by Fiona Quinn
“If you go left instead of right on the farm road and cross over a field, you will come to a barn. It looks like there’s a church bus parked alongside. You could exchange vehicles.”
“How far out?”
“Five minutes, at your current rate of travel.”
“Prescott?”
“Alpha. Ditching these vehicles sounds like a plan to me.”
“Beta. Copy that. Control can you try to make contact with that house? See if they won’t lend us their bus for the afternoon?”
“Roger. Wilco.” Then communications went silent. The men were silent. The only noise was the thunk of the Tahoe’s overtaxed suspension system.
***
The farmer stood in front of the gaping maw of the old barn, signaling them forward. They pulled into the darkness and tumbled out of their car doors.
Prescott and his Panther were busy unhooking the prisoner.
The old farmer had a rotund body and a rosy face. He looked tickled pink to be on this adventure.
“Sir, Titus Kane from Iniquus. That’s Special Agent Prescott, FBI. We very much appreciate your help. But, sir, there are dangerous people involved. Iniquus Control says that you insist on driving. How can I convince you to simply rent your bus to us? If there’s any damage, we’re well-covered by insurance.”
Zoe didn’t hear the rest of the conversation as Gage hustled her onto the bus and sat her in an orange vinyl seat.
Titus must have lost the argument, because the gentleman, with keys in hand, was hot-footing it toward the bus. The Panthers had piled in and sat strategically, with their weapons ready.
The gentleman cranked the engine. He tipped his head up to see everyone in his mirror as he pulled the handle to shut the bus doors. “You’ll see. It’s for the best I drive. This old girl can be a might ornery. And besides, if anyone looks in the window, they’ll see it’s me and not one of y’all driving. If you keep your heads down, we’ll trick ‘em for sure. Hee-hee.”
Zoe bent down in compliance, confused by this man’s obvious glee. An unexpected adventure on a Friday afternoon. Gage had her in the seat next to the window and his gun was pointed out the glass over her back. Zoe whispered up to him, “Gage, is there any way they could have tracked us making the switch?”
“Probably. But there’s nothing we can do about it. We have to play the hand we’ve been dealt.”
Out they rumbled. The only voice on the bus was the soft-spoken directions that Titus gave to their driver. For a good twenty minutes, Zoe stayed bent over, keeping her head down, praying under her breath for safety.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
GAGE
“Let’s move,” Titus ordered. He patted the driver’s back and thanked him again as their group disembarked. The bus had let them off at the front guard post at Iniquus headquarters. There was a changing of manpower. Three vehicles sat just inside of the gate. Six men exited and moved toward the bus. “That’s Tidal Force. They’re going back with the bus to bring in our vehicles,” Brainiack said.
Zoe nodded. She didn’t look good. She hadn’t said a word since she asked about convoy strategy. They moved as a group to the new set of SUVs, drove a short distance to a building that looked like a country club with colonnaded porticos. If you didn’t know its true function, you’d swear it was a place for fine dining, wedding ceremonies, and charity golf weekends. That image changed the moment they powered into the underground garage.
They took an elevator up to an atrium that was coldly modern in its décor. It reminded Gage of streamlined efficiency. Everything was gunmetal gray, chrome and black. The men were in Iniquus battle dress uniforms. The women wore civilian clothes in black and grey. Gage felt right at home here. He looked at Zoe, with her shoulders nearly to her ears, and her stiff-legged gait, and thought she didn’t get the same sense of relief from this environment.
Titus moved Gage and Zoe along the right-hand corridor. The rest of the Panthers and Prescott moved down the center corridor.
Titus slowed his step and turned until he caught sight of Zoe. “How are you doing, ma’am?”
“I could use something to eat and a nap, to be perfectly honest.” Her voice was just above a whisper.
“We can take care of both. Here we go.” He opened his palm as a woman rounded the corner, her face brightened with a wide smile. “You’ll have time for a meal. We also have a nap pod available. It’s the adrenaline spiking in your system and dropping out that makes you feel so tired. Some sleep should help. My associate can accommodate you while the team comes up with the next step.”
Zoe stopped walking. “Have you any idea what that might be?”
“We need to hear what you have to say about this situation. And we need to see if there’s any kind of correlate between your experiences and Lily Winters’s death. You were about to tell us about a connection between you, Lily, and Montrim that went beyond school. You said it had something to do with wasps.”
Zoe nodded.
Titus’s colleague arrived at their side. “Commander.” She beamed at Titus.
“Margot, this is Dr. Kealoha. If you could see that she has an opportunity to eat and recuperate from this morning, I’d appreciate it. Tidal Force will be back within the hour with her luggage.”
“Certainly, sir. Doctor, if you’ll follow me?” Margot lifted her arm to point down the hall.
Zoe searched Gage’s face, clearly asking if she should go. He didn’t like to be separated from her, but Zoe needed to eat and sleep. He was worried about her after her hospital stint. She hadn’t fully recovered before her discharge; she was simply stable enough to be sent home. Then they lumped on more anxiety, physical action, and lack of food, and she was bound to relapse. He could do more good for her in the meetings, sharing what he learned while Zoe was in the hospital, than by holding her hand. They needed to go in different directions for now.
He dropped a kiss onto her head. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
She took a hesitant step forward, then followed Margot onto the elevator, and she was gone.
Titus started them back toward where the rest of the team had headed. “I had a colleague pull security footage from the scene of Lily’s death. And we’d like to hear what Prescott has to say about the autopsy. We need a copy of the death investigator’s report. We need to know whether there is a correlation between the two incidents or not. That’s key.”
“Prescott agreed to this?” Gage asked, stretching his legs so he and Titus maintained the same gait.
“He’s reporting in to his office and getting the files sent over now. The autopsy and cause of death is a big question and the other one is what the heck the wasps Zoe mentioned are. Any clue?”
“None. Zoe doesn’t talk about her work with me.”
“You and the Zoe seem tight. How long have you known her?” Titus asked.
“We’ve been seeing each other for about six months.”
They stopped in front of an elevator bank and Titus pressed the up button. “Last I knew, you were stationed at Camp Lejeune.”
“Yes, sir, my unit’s still down in Carolina.” Now that Gage was back in a military setting, his protocols snapped back into place. “I’m in and out of Quantico right now, helping to develop some new training procedures. Still feeling my way, trying to figure out whether I want to re-up or not.”
“And?”
“I haven’t made up my mind. I appreciate Iniquus’s understanding.”
“We only invite the best of the best, Marine. We aren’t taking in strays off the street. Command knows how to be patient.” Titus nodded at a passing colleague who’d lifted his hand in greeting. “I guess your continued work at Quantico has something to do with Zoe being in Virginia?”
“It does.”
“How’d you meet Zoe? I can’t imagine that you’d land in the same social circles.”
“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing to say, sir.”
The elevator door slid open a
nd the men climbed in. Titus pushed the button. As they moved upward Titus said, “Go on.”
Gage looked down as a little smiled played across his lips. “Me and some of the guys were at the grocery store and my buddy, Scab, couldn’t get his engine to turn over. I was under the hood with another Marine, but we couldn’t find the problem. So here comes this beautiful Hawaiian girl in her little sundress. As she slid between our truck and her car, she kind of mumbled, “You shouldn’t do that,” as my buddy was poking around. She opened her door to climb into her Prius, and I asked her in all seriousness why he shouldn’t. She had an air of competency. She wasn’t flirting. She probably didn’t even mean to say that out loud. She spouted out some technical reason.” They stepped off the elevator and walked off side by side.
“The guys said she didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. She sighs, takes the wrench from my hand and crawls under the hood. A couple minutes later, she comes back out, flicks a finger at Scab and says, “Now try it.” It started up like it was new off the showroom floor. I waved the guys on and stayed back to convince her to let me buy her an ice cream in thanks. We’ve been together ever since.” Gage stopped walking. He wanted Titus to absorb this piece of information. “You should know that Zoe’s very happy living in her own head. There’s lot’s going on in there, and when she lets any of it spill out, it’s always interesting and thoughtful. But if you push her, she gets uncomfortable.”
Titus leaned a shoulder into the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “So you don’t push.”
“Not if I can help it. I want her in my life. I’m telling you this about her because it’s going to come into play. We get a room full of people picking at her, and she’s going to slide into her shell. The more we can protect her from feeling overwhelmed, the better. She’s an introvert from head to toe.”
“You’re right. That is going to make a difference.” Titus went silent for a moment. “As introverted as you say she is, her circle must be very tight.”
Gage didn’t know where Titus was heading with this. “Yes, I’d say that’s correct.”
“And of the people she knows, they’re probably all intellectual relationships.”
“No. I don’t think that’s right. She has some good friends, girls she’s known since she was a kid—Sydney, Jurnee, and Holland. They Skype, and she’s a different person with them, open, goofy, chatty.”
Titus’s scowl seemed more pronounced. “That’s not your relationship with her.”
“Not at all. It’s just something I’ve observed a few times. I’m explaining this because I’m afraid I’ve drawn her like a nerdy caricature, and that would be a gross misrepresentation.”
“But you’re invested.”
Gage tipped his head. What was Titus asking him?
“What I need from you here is to tell me your level of investment with her.”
“It’s a hundred percent.”
“Got it. Good. She’s going to need someone to run interference for her. Someone that shy—”
“Oh no, she’s not at all shy. She’s an introvert. She likes to be alone in her head to process things—but she’s definitely not timid or shy. She’s a strong, intelligent, highly capable person.”
“Within the sphere of her understanding. Which means she’s going to need to lean on other people’s expertise in this.”
Gage breathed out. “That might be a stretch.”
Titus lifted off the wall and started down the hall again. “Lynx,” Titus called out as a young woman with long blonde hair and a bright pink dress rounded the corner. She looked surprisingly out of place.
She scooted over with a wide smile to shake Titus’s hand. “I’m told I’ve been put on loan.”
“Thank you, I know your window is a tight one, but we could use some focus. Lynx, this is Gage Harrison.”
Lynx held out her hand for a shake as they continued down the hall. “I’ve heard your name around our halls recently, haven’t I?”
“Gage interviewed for a position on Panther Force. He’s still deciding whether or not to re-up.” Titus pushed a door open with his shoulder. “This is the Panther Force war room,” Titus said, holding the door for Lynx, then nodding for Gage to follow her in. “Lynx was snapped up by Strike Force before anyone else got a fair shot at her. Luckily, she’s a good sport about being shared around. We’re fortunate to have her with us, even if it has to be short-term. She has an amazing ability to solve some confounding puzzles.”
“Well, thank you for that, but you’re right, I’m pressed for time. Sorry.” She walked toward the front of the room. “Now, before we get going, Titus, I should tell you, the good news is that Iniquus signed a contract with the FBI on this case.” She focused on Titus. “It’s one thing to give safe haven to one of our military scientists. It’s quite another for our team to take bullets.” She turned her head to include Gage in the conversation. “I’m so glad everyone came out of that okay. As far as our capabilities go, that contract means we’re a go with all of our resources.” She smiled warmly at Gage. “Now we can put all of our wheels in gear.” She switched her focus between Titus and Gage. “I’ll stay in play as long as I can. Got anything we can start with?”
Titus held up the container with the trackers. “Are you ready for a wild story?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
GAGE
They turned on a jammer, so they could safely open the box. Gage and Titus discussed what they had come up with at the kitchen table of the exfil house. Lynx bit her lip, picked up the Montrim card and moved over to a machine on the back table. She brought it back and lay it in the box. “The tech guys are going to have an early Christmas present when you hand that to them. Wouldn’t we just love to have that technology if Zoe’s is right? Okay, so far I’m with you. If I were taking a stab at it, I’d line this up the same way: two CIA, one DARPA, one Montrim, and two question marks from before that day in the form of the phone apps on Zoe’s cell and the tracker in her watch.” A mischievous look crossed her face. “Two things,” she said.
Titus crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. “I always love what comes out of your mouth when you get that twinkle in your eye.”
“Okay, first, Strike Force pulled our guy out of the yellow house. We can send in a clean-up team, and then you can use it for Gage and Zoe, since it’s our closest long-term secure residence.”
“That’ll work. I’ll call Support and get them on that. Let’s hear number two.”
“I’m leaving here for Miami shortly.” She smiled. “Wouldn’t it be amusing if I had the cobblers put together a Zoe Kealoha packet—passport, driver’s license, a couple of credit cards—and I bought a ticket for some random cruise that’s getting ready to leave the dock? No wait, some of those trackers were planted on Zoe and some on Gage. Make that a pair of tickets. I could get a set for Striker in Gage’s name. We could take the trackers out of the kit just before I get on the plane at Reagan, so no one has a chance to come find them. I fly down, Striker and I can board the ship, place the trackers in the cabin, and slip out before it disembarks. I can let the poor cruise ship off the hook by calling and saying there was a sudden personal emergency—after they’re out in International waters, of course—so there are no false alarms that two passengers were lost at sea. But whoever is trying to keep track of Zoe will have eyes on a southern prize, and it might give Zoe a little wiggle room to figure things out.”
“Do you have the time to do that?”
“My schedule today is dictated by my flight. Once I’m down in Miami, though, I have a little more flexibility. Should we give that a go?”
“Thanks, Lynx, we’d appreciate it,” Titus said.
There was a knock at the door. Prescott and the Panthers filed in as Lynx and Titus made quick calls to follow through with their plan.
“Special Agent Damion Prescott, may I present my colleague, Lynx?” Titus said as he got off the phone.
Prescott ga
ve her a curious look.
“Special Agent, if you would,” she said and gestured to a seat at one of the work tables. “My understanding is that Dr. Kealoha is the developer of a forensic field test that you have on trial.”
“That’s right.” He sat down and tipped his head. Gage hadn’t seen Prescott act like this before. Wary, unsure. It seemed odd. Lynx appeared innocuous to him.
“Is that the only capacity you have known or interacted with Zoe?”
He lowered his brows. “Yes.”
“I seem to make you uncomfortable,” she said sweetly.
“Maybe you’re just not what I expected when Titus told me he was pulling in an expert.”
“Yeah.” She laughed as she moved to the front of the room. “I get that a lot. Okay, I’ve already heard about the trackers. That’s all very interesting.” She bent down and whispered something in Nutsbe’s ear. He was sitting at a computer bank and tapped something out on his keyboard. “Titus said there might be a correlation between the death of Lily Winters and the attacks on Zoe Kealoha. To this end, he sent me some data, which included copies of Lily’s Google calendar and a few emails. The emails were encrypted, so they’re with the communications team for now. Our techs were able to capture images from her death on the security cameras, which I watched, along with the videos that were taken by the witnesses on site and posted online.”
Gage sat to the side of the room. He’d crossed his arms over his chest and hunkered down in his chair. He was laser focused on what Lynx was saying.
Nutsbe pressed a button and each of the screens filled with a different image. Lynx lined up remotes in front of each. Gage recognized that the screen on the far left had the image that he had watched from Channel Nine News.
Lynx pressed the arrow. The sound of a reggae band loudly playing the steelpans came to an abrupt halt when a scream went up. “Let’s start here. It’s quite a crowd for a Thursday night. I checked the normal patterns on this particular track, and they might expect one or two people to get on at this time, but on this particular night, the platform is full. We know it was full that night because a local museum put on a play. I checked with the museum. This is the first time they’ve tried a weeknight event, and it concluded at twenty three hundred hours. That made me wonder, if the museum doesn’t normally have weeknight events, and if this track typically has only one or two riders at this time, why would this reggae band be here?” She put down that remote and picked up the one beside it. “I took a look at the last thirty days of security tapes from this area. There were no other instances of this group or any other street performers in or around this Metro location in the last month. This is a security tape from earlier on Thursday evening.” She pressed the button to show the band setting up. “That’s twenty two thirty hours on the dot, a half-hour before the play let out. Less than an hour before Lily’s death. Let’s put that on the back burner for a minute.”
