Above Ground (26 page)

Natasha knew by the looks on their faces that this did not appear likely. “Barring that, a prosthesis could
be made from an impression cast of this finger, making an exact match...”

Damien stared down at his feet.

“I'll get going now,” she said, then looked at Jack and asked, “See you at home after? It's almost four o'clock. I'll make dinner.”

“Wish you would reconsider. The Brit is —”

“And if you never catch him, do we spend the rest of our lives hiding? As I said, I'll see you back at our apartment.”

Jack argued with Natasha a little more, but it was to no avail. Neither paid attention to Damien, who opened the cooler one more time.

Jack knew he had lost the argument and handed the cooler to Natasha. Both men watched as she returned to her car.

“She's pretty headstrong,” said Damien, watching as Natasha placed the cooler in her car.

“Yes.”

“Why not stash her at your sister's place out on that farm? At least until we get this Brit. Believe me, I'll find out who he is.”

“She was at the farm. Now she wants to get back to work.”

“How come you don't have cops protecting her?”

“She's a doctor. She sees walk-in patients alone. If she was protected, that couldn't be done. With our people, it would have to be all or nothing. Plus everyone in our office has been threatened. There's no way everyone could be protected. If I complain about it, they just transfer us up to Baffin Island or someplace. We'd rather take our chances here.”

Damien paused, then nodded his head and said, “Okay. I see the problem. You guys play by the rules too much. I'll have a couple of the boys watch over her.
Once word goes out that she's protected by the patch, nobody will try anything.”

Jack couldn't help but chuckle at the prospect. “Hell no! All I need is for the brass to hear...” His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted a familiar car pull out into the traffic behind Natasha. He looked at Damien and said, “We've got heat.”

Jack noted that Damien held the urge to look. He was a professional. “You sure?” he asked, looking directly at Jack.

“I'm sure. Anti-Corruption. Someone must have spotted us together and called them. With Bishop's body being found and now me meeting with you ... this isn't good.”

Damien swore under his breath, then said, “I wasn't thinking too clearly today when I drove to meet you. Bet it's my fault.”

“Too late to worry about that now.”

Damien stared at Jack for a moment and then said, “Anti-Corruption?”

“Think of it as the heavies in Internal Affairs.”

Damien raised his eyebrows and said, “Bishop ... can they connect you?”

“Natasha talked to a Mexican cop just two blocks from where Bishop lived. I didn't know until later. Now being seen here with you ... I'm going to be taken down!”

For Hinds, the minutes ticked by while urgent calls were exchanged between Isaac and the bosses at I-HIT, Anti-Corruption, and CFSEU.

Isaac then made a decision and called Staff Sergeant Legg back.

“This may be a long weekend here, but it's not in Mexico!” said Isaac. “I want a response from Mexico no later than Tuesday. Tell the LO to do it in person! A dinky little village like that, Mexican time or not, it shouldn't take long to find out. Tell the LO if I don't have his report on my desk Tuesday morning, he'll be protecting our sovereignty in the Arctic!”

“And in the meantime?” asked Legg.

“Tell CFSEU or whoever is watching Taggart they can do a loose surveillance today but then back off. I don't want Taggart heated up until we hear back,” replied Isaac.

Surveillance teams split up into three groups. One watched Natasha carry the cooler into her clinic and then depart a short time later with the cooler and return to her apartment.

Damien, followed by a second team, went straight home.

Hinds elected to follow Jack and noted that when he returned to his car, he immediately used his cellphone.

Jack called the home number of his colleague who worked with the DEA in San Diego.

“Hello?” said a feminine voice.

“Sally! It's Jack Taggart calling from Canada. Is Jim-Bo around?”

“Sorry, Jack. You got another ship for him?”

“No. Something else.”

“He's out of the country. I expect him home Tuesday or Wednesday. Can it wait?”

“I suppose. I was just looking for some background info on someone. Have him call me when he gets in. He's got my cell.”

Jack casually glanced in his mirrors before pulling out into traffic. He did not see anyone. Ten minutes of driving passed before his rear-view mirror reflected a car that had passed him earlier.
These guys are pretty good...

The surveillance team followed Jack to the downtown core of Vancouver.

They soon found themselves driving along East Hastings, where Jack entered a parkade. Moments later, he was spotted entering the Black Water Hotel.

“Inside coverage,” ordered Hinds. “Who's available that our target doesn't know?”

Hinds found a volunteer and soon he had a whispered report from inside the bar.

“Target sitting by himself. Ordered a beer.”

A half-hour ticked by before Hinds received an update. “He's just been joined by a woman. Looks like a hooker. He's buying her a drink.”

“Are you close enough to hear?” asked Hinds.

“Negative. I'm getting enough heat as it is. Whatever they're talking about, they don't look happy.”

A short while later the volunteer reported, “Target getting up. Think he's leaving. He tried to give the hooker a twenty. She shook her head and gave it back. Personally I think twenty was too much. She's ugly. Okay, Target is heading for the front exit. I've lost the eye. He's yours.”

Hinds saw Jack come out of the bar and the surveillance team was soon mobile again.

Jack arrived home at suppertime. His BlackBerry buzzed as he walked into their apartment. It was a message from Lance:
Damien's wife and daughter kidnapped by the Colombians over the rip. SW having a sale to raise money! No time to meet. Tomorrow?

Jack was too tired to respond to the message now and closed the door behind him.

Natasha immediately met him at the entrance, picking up the cooler off the kitchen counter as she passed it.

“This Damien is the monster you've been after?” asked Natasha. “The guy who has sanctioned what? Forty, fifty, sixty or more murders? Anyone from young prostitutes to suspected informants!”

“Yes, that's him,” admitted Jack.

“Now you're consoling him and had tears in your eyes! What's that all about?”

“He's a monster, but ... I found out there are bigger monsters.”

“Take a look in the cooler!”

“I did. I thought you were leaving that at the clinic. Didn't you take the finger and —”

“I did leave the finger at the clinic. By the way, it smelled of coffee.”

“Coffee?”

“That's not what I'm showing you. Take a look in the cooler!”

Jack looked inside. He saw a 9mm.

“Guess Damien figures you should protect yourself. Good idea.”

“Like hell it is! What is going on?”

Jack sighed and said, “I'm going to pour a martini. Then we'll talk.”

Moments later, Jack and Natasha were sitting on their sofa and sipping on martinis as Jack told her everything leading up to her arrival at the park.

“So you're upset because you feel responsible for them being kidnapped.”

“I am responsible. I feel horrible! Him trying to protect you makes me feel worse.”

“I can't work with security hanging around. It will freak the patients out.”

“I know. Wish you would give it one more week at the farm.”

“Not an option. Can't Damien tell you today who the Brit is?”

“That's another problem. When I gave him the story about a connection between The Toad, the Brit, and his lawyer, I didn't know his wife and daughter had been kidnapped. He might do a lot more than talk with Leitch.”

“Didn't you think that to start with?”

“I expected Leitch might get slapped around a bit. Not now. This is different.”

“These are consequences you'll have to live with. Damien too.”

“You're comparing me with him? He's the devil! Tell me you don't think that?”

“I wasn't saying that. Sounds to me like you were thinking that on your own.”

“Oh,” was all Jack said.

“But if he is pure evil, why were you so upset in the park?”

“I feel bad about his wife and daughter.”

“You had your arm around his shoulder. You feel bad for him too.”

Jack was exasperated. “I'm just not thinking clear,” he snapped. “This is Saturday night. I haven't been to bed since Thursday. I'm just —”

“You're just ... compassionate. You care about people. Don't blame that on being tired.”

Jack looked at her for a moment, then sighed and said, “There's more. Anti-Corruption were at the park. The Homicide Team too. They followed you and me after.”

Natasha was shocked. “Mexico? They know?” she whispered.

Jack grimaced and said, “It doesn't look good. Me meeting with Damien ... they may have figured it out.”

Natasha grabbed Jack's arm and said, “I won't let that happen to you. I'll say I —”

“You won't say anything! Trust me! Tomorrow I'm going to start fixing things. This time without being watched.”

Sunday morning was quiet. There was little traffic when Jack pulled out onto the street. It didn't take long to establish that he was alone. His meeting with Lance was brief.

“The club can only raise $1.5 million at the most,” Lance said. “We're still $2 million short. Damien is screaming at everyone. Shit has really hit the fan.”

“Any sign of The Toad?” Jack asked.

“No, but Damien thinks Leitch might know where he is. He called him on his cell to meet him. Leitch is away until Tuesday. On some houseboat up in the Shuswap.”

“Damien going to wait until Tuesday?”

“Nope. He's sending Rellik and his crew up there this afternoon.”

Damien received Jack's urgent text message just before noon. He ensured he was alone before going to meet Jack outside the bus depot.

Jack came directly to the point. “My source saw The Toad take two sports bags into this place last night. He came out without them. Said he had to give them to a friend who was going on a trip.”

“Sounds like bullshit,” growled Damien.

“It is. My source rented a hotel room later with The Toad, just for an hour. She got a chance to look in his pocket. Found two locker keys and told me the numbers. I think I know where the money is!”

Damien was elated. “Thank you, thank you,” he kept repeating.

“The Toad said he wouldn't see her for a week or two because he had to go out of town. Looks like she's out of the loop. At least for now.”

“The fucker is leaving,” said Damien. “She'll never see him again!”

“That's what I figure. Once he comes back here for the money, I'll bust him.”

“What!” Damien yelled. “You can't do that! I need the money!”

“I know. I was going to give it to you. I just need The Toad to get the keys.”

“Fuck the keys! My guys can handle it. I'll have someone check to make sure it's there. Then I'll have some guys wait and grab him when he shows.”

“Then you'll politely ask him who the Brit is?”

Damien allowed himself a quick smile and then replied, “Yeah ... of course. But right now the important thing is my family. I need to make sure the money is there.” Damien then paused and said, “It's been at least twenty-four hours since...” He held up his hand and wiggled his ring finger. “Guess you can tell Natasha to throw it out.”

Jack patted Damien on the shoulder and then replied, “She said that it could be used to make an impression. An exact match.”