Chapter 24 #2
She also knows if her involvement comes to light and the feds lock her up, a single word from me will get her throat slit on the inside.
And above all, she knows if she talks to the cops, the people who orchestrated Tatiana’s kidnapping will come after her.
They’re already hunting her.
So am I.
She’s in a nasty pickle.
That’s what’s running through her mind as the seconds tick on.
When she finally speaks, she takes the bait as I knew she would.
“Fine,” she bites out. “I can give you information.”
“On what?”
“On who took your wife.”
My fury reaches a crescendo. It takes all I have and then some to keep calm and not tear into her.
She doesn’t know I know her identity. If the strippers from the club had told her that I’d been sniffing around, asking questions about her, she wouldn’t have bothered to hide her name. It would’ve been pointless. She would’ve simply announced it when I took the call.
Still, I test my theory. “Who are you?”
“That doesn’t matter. Are you interested or not?”
I was right. She has no idea that I’ve identified her.
“Well?” Uncertainty bleeds into her voice. “Do we have a deal?”
“Sure,” I drawl. “Meet me at my office.”
She laughs. “Do you think I’m dumb? Give me your cell phone number. I’ll text you where and when we meet.”
Not so dumb after all.
I take a new burner phone from my drawer and give her the number.
The moment she hangs up, I call Reino. While putting a fully charged battery in the burner phone and switching it on, I instruct him to double the number of guards at the house and dispatch a team to my office.
Ms. Foster’s instructions follow three minutes later.
She wants to meet in a public place, an outdoor cafeteria in the new reptile park.
Getting a million together in cash will take time, even for me.
She must be well aware of that fact and getting angsty, because she says in her message that she’s changed her mind.
She wants to meet today, and she wants me to transfer the money to an offshore bank account. Once the transaction has gone through, she’ll divulge the information she promised.
When Ulysses and Reino arrive at the office, I bring them up to speed.
“The meeting is in three hours.” Reino gives me a worried look. “That’s not nearly enough time to put sufficient safety measures in place.”
“It’ll have to be enough.” I address Ulysses.
“Get our drones there. I want footage of before, during, and after the meeting. I’ll send her police mugshot to our men.
I want to know the minute she enters that park and if she’s alone, bringing support, or being followed.
” To Reino, I say, “Put snipers in the surrounding buildings. I want men in civilian clothes throughout that park.”
“What’s the plan?” Ulysses asks, straightening his sleeveless jacket.
“We take her in for questioning. I’m not going to strangle the truth out of her in the open.”
Ms. Foster will soon learn I have no intention of paying her a million for what she and her cronies had done to Tatiana.
Reino steps closer. “What if she brings back-up?”
“I have a good hunch that she’ll be alone.
She’s being hunted by her partners and us.
She can’t trust anyone. Making a deal for enough money so she can disappear indefinitely is her only chance.
She’s not going to risk screwing it up. Just in case, we’ll be ready.
I’ll pull in some of Sav’s men too. I want our teams swarming the park. ”
Ulysses nods, always in agreement with a more prudent approach. “Where do you want to take her once we’ve got her?”
“The warehouse.”
He nods again. “I’ll have a vehicle ready.”
“Let’s go.” I pat Reino’s shoulder. “We have a lot to prepare.”
“What about Kent?” he asks with caution. “He’s the best sniper we’ve got.”
I’m not trusting him until I have solid proof of his innocence.
The only reason he’s still alive is because of Lee.
The two of them were more like brothers than Lee and me.
I’m going to unravel this plot against my wife and find the people who set me up.
When I do, I’ll make sure I get my truth before I end their lives.
Until then, I’m going to assume the worst. If Kent was involved in Tatiana’s kidnapping, he’ll pay like the rest of them.
Reino shoots me an inquiring look. “Boss?”
“Keep him in the dark.” I clench and unclench my fingers in an effort to relieve the tension that’s set into my muscles. “I don’t want him anywhere near that park.”
We run through the setup until it gets close to the agreed time.
Men in civilian clothes pretending to admire Australian snakes and Nile crocodiles flood the grounds.
Snipers are in place on the rooftops of the cafeteria as well as the office buildings that frame the park.
A team is on standby in a mobile surveillance center set up in a van that’s parked in the street.
They’re monitoring the feed coming in from our drones and ensuring we have men carrying hidden cameras on every corner of the premises, including in the dimly lit interiors housing the terrariums.
A van with tinted windows is circling nearby. The driver will arrive on my command to take Ms. Foster away. I want it done quickly and quietly. For that reason, I have a man with a tranquilizer dart gun in place. She won’t even know what has hit her until it’s too late.
She’ll feel dizzy. I’ll pretend to support her as her head starts spinning.
Reino will cover my back while I carry her to the waiting van.
For anyone looking in from the outside, it will appear as if she’s fainted.
Low blood sugar. Poor thing hasn’t eaten in a while. That’s what we’ll say if anyone asks.
I arrive at the park early, doing the rounds to familiarize myself with the layout I’ve studied.
There are two main exits, one facing north and the other one south.
Smaller revolving gates lead to streets on the west and east sides.
An entry ticket with a barcode has to be scanned to unlock the gates.
At a quarter to three, an alert from the surveillance team pings on my phone, informing me that Ms. Foster has just cleared the northern gate.
I’m standing in a gazebo not far from the cafeteria, hidden from sight.
From this angle, I have a clear view of the woman who approaches a few minutes later on the path that cuts through the garden.
The leather fringe jacket and baggy jeans don’t hide the bony state of her body.
A frayed bag hangs over her shoulder. She’s pulled her hair into a ponytail through the gap at the back of a baseball cap.
Even with the big sunglasses obscuring her face, it’s not difficult to recognize her.
She’s skittish, looking around with jerky head movements and constantly glancing over her shoulder.
When she arrives at the cafeteria, she scans the unoccupied tables outside before walking to one right in the center. Peering around, she pulls out a chair, hooks her bag over the back, and sits down. Then she interlocks her fingers on top of the metal table and bounces her knee as she waits.
Ulysses’s voice comes through my earpiece. “Target in place.”
I straighten from where I’m leaning with my arms on the rail. “Moving in.”
Reino, who’s drinking coffee at a table on the other side of the courtyard, gives the command. “Keep your positions.”
The shooter speaks. “I have a clear shot.”
Dressed as a gardener, he’s raking up a pile of leaves on the lawn bordering the courtyard.
“Ten meters,” I say.
A jogger with headphones runs past. He’s one of mine.
My hacker hijacked the security cameras. For the moment, we’re using them to monitor the park. As soon as we have Ms. Foster in the van, he’ll wipe them clean.
“I see you.” Ulysses is overseeing the surveillance in the van. “You’re good.”
I lower my head and stop a few paces away. “Keep an eye on the bag.”
One of my men, wearing a long summer coat and driving gloves, goes over to her table.
“There you are,” he says with a broad smile, spreading his arms and embracing her before pulling her to her feet.
Her body goes ramrod stiff, but she’s wise enough not to make a sound. The man pretends to greet her with a welcoming hug while swiftly patting her down for concealed weapons.
“Sit.” Stepping away, he keeps her at arm’s length. “I’ll get you a coffee.” Once she’s plonked back down in her seat, he takes her bag. “I forgot my wallet. You don’t mind, do you?”
She says nothing, her face chalk-white behind those oversized glasses as he goes through her bag. After searching it, he leaves it on the table and heads toward the coffee kiosk.
I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. She knew what she was doing when she schemed with men to hurt my wife.
My man carries a steaming paper cup back to the table. As soon as he’s put it down in front of her, he slips away.
Picking at her cuticles, she stares at the cup but quickly looks up when my shadow falls over the table.
I smile and take a seat, ensuring that I move the chair an inch to the left as I make myself comfortable. The position gives Reino a clear view and the man with the dart gun as well as the snipers a clean shot.
“Naomi.” I cross my ankles and sit back in a casual pose. “I can call you Naomi, right?”
Startled, she asks, “How do you know my name?”
“It wasn’t difficult to find out.”
She must decide that getting out of here as quickly as possible is more important than knowing how I discovered her name—the knowledge won’t change anything—because she squares her shoulders and demands in a strong voice, “Where’s your phone? We’ll do the transaction first.”
I click my tongue. “That’s not fair.” Following the disapproval up with a laugh, I add, “Do you think I’ll give you a penny without any guarantees?”
Her nostrils flare. She’s probably glaring at me from behind the dark lenses of those glasses. “That wasn’t the deal.”
“You neglected to stipulate the terms.”
She makes to stand.
I don’t lay a finger on her to prevent her from leaving. I don’t have to touch her. I don’t even have to raise my voice. My tone is enough. “Sit down. Drink your coffee. You don’t want it to get cold.”
She wants to argue but she’s cornered. She knows it.
“All right.” She lifts her chin, making a good show of appearing brave. “If that’s how you want to play it.”
She gropes for her bag, but I still her with a tsk and a shake of my head.
“I need a fucking smoke.” She rolls her eyes. “Jesus.”
When I don’t stop her again, she rummages with trembling hands through the bag and takes out a packet of cigarettes and a zippo lighter.
Watching me, she shakes a cigarette out of the packet. “I suppose you want names.”
“That would be a good start,” I drawl.
She slips the cigarette between her lips and says around it, “I’ll give you one name now.” She plays nervously with the lighter, turning it around between her fingers. “You’ll get the other one when you’ve paid me.”
I raise a brow. If she thinks she has any power to make demands, she has another think coming.
“The driver is in place,” Ulysses announces through the comms system. “We’re ready to move.”
Holding her gaze, I give the man with the dart gun the go-ahead with a slight tilt of my head.
Ms. Foster caresses the lid of the lighter with her thumb. “That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”
“On three.” Reino stands and stretches, glancing around as he moves closer. “One. Two.”
Before he gets to three, a pop sounds, and Naomi’s head explodes like a melon in front of me.