  “And you’re sure he’s just your real estate broker? Because that isn’t what it sounded like.”

  Alex frowned. “What difference does it make?”

  “Because if this guy is gonna be following you around like a dog in heat—”

  “He didn’t follow me.”

  “So you say. But he didn’t sound like someone who’s all that anxious to go away, either. And that could be a problem, Alex. A big problem.”

  “For the op?” she said. “Or for you?”

  Cooper was silent. Which was where he always went when he got angry. She’d seen it a hundred times in Baghdad.

  But she had to say it. His anger seemed more personal than usual.

  “Look,” she told him, “everything’ll be fine, so let’s do what we came here to do, okay? Where’s Favreau?”

  Cooper did not look happy. “Deuce, are you reading this?”

  “Oh boy, am I,” Deuce said in their ears.

  “What’s Favreau up to?”

  “He’s on the beach, taking a smoke break. What do you want me to do?”

  “Hang back and let me think about this.”

  One of the elevator doors opened and Warlock stepped off and approached them. “Bloke went up to his room. He’s on the eighth floor.”

  Alex realized he was talking about Gérard and glared at Cooper. “You had him followed?”

  “Of course I did. It’s standard protocol.” He turned to Warlock. “You got any cigarettes on you?”

  Warlock patted his jacket pocket. “Always. Why?”

  “Give them to me.”

  Warlock brought out a battered pack of Doinas and handed them to Cooper, who, in turn, offered them to Alex.

  “Go down to the beach and ask him for a light,” he said.

  “Won’t that be a little obvious?”

  “We don’t have much choice, thanks to your real estate friend. Just put on the charm and believe me, he won’t care.”

  “We’re talking about a guy who’s so paranoid he rigs his hotel room like it’s Fort Knox.”

  “Trust me. If he thinks he’s got even a fifty-fifty chance of landing someone like you in the sack, all that paranoia goes right out the window.”

  “At the risk of getting choked again,” Warlock said, taking a prudent step backward, “I have to agree.”

  Alex shot him a look but said nothing.

  “You’d better get down there before he leaves,” Cooper told her.

  “Fine,” she said. She snatched the pack of cigarettes out of his hand and dropped them into the clutch purse she was carrying.

  As she headed toward the rear exit, Warlock called out, “Don’t lose those. I’ll be wanting them back.”

  She resisted the urge to show him her middle finger.

  She found Frederic Favreau sitting on a retaining wall near a kayak stand that was closed for the night. After stopping several yards away, she took out the pack of Doinas, popped one into her mouth, then rooted around inside her clutch.

  On the way down she had decided it would be best to use Gérard as a prop, as if his sudden appearance in her life had rattled her.

  Which wasn’t that far from the truth.

  She had passed his presence off to Cooper as a coincidence, but she wasn’t convinced of that herself, and wondered if Gérard really had followed her here. The question was why.

  As she dug
through her purse she could feel Favreau watching her again. After a moment, she cursed under her breath and looked up, pretending to notice him for the first time.

  She took the cigarette from her mouth. “Oh. Hello again.”

  “Hi, there.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to have a light, would you?”

  “I’m starting to think you’re stalking me,” he said with a grin. “It’s usually the other way around.”

  She approached him. “I think I’m the one who’s being stalked. You saw what happened in the cafe, right?”

  He took a lighter from his pocket and flicked it. “Hard not to. Old boyfriend?”

  She leaned in and lit the cigarette. She’d never been a smoker, but figured she could tolerate a few puffs before she felt like puking.

  “No,” she said, deciding to stick as close to the truth as possible. “Just somebody I met in Key Largo.” She took another puff and exhaled. “Men sometimes get attached to me. I’m not quite sure why.”

  “Oh, I think you know.” He pocketed the lighter. “Before we were so rudely interrupted, I was about to tell you you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”

  She smiled. “I never know how to react to that.”

  “But you’re used to hearing it, aren’t you?” He held out a hand. “I’m Frederic, by the way.”

  She shook it. “Alexandra.”

  “Nice. I like it. What did you end up ordering, Alexandra? At the cafe?”

  “Nothing. I didn’t have an appetite after Thomas showed up.”

  “That’s not right. You want me to talk to this guy? Tell him to back off?”

  She laughed. “No, I appreciate it, but I’m sure he got the message.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Some guys have selective hearing when it comes to certain women. I could tune up his eardrums a little.”

  “I appreciate the sentiment, but no thanks.”

  Favreau shrugged. “Just trying to help a damsel in distress. I thought I heard him say something about Sweden. Is that where you’re from? Because I would’ve pegged you as American. Although you look like you’ve got some Middle Eastern blood in you, too.”

  “You’re very observant.”

  “You’re very observable.”

  She laughed again. He might not be the most attractive or subtle guy in the universe, but he definitely had game.

  “Sweden was supposed to be my first gig,” she said. “But the girl assigned to St. Cajetan dropped out at the last minute, so here I am.”

  “And here we are.” He took a last drag off his cigarette and flicked the butt into the sand. “And it kills me to say this, Alexandra, but it’s been a long day and I’m beat.”

  He got to his feet.

  “You’re leaving? I thought we might get a drink.”

  “Trust me, I’m tempted, but it took me twenty-eight hours and three stops to get here this morning, and all I really want to do right now is sleep. Will you take a rain check?”

  She hesitated. “…Of course.”

  “Good,” he said with a nod. “My offer still stands about the ex. Just let me know.” He grinned again. “You have a good night now.”

  Alex watched him in a state of disbelief as he stepped past her and headed up the beach to the hotel.

  When he was gone, she said into her comm mic, “Does somebody want to tell me what the hell just happened?”

  CHAPTER 18

  IT WAS WELL past ten when they all stepped into their suite, feeling depressed and discouraged.

  “You know,” Deuce said, “I can’t really blame the guy. Alex is a wild card right now. For all he knows, she could be law enforcement, or even working for Valac.”

  Warlock dropped two equipment cases by the door. “The poor git’s probably Googling Alexandra’s life story as we speak.”

  “If he is,” Cooper said, “He’ll find a nice little social media profile Stonewell cooked up. Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and credits that include regional television stations in three different states.” He turned to Alex. “There’s no reason for him to think you’re anything other than what you say you are.”

  “A lot of good that does us now.” She kicked off her heels and headed for the living room. “The longer it takes us to find those codes, the closer he gets to making the sale.”

  Deuce followed her and plopped into a chair. “We could try the fire alarm gambit. Maybe he’ll forget to rig his door.”

  Warlock laughed. “Good luck with that, mate. Freddy boy strikes me as a creature of habit.”

  “You have any better ideas?”

  “Probably. But none that comes to mind at the moment.”

  Deuce gave him a look and said to Cooper, “Maybe we should grab the bastard and smack him around a little. Get the codes and force him to run point for us.”

  Cooper shook his head. “We have specific instructions about that. McElroy doesn’t want to risk tipping off Valac.”

  Alex sank to the sofa and leaned back. “Well, maybe McElroy should get his butt out here and come up with a better solution, because so far his way isn’t working. I’m with Deuce. I’ve always preferred the hands-on approach.”

  “Technically speaking,” Warlock said, “isn’t that what you’re going for?”

  Alex glared at him. “You really do walk the edge, don’t you?”

  “Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit humor impaired?”

  “When you say something funny, maybe I’ll laugh.”

  Cooper raised his hands. “All right, children, save it for the playground. We have work to do.”

  “By the way,” Warlock said to Alex. “I believe you still have my ciggies. I’d like them back.”

  “Sure,” she said. She popped open her purse, took out the pack of Doinas, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it at his chest. “They’re all yours.”

  Warlock’s eyes narrowed. “That was my last bloody pack, you—”

  “All right, you two, enough,” Cooper said. “I know we’re all feeling frustrated right now, but you can save this bullshit for somebody else’s parade. Are we clear?”

  Alex and Warlock were silent, but Alex knew Cooper was right. She and Shaggy were acting like five-year-olds.

  Not that Deuce had any problem with it.

  “Damn,” he said, “I really gotta get me some popcorn.”

  There was a knock at the door.

  They all turned in surprise, then Warlock touched the frame of his glasses, shifting his gaze to the upper right corner. His eyes went wide and he rushed over to the rolling computer cart in the middle of the room. “It’s him. It’s Favreau.”

  Alex sat up. “What? You’re sure?”

  “I’m not blind. He’s standing in the hallway with a bottle of bubbly.”

  There was another knock and Alex and Deuce jumped to their feet as Warlock rolled his rig toward his room. While the others cleared out, Alex went to the door, took a deep breath, and said, “Yes?”

  “It’s me, Frederic, your new smoking buddy. I hope it’s not too late to cash in that rain check.”

  “Oh…uh…I thought you were going to bed?”

  “Turns out I wasn’t as tired as I thought I was. I got my second wind.”

  “Okay…” she said. “Give me a minute, all right?”

  “Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”

  Alex stepped away from the door, wondering how she should play this. It was one thing to share a lighter on the beach and maybe get a drink at the hotel bar, but showing up at her room was a bold move. One that told her Frederic Favreau was used to getting his way.

  She left the foyer and crossed to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her, slipped out of the dress, then pulled on one of the hotel robes from the closet. Taking her cell phone from her purse—which doubled as a comm transmitter—she dropped it into a pocket.

  When she opened the door again, Cooper stood only a few feet away.

  “Perfect,” he said, eyeing the robe. “This guy’ll
never know what hit him.” He tossed something to her and she caught it. “These should buy us some time.”

  A bottle of pills. “What are they?”

  “Think roofies, only a lot stronger and a lot faster acting. We’re talking seconds, not minutes.”

  Alex was surprised. “You carry these around, do you?”

  “They were a gift from McElroy. Something the Stonewell labs cooked up, just in case.”

  She slipped them into her empty pocket. “Thanks. You’ve just made my job infinitely more palatable.”

  “Thank McElroy,” he said, then tapped his ear. “I’ll be on comm.”

  As he disappeared into his room, she crossed back to the front door, took another breath, then opened it to find Favreau staring down at the screen on his cell phone.

  He quickly pocketed the phone and looked up, taking in the robe and the subtle swell of her breasts. “Damn, I think I like this even better than the dress.” He held up the bottle of champagne. “I hope you have glasses.”

  “How did you know what room I’m in?”

  He grinned. “I’m a pretty resourceful guy. Place like this, you just have to know who to bribe. And when I found out we were hall mates, I thought we might as well get to know each other.”

  In the cafe and on the beach he hadn’t struck her as a man who lacked confidence, but now he displayed a cockiness Alex hadn’t seen before. She figured Warlock was right—Favreau had done some checking and found she was safe. At least where it counted. He likely assumed she was nothing more than a gold digger and decided he’d take advantage of the situation.

  All she had to do was run with it.

  “I guess I should be flattered,” she said.

  “I guess you should be, because I’m not usually this proactive. But then a woman of your caliber doesn’t come along every day.” He gestured. “Are we gonna do this or what?”

  She stepped aside and let him pass, taking the bottle of champagne from him as they moved into the living room. “Have a seat. Let me find those glasses.”

  He looked around. “Whoa, this place looks bigger than mine. You’re not here alone?”

  “I wish,” she said, heading into the kitchen. “I’m sharing it with my crew. But don’t worry, they’ve all gone to bed. Early call tomorrow.”