Off the Grid (A Gerrit O'Rourke Novel) (14 page)

She briefly smiled. Her furrowed brow seemed to relax for a moment, and her eyes carried a gentleness he never once saw in Marilynn’s. And yet, there seemed to be an edginess about her, an attitude shared by those who must always be on their guard. “The men are in the bathroom trying to rid themselves of the last of their lunch. They can barely walk.”

“And the woman?”

“She got off the plane and
tried
to connect with your flight to Seattle.”

Gerrit raised a brow. “Tried?”

“A canine unit hit her.”

“Hit her?”

“They found a small package of C4 in her coat. The dog almost ripped her clothes apart trying to reach the explosive. She’s currently being interrogated by security.” Again, the smile.

He briefly eyed the cameras.

“For the next forty-five minutes, those cameras are looped back to show the crowd that passed here about an hour ago. We will be long gone by the time the surveillance cameras return to normal viewing.”

“You did all this, Miss…?” Once more, she placed her hand on his, not in a flirtatious move, but more like how a friend might touch another. “Gerrit, we have been watching over you for more than seven years. Waiting for this time.”

He tensed
. Watching over or spying on me
? “Waiting for what?”

“For someone like Kane to approach.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “We know you turned him down in Vienna. That was a very dangerous thing to do. He is a
khutspe
, a very arrogant man. He does not like to lose. Be on your guard. If you need to contact us”—she withdrew a cell phone from her purse—”use this. Once you use it, destroy it. We’ll provide another.”

“Who are you and what’s your connection to Kane?”

She shook her head. “We do not have the time. Just be careful. If we feel you are in imminent danger, we will move in. Keep that phone near you at all times.”

Standing, she looked down. “Have a good flight.”

He rose. “What’s your name?”

After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “My name’s Alena.” She touched his cheek with her hand before turning away, disappearing into the crowd.

He started to reach for his own cell phone, then changed his mind. Alena’s information made him suspicious of everything. It took him a few minutes to find a pay phone. He slipped in the coins and dialed.

“Hey, partner. Gerrit here.”

“Hey, bro. Where in the Sam Hill are you?” Mark Taylor’s voice sounded incredulous. “First, you disappear on me and when I ask the boss, he tells me it’s none of my damn business. What’s going on?”

“I’ve been out of the country—”

“I’ll say. Your last message came to me from a hotel in Vienna two days ago. I checked. Thanks for leaving me with all that paper in San Diego, by the way. Now you're calling me from a 415 area code. San Francisco? Bay area? What kind of gig you running?”

“Look, I don’t have much time. I’ll fill you in face to face. Did you get my overnight package?”

“Yeah. Stashed it in that place where we kept our informant for a few days.” Taylor had picked up on Gerrit’s implied vagueness. “I hid it under the floorboards.”

“Great. You look inside?”

“Nope. None of my business. Figured you’d tell me if I needed to know.”

Gerrit breathed easier. “Believe me, partner, the less you know, the better. I’ll be in touch.” He hung up and studied those standing nearby. No one seemed to give him a second glance. He made his way toward the boarding gate.

Alena’s information put him on edge. He always thought he could pick up a tail. If she was right, there had been three people traipsing after him and he never spotted them. Either he was too preoccupied or they were really good.

As he stood in line to board, he scrutinized every passenger on his flight. No one seemed too suspicious. He took one last look before entering the plane.

Everything seemed to be normal, but he no longer trusted himself to sniff out danger. After all, he’d just learned that others watched him for seven years without his knowledge. What else might he be missing? All he saw looking back were the faces of strangers.

Seattle, Washington

H
is tired mind swirling with thoughts of Kane and the dead man, Gerrit almost missed a clue that something was amiss at home. Lights streamed through the windows of his boathouse as he drove up, lights he knew had been turned off when he left the house a week ago.

Exhausted and wary, he gathered his bag and let Bones out. After locking the car, he made his way onto the floating dock. The place had been closed up tight and dark when he left on this trip. He was glad he rearmed himself after leaving the airport. He started to reach for a weapon when he saw Marilynn’s black Mercedes coupe parked a few stalls down from his car.

Bones gave a low growl as they approached the house. Moments earlier, Gerrit had picked up his dog from a neighbor down the road, a woman he sometimes went jogging with and who always seemed glad to dog-sit when he was away.

Bones, on the other hand, was not pleased. Gerrit swore the dog gave him an attitude when they reunited, but now—all seemed forgiven. At times, his four-legged friend seemed more trouble than a girlfriend.

He shouldered his bag and tried the door. Unlocked. He entered without announcing and smelled the aroma of pasta sauce emanating from the kitchen.
Marilynn
? She must have heard him close the door, because a moment later she emerged from the kitchen, watching him drop his bag.

“Welcome home, stranger.” She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I want to hear all about it. But first—dinner. I imagine you’re starving?”

“How did you know I’d be home?”

Her eyes shifted away for a second. “Dad called. Said he’d talked to Kane and mentioned that you were on your way. So…here you are. Come on, let’s sit down to eat. And you can tell me every intimate detail.”

She eyed him momentarily, ignoring Bones. “Oh, there is a package that came for you. I left it on the bed.”

He placed his sidearm on the coffee table as she clasped his hand and led him into the kitchen. “Open up the wine, and I’ll get the bread from the oven. Everything else is ready.”

He uncorked the bottle and poured for each of them. As they sat down, he watched her settle in. “You never struck me as a domestic diva, Marilynn. I’m impressed.”

She smiled and waved her hand. “Just another Martha Stewart without all the billions of dollars. Don’t get used to this. Now, tell me all.”

He took a bite and sipped from his glass before responding. “Not much to tell. Met Kane in London, as you know. Came back here, then left for Vienna. Now I’m home.”

“I know your travel plans,” she said, her words laced with annoyance. “I want to know what you did…not where you went.”

He took another sip. “That part I can’t share. Kane’s orders.”

She pursed her lips. “I know you left Kane on bad terms in Vienna, Gerrit. Dad called me yelling and screaming. Not a smart move. I urge you to reconsider. Kane is a man who has our best interests at heart.”

Gerrit stared back, not believing what he was hearing. “Do you know anything about this man? Do you have any idea how he conducts business?”

She met his gaze. “I know he plays for keeps. That he is a man you just don’t want to cross. Tell him you are on board. Tell him you’ve reconsidered and agree with his point of view. Before—”

“Before he kills me? Is that what you’re trying to say?” For the first time, he saw fear in her eyes.

“Gerrit, I’m begging you. Don’t dig in your heels on this. This will be good for both of us if you work with him. There will be no limit where you can go.”

“Good for both of us? And if I don’t?”

Marilynn lowered her eyes, fingering her wine glass. “Time is running out, Gerrit. Make the right choice.”

He crossed his arms. “My mind’s made up. I can’t work for a man who’d jeopardize our country’s interests for his own agenda. I would think you’d feel the same way.”

Slowly, she folded her napkin and placed it on the table before rising. “I’ve already made my choice. If you are not smart enough to see what must be done…” She left the meaning for him to figure it out. “I need to get back to the office. Call me if you change your mind.”

A moment later her car door slammed shut and the engine roared to life. Her tires slipped on loose gravel as she rapidly drove away. He began collecting the dishes, carrying them to the kitchen. Once he finished the dishes, he remembered the package Marilynn mentioned. He found it on his bed. He carried it into the office and sat at his desk as he tore it open. Inside, he found a DVD and a note.

Just a reminder of what might happen if you don’t cooperate. Give me a call.

No name. Just a telephone number.

He slipped the DVD into his computer’s disc drive. Surveillance footage from Adleman’s apartment building leaped onto the screen, with dates and times stamped in the lower-right corner of each camera shot, four fixed locations that showed the exterior and interior entryways, elevator, and the hallway leading to Aldleman’s apartment.

He saw himself emerge on the first screen as he approached the building, and the cameras documented his path through the building to the scientist’s apartment. A time lapse cut in, and the cameras followed him as he rushed from the building after finding the body.

Angrily, Gerrit reached for the phone and dialed the number given. Kane answered. “Got my present?”

“You set me up.”

“You have a decision to make. Do you want to help us help the world, or are you going to start running? Because if you are not on our team, Gerrit, the police will start looking for you as a person of interest. We will leave just enough clues to make sure your world turns upside down.”

“Forget it, Kane. There is nothing you can do to change my mind. This was a setup, and I will prove it.”

“Good luck,” Kane said, before the line went dead.

He slammed down the phone and began pacing the room, considering all his options. Call his supervisor and spill everything about his contact with Kane? Sit tight and see what happens? Running was not an option. He must face whatever Kane threw at him and try to prove his innocence. Work it like any other case, only Gerrit was the one who might be facing charges.

Agitated, he walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. It would be a long night, and he had to try to figure out a game plan. As he crossed the dining room, he heard his sliding glass door open. He glanced up and saw two dark-clad figures emerge.

He started to move to his gun on a table about five yards away but stopped when he realized he’d never reach it. Not enough time. He glanced back at the intruders and braced himself, preparing to go hand-to-hand with them. Both wore black wet suits, dripping on his rug. The first person through the doorway ripped off a black neoprene hood.

Alena
.

The next person was much bigger, a giant of a man carrying another person over his right shoulder like a sack of flour. Motionless flour.

Alena held up her hand as if to silence him. She placed her index finger across her lips. The giant carried his burden into the bedroom and threw it on the bed. Gerrit moved closer and saw the person sprawled on the bed was chalky white.

They just dumped a dead man on his bed.

Gerrit edged toward the coffee table to arm himself.

Alena silently motioned for him to remain quiet. She snatched up a pad of paper and began writing. Once finished, she held it up for him to read.
Kane ordered you killed. They are listening. This house is set to blow at any moment. Follow us into the water—now.

She motioned for her partner to leave through the glass door before turning back to him. Waving her hand, she beckoned him to follow her. He balked as he saw them exit. A moment later, Alena stuck her head through the doorway and mouthed the word
please
, urgently signaling him to leave.

Reluctantly, he followed. Worst-case scenario, his house would be blown to bits. Best-case scenario, Alena was wrong and he would get really wet. The only thing he risked by going with them was he might wind up with a cold. If he stayed…

He scooped up Bones and dashed toward the door. Slinging the dog out into the lake, he dived in and began paddling. Bones paddled alongside him—not heading back to shore. Good. He followed Alena and her partner through the water, spotting the silhouette of a blacked-out motorboat about one-hundred yards away.

He got about twenty yards offshore when night turned to day in a flash. Gerrit glanced back and saw a huge, fiery ball where his home once stood. The concussion hit as the blast swept over him. He felt a secondary heat wave microseconds later, debris raining down on him.

He saw parts of his house falling from the sky. Then blackness.