The Tangled Webb (12 page)

CHAPTER 32

F
ollowing Senator Bailey’s tragic death, the necessity of finding Max Baer was taking on a renewed sense of urgency. As the hours passed, the pressure intensified.

The race against time was ceaseless.

Kate and James discussed the situation, and they came to the conclusion that they had no choice but to vacate the townhouse. The hunt for Baer was becoming all-encompassing, and they could not keep up unless they had complete freedom in their movements.

Even as the thought of leaving the protection of the FBI was disturbing, they pack up their things and headed out through Bell’s passage for the last time.

They walked down Ms. Van Der Meer’s street, one over from theirs, and call a taxi service. The driver picked them up on a street corner about six blocks away, and they were driven out to Dulles Airport.

Kate called the hospital to check on Daniel’s condition, and after being told it had not changed, the cabbie helped with the duffel bags and James set the last one on the tarmac. He paid the driver who then drove off.

Of course, both of them knew that Carter would be angry, and he was.

They would later find out that Agent Gower had gone to the townhouse to pay a visit, checking in to see how they were doing. When he arrived, he rang the doorbell several times, then banged on the door, and even a few windows. After deciding that no one was there, he got a judge to issue a “sneak and peek” warrant, a covert entry authorized under the USA Patriot Act, allowing police officers to enter a property without the consent of the owner.

Carter fumed as he entered the townhouse and discovered that Kate and James had left.

Damn fools are gonna get themselves killed.

CHAPTER 33

K
ate and James had been in flight over the Atlantic for seven hours when Lynch’s jet began its approach toward the Charles De Gaulle Airport, fifteen minutes northeast of Paris.

As they looked out the window, a blanket of a million lights flickered against the night sky. At the center of the city the Eiffel Tower stood among wide boulevards and architectural monuments, each displaying its own unique illuminations.

A black ribbon parted the lights where the river Seine sliced a winding path through the metropolis.

The jet touched down on the runway and taxied to a private terminal where they went through Customs, then James rented an SUV.

Entering the motorway, he drove to a quaint lakeside village outside the city and woke Kate from a nap as they approached a cozy stone cottage that was nestled into the trees by the shoreline.

Kate rubbed sleep from her eyes.

“It’s absolutely enchanting.”

“Not a bad place to hide out.”

They got out and stretched their legs, taking in their surroundings. The view of the lake and the village beyond was beautiful, and the closest neighbor lived a considerable distance away, affording privacy and seclusion.

Nicolas had offered them the cottage, a property that had been in his family for decades.

James tossed the front door key to Kate and they soon found the interior equally appealing; an updated kitchen connected to a balcony that overlooked the lake, and a vaulted living room with a wood-beamed ceiling adjoining two bedrooms and a shared bath.

“I think I’ll jump in the shower and get cleaned up,” he said.

Standing beneath the head, he allowed the warm water to relax his muscles.

Then he heard the shower door latch behind him.

When he turned, Kate pressed a bite from a freshly-baked muffin into his mouth. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the enclosure.

His face brightened as he removed her top.

She flung her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips firmly against his mouth. A moment later the rest of her clothes were tossed over the top of the enclosure and ended up on the floor.

Filled with a renewed energy, they groped each other.

She then took a sponge from the shelf and scrubbed his back in slow, circular motions.

Moving quickly from relaxation to arousal, he happily reciprocated her gesture. The fun and games eventually moved to the bedroom where they relinquished tensions and enjoyed a break from their worries.

Much later Kate set a table for two on the balcony. She was preparing French toast at the stove when James came up from behind and kissed her gently on the neck.

“
That
was incredible,” he said, stepping onto the balcony and sitting at the table. He sipped his orange juice and marveled at the beautiful lake.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“No thanks. I’m wide awake.”

She grinned.

“That really helped. I feel great.”

He noticed a contemplative look on her face.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I was thinking about this Max Baer guy. Now that we have a name to go with the face, why not have some private investigators poke around in London. There’s a chance they’ll find someone who knew him.”

“Good idea.”

“We could use the information to narrow the search for Baer in Paris.”

“True,” James said, biting into a fresh strawberry. “The private investigators are burning cash like there’s no tomorrow, and they haven’t come up with anything.”

Kate sipped from her coffee cup and looked out at the lake as James got up and started for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Just want to check the perimeter. Can’t be too careful.”

“Don’t be long.”

“I won’t.”

Twenty minutes later James came into the cottage as Kate was standing on the balcony, finishing up a conversation with an investigator in London. She pressed the End button. “Everything okay?”

“Fine.”

She noticed that he was holding one of his arms behind his back.

“What do you have there?”

He extended his hand and revealed a lovely bouquet of flowers, the array of colors dazzling to the eye.

“I picked them for you, on the hillside.”

“They’re beautiful,” she said, embracing him. “I’ll put them in some water.”

Kate stepped over to the sink and spoke as she arranged the flowers.

“I hired three of England’s top investigative agencies, but it isn’t going to be cheap. They asked for retainers before allocating the manpower we need.”

“No problem. I’ll make the wire transfers today.”

“Each of the firms told me they’d work around the clock until something breaks.” She gazed out toward the village on the other side of the lake. “And you think the number of investigators in Paris should be doubled?”

“Yes, but it’s going to cost a bundle.”

“But with the dozens of bloodhounds on the streets and the bonus we offered for information about Baer, we should catch a break soon. Don’t you think?”

“I certainly hope so.”

She put her hands on his shoulders and massaged them.

“Think positive.”

“I’m trying.”

“You know, honey, this place is great, but wouldn’t we be more effective in the city?”

“It’d be risky, a lot riskier, but I guess you have a point.”

“Okay then, I’ll tidy up.”

“We’ll take off in a couple of hours.”

James made phone calls while Kate finished closing up the cottage.

“Ready?”

“I guess so,” he said with some hesitation.

When they got out to the driveway, the afternoon sun was settling over the village across the lake. In this short period of time, the cottage had grown on them.

Kate glanced back for one last look.

I wonder if we’ll feel at peace like this again?

As James drove out to the highway, Kate closed her eyes, trying to clear away the tempest of emotions swirling around inside her.

What challenges, and dangers, await us in Paris?

Little did she know.

CHAPTER 34

J
ames drove along the motorway before coming into the heart of Paris and to the Trocadéro area—a neighborhood in the western end of the city along the river Seine.

“This is it,” Kate said. “Turn here.”

He pulled up to the front of a hotel and they entered the lobby, checked in and rode the elevator to the fifth floor and to their room. Kate opened the door and they stepped inside.

Two oversized windows framed a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower.

She turned to James.

A grin on his face gave him away. He was thinking about her choice of accommodations.

“Okay, so I’m an incurable romantic,” she confessed.

He nestled his head into the nape of her neck. “It’s captivating.”

Stepping over to the minibar, he pulled out a Heineken and drank half the bottle before dropping in a chair by the windows.

She set her shoulder bag on the floor and, sitting across the table from him, opened a window to let in the night air. Soon the table was covered with legal pads, notes and contacts for the horde of investigators now combing the cities of Paris and London in pursuit of the elusive Max Baer.

“This guy’s a tough bastard to nail down,” she said, leafing through the papers.

“Specter said Baer’s a ghost. Maybe he’s right.”

“Very funny. Listen, no man’s an island. With all the people hunting him, someone’s going to catch a break. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Something we don’t have,” he reminded her.

She leaned back in her chair. “Tell me about it.”

“I think we should meet with Thomas Lynch.”

He noticed a change in her expression as she asked, “Why?”

“He’s the U.S. ambassador to France. The man has a lot of connections. He could be helpful.”

“I guess you’re right, at this point,
any
support would be welcomed.”

“If Max Baer’s hiding in Paris, Thomas might be able to help find him.”

“Is he in town?”

“I phoned him this morning from the cottage. He’s staying at his chateau outside the city, about twenty minutes from here. He invited us for lunch tomorrow.”

Slumped over a heap of papers and notes on the table, Kate raised her fingers to her temples and massaged them.

“I’ve got a lot to do. My time’s better spent here, overseeing the manhunt for our mystery man. Thomas will understand.”

“Okay. I’ll tell him.”

James had ordered a bottle of red wine and when it was brought to the room, he uncorked it. From behind, he pressed himself against Kate and wrapped his arms around her.

“Care to join me on the terrace?”

“Are you trying to seduce me?”

“That’s the idea.”

She turned and kissed him.

He walked outside, filled two glasses and stretched out on an oversized chaise.

Kate came out and curled beside him, nestling her head into his neck. A bright moon hung above, glazing the river in a milky glow, and lights flickered on the tower like a giant string of pearls.

A silence.

Finally Kate spoke. “We can stop now you know. Just throw in the towel.”

“I’ve thought about it, but I love my country too much.”

“We can walk away, disappear.”

“Not until this is finished.”

“We might suffer like Daniel, or worse.”

“We
owe
this to him.”

“These people are relentless. They’ll kill us.”

“Not before we kill them, or they’re locked away.”

“We can survive on the run.”

“What would I do, lie around, get flabby?”

“Okay with me.”

“I have to use it or lose it.”

Kate suddenly spun around and faced him.

“You passed.”

“What?”

“The test. I need to know for sure that you’re as determined as I am to get these bastards.”

He was surprised at her intensity.

“I’m glad I gave the right answers. If I didn’t, would you have kicked me to the curb?”

“Of course not, and I don’t think I care for your tone.”

“Just checking.”

“Can we drop it, please?”

“You’re the one who brought it up.”

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him.

“Remarks like that aren’t going to score you points in the bedroom.”

He grinned and refilled her wine glass.

“Maybe this will help.”

She rolled her eyes.

Before long, the effects of the wine began setting in and James suggested a retreat to the bedroom. They got on their feet and Kate walked somewhat unsteadily, clinging to him with both arms.

He whispered in her ear.

“What was it you said about scoring points in the bedroom?”

CHAPTER 35

J
ames began to unwind as he drove farther into the suburbs of Paris, the peaceful scenery blending with a cool late morning breeze.

And Kate insisted on staying behind to supervise the hunt for Max Baer. Why not enjoy a good meal with an old friend? Who knows, he might even be of help.

Thomas Lynch had always been a casual type and though he asked James to come out for lunch around noon, he got there a few minutes early, force of habit. Precision and timeliness were second nature to him.

He came around a gradual bend in the road and slowed before coming closer to the entrance. James recalled someone saying that the chateau originally had a different name and it was changed by Thomas’s father to its present moniker.

FALCON LAIR

He pulled off the roadway and approached the gatehouse. A guard approached wearing a dark blazer and tan trousers.

Glancing up, James noticed a security camera high on a wall of the gatehouse. Its lens was hidden behind a black plastic dome.

“Your name sir?” asked the guard.

“James Webb.”

He looked at a clipboard and searched for the name. Finding it he said “You may proceed Mr. Webb.”

There was a
click
and the enormous gate opened. He advanced along the driveway and through a wood land that crested at the top of a knoll. From this perspective the expansive grounds of the estate were on display and the limestone facade of the chateau was in view.

James parked in the motor court and walked up a set of stairs leading to carved mahogany doors. He rang the doorbell and waited. Moments later he was looking at one of the gardens when he heard the door open behind him. An elderly manservant stood there, elegantly dressed and exuding a certain dignity.

“May I help you?”

“My name is James Webb. I have a twelve o’clock appointment with Mr. Lynch.”

“Alfred, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He turned, gesturing with his hand. “Follow me please.”

He escorted James through a large entrance hall and its focal point was a winding staircase that swept up to the chateau’s bedrooms. They walked to the back of the chateau and into a huge two-story library, and floor-to-ceiling windows gave commanding views of the city of Paris.

Alfred led James out to a terrace.

“I’ll tell Mr. Lynch you’ve arrived,” he said.

“Thanks.”

James sank into a chaise lounge on the stone-arched terrace running the length of the mansion. A gardener clipped a hedge as he moved along the edge of a spacious lawn.

Then he heard someone approaching from behind, and a quick glance at his watch told him he’d been waiting twenty minutes.

“James!” Thomas said. “So good to see you again.”

They shook hands.

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“My pleasure, anything I can do for a friend.”

“This is some place.”

“Let me show you around.”

Thomas took James on a tour of the chateau’s interiors before they went outside and walked the grounds. James noticed a half-dozen security guards roaming around.

“I once heard an interesting story about how this place got its name.”

“Oh, Falcon Lair. Do tell.”

“The way it was told an unwelcome nocturnal guest entered the grounds here and was attacked by a falcon. The tale has the raptor crushing the man’s skull in its talons.”

Thomas let out a belly laugh.

“Crushed? You must be joking. This sounds like the work of an overactive imagination.”

“I know. Anyway, where did the name come from?”

“It seems my father had quite a reputation in business circles as a ruthless predator. The metaphor fit like a hand in glove, so …”

“… a new name was born.”

“Right.”

They were walking back to the chateau when Thomas asked, “How’s Kate doing?”

“Not bad, I guess, considering the circumstances. She sends her regrets for not coming. You know, handling the manhunt, trying to stay alive, basic stuff.”

A pause as both of them thought about this.

“I feel for you, James. How’s the hunt coming along? Three senators are dead and D.C. is going nuts.”

“Do you believe any of the rumors making the rounds?”

“I’m not really sure what to believe. I do know there are plenty of people who’d like to do away with a senator or two.”

“Sad but true. They’ve got a lot of enemies.”

“James, like most people, this mystery has captured my attention. How do you think it’ll turn out?”

“With more senators dead if it isn’t solved, along with Daniel, Kate and me.”

“Any luck so far?”

“No, unfortunately. This man we’re hunting was with the British Secret Intelligence Service. He turned out to be a rogue operator so they sacked him. Kate and I believe he’s in D.C. and despite a small army of investigators we haven’t been able to find him.”

“There are some people I think I can trust. I’ll work on it. Discreetly, of course.”

“I’m sure this guy knows about the gigantic bull’s eye on his back.”

Thomas paused.

“Does our perpetrator have a name?”

“Max Baer. Our teams are working in London, trying to locate someone who knew him in British Intelligence.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks, Thomas.”

“Your work is really cut out for you, James. This has to be solved and soon. Washington is really on edge.”

“I believe it.”