Chapter 51
Don't ask me how, but the three of us squeezed into the Porsche. Flynn made himself small in the backseat. The seats were only fit for a child, but at this point in time, that's about all the mental capacity Flynn had.
We drove over to Jack's bungalow, and I pulled into the driveway. I had texted Jack and told him we were coming. He greeted us on the driveway and opened the garage door.
Mickey and Flynn marveled at the beat-up van.
Flynn said, "I knew you guys would come through.”
"Flynn, ride with Jack,” I said. “Pilot the drone while he drives. Keep your distance. We'll stay on encrypted comms. When we reach the final location, Jack will take overwatch, and you can be the eyes in the sky," I said to Flynn.
He grinned. "I see all."
I had grabbed the drone from the Avventura.
It was a state-of-the-art quadcopter with a 4K camera, infrared and night vision, and a three-mile range.
With object recognition, you could set it to track people or vehicles.
Flynn would just have to target the van, adjust the altitude, and the software would do the rest.
Jack grabbed a sniper rifle and stuck it in the passenger seat of the Porsche. He pulled the drone from its case and set it on the ground, then gave Flynn an overview of the controls. “You got it?”
“I got it, chief,” Flynn said with a salute.
The quad blades spun up, and the craft came to life.
Flynn touched the controls, and the drone lifted from the driveway.
It buzzed into the air, unsteady at first. Flynn cruised it around, getting comfortable with it.
Jack told him how to set object tracking, stabilization assist, and all the other bells and whistles.
Flynn took to it pretty quickly.
He and Flynn climbed into the Porsche, then backed out of the driveway.
Mickey and I climbed into the van. I touched the wires together and started up the vehicle, then dropped it into gear and backed out. We zipped through the neighborhood, heading toward the lighthouse.
Mickey said, "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. You guys have gone above and beyond. You've risked your lives, your careers, everything. I don't deserve this."
He frowned and hung his head.
"Everything's going to work out. We stick to the plan and give them what they want.”
Mickey nodded.
Jack hung back. There was no need to stay on my tail for this leg of the journey.
He knew where we were going, and the drone was locked on.
As soon as we got to the lighthouse, we'd have enemy eyes on us. They’d follow our every move from there.
Jack had to be careful not to make it obvious he was following us.
I could give him a play-by-play over encrypted comms. There was no need for him to keep a visual on the van.
He had that with the drone’s aerial view.
I just hoped Rico and his goons hadn't reported the van stolen. The last thing I needed was to get pulled over by another deputy with $150 million in cash in the back. I’d have a hard time talking my way out of that one.
I pulled to the curb at the lighthouse by the newspaper dispensers.
Mickey hopped out and strolled the sidewalk.
He pulled open the lid with a squeak and reached his hand inside.
Just as instructed, a burner cell phone had been duct-taped to the ceiling.
He yanked it free, peeled off the tape, and looked around.
I kept my head on a swivel. I didn't see anything unusual.
Pedestrians strolled the sidewalks. A panhandler in tattered clothes worked the corner. Tourists sat in a café across from the lighthouse, munching on late-night snacks, sipping adult beverages.
I paid particular attention to the panhandler. I didn't see an earpiece in his ear. Maybe he was the genuine article. Posing as a homeless person was the perfect cover for this type of operation.
Mickey climbed back into the van. Just as he buckled his safety belt, the burner rang. He looked at me for a moment, then answered it and put it on speakerphone. "Hello?”
"Who's with you?”
"A friend.”
"I said to come alone.”
"I'm too shaken up to drive. I need someone for moral support. If you don't like it, I’ll take the money and go home.”
"Do that, and you'll never see your daughter again.”
"I could say the same about the money."
The kidnapper was silent for a long moment.