Chapter 7 #3
She gazed at him incredulously. “That makes one of us.” She slid her hand into her pocket and closed it on the handle of her gun.
She might not need it if he was trying to run the bluff of which she’d accused him, but the idea of it still gave her a feeling of comfort.
She wasn’t about to be taken anywhere for questioning if she could help it.
And she had to make a move soon, before he got help from his buddy driving that Nissan.
It was still some distance away, but she probably didn’t have more than five minutes before he came roaring up to the helicopter and then she’d have two of them to contend with.
She didn’t want to be here when that happened.
Think. What was her best bet of getting away from here?
First, get out of the copter and run. This area of the airport seemed to be almost deserted at this hour of the evening.
But she couldn’t count on Jessie having been able to set up any help for her.
Kendra would do better to go on the run herself and find someplace to dig in and phone her for help after she was free of Cambry.
There was only the question of how to do that.
There were a number of hangars in this part of the airport where she might duck in and either try to get help, or hide out, or move on to another place.
But she didn’t see anyone around those hangars.
They could be empty, but if they were locked she would be in the open and vulnerable.
She didn’t like the idea of being prey to Cambry in any way.
There was one other option. She could head for the general business office, which was perhaps half a mile from where they were landing.
It was a little farther off than the hangars, but there might be someone there on duty to help.
It might still be dicey if Cambry cornered her there and was able to convince any employees that she was some kind of international criminal.
But she’d take her chances that she’d be able to make them believe her.
She hadn’t found Cambry very trustworthy, so why would anyone else?
And if they did, by choosing the general office she’d still be closer to the front exit for a quick getaway. Every little advantage could count right now.
“We’re almost down. You’re very quiet,” Cambry said. “Changing your mind? I thought you would. You wouldn’t risk running up against your government. I knew the minute you realized what you were doing to your life and future that you’d come around.”
“How clever you are.” She could feel the bumping of the helicopter as it landed on the tarmac and came to a halt on the helipad.
“But you’re so wrong. I’m not going anywhere with you.
” She opened the passenger door. “Or your louse of a friend, Daniel.” She jumped out of the copter and took off at top speed across the runways toward the airport business office.
“It’s only a matter of time,” Cambry shouted after her.
“Daniel isn’t the only one who will be following you.
” He got leisurely out of the helicopter and watched her run.
“I’m not going to lose you now that I’ve found you.
You just may be the key to finding that son of a bitch, Lynch.
” He was motioning to the man in the black Nissan, who was still a good distance away from the helipad. “You won’t get away from us . . .”
Then he was starting to stride quickly after her!
Shit! The last thing she wanted was to have to shoot anyone. Even though his behavior had been weird as hell and definitely threatening.
She darted at a full run behind one of the hangars, and when she was out of Cambry’s sight she turned, ducked behind another hangar, then changed direction and headed toward the general office.
“Stop! Dammit!” Cambry had evidently caught sight of her.
She kept running, only glancing over her shoulder to see him waving frantically to the man in the black Nissan before he broke into a run himself.
But she was close to the office herself now.
Go faster!
No cars parked in front of the building.
No lights lit inside.
She might be out of luck as far as getting any help from anyone there. Should she change directions and head for the front exit?
“Kendra!”
Jessie was standing in the doorway of the office only a few feet away. Then she was leaping forward, grabbing Kendra’s arm and jerking her into the office. “Come on, we’ll go out the back door. Fitz is waiting . . .”
Kendra wasn’t about to argue with her. She seemed to have a plan, and that was more than Kendra had at the moment.
Cambry should be here any moment. She ran through the dark, empty office, following Jessie as closely as she could.
Then the rear door of the building was thrown open to reveal Fitz sitting at the wheel of his red van.
“In!” He reached out and jerked her up the steps and stomped on the accelerator.
The force of that ignition threw her into the seat beside Jessie.
The van tore across the airport toward the entry gates.
As they drove through the gates, Kendra thought she heard a shout behind her; she glanced back to see the black Nissan several yards behind them and Cambry running hard.
“Don’t stop!” Kendra was trying to catch her breath. “I don’t like the way he’s trying to track me down like a hound dog would a fox.” She leaned forward to talk to Fitz as he tore across the parking lot toward the highway. “Get us out of here!”
“Really, Kendra?” Fitz didn’t even look back at her. “Quit worrying. Jessie told me there was a problem and I’ve got it covered. That Nissan doesn’t appear to be easily discouraged, but I’ve made arrangements to take care of anything that crops up.”
“Trust him,” Jessie said as she looked back over her shoulder. “It will take Cambry a little while to get on the road, so we’ll only have to get rid of the tail, Fitz.”
“Done.” Fitz was already talking on his phone. “Black Nissan, Charlie. Disable, don’t eliminate.” He glanced at Kendra. “I assume that’s what you want?”
She had an instant of wondering what he would do if she said no before she nodded. “Cambry is Justice Department. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Well, it isn’t actually my Justice Department,” Fitz said.
“And I don’t like the fact that one of my clients is having to take steps to investigate an agent’s disappearance, but I understand you might have to walk a very fragile line at the moment.
” He pulled over to the side of the road. “It will be over soon.”
He spoke into the phone again. “Did you spot it, Charlie? . . .
Yes, that’s it. He’s getting a bit too close to you . . .”
Kendra could see the headlights of the Nissan on the road behind them. “Why did we stop here? I’d prefer not to wait for your friend Charlie to intercept him, Fitz. We’d still have to worry about Cambry coming after he gets the car he left—”
Blam!
The left front tire of the Nissan blew up!
The Nissan skittered wildly all over the road, heading for the ditch.
Blam!
Another shot!
The right headlight went out.
The driver was wildly trying to get control of his car as he headed for the ditch. One more shot and the right tire blew out.
The Nissan was suddenly upended into the ditch! Then they saw the driver’s door open and a tall, burly man was climbing out of the vehicle as he screamed into his phone.
“Good man,” Charlie,” Fitz murmured. He hung up his phone and glanced back at Jessie. “Mission accomplished?”
Jessie nodded. “That should do it.”
“Good.” Fitz stomped on the accelerator, and the van leaped forward. “Now we can put on some speed!”
“As soon as we find out where we’re going.” Jessie turned back to Kendra. “Are you okay? Where do we go from here? Back to the hotel?”
“No.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m fine.
I didn’t mean to panic you. I just didn’t like how determined Cambry was being about questioning me.
It was weird, and I don’t believe it was just because he was clearly jealous of Lynch’s position with Justice.
It makes me wonder if there was something else behind it.
” She turned to Fitz. “I’d like you to send someone back to the hotel to pack up for us, if you would. ”
He shrugged. “No problem. Anything else? Shall I find you another place?”
“Not right away. I know where I want to go.” She turned back to Jessie. “Where’s your motorcycle?”
“In the back of this van in cargo.” She gazed at her curiously. “Why?”
“Because I’m going to want a lift from you. I’ll leave my leased car at the airport for Fitz to pick up. Your cycle is much more compact and easier to lose in the woods.”
“Woods? That’s where we’re going?”
Kendra nodded. “Back to the hills.”
Jessie’s gaze narrowed on her face. “You didn’t finish up there?”
Kendra shook her head. “I hope not. I found something very intriguing while I was looking around, and I believe I may have gotten lucky. But I couldn’t concentrate or do anything that might prove productive as long as Cambry was looking over my shoulder.
Did you run across anything interesting when you were scouting? ”
“I was concentrating more on watching out for you and Cambry to arrive and just getting the lay of the countryside,” Jessie said. “I thought that was what you wanted.”
“It was, of course. Just thought I’d check on anything else you’d noticed.”
“Because you found something intriguing in those hills yourself? What was it?”
“Damn. You know me too well, Jessie.” Kendra patted her jacket pocket.
“Right now it’s something of a mystery. I didn’t have a chance to examine it in depth, but I’ll show it to you later.
I may ask Fitz to be on hand if we have to find the appropriate expert to help us figure out where it came from. ”