Option to Kill (Nathan McBride 3) (12 page)

“Soap and water are cheap.”

“Do you watch TV from the bathtub?”

“Hockey and football, mainly.”

“That’s
so
male.”

“Well, last I looked….”

“I saw a Blu-ray player.”

“I like movies. Sometimes I listen to music.”

“What’s your favorite song?”

“‘Adagio for Strings,’ by Samuel Barber. It’s pure genius.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“Classical.”

She sat a comfortable distance away on the couch. “You just prayed.”

Again, Lauren amazed him with her level of awareness. She’d make a good operations officer someday.

He nodded. “I’m thankful for the things in my life.”

“I’ve been to church a few times. Everyone’s really nice.”

“Goes with the territory.”

They ate in silence for a moment.

“What was it like, you know…being tortured?”

He stopped midbite and looked at her. Be careful, there’s a demon down there. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, the worst part isn’t the pain. It’s being powerless to stop it. It’s an extremely infuriating experience. You just have to disconnect from it.”

“What do you mean, ‘disconnect’?”

“You pretend it’s happening to someone else.” He took another bite, hoping Lauren wouldn’t pursue the subject further.

“People can be really cruel to each other. Kids are the worst.”

“How’s that?”

“I mean like bullies. They make other kids cry for no reason.”

“Bullies are insecure, that’s why they do it. If they had spiritual balance, they wouldn’t feel the need to hurt anyone.”

“You’re pretty smart, I can tell.”

“I’m just an ordinary guy.”

“Ordinary guys don’t know stuff like you do.”

He took a swig of water. “Tell me about your mom. What’s she like?”

“I don’t know…she gets mad really easily. She cries a lot too. Like over small stuff. She accidentally broke a plate in the sink once, and then she broke every plate in the cabinet by throwing them on the floor. She sat on the floor crying for like an hour.”

Nathan knew it well, built-up rage followed by depression.

“Has she ever been physical with you?”

“You mean like spankings? No, never. She gives me time-outs. Sometimes they’re pretty long. I had to spend the entire weekend in my room once.”

“Bread and water?”

“Huh?”

“You seem like a pretty good kid. She’s done well raising you.”

“I think she’s a good mom, but sometimes she goes away for days without telling me where she went. She doesn’t call, either. My stepdad got really mad whenever she did it.”

“Maybe she just needs time alone. I do the same thing, but I always tell Harv where I’m going. He’d kill me otherwise. We need to stop at my security company to pick up some equipment. Have you ever been on a motorcycle?”

“No.”

“He nodded toward the garage door. “It’s in there.”

“Can I see it?”

“Lauren, you haven’t been completely honest with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you first saw me on the freeway, you recognized me.”

Her tone became defensive, on the verge of panic. “My mom made me promise not to tell!”

“Tell what?”

“That I knew it would be you who helped me.”

Nathan wanted to lash out but held back. “How did you know it would be me?”

“I’ve seen you before.”

“
When and where
have you seen me?”

“Last year, in the grocery store at La Jolla Shores. My mom wanted me to know what you looked like. Please don’t be mad at me.”

“
Mad
isn’t the word. I’m disappointed.”

“That’s so much worse.”

“I’m giving you a onetime ‘get out of jail free’ card. Remember when I said you couldn’t hold anything back?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I meant it. Is there anything else I should know?”

“The ring isn’t mine. My stepdad gave it to my mom, but she never wears it.”

“Why’s that?”

“I think she’s embarrassed. She doesn’t want people to think she’s rich.”

“And?”

Lauren didn’t respond right away. He hoped she’d be honest.

“Okay. I knew it was an alexandrite and that it’s like really expensive.”

“How expensive?”

“A hundred and ninety thousand dollars.”

“Are you telling me you’re wearing a ring worth nearly two hundred grand?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you aren’t worried about losing it?”

“Not really. I never take it off when I’m not at home.”

“Does your mom know you wear it?”

“She said it’s okay. Since I’m just a kid, no one thinks it’s real. It was too big for me, so she made it smaller.”

“She took it to a jeweler and had it resized?”

“I guess.”

“How long was she married to your stepdad?”

“Only about a year.”

“How did they meet?”

“I think at a school meeting.”

“Does your stepdad have children from a previous marriage?”

“Two boys, but they’re total brats. They’re mean to me.”

“They just lost their father. It’s going to be hard on them. Do they live with their mother?”

She nodded.

“Does your mom have friends she likes to hang out with?”

“She doesn’t have any friends.”

“Why’s that?”

“I guess she doesn’t trust people.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means she’s like us.”

“She didn’t love him.”

“Your mom didn’t love your stepdad? Why do you think that?”

“I could just tell.”

They sat in silence while they finished off the sandwich. Nathan saw that she had good table manners. “I tried to kill another man tonight. Are you okay with that?”

“You mean at the grocery store? But he was trying to kill you. That makes it okay, right?”

“You know why I’m asking?”

“There might be more bad guys trying to kill us, and you’ll have to kill them first.”

“That’s right.”

“Are you really my uncle?”

“If you’re asking me if I believe it without any proof, then yes. Our eyes are nearly identical. My father, your grandfather, is a United States senator. He’s a very important political figure.”

“Seriously?”

“You said your mom is from Korea. My father was a Marine. He served over there during the war.”

“This is too weird. Why wouldn’t she tell me about you? You seem like a nice man.”“I have my moments.”

She didn’t say anything.

“I’m sure your mom has her reasons. Hopefully we’ll find out soon. But until then, don’t tell anyone we’re related unless I say it’s okay. Never even mention it.”

“I won’t.”

“Thank you for telling me the truth. Remember when I told you my girlfriend is a special agent in charge in the FBI? Her name’s Holly Simpson. She runs the Sacramento field office. I’m telling you because she’s going to help us figure out what’s going on. So if you think of something important or remember anything else, no matter how small it seems, you tell me right away.”

“I will.”

“You’ve seen a lot of violence tonight.”

“I’m not freaked out or anything, if that’s what you mean.”

“Things could get worse.”

“We’ll be together, right?”

“Yes, but you could slow me down, and that could put both of us in danger. So if I tell you to do something, you have to do it without question. It’s like a Marine following orders. Are you okay with that?”

“I guess.”

“There’s no room for guessing. It could be a life-or-death situation. I need to know you’ll do exactly what I tell you without questioning it.”

“I can do that.”

“Good. Now take these plates to the sink!”

She threw her napkin at him.

“At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.” He held out his hand, and she shook it, her expression sincere. “Let’s take a look at that motorcycle.”

Chapter 12

He opened the garage door and watched Lauren’s eyes widen.

“OMG. We’re riding that?”

“Holly’s helmet will be a little big for you, but it should be okay. I’ll be right back. I’m going to reload my SIG and stock up on ammo.”

“Can I come with you?”

“I’m just going down the hall….” Nathan stopped when Lauren’s face went blank. He’d seen this expression before, in Nordstrom. There was no harm in letting her tag along. She stayed close as he walked down the hall to the master bedroom.

“This house is really cool. I like your antique furniture.”

“Holly told me the same thing, almost word for word. I’ll have to show you my La Jolla home sometime. My giant schnauzers are going to love you. You’re about the same size.”

She put her hands on her hips. “I weigh eighty-three pounds.”

“Like I said….”

In his bedroom, he reloaded the SIG’s magazine and put three, fifty-round boxes of subsonic ammo in his left thigh pocket. The right side still held the SIG’s suppressor and spare magazines. Lauren watched in silence. He knew she was evaluating his every move, looking for uncertainty or weakness. Understandable, given their circumstances.

“Lauren, your lavender shirt isn’t dark enough for a night op. I need you in black, at least your top half.”

He removed a black T-shirt from his dresser and asked her to put it on. It hung to her knees. She cocked her head to the side, pursed her lips, and started at him. No words were necessary.

“What’s wrong? It looks great.”

“I can’t be seen like this.”

“Don’t worry, that’s our goal, remember? Come on, I’ll cut the excess off in the kitchen with scissors.”

“With scissors…”

Fighting a smile, he grabbed Holly’s helmet from the hall closet and handed it to her. “Try it on.” She fumbled with the chin strap, so he showed her how to fasten it.

“There’s a microphone.”

“Voice-activated Bluetooth.”

“Okay, now I’m impressed. This is seriously cool.”

“It’s really important you don’t lean while we’re riding. Just stay upright behind me, okay?”

“I will.”

“I need to check the front yard before I open the garage door. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in twenty seconds.”

Nathan retraced his steps through the backyard and scanned the front of his house. All clear — no sign of the menacing black sedan. Feeling confident he’d destroyed the only tracking bug and his cell hadn’t been the culprit, he went back inside. Lauren looked silly wearing the huge helmet and baggy shirt. Clearly, she was thinking the same thing.

“I must look like a total geek.”

“If we crash, at least your noggin’s protected.”