Ring of Lies (84 page)

Salazar
frowned.
‘
N
ot even your DEA pays much attention to a seaplane flying between
the Barrier islands and mainland
.
’

Once inside the small lantern room at the top of the tower,
Jack studied
Salazar
. He was
breathless
and
sweaty, but the gun in his hand
was rock steady
.
He mopped his brow with a handkerchief.

‘
What’s the matter, old boy, miss a few aerobics classes?
’

‘
Laugh all you like, Agent West. These are your last few moments on this earth.
’

‘
So tell me, w
hat’s
i
n the computer
files
?
Come on, Salazar. You’ve got the gun and you’re going to kill me anyway, so what’s the harm? Besides, confession’s good for the soul, or so they say.
’

Salazar gave a grunt of a laugh.
‘
I’d heard you had a sense of
humour
even in dire situations. My sources were not wrong. Very well, r
ecords showing
the
movement of funds from one offshore account to another.
’

Salazar
levelled his
gun at
Catherine
’s
pale
and bloody
face.
‘
So now my story is done.
Give me the disks
,
Mrs.
Elliott
,
or
your darling sister
dies.
’

‘
Give them to him, Grace,
’
Catherine whispered hoarsely.
‘
You can’t let him do this to me!
’

‘
I can’t,
’
said Grace, drawing
a shaky breath.
‘
I don’
t have them.
’

‘
What do you mean?
’
wailed Catherine.
‘
Save me, God damn you! He’s got a gun in my face!
’

‘
I really don’t have them,
’
Grace stuttered.
‘
They
…
they
must have been destroyed when Daniel’s
car
caught fire.
’

‘
You’re lying
!
’
Salazar
yelled
, enraged. The gun shook in his hand. Catherine whimpered
.

‘
She’s telling the truth,
’
Jack
snarled
.

Salazar
lowered the gun.
‘
I believe you. Very well. The disks are an acceptable loss. The cost of doing business, as I believe you say
,
here in America. So Vasquez here will keep you and Catherine company, Agent West, while
Mrs.
Elliott and
I go to her bank and arrange to transfer the money to my account
.
’

Cold sweat trickled down Jack’s bruised ribs. He considered the options and didn’t like any of them. His thoughts were a flurry. Then it hit him.

‘
Salazar, you know
Elliott
went by
another
name
? He also called himself
Lionel Lattide?
’

The little man
spun round and glared at
Catherine.
‘
It was you
!
’

‘
What do you mean?
’
whimpered Catherine.

‘
You
talked
Daniel
into stealing from me
! T
hat’s why you asked me to get those
fake
passports.
’

Catherine was suddenly still. Her tears halted. Her trembling
lips formed a broad sneer.

‘
That’s right, you creepy, disgusting little gnome.
Without me,
you’re
nothing,
’
Catherine spat.
‘
Who got you the formulas and samples of the drugs? Me! And what was my share? A measly ten
per cent
while you raked in millions. Daniel only took
from you
what was rightfully mine!
’

Catherine
turned and kneed Vasquez
in the balls
.
H
e
moaned and clutched his groin, dropping his gun and sank to his knees.

Jack
lashed
out with his right
foot
and
kicked
Salazar
’s gun out of his hand, then landed an upper cut to his jaw. Salazar spat blood and foam, and stumbled back into the steel wall, then slid slowly down to the floor, unconscious
.

Grace
grabbed Vasque
z
’
s
gun
from the floor.
Her eyes locked with his.
Still kneeling in pai
n
, he looked at the barrel and raised one hand, then another.

‘
Don’t
you dare
move
,
’
she said
‘
On second thought, please do move so I can blow out what little brains you have!
’

Jack’s hand’s wrapped round hers.
‘
Easy, Grace.
’
He took the gun from her, but kept the barrel aimed at Vasquez.
‘
Get my cell phone. It’s in my b
ack pocket
. Call the first number you see on speed dial. They’ll be here in a heartbeat.
’

Miami

Seventy-two
hours later.

Jack knocked on the door of the coronary care unit.
‘
I hope they’ll allow us in,
’
he said to Grace, who cradled
Emilia
in her arms.

‘
Chrissie said it was okay provided we only stayed for a few minutes.
’

Jack smiled, and kissed
her cheek, then his daughter’s, and wondered
how
he’d gotten so lucky.
She looks so content
.
’

‘
Babies are sensitive, Jack. They know when
the person holding them cares.
’

‘
Do you? Do you care?
’

Grace looked up at him. H
er tear-bright eyes brimm
ed
with happiness.
‘
How could I not love her, when I love her father so much?
’

Jack opened the door. Mike Zupanik sat propped up in bed, a hea
rt monitor strapped to his chest
, a drip connected to his arm.

‘
My God,
’
said Mike.
‘
You look like hell
.
’

Jack grinned.
‘
Thanks, old man. You look pretty good, considering what you’ve been through.
’

‘
Nah, could
have
been worse, although
my days with the Bureau are over.
’

‘
I bet Chrissie’s pleased.
’

‘
She’s been after me to retire for a long time. Guess I just had to nearly die to see the sense of it.
’

‘
And you have.
’

Mike snorted.
‘
I’m a Bureau guy, Jack. What do we know? Nothing. We never figure shit out until we’ve had it kicked out of us. Which I sort of did, didn’t I?
’

‘
Yep, you did.
’

Jack pulled out a chair for Grace and stood by her side.

Mike smiled at Grace and the baby.
‘
Good to see you,
Mrs.
Elliott.
’