Chapter 2 #2
She held up her hand as Kendra opened her lips to speak.
“When I parked in the woods near Lynch’s house, I followed my usual procedure: I got off my cycle and took a look around the area to see if there was any disturbance on the grounds or any recent tire tracks.
The only cars I saw on the front parking area were yours and a large Lexus sedan, which I later assumed was Griffin’s when I saw him strolling toward the front door.
” She paused. “But I was more interested in the tracks I saw in the woods. There were prints of another vehicle that had been stashed in the bushes, and it looked like it had been staked out there all night. I’d say whoever was here yesterday was waiting for Lynch to show.
I was thinking by the look of the tire prints it was probably a German or English make.
” She added, “And I found several Turkish cigarette butts on the property near the prints. Didn’t you say Lynch was supposed to be working in Denmark, but Griffin told you he had orders to take a jet out of Scotland?
The U.K. is a major importer of Turkish cigarettes. ”
“Aren’t you reaching?” Kendra asked skeptically. “I realize you’re an expert about tracking down and identifying different makes of cars. But is it likely that someone who was trying to go after a target living here in the States would use a foreign-made rental car instead of a U.S.-made car?”
“Not usually. Unless they were looking for a vehicle that they were familiar with, so that they would be comfortable in an attack situation.”
Kendra was still gazing doubtfully at her, and Jessie smiled as she started to put on her helmet.
“Never mind. It’s enough for me. That and the fact that I saw a dark blue BMW drive out of the estate a few miles north of Lynch’s place right before you were saying your affectionate farewell to Griffin.
My bet is they moved from those woods to find a more distant place and were using binoculars to see what was going on with you and Griffin.
Right now they could be up ahead waiting for you.
Or they might be parked on the road behind you until that pesky motorcycle rider gets impatient and pulls a good distance ahead of you.
Which isn’t going to happen. The chances are that they won’t bother you as long as they see me close to you.
The thing about motorcycles is that they’re loud and showy and they attract a hell of a lot of attention.
All things that they probably want to avoid.
” She fastened her helmet. “Come on, Kendra. Stay close and don’t slow down if you see that car. Got it?”
“Got it.” Kendra started to pull out of the byway back onto the main road.
They were more than halfway back to the condo before Kendra saw the dark blue BMW that Jessie had described. She had almost decided that Jessie had been wrong about any attempt to follow her. She should have known better.
Just as they turned a curve in the road and started down a stretch of highway that was nearly deserted, she spotted the BMW parked on the opposite side of the road. Even as she noticed it, the car began to pull into the road as the driver stepped on the accelerator.
Kendra’s cell phone rang. Her dashboard display told her it was Jessie, clearly calling through her helmet’s Bluetooth rig. Kendra punched the dashboard button to answer it, and Jessie’s voice blared through her car’s stereo system. “Our friend is back.”
“I noticed.”
Jessie’s cycle pulled over in front of the car and edged it back over to the side of the road.
Spang!
A bullet?
Jessie’s voice came back through her stereo. “Keep pace with me. On the count of three, give your wheel a jab hard to the right, got it?”
“Yes.”
“One . . . two . . . three!”
Kendra turned sharply into the BMW’s front right panel. The car spun in a circle and then skittered off the road.
Spang! Another bullet?
“Move!” Jessie shouted as she turned the cycle and headed back to her former place in front of Kendra.
“You move!” Kendra shouted back. “Are you crazy? I’m surrounded by metal. You’re the one riding on a blasted motorcycle.”
“Good point,” Jessie replied. “I wasn’t expecting gunplay.
They really wanted you to stop. Though I think that those were warning shots meant to scare you.
Unless those guys were really lousy shots.
” Jessie was looking back at the BMW on the side of the road where car doors were opening and two men were scrambling out of their seats.
“We’ve got a little time now. There’s a service station right up there around the bend.
It would be stupid of them to try to go after you with an audience watching. ”
“I’ll meet you there.” Kendra cut the connection and voice-
dialed another number. It wouldn’t hurt to bring in some backup.
By the time Kendra arrived at the station, Jessie had already dismounted her motorcycle and was motioning for her to drive around to the building’s other side, out of sight from the road.
As Kendra climbed out of her car, she tapped the disconnect button on her phone.
“Who did you call?” Jessie asked.
“Agent Metcalf at the FBI.”
“Not Griffin? He’s probably still nearby.”
“He wasn’t picking up. Probably on a conference call. Metcalf is usually more responsive anyway.”
Jessie smiled. “Of course he is. He has a humongous crush on you.”
“No, Metcalf has women falling all over themselves for him.”
“Not you.”
“Come on, he’s a good friend. He’s going to meet us here and escort me home.”
“I’m sure that will make Olivia happy. She’d prefer that you call out the marines, but she’ll make do with the FBI.”
“Well, she did call you,” Kendra said. “But perhaps she thought your service in Afghanistan would make up the difference. Anyway, thanks for being there for me, Jessie.”
“Of course.” Jessie raised her motorcycle helmet. “There’s a digital camera built into this thing. I got some shots of the guys we ran off the road. They climbed out of their car and ran into the woods as we drove away.”
“Great. Send me those pics, okay? I’ll pass them along to Metcalf. He can run those through facial recognition. You go babysit your movie star, and I’ll be okay here.”
Jessie shook her head. “I always finish the job. I’ll leave you at the condo. Now call Metcalf and tell him he can meet you outside your building. I’ll phone Olivia and tell her that we’ll be a little bit later than she expected . . .”