Blink of an Eye

by Roy Johansen

“I’m all right,” Lynch said savagely as he pushed him aside. “There’s no time for this. This was my job, my responsibility. I’m not going to stand by and let Dee be killed because of this foul-up.”

  “Wrong,” Kelland said. “It’s my job. You’re out of it now.”

  “The hell I am.” He got to his feet. “You’ve got to contact them fast and tell them we want to renegotiate. If you don’t reach them right away, it will be too late. I’ve dealt with ransoming prisoners in the past, and all kinds of motivations can drive them at a time like this. We don’t want them to choose the first action that occurs to them based on anger or impulse. We have to give them a way to think they’re still going to come out of this with what they want.”

  Kelland was swearing. “Do you think we’re not trying to reach them? They broke contact the minute they realized the ransom might be a trap.”

  “Then find another way,” Lynch said. “And damn quick.”

  “Suggestions?” Kelland asked sarcastically.

  “The cemetery.” Jessie stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Use the cemetery. Put a message on the mausoleum that they used to send their message and tell them that a mistake was made and we’re ready to deal and offer an even higher fee.”

  “The cemetery,” Kelland repeated. “It could work…”

  “It will work,” Kendra said desperately. “We still have a chance of saving her. Just do it. Fast. And call in the media and get them out there to the mausoleum to publicize that message.”

  “I said it might work. Don’t get your hopes up.” Kelland turned on his heel. “I’ll do what I can.”

  “Yes, you will. And I’ll go with you,” Jessie said grimly. “I’ll begin calling the media now so that they’ll start broadcasting the story even before you get the message on the mausoleum. Like Lynch said, I want those bastards to know they have a chance of getting what they want. Any objections?”

  He shook his head and said over his shoulder, “By all means, join me. Just stay out of my way. You’re not the only one who wants your friend to come out of this alive.”

  Kendra watched them leave before turning back to Lynch. “Will you let me bandage that wound or am I going to get all kinds of flak from you?”

  “Flak,” he said curtly as he took out his handkerchief and dabbed at the cut. “I’ll take care of it once I get back to FBI headquarters. I’m surprised you didn’t want to go and help Jessie.”

  “I intend to do that as soon as I’m sure that you’re not going to collapse and cause us more problems. It was entirely your fault that you’ve probably got a concussion.” She was struggling to keep her voice from shaking. “You’re the one who wouldn’t wear any protective headgear to keep that from happening.”

  “That’s absolutely correct.”

  “Yes, and since Dee’s more important right now, I can’t be bothered with you after I’m sure that you’re not going to do something stupid. So tell me that’s not going to happen and I’ll leave you.”

  “I won’t do something stupid.” His lips tightened. “You all appear to be on the right track trying to save Dee, so I thought I’d go and see why the hell she needed saving.” He met her eyes. “And there’s only one place I can go to ask that question. Noah was in sole charge of the ransom until it was given to me. He was told not to put any markers on those bills. That mistake could cost Dee her life.”

  “I know. I don’t understand it, either. But it had to be a mistake. He was so eager to get her away from them.”

  “I’m not in a mood for excuses.” His tone was ice-cold. “He put her on the spot and he almost got me killed. I want to know why and then I still may break the son of a bitch’s neck.”

  “That’s really smart,” she said caustically. “Particularly since you probably have a concussion and Noah’s always surrounded by his executives and bodyguards.”

  “If I don’t believe I can handle them, then we’ll have a discussion…maybe.”

  She’d had enough. “Then do what you like. I have to go help Jessie try to keep Dee from being murdered. Why don’t you stagger back to that conference room, confront Noah, and see how much satisfaction you can squeeze out of getting him to admit he was an idiot. That sounds like a real way to win the day.”

  She walked away from him. She would not look back. She might tell one of the officers to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t black out again. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how worried she was about him when he wouldn’t take care of himself.

  “Kendra.”

  She hesitated and then glanced back at him.

  He was smiling gently. “I won’t be stupid about it. I just can’t let it go. Let me know as soon as you get an answer from that message. Okay?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know when that will be. Maybe they’ll just ignore it.”

  “It’s hard to ignore twenty million dollars. If we get lucky, they’ll just up the ransom and make sure the safety restrictions are totally foolproof.”

  “If we’re lucky.” But they’d been lucky about Lynch not getting his head blown off, she remembered. Only an inch more and he would have been dead. Stop it. She was starting to shake again.

  It might be okay. Maybe they’d be lucky about Dee, too…

  She turned away. “I’ll let you know the minute I get word.”

  * * *

  Second-Floor Conference Room

  FBI Headquarters

  When Lynch entered the conference room an hour later, it was full of noise and chaos erupting from several sleek executives plus Noah’s two bodyguards.

  Noah himself broke free of the people surrounding him the moment he saw Lynch. “Lynch, they told me you were hurt.” He hurried toward him. He shook his head as he saw the cut on his temple. “That’s terrible. But you were lucky to escape with only that wound. I’m sure it could’ve been much worse.” He smiled tentatively. “Maybe they’ll give you a Purple Heart or something?”

  “Not likely. The mission was a failure. We’ll be fortunate if we can get Dee out of this alive now.” He took a step closer. “Most of the time, kidnappers feel they have an obligation to kill their victims if the deal falls through.” His voice suddenly turned savage. “Maybe you didn’t know that or didn’t believe it. Why else would you deliberately cause it to happen?”

  “It wasn’t my fault.” Noah nervously moistened his lips. “How could you think it was? Delilah and I are friends. At one point we were almost more than that. All I could think of was getting her away from those scumbags. The minute I heard this had happened, I started an investigation to find out how I’d been betrayed. They can’t do that to me.”

  “You’ve been betrayed?” Lynch repeated silkily. “I’d think it was Dee who’d been betrayed, wouldn’t you? She’s the one whose severed head may end up being delivered to us because you let this happen.”

  “I meant that, of course. We were both betrayed.” His lips pursed pettishly. “But I seem to be the one getting the blame and it’s not what I deserve. I was trying to save her. I did everything right.”

  “Then how did right become so damn wrong? You have one minute to tell me before I take you apart.”

  “You might have difficulty with that.” He glanced at his bodyguards across the room. “But I’ll forgive your rudeness because of what you went through today.”

  “Thank you. You’re too kind,” Lynch said. “I’m accustomed to difficulty; sometimes I even embrace it. You’re running out of time, Noah.”

  “I told you, I was betrayed.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “You don’t understand how a man of my means and influence can be constantly surrounded by people who want to catch the brass ring or punish me for having it. I suspect it must have been one of my executives who changed my orders.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, when I was arranging for the money, my financial advisors kept telling me that we should hedge the bet, that there were all kinds of ways to save those mi
llions and still keep Delilah alive. I listened to them, of course, who wouldn’t? But naturally I turned them down.”

  “Naturally. Yet they still managed to get those trackable bands in my backpack.”

  “I believe one of my executives might have thought I was interested in what those financial advisors were proposing and arranged to do it for me himself. He probably thought that once the switch was completed successfully, I’d thank him…and it would put him first on the list for promotions.” He frowned. “I was just attempting to start questioning my staff when you came bursting into the room.”

  “So you didn’t know anything about it?”

  “I told you that I didn’t. It was done by someone who either wanted to please me, or wanted to ruin my reputation. Either way I’m also being hurt by this terrible injustice.” He lifted his chin. “Now may I go back and continue interrogating my employees so that I can determine who is guilty?”

  Lynch gazed at him appraisingly. Noah could be telling the truth, or he could be lying like a rug. He was inclined to believe the latter. But since he’d been in charge of the ransom, he was still responsible for what had happened to it either way. “You mean who else is guilty?” He dropped down in a chair at the conference table. “Yes, feel free to question them to your heart’s content. I’ll just stay here and watch and listen. Then when you’ve decided who you think ‘betrayed’ you, I’ll have my own turn at talking to him. I believe I’ve earned that right, haven’t I?”

  “It might go faster if you’re not here.” Noah was nibbling at his lower lip. “You might make them nervous.”

  “You think so?” Lynch smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Good. After what happened today, that’s a response I’ll definitely appreciate.”

  * * *

  Kelland’s Office

  FBI Headquarters

  “This is crazy.” Kendra gazed in frustration at the computer screen reflecting the wall of the mausoleum. “Why haven’t we heard?” She couldn’t understand why there hadn’t been an answer to the message at the cemetery for the last four hours. The message had gone up on the mausoleum within forty-five minutes of when Kelland had called in the order to his men. The media had been having a field day, building suspense, then crushing it, then starting the process all over again.

  “They have to have seen that message,” Jessie said through set teeth. “Everyone in the damn country must know that we’ve been practically begging those scumbags to give us another chance.”

  “Yes, we have,” Kelland said. “In the most humiliating way possible. The only reason I haven’t been asked to turn in my badge yet is that the director is hoping desperately I might turn into a hero and save the day.” He grimaced. “Not likely. There couldn’t be a more public revelation of inefficiency than that message on the mausoleum.”

  “Yet you didn’t bat an eyelash when we asked you to do it,” Kendra said. She’d been in such a frantic hurry to try to save Dee that she hadn’t realized what a career breaker this might prove for Kelland. “You only wondered if it would work.”

  “I couldn’t do anything else,” he said wearily. “I’m a good agent. My job was to save Delilah Winter’s life. We’d just heard from the Denver office. They checked surveillance cameras in and around coffee shops in a sixteen-block radius of Adrian Nash’s hotel, The Brown Palace. They got Nash walking south from his hotel one day, but he disappears from view pretty quickly. Naturally there’s no footage of him meeting with that Cabot guy who solicited his help in the abduction scheme.”

  Kendra shook her head. “Damn.”

  “Yeah. So your idea to contact the kidnappers may be the best shot we have right now. It didn’t matter that I ended up looking like an asshole bungler who let myself be manipulated.” His lip curled bitterly. “No, I can’t say it didn’t matter. I’m mad as hell.”

  “So was Lynch,” Kendra said. “He said he couldn’t let it go.”

  “Neither can I. But I was busy here, so when Lynch called and told me he was interrogating Noah and all his executives, I gave him permission. Not exactly protocol, but I knew Lynch was just as pissed off as I was. I want answers.” He shrugged. “I figured Lynch would get them for me.”

  “You have amazing faith in him. Even though he was possibly suffering a concussion?”

  “He refused treatment. He can take care of himself.” He glanced at her face. “You must agree. You told me when you got here that you knew he was on his way to see Noah.”

  “I agree he thinks he can take care of himself in any situation.” She was keeping her gaze fastened on the computer screen. “Have you heard from him since then?”

  His brows rose. “I hardly expected him to check in. The director was happy just to get him to come here. Lynch pretty much told me that he expected to run his own show when he arrived. As long as he cooperated, I wasn’t going to make waves.” He paused, curious. “When you worked a case with him, were you accustomed to having him check—”

  Kendra’s phone vibrated, and a text appeared on her screen:

  LAST CHANCE

  FIVE MILLION MORE

  INSTRUCTIONS 5/3

  “Here it is!” Kendra showed them the screen. “They answered. Thank God.”

  “Tomorrow,” Jessie murmured. She took the phone and typed. PROOF OF LIFE?

  A long wait. Then:

  PERHAPS 5/3

  Message ended.

  “Son of a bitch!” Jessie muttered. “They’re keeping us on tenterhooks. Punishment for screwing up this delivery?”

  “I guess that’s it.” Kendra moistened her lips. “Regardless, they have us over a barrel until they see fit to give that proof to us.” She turned to Kelland. “What do you think?”

  “I think that you’re right,” he said grimly. “And that I hope we got that message out to them in time.”

  She’d been afraid to put that last thought into words. “We’ve got to assume they did. What good would it do them to stretch this agony out if she wasn’t still alive?” She drew a deep breath. “Lord, I’m tired of feeling this helpless. Is there anything else we can do?”

  “We’re already doing it. The phone calls,” Kelland said. “Remember? I started trying to trace those voices on the phone from the first moment they began giving orders to Lynch. We’ve made incredible advances lately in the audio field and can do amazing things not only with tracing but also with voice analysis.”

  “How soon?”

  “It depends. I made it a priority.” He shrugged. “Tonight? Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow might be too late.”

  “I’ll get it as quick as I can,” he said quietly. “No one wants to get those bastards more than I do.”

  “Wanna bet?” Jessie asked. “Could we go down to the lab and listen to the original tapes again?”

  “If you promise not to get in the techs’ way. I meant it when I said top priority.”

  Kendra hesitated. “You go ahead, Jessie. I promised to let Lynch know when we knew about the mausoleum message. And I want to see if he’s found out anything about why this ransom delivery went to hell. Do you want to go with me, Kelland?”

  He shook his head. “He said he’d give me a report. I need to get a cup of coffee and then go back to my office and make a few dozen calls to tell everyone that we might have been given a reprieve. I’ll see you in the morning.” He headed toward the elevator.

  Kendra glanced at Jessie. “Jessie?”

  “I’d rather go down to the AV lab.” She shook her head emphatically. “If I caught sight of Noah in my present mood, I might cut his throat. I don’t want excuses about why he did that to Dee. I thought he was her friend. I even convinced Kelland he should let Noah pay that ransom. I didn’t have any idea that his enormous bankroll means more to him than he brags. Or that he believed he was smart enough to get that sneaky move past those goons. He took a chance and I’m not about to forgive him.” She started toward the elevator. “See if you can’t persuade Lynch to give it up and go to my pl
ace for the night. I know you’ve been worried about him.”

  “I’ve been worried about everyone.”

  “Yeah, me, too.” She tried to smile. “But maybe I’ll get good news from those audio guys. Kelland says they’re amazing.”

  “From what I’ve learned about current AV advances, I don’t doubt it,” Kendra said gently. “I’d like copies of those audio files. I want to listen to them myself.”

  “I figured you would,” Jessie said. “I’ll make sure you get them.” She turned away. “I’ll call you when I’m through here.”

  Good news, Kendra thought as she went toward the conference room. Amazing. She could use a little herself right now.

  But Lynch didn’t look as if he had any of that commodity available when she walked into the conference room. She was surprised to see he was the only one there. He was sitting with a cup of coffee and looked as tense and alert as when she’d left him earlier in the day. His gaze instantly flew to her face. “Dee?”

  “We just heard. They’ll accept the new delivery. Noah has to furnish another five million. Instructions tomorrow.” She added bitterly, “They said they won’t give us another proof of life until then, too. Jessie thinks they’re trying to punish us.”

  “And they could be. Five million?” he said thoughtfully. “They could have asked for more. If they’re angry, why didn’t they do it?”

  “Maybe they’re getting as tired of these negotiations as we are and want them over.” She dropped down in the chair next to him. “I hope that’s why. Where’s Noah? Are we going to have any trouble getting that extra five million from him?”

  He shook his head. “He’s too busy insisting how innocent he is and trying to pin the blame on one of his executives. Right now he’s zeroed in on Ed Carruthers, the most likely candidate, and he’s in the other office grilling him.” His lips twisted cynically. “I expect him to come out in a few minutes with a full confession from the man that will prove Noah is clean as the driven snow.”

  “You don’t believe that.”

  “No, the greedy bastard’s probably used bribery or intimidation to save his neck and reputation. But I’ll accept it for the time being, because we need that five million to move very fast and Noah will make sure it does if I don’t cause waves.” He shrugged. “But he already knows that I’ll be watching him. He just doesn’t know what a long memory I have.”