Exposed (31 page)

“What’s around the polar bear exhibit, since that’s where he wants the meet to take place?” Frank asked.

Doyle pulled up an online copy of the zoo’s site map on the other monitor, so they could compare it with the actual satellite image. “Looks like it’s pretty well positioned for access and egress.”

Matt leaned in, pointing to areas on the perimeter. “He could access the parking lot to the south, or the road north of the zoo.”

“Isn’t there a new baby polar bear?” Sydney asked.

Jake nodded. “It was one of the things Libby was excited to see on her field trip. Sami’s been showing her videos on social media sites about it.”

Sydney heaved a sigh. “That means lots of people will be in that area wanting to see it, too.”

“We’ll do our best to keep them out of harm’s way,” Frank said behind her, his hand settling on her shoulders.

“The problem is, if Kormenski sends Geist to take out the blackmailer, will he realize it’s Ian?” Jake said, looking over her head at Frank.

“No.” Ice filled the one word answer.

“We need to be sure we get him at the blackmail drop site.”

“Not happening.”

They were talking about her. She peeked over her shoulder to see the stone caveman Castello had suddenly become.

“I have to go.”

“No.”

“If it helps draw out—”

“We’re not putting your life in jeopardy again.”

“—the hit man, of course I’m going,” she continued, pretending not to have heard him. “Besides, I’m the only one who knows what Ian looks like. And he’ll have to talk to me, then.”

“We’ll know who Ian is,” Frank ground the words out over his clenched jaw.

“Oh? Really? How?” She glared up at him.

“He’ll be the one picking up the bag of money.”

“What if he’s not?” she asked, getting a grunt in reply.

Great, he truly was in caveman mode. She’d find it funny if the whole situation was scary as hell.

“She’s got a point,” Dave said.

Frank all but snarled at him.

The eldest Edgars held up his hands. “Hey, I know you don’t want her in any more danger than any of us wanted our wives in danger, but Sydney is right. Her brother has planned this out. He’s chosen a place that he considers his home turf. He’s kept his identity hidden, by letting Sydney become the target. I’ll bet you a steak dinner he has someone step in and make the exchange for him.”

Frank shoved his hand through his hair. Sydney wanted to comfort him, but she needed him to concede that she was going to have to go to the zoo with them, so she dug her nails in her palms to keep from reaching for the big guy.

“It’s the smart play on his part,” Jake said crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ll need Sydney to point him out, hopefully before the exchange takes place. She’s also got to be visible enough for Geist or Kormenski to make a move on her. It’s the only way to stop them from hunting her.”

Lips pressed in a thin line and the muscles in his jaws flexing, Frank paced the length of the room, coming to a stop in front of them again. “Fuck. I know you’re right. I just don’t like it.”

“Katie sent her Kevlar jacket with me,” Matt said, surprising them. He gave a shrug. “What can I say? My wife knew Sydney was going to need it before any of us. Sometimes, I swear she’s psychic. Besides, it’s smaller than anything any of us have.”

“Good.” Jake slapped a hand down on Frank’s shoulder. “She can wear it under her jacket and be protected.”

Frank glared at his friend. “She stays glued to me. I am not letting her stand out in the open like a human practice target.”

“Really, I think Ian will be more approachable if I’m by myself,” Sydney started to protest, only to have that dark-eyed glare focused on her. She took a step back.

“No. It’s not negotiable, Syd,” Castello took a step closer, then another, cornering her against the computer desk.

Wow. Talk about intimidation.
The man was serious. Either she agreed to his terms, or he’d probably lock her in the upstairs room with armed guards outside the door.

She pressed her hand against his chest to halt him. “Okay. I’ll stay by you.”

“And you’ll do exactly as I tell you.”

She fought the urge to make a face. “I’ll do exactly as you tell me.”

He studied her a moment. “I don’t like it, but I guess you’re going with us in the morning.”

* * * * *

“You’re going to have one more chance, Wolfgang,” the old man said on the other end of the phone.

His mentor had forgiven him. He only used his given name when he was pleased or benevolent. Relief surged through Geist. Now, he could make good on his contract, his reputation and record would remain intact. “I will not fail you this time.”

“I know you won’t dare let me down…a second time.”

The slight hesitation was like a slap to his face. He had let his mentor down. He’d been less than perfect. Rage at the woman filled his soul. He wouldn’t just kill her. No, he planned to destroy her.

“The meeting will be tomorrow at the zoo. The polar bear exhibit. Ten a.m. The target must be neutralized.”

Those were his orders. Along with them hummed the underlying threat. Miss this time, and his life would be in jeopardy.

“It will be done.”

“Do not disappoint me.”

* * * * *

“I’m worried about the meeting tomorrow. Me carrying a backpack into the zoo is going to be conspicuous.”

Dimitri resisted the urge to crush the phone. “You’ll be in casual clothes, Congressman, not a power suit. You’ll blend in with all the other tourists.”

“What about my security detail?”

That was a problem. The last thing he needed was a paid government lackey getting in the way of his plans.

“Not to worry. They won’t be needed.”

“How do I explain that to them? They travel with me everywhere.”

Dimitri picked up the jewel-handled dagger handed down from his grandfather to his father to him—a memento of the day the Tzar was dethroned and his grandfather’s participation in the event—and hurled it toward the door of his office, imagining it was Blanton standing there. It landed with a thud, the point imbedded in the oak wood, head high.

“You will be traveling with me in the morning on my private jet. Tell them a private security firm will be handling the details. You might even give them a bonus so that they can enjoy the extra day off.”

Silence on the other end of the line. Blanton was probably pacing. The man had a nervous habit of doing that when agitated.

Dimitri closed his eyes and waited. As a boy he’d learned to hunt with his father in the cold Soviet winters.
To get the rabbit to come out of his hole, you must be patient. You must make him think it’s his idea to become part of your stew.
That advice had led him from the inner workings of the KGB, through the ranks of the syndicates that flooded Russia after the collapse, and into the corporate world of the capitalist West.

“Okay. Yes. I can make that plan work.”

Dimitri smiled and reached for the vodka in the crystal tumbler on his desk. “Good. I will send my car for you at five. We will fly out from my private airfield.”

“You’re coming, too?”

A nervous question. The congressman should be nervous.

“Yes. I wish to see this through to the end.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Frank slipped from the bedroom the next morning before dawn again. He’d spent the night making love to Sydney, as much to relieve her anxiety about today as to ease the need that clawed at his insides.

The aroma of coffee hit his nose like a siren calling from the sea.

Jake stood at the counter, staring out into the grey light of the morning, a mug in his hand.

“You make the coffee?” Frank asked, grabbing a mug from the cupboard and pouring some of the liquid caffeine into it, ignoring the sugar and cream on the counter.

Jake shook his head. “Nope. Doyle’s an early riser. He’s got the pot timed to go off at four.”

“He in his command center already?”

Again, Jake shook his head as he took a drink of his coffee. “No. He’s already meeting with someone in security up at the zoo. Said he’d see us. Reminded me to lock up when we head out. Dave’s gone, too.”

“Chambers?”

Jake nodded.

Before breaking up for the night, they’d decided to bring the detective into the plans and catch him up on what they’d learned. They hoped Chambers, under pressure to find Detective Abrams’ killer, would want to bring some plain-clothes people in to prevent any of the players from escaping. Frank and the Edgars wanted to keep the upper levels of command out of the loop for now. The fewer people with titles involved, the less likely their plans would get leaked. Who knew how deep Kormensky’s tentacles reached?

Dave volunteered to make the gesture, saying it would be more like one cop asking another for a favor.

“Think Chambers will help?” Jake asked.

Frank nodded. “Wants to find his fellow officer’s murderer. Pissed that he’d been sidelined. I think he’ll be on board.”

They stared out into the backyard, the sky turning a lighter grey.

“How’s Sydney?” Jake asked finally.

Remembering how he’d worked her to several orgasms during the night, Frank lifted the corner of his mouth. “Exhausted.”

Jake returned the half-smile. “Good. The longer she sleeps, the less time she’ll have to worry.”

“That was my theory, too.”

“Have you considered what you’re going to do after this?”

“Take a shower,” he said, being vague on purpose.

Jake chuckled. “I meant about your career with the Marshals.”

“Hadn’t thought about it.” Which was true. He’d always been a cross-that-bridge-when-you-come-to-it kind of man. When he made a decision, he didn’t waste time worrying about it or playing the what-if game. Sydney’s life versus his career had been a no-brainer.

“I’ve been offered a promotion,” Jake said.

“Congratulations,” he answered, not really sure if Jake was bragging or rubbing the fact that his career was going so smoothly into his face.

“I’m not going to take it.”

Frank lifted an eyebrow at him.

“It would mean moving to D.C. and sitting in an office all day long,” Jake continued.

“I can see how you’d hate that.” He knew Jake was more of a field-operative guy, just like him.

“In fact, Sami and I have been talking about me leaving the bureau completely.”

Okay. That came out of left field.

“What are you going to do?”

Jake refilled his coffee mug. “After the attack on the inaugural ball last winter, it hit me that there are all kinds of needs for private security and undercover operations that the government’s hands are too tied to handle. A group of private citizens could do more to help in crisis situations or personal security details or information gathering outside legal means, when politics or diplomatic issues block the government from acting swiftly.”

“Sounds interesting,” Frank said, seeing the possibilities.

“We could use someone with your experience and skills.”

“I’ll consider it.”

A loud yawn sounded from the doorway. They turned to find Matt stretching up to hold onto the doorframe. “Did the Fed tell you his big news?”

“Just now.”

“Gonna join us?”

“Us?” Frank quirked an eyebrow in Jake’s direction.

He shrugged. “Had to ask him. He’s family. Besides, his wife is an explosives expert.”

Matt laughed, coming to search the cupboard for a mug. “You know you need someone smart, sexy, and good with a gun.”

“Again your wife,” Frank said.

“True.” The middle Edgars brother flashed them both a smile. “But to get her, you have to take me. We’re a matched set. So you coming on board, Deputy?”

Frank’s thoughts went to the woman upstairs cuddled around his pillow, her hair a tangled mess like a fisherman’s net, one bare foot dangling out of the warm covers. She’d barreled into his world like a whirlwind and slapped him out of his comfort zone into another dimension. Perhaps it was time to change some other parts of his life.

“Let’s get through today and we’ll talk.”

First, they had to survive the morning.

* * * * *

“A donut shop?” Chambers asked, as he slid onto the red-vinyl-covered barstool next to Dave. “Could you get anymore clichéd, Edgars?”

“Buckeye Donuts are not a cliché, they’re a masterpiece,” Dave said, digging into the chocolate covered one with the peanut butter filling meant to resemble the state nut. He’d grown up coming to eat these donuts with his dad and nearly overdosed on them when in college. “Besides, my wife has outlawed any morning carbs. Gotta get my fill when I can.”

Chambers ordered a breakfast sandwich and coffee, then shifted in his seat so their conversation wouldn’t be overheard by the college students filing in and out. “So, what got me up this early?”

“We have information on who killed Abrams.” Dave angled his body towards the other man slightly. “Thought you might want in on taking him down.”

“Damn straight.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll have to bring my boss in on this.”

Dave shook his head. “We want to keep this as low-level as possible.”

“O-kay,” Chambers said slowly, pocketing his phone once more. His food and coffee arrived. He waited until the server had moved away before asking his next question. “What’s going on?”

Dave filled him in on all they’d learned about Geist, who they believed killed Detective Abrams, the hit ordered by Kormensky, the murder of Annabeth Kelly, and Congressman Blanton’s blackmail.

“What do you need from me, then?” Chambers asked, when he finished.

“We need some fellow officers, male and female, willing to go undercover. Time is of the essence. The takedown is at ten this morning.”

Chambers didn’t even blink. Pulling out his phone he hit a number and waited. “Jenkins, get Howard, Turk, Leslie, Chavez, and the Sheik. No uniforms. Meet me in…” he paused to look at Dave.

He held up his fingers.

“In two hours at…”

Dave gave him Doyle’s address, which he repeated into the phone.