Night Tide (36 page)

dim! compared! to! the! nuclear! incandescence! outside,! and!

cooler! for! it,! insulated! by! the! thick! log! walls.! A! ceiling! fan!

slowly! stirred! the! heated! air,! circulating! musty! scents! of! old!

leather,!mildew,!wicker!and!dusty!chintz.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

238&

!

True!to!his!word,!Wink!fetched!a!pitcher!of!iced!tea!from!

an! ancient! round6shouldered! refrigerator! and! grabbed! three!

tall! glasses! from! a! cupboard.! He! brought! them! to! the! dining!

table! and! gestured! at! the! empty! chairs.! Reyna! acknowledged!

him! with! a! nod,! walked! over! to! the! fireplace! first! and! leaned!

the!shotgun!against!the!stone!hearth.!!

!

“Nice!place,”!she!said.!“Family!vacation!home?”!

!

She!gazed!around!the!room,!eyes!finally!lighting!on!Wink.!I!

stared!at!her,!mind!racing!with!dozens!of!questions!I!wanted!to!

ask.!She!refused!to!look!at!me,!as!if!she!wanted!to!prolong!my!

confusion! and! discomfort.! My! forearm! rested! on! the! table.!

Unbidden,!my!fingers!quietly!drummed!the!wood.!

!

“It!was!in!my!mother’s!family,”!Wink!said.!“I!came!here!a!

few!times!as!a!kid.!It—”!

!

“What!are!you!doing!here?”!I!blurted.!

!

Reyna! gave! Wink! an! apologetic! look! before! she! slowly!

turned!her!gaze!on!me.!

!

“If!he!hadn’t!asked,!I!would’ve,”!Wink!said.!!

!

I!pressed!my!lips!together!and!nodded.!

!

“I!mean,!why!is!the!Navy!interested!in!me?”!Wink!went!on.!

!

“We’re!not,”!Reyna!said.!She!didn’t!say!more.!

!

She’d!lost!me,!but!Wink’s!face!cleared!as!if!she’d!explained!

everything.!

!

“Care! to! tell! us! why!
you’re
! here?”! Reyna’s! jaw! tightened,!

steel!evident!in!her!voice.!

!

“Where!else…?”!Wink!closed!his!mouth!and!reconsidered.!

“They! let! me! out! early.! For! good! behavior,! they! said.!

Commuted!my!sentence.”!

!

“Why?!Why!now?”!

!

Wink!pulled!his!brows!down!in!annoyance.!“Why!not?!I!did!

enough!time.”!

!

“The!Feebs!must!have!been!pretty!pissed,”!she!said.!“They!

just!let!you!go!without!a!fight?”!

!

“You’d!have!to!ask!them.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

239&

!

Something!in!the!way!Wink!said!it!made!me!think!he!was!

holding!back,!but!Reyna!didn’t!pursue!it.!!

!

“You!had!houseguests!when!all!this!started,”!she!said.!!

!

Wink! pulled! his! shoulders! up! around! his! ears! and!

wrinkled!his!nose.!“You!might!say!that.”!

!

“You!think!they’re!somehow!responsible!for!you!going!to!

prison?”!

!

“I!think!they’re!involved,!yes.”!!

!

“You!think!there’s!more!to!it!than!that.”!

!

Wink!rubbed!his!mouth.!“I!‘invited’!them!here!to!talk!about!

it.!They!denied!knowing!much!more!than!the!fact!that!it!wasn’t!

their!idea,!but!they!bought!into!it!and!set!it!up.”!

!

“You’re! talking! about! Clayt! and! Connie! Jones,”! I! said,! to!

make!sure!I!was!on!the!same!page.!

!

Wink! looked! at! me.! “I’m! talking! about! Colin! and! Corinne!

Wilson.!Student!radicals!back!in!the!’Sixties.!Jones!is!the!name!

they!use!now.”!

!

“Her!maiden!name,”!I!said.!

!

His!eyes!widened!briefly.!“You!figured!it!out.”!

!

“I!didn’t!know!for!sure.”!I!paused.!“Fitch!seemed!to!be!the!

connection.”!

!

He! nodded.! “I! thought! so,! too.”! He! stared! at! his! hands!

clasped!on!the!table.!

!

“What!happened!back!then,!Wink?”!I!had!to!know.!

!

He! glanced! at! me! sharply,! then! stared! into! the! distance,!

collecting!his!thoughts.!

!

“I!told!all!this!at!the!trial.”!

!

“I!wasn’t!there.”!

!

“No,! duh.”! His! peeved! expression! turned! thoughtful.!

“Maybe!you!really!don’t!know.”!

!

The! way! he! notched! that! arrow! I! thought! he’d! let! it! fly!

straight!at!the!target!labeled!guilt!pinned!on!my!chest,!but!he!

simply!stated!it!as!a!fact.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

240&

!

He! went! on,! playing! back! the! details! on! a! holographic!

screen! in! the! middle! of! the! large! room! only! he! could! see.! “I!

went!in!the!building!and!up!to!the!lab!like!I!said!I!was!going!to.!

I!got!the!tubing,!stuffed!it!in!my!backpack!and!was!on!my!way!

out! when! I! heard! noises! in! the! hall.! Guys! in! black! sneaking!

through!the!door!to!the!stairwell.!Two!of!them.!I!got!worried,!

and! hunkered! down! for! a! few! minutes! until! I! was! sure! the!

coast!was!clear.!I’d!just!made!up!my!mind!to!leave!when!
boom
,!

the! sky! fell.! I! didn’t! know! what! to! do.! I! froze,! I! guess.! I! don’t!

know! how! long,! but! I! eventually! realized! I! heard! someone!

screaming.!It!sounded!far!away!until!I!figured!out!that!I!could!

barely!hear!over!the!ringing!in!my!ears.!

!

“I! knew! someone! was! hurt,! so! I! went! out! in! the! hall! to!

figure!out!where!the!screaming!was!coming!from.!Then!I!heard!

two!gunshots,!
bam,*bam!
!I!ducked!back!into!the!lab!where!I’d!

been!hiding!and!waited!a!few!more!minutes.!I!finally!got!up!the!

courage!to!go!look!in!the!lab!they!bombed.!Christ,!what!a!mess!!

I!found!the!girl!in!the!office!next!door.!The!gun!lay!on!the!floor!

next! to! her.! I! don’t! know! why! I! picked! it! up.! To! look! at! it! up!

close,!maybe.!Doesn’t!matter.!You!know!the!rest.”!

!

“So,!you!didn’t!kill!her,”!I!said.!

!

His! eyes! narrowed.! “You! really! think! I! could! have! done!

that?”!

!

I! shifted! in! my! chair! and! looked! away.! “I! thought! about!

how! much! pain! that! girl! must! have! been! in.! So,! yeah,! I!

wondered.”!

!

Wink!looked!at!Reyna!and!waved!a!hand.!“There’s!loyalty!

for!you.!Some!friend.”!

!

I!clamped!my!jaw!shut!to!dam!up!the!flood!that!threatened!

to!spew.!Reyna!saved!me.!

!

“The!Wilsons!are!pretty!popular!folks,”!she!said.!“Someone!

else!wanted!their!company,!too—badly.!Why?”!

!

Wink! rubbed! his! chin.! “Same! reason! I! did,! I! suppose.! To!

find!out!what!they!knew.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

241&

!

“You!didn’t!want!to!kill!them!for!what!they!did!to!you?”!I!

said.!

!

His!blue!eyes!reminded!me!of!pools!of!water!in!arctic!ice.!

!

“They! say! Fitch! approached! them! with! the! job.”! His! tone!

was!as!cool!as!his!gaze.!“Sold!it!to!them!as!one!last!hurrah,!a!

last!chance!to!relive!their!old!days!as!radicals.!Convinced!them!

that!no!one!would!get!hurt,!and!that!he!had!a!crew!all!lined!up.!

Wilson! said! Fitch! even! brought! another! member! of! the! crew!

around!a!couple!of!times!to!help!sell!the!idea.”!

!

Reyna!tipped!her!head!sideways.!“You!don’t!buy!it?”!!

!

“Fitch!wasn’t!smart!enough!to!put!a!job!like!that!together,”!

I!interjected.!!

!

Wink! nodded.! “The! explosives! were! military.! And! the! lab!

they!bombed!wasn’t!the!one!Fitch!told!the!Wilsons!about.”!

!

“You!don’t!think!he!made!a!mistake?”!

!

“Fitch?!He!made!a!huge!mistake.!He!trusted!whoever!really!

set!up!the!job.!And!it!wasn’t!the!Wilsons.”!

!

“They!got!played.”!Reyna!sighed.!“They!have!no!idea!who!

set!them!up?”!

!

Wink! looked! at! the! floor! and! wagged! his! head! slowly.!

“Look,!I’m!not!proud!of!what!I!did,!but!I!sweated!them!for!days.!

They!don’t!know.”!

!

Reyna!considered!him.!“But!you!have!an!idea.”!

!

He!pulled!at!an!earlobe,!not!meeting!her!gaze.!Something!

he!said!finally!registered.!!

!

“Wait,! you! said! Clayt—Wilson,! whatever—met! someone!

else!on!the!crew?”!

!

Wink!looked!at!me!curiously.!“Yeah,!a!guy!named!Phil.”!

!

Sarah! had! mentioned! that! “Uncle! Sebastian”! had! brought!

Phil! around! the! house! that! summer.! It! got! me! thinking! about!

how!even!when!people!like!the!Wilsons!changed!identities!they!

used!new!names!close!to!their!old!ones!so!they!wouldn’t!easily!

forget! them.! Some! people! didn’t! even! bother! changing! their!

first!names.!It!made!me!wonder!if!old!man!Donato!had!been!on!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

242&

the! hit! list! along! with! Fitch! and! the! Wilsons! and! it! had! just!

taken!twenty!years!to!find!him.!

!

Reyna!cocked!her!head.!“We’ve!got!company.”!

!

I! frowned,! then! heard! tires! crackle! softly! in! the! dirt! out!

front.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

243&

!

!

Chapter&38&

!

!

Reyna! was! on! her! feet,! halfway! to! the! door,! gun! in! hand,!

before!the!sounds!ceased.!

!

She! glanced! over! her! shoulder! and! murmured,! “You!

expecting!anyone?”!

!

Wink! shook! his! head,! slid! out! of! his! chair! and! padded!

toward!the!fireplace!to!retrieve!the!shotgun.!An!amplified!voice!

filled!the!room,!stopping!him!cold.!

!

“Perry!Langford!!This!is!the!FBI.!Come!out!with!your!hands!

in!the!air!”!

!

Reyna!cursed!under!her!breath.!“Stay!here.”!

!

She!holstered!her!gun,!opened!the!door,!letting!in!a!flood!

of!sunshine,!and!stepped!onto!the!porch.!Wink!and!I!followed!

partway!to!a!vantage!point!where!we!could!watch!her!from!the!

shadows!of!the!interior.!

!

She! held! her! ID! aloft.! “Morning,! boys.! Name’s! Chase.!

Lieutenant!Commander!with!ONI.!Something!I!can!do!for!you?”!

!

A! small! black! man! in! a! suit! approached! and! stopped! ten!

feet! from! the! bottom! step.!
Drucker.
! He! peered! up! at! her,! face!

pinched!with!suspicion.!!

!

“Naval!intelligence?!What’s!your!interest!here?”!

!

“Perry! Langford! has! information! concerning! a! case! we’re!

working.”!

!

“Is! Langford! inside,! Lieutenant! Commander?! If! so,! you’d!

best!send!him!out.”!

!

“Has! he! done! something! wrong?”! Her! voice! was! all!

innocence.!

!

“Violated!parole,!ma’am.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

244&

!

“Well,! we! were! just! having! a! conversation.! And! when!

we’re!finished,!Mr.!Langford!is!accompanying!me!to!Naval!Base!

Kitsap.!A!little!matter!of!national!security.”!

!

Drucker!frowned!and!his!hand!trembled.!“Like!hell!he!is.!I!

don’t!care!who!you!are!or!what!bullshit!you!invoke,!you!don’t!

have!jurisdiction!here.!Langford’s!ours.”!

!

Taylor! showed! up! at! Drucker’s! side! in! shirtsleeves,! cuffs!

rolled! halfway! up! his! forearms,! tie! loosened! and! collar!

unbuttoned.! Glossy! shoes! were! already! coated! with! dust.! His!

shaved! head,! wet! with! perspiration,! sparkled! in! the! sunlight.!

He!held!a!gun!with!both!hands.!

!

“Shall! we! let! our! bosses! decide?”! Reyna! reached! for! the!

phone!in!her!hip!pocket.!!

!

Taylor!sighted!on!Reyna.!“Hold!it!right!there!”!

!

She!took!her!hand!away!slowly.!

!

Drucker! pulled! his! suit! coat! aside! revealing! a! shoulder!

holster! and! slid! his! hand! into! his! pocket.! His! shirt! was! crisp!

and! unwrinkled! despite! the! heat.! He! waved! his! other! hand!

airily.!

!

“Got! anybody! else! in! there?! No?! Didn’t! think! so.! Me! and!

three!of!my!agents.!One!of!you.!Your!odds!aren’t!too!good.!Let’s!

try!this!again.!Send!Langford!out!here.”!

!

Reyna!shrugged.!“You!want!him.!Come!get!him.”!

!

She! folded! her! arms! and! leaned! against! the! rail,! lips!

pressed!together!in!a!grim!expression!as!Drucker!marched!up!

the! steps! with! Taylor! right! behind! him.! Drucker! breezed! on!

past! without! looking! at! her! and! through! the! open! door.! He!

stopped! just! inside,! letting! his! eyes! adjust! to! the! dim! light.!

Taylor!stepped!in!and!stood!at!his!shoulder.!

!

“You!”! Drucker! said! when! his! gaze! settled! on! me.! “What!

the!hell!are!you!doing!here?”!!

!

He! turned! to! Taylor! without! waiting! for! an! answer.! “Get!

Andrews!in!here,!have!him!cuff!this!sorry!bastard!and!put!him!

in!your!car.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

245&

!

Taylor! spun! on! his! heel! and! walked! out,! twisting! a!

shoulder! to! avoid! running! into! Reyna.! She! stood! in! the!

doorway,! framed! by! the! bright! light.! Drucker! noted! her!

presence!with!a!grunt!and!faced!me!again.!

!

“Sanders,! you’re! under! arrest.! If! I! were! you! I! wouldn’t!

open! my! mouth! until! I! had! the! best! lawyer! I! could! afford.!

Langford,!quit!thinking!about!making!a!move!for!that!shotgun!