Authors: Suzanne Ferrell
“Come armed. We’re going hunting.”
* * * * *
Sydney finished pulling her sweater on and reached for her well-worn, faded jeans to find Castello standing in the doorway. Never taking her eyes off him, she stepped into them and pulled the butter-soft material up her legs and bottom, then fastened them in front.
He didn’t blink, didn’t smile. She’d swear he was a cold statue if it weren’t for the fire in those dark eyes of his, and then the swallow he took when she finished. Finally, she reached up and pulled her freshly brushed hair into a ponytail. That’s when he moved.
Slowly, he walked across the bedroom, stopping less than an arm’s length from her. “I need you to do something.”
Inhaling, she straightened to her full height, which brought her equal to just above his shoulders. “We’ve already talked about this. I’m not staying behind.”
“I know. I made you a promise last night. I never go back on my word.”
She studied his face. Over the past few days she’d gotten quite good at reading beneath the stillness to see the nuances. He was asking her to trust him, and she did.
“Then what do you need me to do?”
He held up one of the burner phones they’d bought two days before. “Let’s try calling your brother again.”
“Why? It’s not like he’s going to answer.”
“He may not, but I doubt he’s gone completely off the grid. I’m betting he thinks he’s safe, since the hit man is going after you. If he’s working with someone, he’s going to need some sort of communication. If not, he might be connecting to his email through the phone to contact the congressman. Either way, he’ll have it turned back on.”
She took the phone with some dread. “After all I’ve learned about him the past few days, I’m not sure I want to talk to him, or even what to say.”
Frank took her elbow and steered them both to sit on the bed. “If he answers, warn him again that someone has not only torched and blown up your house, but has tried to kill you.”
“He won’t care.” God, she sounded like a pitiful thing when what she wanted was to be impenetrable and strong.
“I know, but you at least have to warn him. You’re doing it for you, not him. Don’t mention the blackmail photos or emails. We don’t want to tip our hand about how much we know. Just tell him you found some extra film, see what he says.”
“Why are we doing this?” she asked, suddenly thinking there was more he wasn’t telling her.
Resignation settled on his features. “Luke’s got a tracer on this phone number. If your brother answers, he’ll triangulate the connection and take over the GPS. We just need you to keep him on the line a few minutes.”
“He can do that?”
“Legally, no. But the boy genius has been known to cross over the lines when it’s important. Once we have the GPS, we’ll be able to track your brother’s movements inside the park.”
“If he doesn’t turn off the phone as soon as he talks to me.”
The corner of Frank’s lip lifted.
“Oh, my God. You can turn it back on.”
He nodded.
“You know, I think I liked it better when I didn’t know just how invasive people with the skills like Luke and Abby can be into people’s private lives.”
“Sweetheart, your brother lost the right to his privacy the moment he put your life in danger.”
Frank’s face lost all its humor. Back was the stone-cold warrior.
Sydney felt very sorry for her brother as she typed in his number.
* * * * *
The buzzing of his phone vibrated in his pocket. Ian reached for it automatically, didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it anyway.
“You ready, Marv?” he said.
“It’s not Marv.”
Fuck. Sydney
. The last thing he wanted to do right now was get nagged by Miss Perfect.
“Hey, Sydney. Thought you were someone else. Didn’t recognize the number.”
“I had to get a new one after a car tried to run me down on Sunday.”
“No shit. You okay?”
There was a little hesitation. “Physically, yes. Scared.”
“I bet. Did they get the guy?” Damn, he hoped so. If they didn’t and they ended up killing her then they’d know someone else was running the blackmail on the congressman. That would put the killer on his tail and he couldn’t have that.
“No, they haven’t. I have to ask you something.”
He pulled the house trailer’s door closed behind him with the key inside. He wouldn’t be returning. “What?” he asked, as he headed to his rental car.
“Did you leave a tub of film in my camera case before I left town?”
Dammit. He’d hoped she wouldn’t find it. It was his added insurance.
“Yeah, I meant to ask you to hold on to it for me, but you were in such a hurry to get out of town, I just forgot.” He hesitated. “You, um, didn’t develop it, did you?”
Another hesitation on her end. “No, should I?”
Relief flooded him. The last thing he wanted his Goody Two-Shoes sister doing was developing those murder photos and taking them to the police. “No, that’s okay,” he hurried to reassure her. “I’ll get the film from you later.”
“Today?”
He climbed into the car and closed the door, checking the time. He needed to get off the phone with his sister and pick up Marv, the vet who was going to be his mule to pick up the money at the exchange. “No, sis. I’ll send for the film. I’m getting ready to leave town today.”
“Ian, is the person trying to hurt me actually looking for you? Does this have to do with gambling debts?”
An inkling of guilt wormed its way into his conscience.
“Look, I have to go. I’m sorry someone’s confused us, but after today, no one should be after you.”
“Eee, what are you planning?”
He needed to leave now if he wanted to get to the drop point at the zoo on time. “Gotta go.”
Not waiting for a reply he ended the call, tossing the phone into the trailer park’s Dumpster on his way out.
Time to make his future bright.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The airplane landed at the airport on the east side of Columbus. Instead of taxiing to the terminal, Dimitri had arranged for a private car to meet them on the tarmac.
“Are we going straight to the zoo?” Congressman Blanton asked, as they pulled out onto the access road of the airport.
Dimitri made a show of checking the time on his Rolex Submariner watch.
Always show power, even in simple things
. Another motto from his father. “We have two hours until the exchange time. I thought perhaps you would like to relax in private before you leave for the meeting. I’ve secured us a hotel suite not too far away.”
“You’re not going with me?” Blanton’s eyes widened with fear, and his skin paled slightly.
“I will be close by, but as you said earlier, we wouldn’t want to be too conspicuous, two men arriving at the zoo early on a work day. I’ll arrive first. You should get there about five minutes before the scheduled time.”
“You said I’d have private security.”
“Do not worry.” Dimitri met his driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Karl will take care of you.”
* * * * *
Just after the zoo opened its gates to visitors, Geist, dressed in a lightweight jacket and baseball hat to help cover his face, strolled casually in with a crowd of tourists disembarking from a bus.
Taking the park map like everyone else, he opened it and scanned it. The designers of the zoo had divided it up into sections based on the continents. According to the map, the polar bears were in the North American animal exhibit to his left. Instead of heading directly there, he headed straight ahead into what was designated the Asian animal area. He’d slowly make his way around, through the African exhibit into the North American section. Along the way, he’d scout for any sign of the lady photographer or the Marshal that had been with her since the first night. He’d also look for a place to hide until he made his move, and possible escape routes.
Normally, on most commissions, he preferred to plan ahead and arrange the target’s death to look like an accident. The aftermath was cleaner for him, the target’s family, and his employer. That’s why he’d planted the bomb and torched the woman’s home. Going after her with the policeman’s car had been a spontaneous act. A foolish one. He’d missed, leaving her alive, and more importantly, both of them aware he was on their trail.
After his mentor’s call last night, giving him the reprieve in the form of a second chance, he’d meditated on the best way to handle Sydney Peele’s death. So far, she’d proven a worthy adversary. Something totally unexpected. So, instead of a quick head shot from a silencer, he planned something much different.
First thing would be to create chaos, and then separate her from the man who’d protected her from the hit-and-run. The Marshal would be the quick kill.
Then he’s hit her with the hypodermic in his pocket. Enough tranquillizer to knock her out, but not kill her. He’d be able to carry her out of the park as someone who fainted in the crowd. Once in his van, he’d truss her up like a chicken, tie on the cinder blocks, and dump her in the nearby Scioto River.
The corners of his mouth lifted. He’d make sure she woke up before going in alive, knowing she’d panic as she drowned, but be unable to stop it.
* * * * *
Ian pulled the rental car into the far eastern section of the zoo’s parking lot. He could’ve parked closer to the entrance, but he knew this spot was closest to the rear exit of the park and lead directly out to the road marking the park’s northern boundary. It was also near the fence that ran behind the polar bear exhibit.
After he’d spent the day chumming up to Marv, the old veteran he’d met at the library, plied him with food, a small amount of whisky, and dropped him off to spend the night in a shelter, he’d driven up to the zoo. Using a good pair of wire cutters, he’d found a place hidden by trees and not too far from the parking lot to snip a hole in the fence for today. Once the exchange was made, he’d get the money from Marv and make a quick escape out the fence.
The only obstacle in his path was the film he’d left with Sydney. Originally, he’d planned to meet with her and take the roll from her. However, he wasn’t risking getting caught in the hit man’s crosshairs.
“Okay, Marv,” he said, turning to the man in the passenger seat. “Remember what the plan is?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said bouncing back and forth. “I give the guy sitting on the bench the package. He gives me the backpack and I bring it over to you.”
“Right. What else did we talk about?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Marv bounced in the seat again. “I don’t open it. Not even a crack of the zipper.”
“And if you do exactly as I’ve told you…” He waited for the other man to remember the last bit of their discussions from yesterday and this morning.
“You’ll give me a hundred bucks.”
“That’s right.” He shut off the engine. “Now we’ve got about an hour before he gets here, so why don’t we go inside and grab some breakfast?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Marv said, reaching for the door handle. “Can’t work on an empty stomach.”
Ian locked the car, then felt around on his jacket. Left pocket, new burner phone, and small sealed envelope, the package he’d give Marv right before he sent him to do the exchange. Right pocket, thirty-eight handgun. Ever since Sydney’s panicked call on Saturday, he’d been armed and ready for trouble.
* * * * *
The groundskeeper pushed the cart along the walkway, his odd limp slowing his progress. Periodically, he’d pause to let groups of visitors pass as he swept up the sidewalk. Doyle had always worked on the theory that hiding in plain sight was the best way to work an undercover assignment. No one paid attention to the janitors, delivery men, or the kids behind the fast-food restaurant counters.
He’d arrived early to talk with the head security officer on duty about what was happening today, informing him that armed law enforcement would be in the area at the time of the exchange. Relief had flooded the younger man’s face. It was one thing to stop shoplifters or rowdy guests, another to deal with dangerous international killers.
“Any sign of our bad guys?” Matt’s voice sounded in his ear. He was working the concession stand nearest the target area.
“Not yet,” Doyle muttered low, so only the others on the earbuds they were wearing would hear. He’d fitted them all the night before, to be sure they were working and on the same frequency. Dave had a few for Chambers and the other undercover people this morning. “If Geist or Kormensky are here, they’re well hidden.”
“Damn. Was hoping we could take one out before Castello and Sydney get here.”
“They’re professionals,” Dave said. “They’ll wait to the last minute to strike. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
“Geist will be the easiest to identify. Remember, he’s extremely tall and very pale blond,” Jake said, giving the description over the comms to the police. “Anyone see him, notify us of the area. Do not approach. We want to be sure to get him. He’s wanted in at least ten countries, and very dangerous.”
* * * * *
The black sedan pulled in beside the tourist busses parked to the right of the main entrance. Dimitri opened the glove compartment and pulled out his .45 and screwed the silencer onto the end. Unlike what the average person saw on television or the movies, the gun would still make sound, but the silencer would make it difficult to tell where the shot came from out in the open like this. The idea was to take out his three targets, create chaos, and leave without detection.
As he worked, he watched the tourists departing the busses. The first had very elderly people, most likely from a seniors’ center out for a day trip. The second one unloading had a more diverse group in age, most wearing the local university’s baseball caps and jackets. He reached for the hat on the passenger seat and slipped it on. Today, he would blend in, however he usually detested the American love of hats with a bill on the front.
Slipping the gun into the pocket of his leather jacket, he climbed out of his car and joined the end of the sporty tourist group. Already having committed the zoo’s attraction map to memory, he’d work his way to the area, maybe making a pass or two.