Night Tide (55 page)

him!in!moments.!He!slipped!through!the!narrow!opening!and!

ran!for!the!back!door,!glass!crunching!loudly!under!the!soles!of!

his!shoes.!Footsteps!thundered!through!the!house!after!him.!He!

yanked!the!door!open,!bolted!onto!the!porch!and!threw!himself!

through! the! screen! door.! As! he! leaped! to! the! ground! without!

using!the!stairs,!a!man!the!size!of!a!freight!train!stepped!in!his!

path!and!aimed!a!gun!at!him.!

!

“Hold!it!!Drop!your!weapon!”!

!

Langford’s! arm! started! to! rise! of! its! own! accord.! For! an!

instant!he!knew!with!deadly!certitude!that!he!could!put!the!guy!

down!before!he!got!off!a!shot.!But!the!clatter!of!shoes!on!the!

porch!behind!him!stopped!him.!He!pulled!up,!breathing!hard,!

let!the!pistol!slip!from!his!grasp,!and!raised!his!arms!over!his!

head.!!

*!*!*!*!*!

!

Letting! the! BMW! have! its! head! up! I65,! we! made! the! last!

ferry!out!of!Mukilteo!by!just!minutes!for!the!short!crossing!to!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

362&

Whidbey.!With!little!traffic!at!that!time!of!night!we!cruised!the!

main! highway! up! the! island! at! speeds! most! municipalities!

make! money! on.! Reyna! had! grown! increasingly! quiet! the!

farther!we!went.!Now,!with!only!a!few!miles!to!go!according!to!

her! directions,! tension! filled! the! car! like! we’d! driven! into! the!

ocean,!water!squeezing!the!air!out!and!weighting!us!down!until!

we!couldn’t!breathe.!!

!

Reyna! had! spent! part! of! the! trip! on! her! laptop,! using! a!

cellular! modem! to! access! the! Internet.! She’d! researched!

everything!she!could!find!about!Ross!Industries!and!the!facility!

on! Whidbey.! After! putting! the! computer! away,! she’d! spent!

another!half!hour!taking!apart!her!HK,!cleaning!and!inspecting!

it.! She’d! reassembled! and! dry! fired! it! until! she! seemed!

satisfied,!reloaded!a!magazine!and!rammed!it!home.!

!

For! the! past! twenty! minutes! she’d! nervously! chewed! her!

fingernails! and! stared! out! the! windows! at! the! darkened!

scenery! slipping! past.! The! rain! had! eased! to! a! drizzle! then!

stopped! altogether,! but! we! ran! into! occasional! showers! that!

slicked!the!roadway!and!coated!the!windshield!with!droplets.!

They!fractured!the!oncoming!headlights!into!a!kaleidoscope!of!

rainbow6hued!halos!until!the!wiper!blades!erased!them.!

!

“You!better!be!right!about!this,”!she!muttered.!

!

I!glanced!at!her.!“Me?!I!thought!we!were!in!this!together.”!

!

“You!know!what!I!mean.!Jesus,!Blake,!I!just!threw!away!a!

pretty!distinguished!career.”!

!

“Not!on!my!account,!you!didn’t.”!

!

“Even!if!we’re!right,!I!bent!or!broke!so!many!rules!the!past!

two!days,!they’ll!never!give!me!my!job!back.”!

!

“If!we’re!right,!they’ll!give!you!damn!medal.”!

!

She! shook! her! head.! “This! is! all! wrong.! You’re! a! civilian.!

I’m!wanted!by!the!MAs!on!god6knows6what!charges.”!

!

“We! don’t! have! a! choice.! You! know! that.! You! didn’t! do!

anything!wrong.!Well,!except!for!that!little!matter!of!aiding!and!

abetting!a!fugitive.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

363&

!

She!said!nothing.!

!

“Reyna,!look,!it’s!all!or!nothing!now.!We!find!Keely.!Either!

the! Wilsons! are! there! or! not.! If! they! are! then! this! is! all!

connected!somehow.!We!figure!that!out!and!you’ll!have!enough!

evidence! to! save! your! job!
and
! get! a! medal.! We! don’t! have! a!

choice.”!

!

Wind!rush!and!road!hum!filled!the!silence.!Reyna’s!mouth!

was!set!in!a!grim!line,!the!normally!pouty!lips!thinned!and!taut.!

!

“You!
are
!right,”!she!said!finally.!“The!only!way!they!know!

that! I! helped! you! is! through! Baines.! And! if! the! brass! is! so!

scared!of!Baines!they’re!willing!to!arrest!me,!then!something’s!

wrong.!I’m!not!going!down!without!a!fight.”!

!

“That’s! the! spirit.”! I! wished! some! of! her! newfound!

confidence!would!rub!off.!

!

Ten! minutes! later! we! stashed! the! car! off! the! road! under!

some! trees! and! approached! the! Ross! Industries! perimeter! on!

foot.! From! what! she’d! been! able! to! glean! online,! Reyna! was!

convinced!that!the!security!overkill!at!the!main!entrance!was!

designed! to! give! the! illusion! that! the! entire! facility! was!

impregnable.!The!company!was!so!confident!in!the!precautions!

it! had! taken! that! the! property! even! lacked! a! fence! from! the!

outside!world.!A!liability!in!daylight,!the!open!ground!between!

the! road! and! the! compound! wouldn’t! expose! us! as! much! at!

night.!!

!

In!a!low!voice,!she!sketched!out!the!rough!plan!one!more!

time.!When!I!assured!her!I!got!it,!she!moved!thirty!yards!off!to!

the!right,!crouched!low!and!started!running.!I!gave!her!a!thirty6

second! head! start,! then! ran! a! parallel! path! toward! the!

compound,! each! of! us! stopping! every! hundred! feet! or! so! and!

dropping! to! the! ground.! We! alternated! that! way! until! we’d!

made! it! within! a! hundred! yards! of! the! low! outlying! building!

and! both! lay! prone! behind! some! short! scrub.! Reyna! was!

invisible! against! the! dark! ground,! but! I! had! a! fix! on! the! spot!

where!I’d!seen!her!dive!into!the!dirt.!I!waited!and!watched.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

364&

!

Corner6mounted! floodlights! carved! the! outlines! of! the!

three!low6lying!buildings!from!the!surrounding!blackness!and!

cast! their! shadows! into! the! night.! A! small! vehicle! wheeled!

away!from!the!parking!lot!in!front!of!what!appeared!to!be!the!

main! entrance! of! the! compound.! It! sped! toward! the! building!

closest! to! us,! and! when! it! disappeared! on! the! far! side! of! the!

building,! a! shadow! detached! itself! from! the! bushes! off! to! my!

right! and! raced! toward! the! building.! Visible! in! the! light! from!

the!floods!for!only!seconds,!Reyna!ran!for!the!unlit!side!of!the!

building! and! vanished! in! the! dark.! I! followed! moments! later!

and!picked!my!way!along!the!side!of!the!building!in!the!pitch,!

momentarily!night6blind.!I!saw!no!sign!of!Reyna.!

!

Some! large! rhododendrons! and! smaller! azalea! bushes!

grew!at!the!far!end!of!the!building!in!an!attempt!to!soften!the!

industrial! appearance! of! the! facility.! Reyna! crouched! behind!

them,!peering!at!something!around!the!corner!of!the!building.!I!

came!up!behind!her!and!craned!my!neck!to!see!what!she!was!

looking! at.! An! electric! utility! vehicle! a! little! larger! than! a! golf!

cart!sat!empty!in!a!cone!of!light!on!the!walkway!in!front!of!the!

building.!!

!

Reyna! had! her! gun! out.! Motioning! me! to! stay! put,! she!

scurried!to!the!side!of!the!door!and!pressed!herself!against!the!

building.! With! a! quick! movement! of! her! head,! she! glanced!

inside! and! pulled! back.! Like! a! runner! exploding! out! of! the!

blocks!she!raced!to!the!other!side!of!the!entrance!and!plastered!

herself! against! the! building! again.! I! pulled! out! Charlie’s! semi6

automatic! and! hefted! it! nervously.! Reyna! peered! in! my!

direction!through!the!shadow’s!edge.!I!gave!a!short!wave!and!

saw!her!nod.!

!

The! blood! rush! in! my! ears! sounded! like! the! buzz! of!

conversation! in! a! tightly! packed! room.! Sweat! slicked! the!

smooth! steel! on! the! butt! of! the! gun.! I! pressed! my! fingers!

reassuringly! against! the! knurly! texture! of! the! grip,! then!

consciously! relaxed! my! grip! and! inhaled! deeply.!
Dirgha*

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

365&

pranayama
.! From! the! number! of! times! my! heart! beat! I! stood!

there! a! lifetime,! but! the! wait! couldn’t! have! been! more! than! a!

minute! or! two.! A! raindrop! glanced! off! the! side! of! my! nose,!

followed!in!quick!succession!by!more,!plinking!in!my!hair!and!

on!my!shoulders.!

!

A!shifting!of!light!in!the!entryway!signaled!someone!near,!

and!I!tensed.!The!door!swung!open!and!a!man!stepped!outside.!

He!glanced!skyward!at!the!falling!rain!and!pulled!his!collar!up.!

Intent!on!making!it!to!his!vehicle!without!getting!wet,!he!never!

suspected! Reyna’s! presence! until! her! pistol! was! pressed! into!

the!small!of!his!back.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

366&

!

!

Chapter&52
&

!

!

The! call! came! in! when! most! normal! people! were! asleep.!

He!didn’t!mind!despite!the!lateness!of!the!hour.!He!was!awake!

anyway.!Sleep!seemed!to!elude!him!most!nights,!but!the!lack!of!

it!never!had!a!deleterious!effect.!He!functioned!just!fine!on!the!

three! or! four! hours! that! had! become! his! routine.! When! he’d!

first! experienced! this! pattern! of! sleeplessness,! he’s! thought! it!

might!be!due!to!stress,!to!thoughts!of!all!the!years!he’d!put!in!

on! the! job! and! how! little! he! had! to! show! for! it.! He’d! worried!

that! it! would! take! an! edge! off! his! game.! In! fact,! the! opposite!

had!occurred.!His!mind!was!more!agile,!his!acuity!and!insight!

into!situations!quicker!and!more!unerring!than!ever.!

!

He’d!actually!anticipated!the!call,!had!been!lying!on!top!of!

his! bed! in! his! skivvies! waiting! for! the! storm! that! had! finally!

blown!in!to!cool!his!bedroom!below!ninety!degrees.!When!the!

call! came,! he! eagerly! reached! for! the! phone! in! the! dark.! The!

man! on! the! other! end! said! only! a! few! words,! but! they! were!

exactly! what! he’d! hoped! to! hear.! As! soon! as! the! voice!

disconnected,!he!called!his!partner!and!woke!him!from!a!sound!

sleep.! The! irony! both! amused! and! annoyed! him.! When! his!

partner! gruffly! indicated! he! was! fully! conscious,! he! passed!

along! the! message! and! told! him! to! be! ready! in! ten! minutes.!

They!had!a!long!drive!ahead!of!them,!and!no!time!to!waste.!

!

He!wasn’t!sure!how!it!would!play!out,!but!for!the!first!time!

since!he’d!taken!this!path!he!was!convinced!he!would!reach!his!

intended!destination.!Until!the!phone!call,!he’d!bluffed!his!way!

into!a!position!where!he!stood!to!reap!millions.!Now,!he!finally!

had!confidence!that!he’d!really!be!able!to!pull!it!off.!One!way!or!

another,!he’d!get!what!he!wanted.!Tonight.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

367&

!

He! opened! the! top! drawer! of! his! dresser! and! took! out! a!

disposable! cell! phone,! punched! in! a! number! and! sat! on! the!

edge!of!the!bed.!He!let!it!rang!twice!and!hung!up,!then!called!

the!same!number.!A!voice!answered!with!a!simple!“Yes?”!

!

“It’s!tonight,”!he!replied.!

!

“Call! when! you! have! it,”! the! voice! said.! “We’ll! give! you!

coordinates!then.”!

!

Fourteen!minutes!later,!he!pulled!up!to!the!curb!in!front!of!

his!partner’s!house!and!watched!him!stumble!down!the!front!

steps!while!trying!to!zip!a!baggy!windbreaker!that!billowed!in!

the!wind.!Hunching!his!shoulders,!his!partner!pulled!the!collar!

of! the! jacket! up! over! his! head! as! protection! from! the! fat!

raindrops!plinking!with!big!splashes!as!they!landed,!and!ran!to!

the!car.!!

!

“You!ready?”!he!said!when!his!partner!shut!the!door.!

!

His! partner! nodded.! “About! time.! Let’s! go.”! Looking!

around!with!a!small!scowl,!he!added,!“Why!this!car?”!

!

He!rammed!the!stick!shift!into!first!gear.!“It’s!faster.”!

!

“Too!small,”!his!partner!complained.!

!

“Stop!bitching.”!!

!

He! gunned! the! engine! and! popped! the! clutch.! The! black!

coupe! roared! away! from! the! curb! with! a! shriek! of! smoking!

tires.!!

*!*!*!*!*!

!

I!stepped!into!the!circle!of!light!and!raised!my!gun.!Both!of!

us!had!the!guard’s!attention!now.!He!raised!his!arms!over!his!

head,!expression!wavering!between!nervousness!and!fear.!!

!

“Cover!him,”!Reyna!said.!!

!

I!complied!gladly,!taking!a!few!steps!closer.!The!wink!of!a!

bright!red!eye!on!the!overhang!above!the!entry!distracted!me.!I!

peered! at! the! dark! chiropteran! shape! hanging! over! their!

heads—a!camera!pointed!at!the!walkway,!the!electric!cart!dead!

in!its!aim.!

!

“Wait!”!I!said.!!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

368&

!

Startled,! Reyna! looked! up! at! me! and! waited.! I! tucked! the!

gun! back! in! my! waistband.! The! camera! didn’t! move,! and! no!

light!shone.!I!wondered!if!I’d!imagined!it.!A!second!or!two!later,!

though,!the!light!blinked!again.!With!a!couple!of!running!steps,!

I! went! in! for! a! dunk.! Instead! of! an! orange! rim,! I! grasped! the!

camera!firmly!at!both!ends.!My!weight!brought!it!down!easily,!

pulling! the! screws! out! of! soft! wood! and! yanking! the! wiring!