First to Kill (27 page)

“Frank, I don’t know. McBride’s been tight-lipped. He spotted a couple of my agents watching her, but he doesn’t know for sure they’re mine.”

“Don’t kid yourself, he knows.” Frank wheeled around and looked at the photographs on his wall. “Maybe we should cut ties with McBride.”

“No. I hate to admit it, but you’re right. McBride’s probably our best shot. Despite what we think of his methods, he gets the job done. He thinks the Bridgestones might go after his father next. He told my SAC in Sacramento he thinks the bombing is probably a diversion.”

“Some diversion.”

“And on our consciences.”

“The hell it is,” said Frank. “We didn’t make those bastards do anything.”

“You know what I mean. Look, if McBride’s as good as I think he is, he’ll eliminate the problem and we’ll close the book on this.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Three thousand miles away, FBI Director Ethan Lansing hung up and leaned back in his chair. He needed to go home to his wife and kids. If containment weren’t forthcoming, he’d be spending a lot more time there, which when he thought about it, wasn’t an altogether bad idea.

* * *

Leaving Fresno behind, the FBI Lear climbed into the clear afternoon air. Nathan pulled his cell and called Harv.

“You on your way?” Harv asked.

“Yes, we’re just leaving Fresno.”

“We’ve come up with squat on the financial insider.”

“There may not be one. I’m beginning to think they’ve been stockpiling cash. They probably have a huge stash buried somewhere.”

“That’s beginning to make the most sense, but it’s also going make it a lot harder to find them.”

“I know.” Nathan lowered his voice. “Bear with me, Harv. I’m playing a hunch.”

“Okay.”

“I left my name and number with Amber Sheldon. I told her if Ernie calls back she’s to tell Ernie I came looking for him. I asked her to specifically mention me by name.”

Silence from Harv.

“There’s more. Amber’s got a nineteen-year-old daughter. Guess who the father is?”

“No way.”

“Amber never told him.”

Harv paused, thinking about this new twist. “You’re thinking if he discovers he’s got a long-lost daughter he’ll want to see her before bugging out.”

“Yep.”

“Then everything depends on Ernie calling her again. What if he doesn’t call?”

“I’ve got that covered.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Five-by-one,” Nathan said.

“Understood. Want me to pick you up at Sac International?”

“No, Henning’s got a vehicle there. I’ll see you at the hotel in about an hour.”

“Stay safe, partner.”

Nathan settled in for the short flight back to Sacramento. He needed to talk with Holly Simpson, just the two of them. Everything hinged on her being honest. At a minimum, he was going to need the full media power of the FBI to implement his plan for trapping Ernie. He’d just have to wait and see how his conversation with Holly went. Despite everything he suspected about Director Lansing, he still felt Holly could be trusted. They’d connected on an emotional level, and he didn’t think she would willingly betray him.
Willingly
being the operative word.

He turned toward Henning, who was looking at him. “I’d like to visit with SAC Simpson tonight. Alone, if you’re okay with that.”

“It’s up to her.” Henning pulled his phone and dialed the hospital. He asked to be connected to Simpson’s room. “Hi SAC,” he said. “How are you feeling? Yes, we’re on our way, should be landing in about twenty minutes. Nathan McBride wants to stop by.… Yes, tonight.… Okay. We should be there in about an hour plus or minus. Okay.… See you then.”

“Thanks,” Nathan said.

“No problem. May I ask what it’s about?”

Nathan hesitated.

“Look,” Henning said. “I don’t blame you for being suspicious. There hasn’t been a lot of trust around here.”

“I’m an unproven asset. It’s a safe call on Director Lansing’s part.”

“If Lansing had seen you in action at Sutter Hospital, he’d feel differently.”

“For what it’s worth, I’ve got no problem with you.”

“Well, at least that’s something. What does five-by-one mean?”

“It means I’m uneasy with the current situation and don’t want to discuss the subject aloud. I have a plan, but I want to run it by SAC Simpson first.”

“Why not run it by me too?”

“I will when I’m able. I can tell you this much. My plan’s risky and I’m going to need some luck to pull it off, but it’s all I’ve got.”

“I want to help.”

“It’ll be Simpson’s call. You and I have worked well together.”

* * *

The first thing Nathan noticed when he entered Holly’s hospital room was the cheerful atmosphere. Flowers and heart-shaped helium balloons where everywhere. Despite the monitoring machines and intravenous stands, the room looked colorful and bright. Holly was sitting up in bed with an FBI file in her lap. She set the file down.

“Thank you for the flowers and balloons,” she said.

He paused, but recovered quickly.
Harv.
“You’re welcome. Feeling better?”

“Tons.”

The top of her head hosted a new bandage wrapped in gauze. The external supports on her legs were still there, suspended by a cable system of stainless-steel supports that looked like jungle-gym bars. Some of the balloons were attached to them, swaying gently in the processed air. The room had a conflicting odor, antiseptic versus floral. Nathan thought she did look better. Her eyes were brighter and more alert. When he first visited, she’d looked like death warmed over.

He grabbed a chair and sat facing her. “Director Lansing beat me to finding Amber Sheldon. When I arrived at the bar, two special agents were already inside watching her.”

Holly stared, her mind working. “Are you sure they were ours?”

“Am I one-hundred percent sure? No.”

“Then why do you think they were ours?”

“Lansing put an agent on the Lear with me, the copilot. He came clean and told me he was reporting directly to Lansing on my activities. Look, I’m not trying to be confrontational. I think it’s a safe play on his part, but before I go any further, I need to know who I can trust and who I can’t. And right now, Lansing’s in the negative column.”

“Of course I told Director Lansing where you were going and what you planned to do, but I didn’t know he’d take that kind of action.”

“He’s in the hot seat for any political fallout. He has to be cautious.”

“Overly, it seems.”

“I have a decision to make and I wanted to talk with you first. If we’re going to catch these guys, we can’t be working against each other. If Amber had spotted those undercover agents in the bar, the entire dynamic would’ve been different, she might not have talked to me. You understand where I’m going with this.”

“Yes.”

“Because I don’t want you to compromise your position with Lansing, I’m reluctant to continue with the status quo, especially if you feel you have to report everything I’m doing.”

“I don’t have to report everything.”

“Good, because I need your resources for the next phase of my plan.”

“If I’d known what Director Lansing was planning, I would’ve told you.”

“Like I said, I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, especially you, but the surveillance needs to stop.”

She reached out and grasped his hand. “I’ll find out what’s going on. That’s a promise.”

“Don’t compromise your relationship with him over this. You and me? We’re still good.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She released his hand. “You mentioned the next phase?”

“I’ll be honest. It’s a long shot, but it’s all I’ve got. I need Ernie Bridgestone to call Amber again.”

“She already called?”

Nathan had told her about Amber’s first call. He credited her memory lapse to the heavy drugs in her system. Surgical anesthetics had a certain amount of amnesia associated with their use. “Ernie called and told her not to talk to the authorities or he’d kill her. I’m going to tap into that.”

Holly listened while Nathan laid it out. It took several minutes.

“It’s a good plan,” Holly said, “but you’re making a huge assumption about Ernie’s character.”

“It’s all I’ve got. And aside from Leonard, Janey’s all Ernie’s got, in terms of family. If we set this up right, I think there’s a good chance Ernie will feel compelled to call. I told Amber not to talk with him on her home or work number. I told her to have Ernie call back on a pay phone. She’s also being shadowed. Let’s hope Lansing’s people aren’t using rifle mikes on her every move.”

“It’s a little cruel, what you’re planning.”

“To pull this off, it has to be spontaneous. She can’t know it’s coming. I can’t worry about hurting her feelings. In fact, I’m counting on it. I’m hoping she
will
be angry about it.”

“Why?”

“Because I broke my promise.”

“What promise, what are you talking about?”

“Remember our conversation in the piano bar? The part about me not making myself a target?”

“Nathan, what did you do?”

“I added an insurance policy. During my interview with Dr. Fitzgerald at the Castle, he said Ernie was obsessed with revenge for being railroaded. I’m hoping to tap into his tendency toward revenge, this time for his little brother, Sammy. If Ernie calls Amber, I told her to specifically mention my name, that a guy named Nathan McBride came around looking for him.”

“I really wish you hadn’t done that.”

“I’m sorry, Holly, but I made that promise before they bombed your field office. This isn’t a simple manhunt anymore. It’s a fight to the death. The FBI is now the hunted, not the hunter. If the family-loyalty angle doesn’t work, I’m hoping Ernie’s desire for revenge will. Think about it, they could’ve taken their cash and bugged out, but they chose to stay and avenge their kid brother. Although they don’t know it yet, they didn’t kill the person directly responsible. After Ernie finds out I’m still alive, it probably won’t sit well with him. If I can just get Ernie to call Amber again, things will fall into place.”

“In any case, we need to protect you. You know what they’re capable of.”

“I can take care of myself. Hey, I’ve got to run.”

“Nathan?”

He waited.

She smiled and waved at the decor. “Thank Harvey for me.”

Nathan smiled. “You don’t miss much.”

Chapter  18

Nathan entered his hotel room and collapsed on the bed. He knew Harv would hear him.

“That you, Nate?”

“Yep.”

“How’s Holly doing?”

“Better. And thanks for sending the balloons and flowers. Her room looked nice.”

“I figured it might brighten things up a little.”

“I need a shower and some chow. Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. Let’s grab a bite down in the restaurant. Dr. Fitzgerald promised to fax everything he has on Ernie Bridgestone’s drunk-driving accident. We don’t have it yet, but it might be here by the time we finish dinner.”

Nathan rubbed his face. “I keep having this feeling.… Doesn’t it seem like there’s something’s missing? Something we’re not seeing? I mean, think about it. Lansing’s gone to a lot of trouble to monitor my every move. The use of his Lear. The agent on the Lear, the two agents in the bar. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s tapped our phones. They’re probably listening to us right now.”

Harv nodded. “Whatever the case, we should probably go stealth from now on.”

“Agreed. Also, I was thinking about Frank Ortega. When was the last time you talked with him?”

“I called him early this afternoon.”

“How’s he doing?”

“Hard to say. He seemed calm. He was very curious about your trip out to the Castle and your chat with Fitzgerald. He was especially interested in your meeting with Amber Sheldon. He really grilled me over it.”

“Grilled you? What about?”

Harv pointed at the ceiling. “I’ll tell you on the way to dinner.”

In the elevator, Nathan resumed their conversation. “What did Ortega want to know about Amber Sheldon?”

“Everything. He wanted to know what you two talked about. Word for word.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I thought it best not to get too specific. I basically told him you asked Amber about Ernie’s background, anything she could share that might help us find him. I said she didn’t have much to offer. I didn’t say a word about Janey being his daughter.”

“Good thinking. We need to keep that under wraps.”

“I’m uncomfortable withholding information from him.”

“I’m not. Something tells me Lansing and Ortega are closer pals than we realize. I’ve been thinking about that too. How much clout would you need to involve a couple of outsiders like us in top-secret bureau business?”

“A lot.”

“Exactly. Ortega’s been cashing in a big debt Lansing owes him. I wish we could find out what it is.”

“With all due respect, Nate, why would we care? We don’t need to know.”

Nathan sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I guess all this cloak-and-dagger crap is getting to me.”

Neither of the Hyatt’s restaurants were open yet, so they walked a few blocks to the Hard Rock Cafe. It was still a bit early for dinner, so the place wasn’t crowded, which suited them just fine. They were escorted to a corner table by a hostess who looked sixteen years old. In reality, she was probably in her late twenties.
I must be getting old
, Nathan thought as he watched her walk back to her station. When the server came, he ordered a Caesar salad with the dressing on the side. Harv ordered a teriyaki-sticks platter, pot stickers, a shrimp cocktail, a bowl of New England clam chowder, a calamari steak sandwich with fries, and a chocolate shake.

Nathan just stared.

“What,” Harv said.

“You got a hollow leg or something?”

“I’m hungry. What about it?”

“I’ll bet you fifty bucks you can’t eat all that.”

“You’re on.”

Forty minutes later, Nathan fished out his wallet.

On the walk back to the Hyatt, Nathan shook his head. “You amaze me.”

“I know.”

Nathan switched to Russian. “You spot the two agents watching us in there?”

“Yes,” Harvey answered in Russian. “Opposite side of the room. Male-female combo sitting at the bar. They were good. I thought maybe you had missed them.”