by John Locke
“After you hung up I kept questioning Jack and got some additional information you’ll want. But all of a sudden I felt a change in the air. I knew something was wrong.”
“Instinct.”
“Yeah. It just felt wrong. I kicked down the door to the adjoining room. Decker’s men were obviously in the hall, or had just arrived. When they heard the noise, they started shooting. Sprayed the room with gunfire.”
“They didn’t try to enter?”
“No. They fired about 40 shots and hauled ass. They were totally unprofessional. All their shots went high except the trailers. Those are the ones that got Jack.”
“He’s dead?”
“Probably. I couldn’t afford to wait around, so I taped his leg to stop the bleeding. It’s bad. If he lives he’ll lose the leg.”
“My bet? You saved his life. No one uses tape like you.”
“Thanks. I hope so.”
My cell phone vibrates with a new text message. I say, “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I was in the adjoining room.”
“Thank God. By the way, I just got a text from Decker.”
“What did it say?”
“I haven’t checked yet.”
“Go ahead,” she says. “I’ll wait.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I have something to say, but it can wait.”
“Tell me now.”
“You should check the message. Decker’s planning a major attack. It could be important.”
“It could be important. But whatever you’ve got to say is important. Decker’s message can wait.”
“Okay, I’ll make it quick. I’m breaking up with you.”
A cold chill runs through my veins. All I can think to say is, “Why?”
“I’ve got jealousy issues. You’re probably thinking, ‘Really?’ But yeah, it’s a sickness, and it’s only going to get worse.”
“Let’s work on it. Together.”
“No. It’s a sickness. It’s preventing me from doing my job properly.”
“You cracked the whole case just now.”
“And nearly got killed in the process.”
“Your instincts were dead on.”
“Quick question. What happened in the limo between you and Jill?”
I frown. Jack said something. I fight the urge to sluff it off. “The truth is she came onto me. She took her clothes off, fondled herself, and I didn’t stop her.”
“I believe you. But we had a discussion about this very subject. Do you remember?”
“Yes. And when I heard your view on it I told you the truth. It will never happen.”
“But it did.”
“Yes. Prior to our discussion.”
“An honest man would have confessed.”
“An honest man might be prepared to lose you. I wasn’t. And I’m still not.”
“I’m not pointing fingers, I just wanted to hear you say it. But I’m no better, Donovan. In fact, I’m ten times worse.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did Decker attach a video to his text?”
“Yes.”
“When you view it, you’ll never want to see me again. You’ll probably try to kill me.”
“How bad could it be?”
“The worst you can think of, times ten.”
“Callie, I don’t care if you slept with the man. It won’t change things between us. Not if you want us to work out.”
“Our relationship was doomed from the start. It’s all passion and no trust. And…can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
“The sex wasn’t all that great.”
I chuckle despite the fact my heart is breaking.
“What’s so funny?” she asks.
“Give me another chance. I’ll work on the sex part.”
“You won’t want to after watching Decker’s video. You’ll see I’m right. And Donovan?”
“Yeah?”
“Feel free to blink.”
“I did. As soon as you told me about the attack.”
“I lied.”
“About what?”
“Blinking during the attack. I never did. I won.”
I chuckle again. “I’m going to miss you like crazy.”
“Me too. And if you decide to kill me after watching the tape, please give me the courtesy of warning me first.”
“There’s nothing you could ever do that would make me want to kill you.”
“We’ll see.”
“You want to hold on while I watch it?”
“Sure, why not?”
I click on the message from Decker. It says: I think you’ll find this interesting. I certainly did.
I click on the video….and can’t believe what I’m seeing.
I’m witnessing a crime.
I’m watching Kathleen being brutally murdered by Callie.
3.
AS THE VIDEO rolls, I feel something I haven’t felt in years: a stabbing pain in my chest. I know it’s stress. I close my eyes, try to breathe deeply, try to make the pain subside. I open my eyes, stand, walk around the room, take deep breaths.
She killed Kathleen.
And not in a quick, painless manner.
Callie’s right. I’ll never get the image out of my mind. One moment she’s cradling Kathleen’s head in her hands, the next, she’s smashing it against the concrete floor, again and again. It’s not a fake. Callie’s admitted it, in her own way.
And worse….
She knew Decker had the video.
Which means he was blackmailing her.
That’s who she was texting when we left the crime scene in Jackson, Mississippi.
As bad as killing Kathleen is—and it’s really bad, because by doing so she turned Addie into an orphan again—she withheld information that could have saved people’s lives. Could’ve kept Kimberly from getting hurt.
I shake those assumptions out of my head. There has to be another explanation. Callie wouldn’t betray her country to keep me from learning about Kathleen. She didn’t know Decker was planning to bomb those houses. She didn’t know Kimberly was there. I need to ask her how much she knew, and when she knew it.
And I would, if I could speak.
But right now?
My God! The way she smashed Kathleen’s skull was….inhuman.
I walk around the room a couple more times, till the pain subsides. Then I click the phone to bring Callie back.
We listen to each other breathe a minute. Finally she says, “Say something.”
“Decker blackmailed you.”
“Yes.”
“You covered for him?”
“A little.”
“Tell me.”
“He placed cameras throughout Kathleen’s house and garage. I’m not sure what their relationship was, but he was in the house when I killed her. If only I’d known. He obviously knew Kathleen, and had some sort of plan for her. I’m not blaming them for what I did. I’m a psychopath.”
“How much did you know about Decker?”
“I promised I wouldn’t personally help you find or kill him. I agreed to recommend that you pay the ransom.”
“What else?”
“That’s it.”
“Did you know in advance about the bombings?”
“No.”
“But he texted you about Kimberly.”
“When he learned she was in the hospital he planned to kill her. I made a deal with him. He agreed not to kill her if I killed Jack.”
“But that was a setup.”
“I think so.”
“Which means Kimberly’s at risk.”
“Not if you’re guarding her.”
“The police have two men at the door. There are detectives and FBI present, as well.”
“Why?”
“One of the homeowners hired her to kill his wife and her lover. And she did. But like Decker said, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“You
don’t think there was a connection? That Decker planned the bombing around Kimberly?”
“No. He also bombed Jackson, Mississippi. The locations were carefully selected. There’s no way he could have known that far in advance where Kimberly would fulfill the hit. Now answer the important question.”
“What’s that?”
“Why’d you kill Kathleen?”
4.
CALLIE SIGHS. “I killed her because I’m flawed. I love you so much I get worked up and freak out when the first thing goes wrong. I went to see her because I was angry she met you for dinner. I didn’t like her attitude, or the way she treated you. I hated her and couldn’t understand why you ever loved her. You nearly married her a few years ago, and I wanted to find out why.”
I suddenly remember how Callie made love to me this last time. “You went there to find out about her sexual technique.”
“If you figured that out, you’re as bad as I am. No offense.”
“Things got out of hand and you killed her.”
“No. I made her call you. I listened in.”
“I remember. It made no sense, her calling like that. We made it clear at dinner the night before.”
“I know. But I warned her to never call you again. And told her if she did, I’d kill her.”
“And she did call. While I was on the phone with you.”
“Yes. And you told me she had something important to tell you.”
“You thought she was going to tell me about your threats. So you went back to her house and killed her. Decker saw the video and called you to blackmail you.”
“Yes. And shortly after that I found pictures of you, naked, in Kathleen’s bed.”
“After you killed her?”
“Yes.”
“That was before you and I made a commitment to each other.”
“By two days.”
“I’m sorry about that. And I should also mention I had a one-night stand that same night with the woman who hired Kimberly to kill her husband.”
“What?”
“I know. It’s a crazy coincidence. If you read this in a novel, you’d call bullshit on the author.”
“I was more surprised you fucked two women in the same day. And that’s a perfect example of why we could never work. We’re both cold-blooded killers, but you’re a hound dog. What happened to Kathleen is the same thing that happened to Eva. And might happen to you.”
“Again, you and I weren’t together when I saw Kathleen and Faith.”
“See how casually you put that? You said you saw them. That eats me alive, Donovan.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. And sorry about Jill.”
“Thanks for saying so. The bottom line is you’re you and I’m me. I wish it didn’t bother me that you have a tendency to stray. But I’ve known you too long to trust you for any period of time.”
“I understand.” I pause a moment, then say, “Can I ask you three questions?”
“Please.”
“One: do you want to keep working with me?”
“I’d love to. If you can forgive me for the Kathleen thing.”
I consider pointing out how casually she said that, but instead, I say, “I’m willing to try. Regardless of our relationship, the country needs you. Your personal demons are a constant struggle, but they’re the reason you’re so good at your job.”
“Thank you. I think. What’s your second question?”
“You agreed to kill Jack. Why didn’t you?”
“Decker told me to kill Jack without questioning him. So I knew Jack had some valuable information that could help us catch Decker.”
“Why did you break your promise to Decker?”
“Is that your third question?”
“No. It’s a bonus question.”
“He committed an act of terrorism against our country. And no, I didn’t consider writing graffiti on people’s asses to be terrorism. But when you bomb their homes, all bets are off.”
“Even though you knew he’d send me the tape of Kathleen.”
“Whatever happened to us, or whatever you decided to do to me, was less important than stopping Decker.”
“I believe you.”
“Thank you. What’s your third question?”
“Did you even pause to consider the effect it would have on Addie to murder her mother?”
“Barely.”
I remove the phone from my ear and stare at it a moment, in disbelief. Then I return it as she adds, “Don’t even think about playing the orphan card with me! You’ve turned hundreds of kids into orphans. It’s supposed to suddenly be different because you used to date Kathleen? That’s bullshit! You said you’re over her. Either you are or you aren’t. I threatened her, she ignored me, I killed her. It’s what we do, Donovan. It’s what we’ve always done. It’s who we are. We kill people, and we create orphans.”
I take it all in and realize she’s right. I hate the fact she killed Kathleen. But it would be the height of hypocrisy to point a finger at her when I’ve done much worse.
I finally say, “I have another question.”
“You’re starting to get on my nerves,” she says.
I’d smile, but the subject’s too serious. I ask, “Are you sorry you killed Kathleen?”
“No,” she says, without a moment’s hesitation.
We listen to each other breathe a few more minutes while I try to comprehend how her mind works, and how she could possibly function in society.
And I’m positive she’s thinking the same thing about me.
Finally, I say, “Is there anything else I should know?”
“Am I still on your payroll?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to try to kill me?”
“No. You have my word.”
She pauses a long time, then says, “No. I have nothing else to tell you…at this time.”
I don’t like the sound of that, but I let it go. For now. I say, “Do you want to try to make things work between us?”
“Are you kidding?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Because like I said a minute ago—”
“The sex wasn’t great?”
“For me, no. I’m sorry, I did try. How about you?”
I say, “You’re the best I ever had.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
She says, “I thought I might be. Especially at the end.”
“You were great.”
“And you’re a lying sack of shit. I was terrible, and we both know it.”
“I’ve been with worse.”
“No one would doubt that. Let’s move on. If I’m still on your payroll, what do you want me to do next?”
“Can you get a nurse’s uniform?”
“Sex is off the table, big guy. But I have a lead on Decker, if you’re interested.”
“What do you mean?”
“While I was taping his leg, Jack told me where to look for the drones.”
“You took the time to let him write it out?”
“He was determined to help. There he was, on his back, taped to the chair, his leg practically cut in two, bleeding profusely, and he never let go of the ink pen.”
“I’m impressed.”
“I was, too.”
“What did Jack have to say that was so important?”
5.
CALLIE’S GOOD NEWS—that Decker has a small piece of acreage in New Albany, Indiana—is shattered by the bad news I receive from the geeks.
It started off promising enough. Curly, Larry, and C.H. said the military made a positive ID on Decker. He’s active duty, operating out of a command center in Indianapolis. His photo’s being disseminated to law enforcement throughout the country as we speak. The fact that he’s currently on vacation isn’t the bad news.
The bad news is Curly gave me the earliest possible outdoor target. It’s an event taking place today, right now, on the banks of the Ohio River, in the very city where I’m
standing.
Louisville, Kentucky, just as Decker planned.
And Louisville’s located directly across the river from New Albany.
My head’s swimming. I have to act quickly. I call the geeks and tell them to search New Albany property records going back the past five years. I want every tract of land larger than two acres that’s been sold or leased within five miles of Louisville’s riverfront. I tell them to check under Decker, and his aliases, and Jack Tallow, and his aliases, and even toss in Jill and Bobby DiPiese for good measure.
Now what?
I’d like to call the Louisville Police Department and have them force an evacuation of the event. Problem is I have no legal authority to demand anything, since, in the eyes of law enforcement, my agency doesn’t even exist. They probably wouldn’t even put my call through to the chief of police.
I think about calling in a bomb threat, but if Decker’s just toying with me, and doesn’t intend to attack today, there’ll be hell to pay with Homeland Security.
I call Sherm Phillips and say, “I need you to issue an order to get choppers in the air above New Albany, Indiana. And to suspend the air show going on right now in Louisville.”
“Why?”
“Ryan Decker might be launching a drone attack on the crowd today.”
“How many people are we talking about?”
“Up to 800,000.”
“What? For an air show?”
“The air show precedes Thunder Over Louisville, the world’s largest fireworks display. It kicks off the Kentucky Derby festivities.”
“How could this guy acquire a drone? How could he operate it?”
“He’s got nine drones hooked up to a single control. He’s planning to fly them line-of-sight, which means he’s got to be within a few miles of downtown Louisville. Assuming he plans to attack.”
“You need surveillance choppers?”
“Yes. We’re looking for a small runway or parking lot within three miles of downtown Louisville, probably in New Albany. Decker will likely be standing on top of a building. If he is, he should be easy to find. If you can get a shooter on board to take him out, we might be able to wrap this up.”
“I’ll give the order, but if the attack is imminent, we may not get there in time. Do you have a contingency plan?”
“You could contact the news stations in and around Louisville. They already have choppers in the air to report on the crowds and air show. If one of these pilots, or one of the air show pilots, sees nine small drones flying toward the river, I hope you’ll give the order for them to crash into the drones.”
