Chapter Eighteen
“You’re going to do what?” Whit’s white face flushed with the heat of temper. Her first thought was to calm him. Last thing he needed was a stroke or a heart attack, but she had questions and he had answers. The man had fought Mercer on a bunch of different occasions.
“How many times did you cross with him in Iraq?”
“All the time.”
“Did he try to kill you there?”
He clamped his mouth shut. He was much stronger, but not better yet.
“Studying how your service times overlapped and all the conduct unbecoming reports, I’m guessing three times you clashed and were both disciplined.”
“None of this matters now.”
“Oh, it matters. He’s tried for you twice here in San Diego, too. And his assassination business was at least forty percent service members.”
Whit’s mouth fell open.
The number was a guess, but she’d stunned him silent.
Whit had been moved from the hospital and was a guest in 501.
Niles had moved her things to Quaid’s this morning.
She had no plan there, no sense of protecting herself.
Wasn’t sure she needed one – at least her gut said no.
Her brain was more difficult to convince.
But Whit being here was simpler for hands-on monitoring and security was tighter within the building, car bombs aside.
She studied his face and wasn’t going to engage with the outrage or the shock. She needed an edge. He could give her one.
“What was the beef about?”
He shifted in bed and winced. “There wasn’t one specific thing. He picked on whatever was bugging him at the moment. The guy did not play well with others.”
This was the most she’d gotten out of him, but it wasn’t enough.
“I’m trying to bait him. I need a trigger. Come and get me is not enough.”
“And I told you, it’s dangerous. He can come at you. Those knives of his aren’t for play. How do you think I had so many cuts on this old body of mine?”
“Slowing down with age.” She smiled carefully, trying to get back to the united front they were back when.
He scoffed. “Truth there. But you’re out of your mind. He’s a killer. He wasn’t a soldier. He wasn’t a professional assassin even if he could act like he was. He likes to kill and he doesn’t care how.”
“Did he attack young girls in Iraq, too?” She kept her voice soft, trying to convey how much she knew. Information was power, and cooperation could be gained many times with confidence in the expertise.
His lips tightened. “I tried to tell command what I suspected. They didn’t believe me. We weren’t there to support the civilian population. We were there to kill terrorists.”
“That’s a yes.” She kept her jubilant reaction to herself because it was one more confirmation. They had dozens of places to search for victims. But what would it tell her? Nothing helpful here.
She knew what prompt she’d given Quaid in the night. You missed me before. Come and get this sweet honey. If you can. It didn’t provoke, challenge – not enough to guarantee he’d act.
Whit was protecting her. She was protecting him.
That needed to stop. He needed to be part of the dangerous team who acted.
“We have two places we’ve engaged him. Downtown area.
And here at QM. The plan is for me to spread a message through the neighborhoods.
We have a manhunt in progress with all the law agencies.
We’re using them as a funnel to flush him out.
Make him move or be caught. We want him to come here.
Well, next door. It’s a new building to QM but hasn’t been renovated.
A kill zone if you will. Close quarters combat. ”
He listened quietly. Finally, the temper faded. “It reeks of trap, but he might be persuaded.”
“He’s devolving, Whit. He can’t maintain his discipline in his kills anymore. He’s acting more on impulse.”
Whit nodded. “He should never have tried for me again. There was no point to it.”
“Unfinished business. Both you and me.”
“I got away. Crawled into the bunk at the church. He tried for you because it would draw me out.”
“That isn’t all of it. I was there for one of his kills. I could never figure out why he left me behind. He chose the one who was dead to hide the body, and figured he had time to finish and get back to toy with me some more. He didn’t. You found me. You protected me.”
“A mistake. He made more than you think.”
“I have gaps in what I’ve found. What do I use?”
“Keep it simple: You keep missing us. Let’s end this. Face-to-face. We’re waiting for you.”
She assessed the change. They’d have to risk Whit being there.
“Are you strong enough? No lies.”
“I won’t be a liability.”
“You’re bait, too. The difference is me as bait comes with a whole lot of people who will be at my back. Using you leaves you vulnerable until we spring the full trap.”
“I don’t care. God, I’m tired of the threat, too. I goad him, then you sweep in with your team and take him.”
Oh, she hated this. Understanding dawned. Quaid tensed last night over this whole discussion. Could she kick herself? Their lovemaking this morning had a tinge of desperate to it. Crap.
Alanna eyed Whit, trying to outthink, outsmart whatever would come their way. “I have an ace in the hole, so to speak.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve spent six years studying criminal psychology, and while I don’t have all his details, I have enough to manipulate his state of mind.”
“Enough to make him doubt himself?”
“Enough to twist him sideways, make him believe he’s got the upper hand.”
“How good is this team?” The gruffness in his voice took her back to the street arguments with him over where she slept at night. He never had liked her in unsafe territory. The feeling was mutual.
“Quaid – Marines/CIA, Mackey – Tier 1 Counterterrorism Delta, Frank – Marines/Police, my boss, FBI, and one other unnamed man who is a SEAL.”
Whit whistled. “Puts me the low man on the totem pole.”
“And yet you’d be the linchpin to the whole operation. Can you pull it off?”
“It’ll be a test to figure out who he wants worse – you or me.”
Who would he go for?
A knock on the door startled her.
She turned to Whit. “You ready for company?”
“Sure, as long as it’s not that medic guy again poking me.”
She’d opted for jeans and a simple gray t-shirt tucked in with her black work boots this morning in anticipation of some maneuvers in the building next door.
She rose and adjusted her weapon. She wasn’t going anywhere without it until this was over – except to bed with Quaid who had his bedroom locked and loaded with weapons anyway.
And Niles. Whew. The man had a serious arsenal dispersed around the house even with the security present.
She opened the door and found Quaid on the other side. “I’ve got updates.”
“Found him?”
“Nope, not yet.”
“Come in.”
He eased past her and went to Whit. “Glad you are out of the hospital. Welcome to QM.”
“Thanks for the hospitality.”
“We take care of family around here.” He turned to Alanna. “You want the update?”
“Sightings?”
“No. But FBI brought in Border Patrol, DEA, and ATF. Frank notified the San Diego Port Authority.”
“A rat in a maze,” Whit muttered.
Quaid glanced from her to Whit. “Time to get the trigger in place.”
“Whit and I were talking the idea through. I’ve updated the plan.”
His eyes blanked. He wasn’t thrilled. “Do tell.”
Alanna wanted to reassure because she knew his concerns, but she couldn’t do this without him, and that demanded honesty. “We’re going to up the ante on the message.”
“To?”
“You keep missing. Let’s end this game. Face-to-face. We’re waiting for you.”
Quaid’s surprise was obvious in the set of his face. “Is that wise?”
She took his arm, needing to touch, needing to check if he’d pull away. He didn’t. “Necessary.”
“How?” The question irked a bit, but he slipped an arm around her, pulling her close. As an act, he put all of himself on the table.
She carefully chose her words, staying close even though Whit was eyeing their positions with a whole bunch of questions in his eyes.
“He came here first for Whit. Came after me when he couldn’t find him.
We’re both unfinished business. We leave Whit vulnerable to draw Mercer in, then snap the trap shut behind him. ”
Quaid frowned at Whit. “This is a dangerous maneuver. I’ve worked closely with Alanna. She can take care of herself. You’re an unknown to all of us.”
“Understood. But it’s a guarantee he’ll come for me.”
“Why?”
“He hates me. I tried to destroy him, destroy his career, destroy his way to keep killing. It’s the last opportunity to get to me before she gets to him.”
Quaid turned her in his arms. “You haven’t talked to your boss about this. He might have a thing or two to say.”
“He might. It won’t change my mind. We’re only adjusting the bait. The rest of the plan stays in place.”
Quaid squinted at her. “You better gear up because we’re ready to run a few drills. Tinkerton has your equipment and weapons.” That wasn’t what he wanted to say. Reading his expression came down to what wasn’t there, not what was. But they had to leave it for now.
“I’ll go see her right now.”
“What do I do?” Whit’s eyes were closing. She exceeded his energy. Drucker and Cait weren’t going to be happy.
She leaned in to give a direct order. “You rest and get stronger. Sleep, meds, protein, water. You need an edge. You have forty-eight hours at most.”
He grimly smiled at the instructions. “Find me a knife. A good one.”
Quaid’s solemn face and the neutral cast of his brown eyes – ones that usually lit on sight of her – tightened her stomach. “I have one. I’ll bring it to you.”
Quaid took her elbow, and she followed the signal. “I’ll be back later.”