Contract to Kill (13 page)

Nathan found Holly’s defense of his father surprising and was tempted to ask about it, but now wasn’t the time. “We had a falling out recently. It’s . . . difficult asking him for help. Besides, he’s super busy.”

“Not too busy for his only son.”

Harv asked, “If you tell your father, will he feel obligated to tell Beaumont?”

“I’d certainly ask him not to.”

“Would he agree?” Harv asked.

“Probably, but not indefinitely.”

Harv didn’t sound convinced. “We’ll need more than a ‘probably.’ If your father tells Beaumont about Tanner Mason’s little party tonight, then Beaumont’ll want to know where your father got the information.”

“Which might, and probably will, create a connection to us.”

“Not necessarily,” Holly said. “Stone’s chairman of the Committee on Domestic Terrorism. He could have gotten that kind of info from any number of sources.”

“That’s true, but so far, the crime’s unreported. My father would have to wait until the bodies are discovered before talking to Beaumont. And even so, Beaumont would want to know why Stone is contacting him about an obscure double murder in San Diego. On the surface, it doesn’t look like something that warrants the attention of CDT. Since the victims are from Mexico and South Korea, ICE will get involved. Maybe the CIA too, but it still doesn’t rise to the level of my father’s domestic terrorism committee.”

The car fell silent.

“Again, we don’t have to decide anything right now,” Nathan said. “Let’s get back to Toby’s and figure out our next move from there. If Toby decides to go to the police, we need to assure him he’ll be protected.”

“I can definitely arrange that,” Holly said.

In the quiet that followed, the clocklike drone of the windshield wipers helped Nathan gather his thoughts. Thinking about his dad had made him edgy. Something else bothered Nathan . . . something about the dead bodies that looked out of place—aside from the pinned money and their citizenships. He tried to bring the thought forward, but it wouldn’t come. Shifting gears, he considered Holly’s comment. Maybe she was right. Maybe he should call his father. He just hoped doing so wouldn’t paint fluorescent targets on all their backs.

Harv turned off the nav when he pulled onto Toby’s street. “Do you guys want me to drop you off? It’s raining pretty hard now.”

“We’re okay,” Nathan said. “Maybe we’ll find the same parking place; it’s not that far. Slow down, Harv. Call me paranoid, but I’m gonna take a quick look with the NV.”

“You got it.”

Everything looked the same. If anyone was out for a stroll in the rain, Nathan couldn’t see them. Just before Nathan took the NV scope away from his eye, he saw movement.

“Harv, somebody just ducked out of sight at the top of the stairs.”

CHAPTER 12

“Keep going,” Nathan told Harv. “Don’t slow down.”

“Was it Toby?” Holly asked.

“No, it was a woman dressed in dark tactical.”

“Are you sure?” Harv asked.

“Positive.”

Holly said, “Toby said a woman named Darla Lyons was with Mason and Hahn tonight. What are the odds that a woman dressed in tactical clothing would be hiding at the top of the stairwell leading to Toby’s apartment right now?”

“Millions to one,” Nathan said. “Which means Mason and Hahn are probably inside.”

“Not a nice thought,” Harv said.

Nathan tried to sound calm, but he spoke too quickly. “We need to get up there right away.”

Harv turned on the same cross street where he had before.

“We’re about to get really deep, Nate.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Toby and Mara know we’re coming back, so they could be holding out as best they can. We need a plan. We can’t just barge up there with guns blazing.”

“I’ve got an idea. Remember that stunt our old friend pulled on you at the Bahia Hotel?”

“How could I forget? It cost me six months of physical therapy.”

“We’re going to do the same thing. Once I reach the base of the stairs, all I’ll need is a few seconds of distraction. With a little luck, I’ll be able to take Lyons down before she’s aware I’m there.”

“‘With a little luck’ being the operative words,” Holly said.

“I’m open to other suggestions,” Nathan said.

“Why not just shoot her?” Holly said flatly.

Nathan didn’t respond; he knew she was frustrated at the situation.

“Rules of engagement?” Harv asked.

“Deadly force if needed to save any of our lives, including Toby’s and Mara’s. Once I’ve neutralized Lyons, we’ll burst into Toby’s apartment and catch everyone off guard. We’ve done this many times.”

“Neutralized?” Holly asked.

Harv said, “If we have to shoot our way in there, I won’t lose any sleep killing cold-blooded murderers who’d get the needle anyway.”

“You guys don’t have vests on.”

“I doubt they’ll be wearing body armor either, but I hear you, Holly. Engaging three military contractors in a gunfight in the middle of a residential neighborhood isn’t our first choice. We’re not looking for a fight. Our ball ammo will penetrate the walls of these wood-framed buildings.”

“I really think we should just call 911.”

“Too slow. We’d have to find a pay phone. Unless you want to use your cell.”

She didn’t say anything.

“Mason’s up there torturing them.”

“You don’t know that,” she said. “Toby could be part of some elaborate scheme.”

“You saw the way he acted when he saw us. Did you think that was BS?”

Again, she didn’t say anything.

“Look, if we call 911, this might turn into a hostage situation, or worse. Mason might kill the first cops to arrive on scene. We’ve got an opportunity to end this.”

“You mean kill them.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. If we get an opportunity to take them alive, we’ll do it.”

“That puts us at considerably more risk,” Harv said.

“He’ll treat this situation like Afghanistan,” Holly said under her breath.

“What did you just say about Afghanistan?” he asked.

She didn’t respond.

“Holly, if you know something. Let’s have it.”

“Mason served as a PMC in Afghanistan.”

“What? How do you know that?”

“It’s in his file. I’ve seen it.”

Harv stopped the car and pivoted toward Holly. No words were needed.

Nathan also waited.

“All I can tell you is that he took on the most dangerous assignments imaginable, jobs our military couldn’t or wouldn’t do.”

“You’re talking about black ops and assassinations,” Nathan said.

Holly nodded. “He wasn’t bound by the same rules as our military. Mason did everything, all of it. IED investigation. Armed security escorts for VIPs and construction personnel. Security for CIA forward operating bases. Surveillance. Infiltration. Interrogation. And, yes, even contract killing. If it weren’t for a tragic op at the end of his third tour in Afghanistan, he’d be seen as a hero in every sense of the word.”

“You’ve known this all along? You aren’t just remembering it?”

“I’ve been trying to steer you guys to let the police handle this from the beginning. He’s a hardened killer who won’t hesitate to shoot both of you.”

“And when exactly
were
you planning to tell us all of this?”

“Easy, Nate, we don’t share all of our history.”

“Damn, Holly . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

“It’s okay; don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not okay. I was out of line.”

“I know you’re stressed about Mason being up there with Toby and Mara.”

Nathan nodded. “We don’t have time now, but will you tell us what happened with Mason?”

She looked out the window. “It’s classified, but, yeah, I’ll tell you about it. Now that you know how dangerous Mason is, will you reconsider calling the police?”

“Holly, we’ve already talked about this. You said you were never here.”

“I’m not worried about me. I don’t want you guys getting killed out there.”

“We won’t. With Harv’s help, I should be able to approach the stairwell without being seen.”

“Unless Toby or Mara have already given you guys up, which is a very real possibility.”

“We won’t know until we get up there.”

Harv found the same parking spot. “Let’s wire up.”

Between the two of them, they had four radios. Nathan gave Holly one of his. They verified the frequencies and checked them for proper function.

Harv spoke to Holly. “I’m putting the keys on top of the left rear tire. Is there anything in your pockets that will make noise?”

“No.”

“Where’s your service piece?”

“On my right ankle.”

“Do you want a spare nine mil? We have an extra.”

She shook her head.

The rain fell even more heavily now, creating cones of orange light under the streetlamps. They huddled on the sidewalk under a tree. “If someone brings a gun up,” Nathan said, “we drop ’em and let my father deal with any fallout with Mr. Beaumont. Holly, position yourself on the other side of the street between the parked cars where you can see me approach the stairwell. Report your final position. Harv, you circle around the east side of the building and approach from the south. That will give me the best chance to advance undetected.”

“I’ve got to cover a good two hundred yards. At a brisk walk, count on about two minutes. I’ll check in at the south end of the building.” Harv put a hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “Remember, I like my world with you in it.”

“Me too.”

“Good hunting, partner.”

“Holly, you’re with me. Let’s go.”

Darla Lyons saw the approaching vehicle’s headlights and ducked behind the stairwell wall with plenty of time to spare.

The sedan rolled past her position and slowed for a right turn at the end of the block. It was probably somebody heading home after a late night of work, or drinking. She didn’t think such an expensive vehicle fit this neighborhood, but the possibilities of why it was here were too numerous to consider. Leaning over the rail, Darla watched the Mercedes disappear.

She looked at Haynes’s door. There hadn’t been much sound in there for the last five minutes. One thing was certain: she never wanted to be the object of Mason’s wrath. He was the kind of man who could remove a victim’s fingernails with a pair of pliers and maintain a smile while doing it. Although she’d been shaken by the double execution tonight, she was okay with it. Those two scumbags had it coming.

Darla was no stranger to a male-dominated world. She’d been mired in it her entire life. Raised with three brothers, she’d learned how to manipulate males at an early age. Men weren’t hard to figure out, but Mason seemed immune to her charm. Although she’d never made a pass at him, or vice versa, he possessed a command presence she found alluring. She imagined a relationship with Mason would be like having a pet rattlesnake. Besides, Mason was consumed by BSI.

She scanned the street again and sighed. Being relegated to sentry duty sucked, but someone had to do it. She’d have preferred to be inside where she could show Mason some of the skills she’d learned in Iraq. Although she might not have seen quite the action Mason and Hahn had, she’d completed three tours in Iraq with Blackwater. Speaking of—

She heard something over the patter of rain.

Somewhere to the south, a man coughed and hacked loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood. Whoever this guy was, he didn’t sound good.
Dude, ease off the cigarettes
.

The noise continued to increase until it sounded life threatening. She leaned over the rail and looked toward the source. When the man came into view, he doubled over and clutched his chest. He managed to stagger forward another twenty feet before falling to his hands and knees.

“Skinner, we’ve got trouble out here. Some guy just collapsed on the sidewalk. If anyone sees him, they’ll call 911 for sure.”

“What’s the story; is he drunk?”

“I don’t know, but he’s in a bad way. He’s coughing loudly. Should I head down there?”

“Ignore him. We’re finished in here.”

Nathan’s ear speaker came to life with Holly’s voice.
“Nathan, I’m between a light-colored pickup and a dark SUV. I can’t tell what color they are. These streetlights are washing out all the color
.
”