“What you’re saying is that in a roundabout way, we’re working for the same man who tried to kill you. He’s blackmailing you to work for him.” Jordan shook his head.
“Yeah, that’s about the size of it.”
“So what’s to stop this Fletcher clown from turning right around and trying to kill you?”
“There’s nothing to stop him, except us. He won’t be in a position of power for long. The FBI is building their case against him. He just doesn’t know it yet. He will go down. What I said before about the constant power struggle between the FBI and the NSA, well, that’s the overall structure of things. Toss in the CIA and what you have is a power struggle stew. But in this case, the FBI is going to win. They always win.”
“So we’re just pawns for both sides. Once we deliver what they want…”
Jordan pulled into a parking spot and turned off the ignition.
Kayci offered, “It means we need a contingency plan, because I don’t want to be a pawn. And I don’t want to be under their thumb anymore…at least not in the usual way.”
“An exit strategy,” Jordan acknowledged. “I think I have an idea.”
“Oh, you do, do you?”
He reached across the console and gripped her hand. “I just want to be with you. I don’t want to be running or chasing, I just want to be. I’m still learning about all this psychic frequency stuff, and I think some quiet time might be good for that.”
“I’m in total agreement there. And as soon as we do this...”
***
Kayci took in a long view of the morning sky while waiting for Jordan to use the facilities. The mile-high city always had a special shade of blue to the sky. The air was crisp and clean, unlike East coast air in every way.
After grabbing their overnight bags, they headed into the massive expanse that was Denver International Airport. Before they got into the building, two men in black suits stopped them at the door, showed their FBI badges, and asked them to board an electric cart.
“Where’re we going?” Kayci inquired of the agents sitting in front of them on the four-person carrier.
“You two are leaving from a special terminal,” the agent in the passenger seat replied.
Kayci knew it meant they were going to be armed. That could only mean they expected a higher level of danger and they’d have no backup. The way the recruiting agents made it sound, she was just going to be using her abilities to locate Nathan, and other operatives were going to be doing the dangerous work. She would’ve never agreed to this otherwise. Her shoulder had still not healed enough for a physical confrontation, and Jordan was not ready to handle Nathan in a dangerous situation face-to-face.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Nathan Pratt tipped the glass to his lips, pouring just the slightest bit of wine into his mouth. He savored the flavor of the red liquid, tasting all the various subtleties: a hint of flower, bold, tart, with sweetness at the end. He loved a good wine.
He soaked in the sunset. The orange sphere was plunging toward the water. The waves curled through the shimmer of sunlight that split the sea in two.
The ribbon of glistening light streaked across the waves, trailed below his feet, and touching one of the thick wooden posts that supported the hotel balcony. He tipped one small drop of wine into the ocean, symbolic for his lost comrades.
His pocket rumbled, and he reached in and pulled out his phone. There was some surprise when he saw this particular number on his display. Nathan answered the phone and waited for the caller to speak.
“Fletcher is dead,” the caller indicated, and Nathan felt his body tense in surprise. He didn’t reply.
“An unavoidable turn of events. He was too flakey. I couldn’t have him rolling on me out of desperation.”
Nathan finally replied, “Are you sure it was the best move?”
“It was the only move. Kayci is working for the FBI. She’s in Costa Rica, hunting you.”
Nathan’s breath caught in his throat. “She’s not dead?”
“No, it turns out Kara wasn’t as good of a shot as you’d hoped. Fletcher told you she was dead, didn’t he?”
“He did. I believed him.” He shook his head in anger with himself. “I should’ve known.”
“You’re getting sloppy, Nathan. You’re letting the money cloud your senses, just like Kayci lets love cloud hers. Both of you are imperfect practitioners, always a weakness.”
“We have to eliminate her,” Nathan declared.
“I’ll be landing in one hour.”
He couldn’t understand this move. “Are you crazy?”
“It’s the only way.”
Nathan sighed in annoyance. “I can handle her, alone. We can’t risk exposing you, and we can’t risk anyone seeing us together.”
“You can’t handle her alone, and you certainly haven’t accounted for the boyfriend. He’s much further along than you thought. You need my help. Otherwise you’ll never get out of there. If I don’t run some interference, you’re doomed.”
Nathan raised his brow. “You’ve interfaced with him?”
“Observation level only.”
“Still, that’s risky. How do you know she…?”
“She didn’t. She can’t. And he has no idea what to look for at this stage of his development.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The man on the other end of the phone laughed. “Nathan, I’m always right. Now, as soon as I hang up, I’m going to start running interference. You get to the marina. A boat will be waiting for you.”
The call ended.
Nathan started to gather his things.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Kayci lowered the binoculars. “He’s onto us.”
She looked to the rocks spreading out into the ocean cove below. There was no quick way down the steep ledge. If the leap were smooth, she’d jump the fifty feet down and swim to the shore. That would save time. But there was no way to hit the water from this vantage point.
“What’s the move?” Jordan asked.
“We watch him and follow.” She raised the binoculars back to her eyes and watched Nathan gather the two large aluminum briefcases and a backpack and head to the hotel room door.
She knew right away they’d made a tactical error. It was too direct a line of sight, and their frequencies were too obvious. It was possible she and Jordan together were too much. “We should separate,” she suggested.
“No way,” Jordan opposed.
“I think maybe together we are broadcasting too loudly. He found us too quickly.”
“Too quickly? We’ve been in Costa Rica for two days. Why was he suddenly onto us now?”
“But we’ve only been on this ridge for twenty minutes.”
“And whoever was on that phone call may have alerted him.”
“They couldn’t know.”
“But they could know we are looking for him, some FBI leak.”
Kayci looked at the mountains across the bay, closed her eyes for a second, and gazed into the frequency plane. She saw only the red lines of her and Jordan. Nathan was no longer in sight. “He’s off the grid.”
“I’m watching the hotel.” Jordan looked through the binoculars.
“No, he’s off the frequency.” She stood up. “We need to move now.”
They started down the winding mountain trail, heading back to where they’d parked the rented bicycles. The jungle trees were so close they could slap their hands against them on both sides of the trail. Once they reached the bikes and the more open trails, they mounted the cycles and tore out.
She wasn’t as good on the bike as Jordan. He was very fast and able to rip around corners and leap over humps where she struggled to maintain momentum. She pushed herself way beyond what her injured shoulder could take. She was almost in tears from the pain, and just when she thought she couldn’t take another second, they reached the parking lot and their rented Subaru buggy.
They quickly tossed the bikes into the ba
ck of the open bed of the SUV and climbed into the neon green rental.
“You okay?” Jordan asked while starting the car.
She nodded, flexed her arm, and winced.
“Where to?” Jordan put the car in gear and sped away.
“Towards the marina near the hotel. He’s going to try and get off the island.”
Jordan sped down the winding country road, pushing the Subaru to its limits. The tires groaned in protest around every long turn. She reached up, gripped the handhold, and shot a glance at the driver seat. The intensity in Jordan’s face took her by surprise. He was a man on a mission, sprouting sprigs of intensity from every angle of his face.
The small SUV rocked from left to right, slamming her into the seatbelt with violent assurance. She was relieved when they finally broke free of the one lane country road and surged forward into the traffic of the main thoroughfare.
“You remember where it is?” she asked. Jordan nodded and scanned the traffic. He sped between cars. Several other drivers yelled and honked in response to his aggressive maneuvers.
“There!” she exclaimed, and Jordan slammed the brakes hard, causing the vehicle to pitch forward before he snapped the wheel to the right toward the ocean. The distant marina was marked with a tall sign that said INLET MARINA SOUTH.
Jordan pulled up to the old wooden building covered with aqua paint, and they both jumped from the vehicle.
“This way,” Kayci said, checking the frequency plane and spotting Nathan’s signal clearly. There were still enough people around to push his beating line up above the floor. They were close to him.
They headed down a long dirt path toward the docks. The sound of their steps made the transition from crunching gravel to hollow strikes on wood as they turned the corner onto the pier.
Kayci expected to see Nathan standing right in front of her, but he wasn’t as close as she thought. She could see him looking back at them, a good two-hundred yards out in the ocean already. She was confused. The signal looked so much stronger, it was almost as if someone were running mild interference on her, but that was impossible.
“Dammit.” Jordan kicked the air in anger.
“Can I help you?” A man sounded from behind them. Kayci turned to see a tall, thin man with a pointed nose and sad eyes, a long gray ponytail resting on his slumped shoulder.
She smiled and tried to keep it casual. “Yes, do you know where that man was going?”
The man regarded both of them with suspicion. “Who’s asking? You a cop or something?” The man had an American deep-south accent. Costa Rica boasted many transplant Americans, so this didn’t surprise her at all.
She smiled purposefully and turned on her feminine charm. “No, silly, do I look like a cop to you?” She glanced to Jordan and laughed. He laughed back. She then took her thick blonde mane out of the ponytail and shook it out, bending over and straightening up with a flip of her head. “Actually.” S took a step closer to the man. “He hired me to perform at a bachelor party, and I’m such an idiot I lost the address. But he told me to meet him at the marina. I missed the taxi, now I’ve missed the boat too.” She stuck out her bottom lip. “If you could tell me where he was heading, I can catch the next ride.”
The thin man shifted his stance and looked at her, then at Jordan. “Nice story,” he admitted. “But there ain’t no other ride from this here marina, the boat is done rented for the night and won’t be back ‘til after dark.”
The man turned and walked away.
“Wait, sir,” Kayci called. “I’ll find another boat if you just could tell me where that boat was heading.”
The man stopped and turned back to her. “I can’t say. Don’t know. Only the skipper knows.”
“Wait,” Jordan questioned. “You rented your boat to some guy, and you don’t even know where it was going?”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Y’all have a nice evening.” He walked away and into the large white door at the back of the marina building. He smirked at them and slammed the door shut.
“Epic fail,” Jordan said.
“Totally…we’ll never be able to see him on the frequency plane out in the ocean all alone. It’s too easy for him to lock it down.”
“Not enough other people around.” Jordan nodded knowingly.
“I can track him for a few more minutes. Maybe we can mirror him from the land here and then get to the marina over on the other side of the bay. Otherwise, we’re screwed. If he goes back to the mainland, he’ll slip away.”
She turned away and headed back toward the parking lot. When the rented Subaru came into view, several police were standing around the vehicle. She quickly ducked back behind the marina, pushing her body into Jordan’s and stopping him in his tracks.
She closed her eyes, checked the frequency plane and read the waves coming from the police around the car. It was not good. They had no time to go to jail. Nathan had set them up, and they’d fallen right into it.
“Back to the water” Kayci eased around the corner, and they ran back to the end of the dock. “Can you swim?”
“Of course”
She jumped into the water, and Jordan followed.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jordan waded through the hip-deep water, tired after the long swim. They had come onto the shore of a tiny micro island just a half mile from the main coast. It was probably no bigger than a single football field. The swim from Starlight Cove was much longer than he’d expected, and judging by the way Kayci dramatically collapsed on the sand ahead of him, it had tired her out too.
He flopped on the soft white sand next to her and let out a sigh of relief. “That was not a relaxing swim.”
They both sat in silence for several minutes, the sound of the lapping surf at their feet the only thing breaking the stillness. Jordan looked up to the sky, lighter at the horizon but blackening overhead. The moon seemed like the biggest one in history.
He rolled his head to the side to face Kayci. “Was there a part two to this plan?”
“This is part two.”
“A part three?”
She sat up, pulled her legs in, and crossed them. “Something isn’t right.”
“You’ve just figured that out?”
“It doesn’t make any sense how Nathan was alerted to our presence so quickly. I traced back along his modulation line, and there was no recognition. It came from the outside.” She twisted her lips up on one side. “It makes no sense.”
“So someone alerted him we were here during that phone call,” Jordan offered.
“Yeah…but who would be motivated to help him? Not even Fletcher would help him now.” She stood up, brushed the sand from her bare legs and water-soaked white shorts. Then she stripped off the pink T-shirt and walked toward the trees at the edge of the beach.
Jordan felt himself thinking about more primal urges as he watched her stride away. When she reached the trees and started tugging off her shorts, his mind locked up with thoughts of desire. He shook it off.
“Hang your clothes here.” She found a tropical tree with some spiny barbs sticking out just enough to hook a piece of clothing. Jordan pulled off his shirt and kaki shorts, then stripped off his wet socks and yellow-and-black Nike sneakers.
“So what’re we going to do now?” Jordan asked. “Besides dry our clothes?”
From the pocket of her shorts, Kayci took out a thin plastic case, inside was an even thinner phone. “We call for extraction.”
The phone was wafer thin and didn’t have any numbers on it, no way to dial or text.
“What is that thing?” Jordan inquired.
“It’s a SLEEP, Satellite Link Emergency Extraction Phone…one way connection with GPS locator. I have a dozen of them. They’re anonymous. The extraction team deploys without question, anywhere in the world. Even if someone is looking for you, the team doesn’t notify anyone. They do their job, no questions asked. As long as you have the proper code, you get a free ride home. That will give us tim
e to come up with a plan.”
He nodded as Kayci opened the clamshell and pressed the only button. When the connection went through, she said, “Alpha, tango, baker, four, eight, nine—code for clearance—seven, nine, nine, three, four, one—request for extraction.”
“Affirmative, alpha-tango-baker-four eight-nine. What security level?” the radio barked back.
“Extraction level one,” Kayci replied.
“Affirmative, level one.”
There was a long pause, then the voice on the radio said, “Alpha-tango-baker, four-eight-nine, level one extraction confirmed, approximate ETA four hours at your current location.”
Kayci replied, “Affirmative, four hours, current location secure.”
She closed the phone and snuggled it back into the plastic case that closed with a hard click. She slid it back into the pocket of her white shorts still on the tree. “So,” she said, “know a good way to kill four hours on a tiny, deserted island?”
Jordan smiled, trying desperately to keep his eyes on her face. But no matter how he tried, they kept wandering back to her perfectly proportioned body. He shook his head and looked back up to her face. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, get that out of your head,” she said. “You’re not ready for that right now. And it’s the wrong time.”
“Right,” Jordan replied. “There’s that whole psychic complication aspect to consider.”
“Well, it won’t have as much effect as the initial time. But you weren’t ready the first time.”
“Well, you didn’t exactly consider that then.”
She shot him an angry look, a face he hadn’t seen from her since the first night he’d found her on the street. “You asshole.”
Savior Frequency (Frequency Series Book 1) Page 17
