why did the CIA bother to tell you she was on the move in the first place," Natalie said.
"Yes."
They all looked at me as if I had something more to add. I did, but it wasn't very insightful.
I said, "Let's get to work."
* * *
While Natalie and I handled the final weapons and radio checks, Dale and Corry went to the garage up the block from the office to retrieve the vehicles. It took them a little over thirty minutes to make certain that the cars were secure, and by a quarter of seven we were on our way to Jersey. Natalie and Dale took the Benz, leaving Corry and me with the Lexus. Both cars had been purchased for the firm, and both vehicles were hardened top to bottom, though the Benz was the more heavily armored of the two, sporting gun ports, Run-Flat tires, and a fire-suppression system in addition to the standard reinforced frame and bulletproof glass.
Corry drove, following Dale's lead in the Benz. The traffic out of the city was as heavy as the traffic on its way in, but worse. A lot of the delivery trucks making runs from the outer boroughs liked to cut across the island and use the Holland Tunnel, trying to cut down on tolls. When you're boxed in by three four-ton trucks, it doesn't matter if the car you're in is reinforced or not.
I kept my eyes moving the whole time, looking for tails front or back, until we were past Newark and turned onto 280. We had an almost two-hour drive ahead of us, though Dale was moving quickly, punching through traffic as efficiently as possible to keep us on schedule. If we arrived at the airport early, that would be fine; it was arriving late that we couldn't allow, and though I knew that Moore wouldn't let Lady Ainsley-Hunter off the plane unless we were present and in position, I didn't want to keep them waiting.
Natalie's voice came clear over the radio in the car.
"Dale says we're good, looks like we're free and clear."
"Wonderful," I said.
"Hey, Corry? "
Dale asked.
"Is Atticus white-knuckling it?"
"I'd check, but then I'd have to look away from the road, and then he'd freak out," Corry answered.
"Drive, damn you," I said.
Over the radio speaker, I heard Natalie and Dale chuckling.
"ETA roughly one hundred minutes, "
Dale reported.
"Out. "
Corry grinned, adjusting his grip on the wheel. Past West Orange the views changed, the industrial heart of Jersey fading to a more pastoral countryside. Our route had been chosen to take us past a number of airports, both large and small fields, just to keep any potential tails guessing. Past Parsippany, we turned north onto 287, the Boonton Reservoir to our east. The traffic here was lighter, and we accelerated to almost eighty for a short burst. No tails revealed themselves.
"How'd you sleep?" Corry asked after a while.
"Well, just not for long. Ended up staying on the phone with Bridgett for almost two hours after I got home. You?"
"Not badly, all things considered. It took me an hour just to make certain the house was secure, you know?"
I laughed, and Corry nodded.
"You, too?"
"Me, too," I said. "What'd Esme say?"
"Well, I woke the baby up when I was checking the nursery, and Esme didn't much care for that. Asked me what the hell I thought I was doing. I told her I was just making certain the place was safe."
"You didn't tell her about Drama?"
He grimaced, shook his head. "It would've just kept her up all night. She needs her sleep. Did you tell Bridgett?"
"Yeah, but it's a different situation. She's working for us on this, so I figure she needs to know all the facts."
After a moment, Corry said, "I don't like keeping things from my wife."
I thought about how to answer, and then my cell phone rang. It was Bridgett.
"Hey, you," she said. "You'll never guess where I am."
"Philadelphia Community College."
"Oh, you are good." If she thought our last call had left a tension, there was nothing in her voice to acknowledge it. "In fact, I am in the Office of Campus Security at Philadelphia Community College, where I have
"Yes."
They all looked at me as if I had something more to add. I did, but it wasn't very insightful.
I said, "Let's get to work."
* * *
While Natalie and I handled the final weapons and radio checks, Dale and Corry went to the garage up the block from the office to retrieve the vehicles. It took them a little over thirty minutes to make certain that the cars were secure, and by a quarter of seven we were on our way to Jersey. Natalie and Dale took the Benz, leaving Corry and me with the Lexus. Both cars had been purchased for the firm, and both vehicles were hardened top to bottom, though the Benz was the more heavily armored of the two, sporting gun ports, Run-Flat tires, and a fire-suppression system in addition to the standard reinforced frame and bulletproof glass.
Corry drove, following Dale's lead in the Benz. The traffic out of the city was as heavy as the traffic on its way in, but worse. A lot of the delivery trucks making runs from the outer boroughs liked to cut across the island and use the Holland Tunnel, trying to cut down on tolls. When you're boxed in by three four-ton trucks, it doesn't matter if the car you're in is reinforced or not.
I kept my eyes moving the whole time, looking for tails front or back, until we were past Newark and turned onto 280. We had an almost two-hour drive ahead of us, though Dale was moving quickly, punching through traffic as efficiently as possible to keep us on schedule. If we arrived at the airport early, that would be fine; it was arriving late that we couldn't allow, and though I knew that Moore wouldn't let Lady Ainsley-Hunter off the plane unless we were present and in position, I didn't want to keep them waiting.
Natalie's voice came clear over the radio in the car.
"Dale says we're good, looks like we're free and clear."
"Wonderful," I said.
"Hey, Corry? "
Dale asked.
"Is Atticus white-knuckling it?"
"I'd check, but then I'd have to look away from the road, and then he'd freak out," Corry answered.
"Drive, damn you," I said.
Over the radio speaker, I heard Natalie and Dale chuckling.
"ETA roughly one hundred minutes, "
Dale reported.
"Out. "
Corry grinned, adjusting his grip on the wheel. Past West Orange the views changed, the industrial heart of Jersey fading to a more pastoral countryside. Our route had been chosen to take us past a number of airports, both large and small fields, just to keep any potential tails guessing. Past Parsippany, we turned north onto 287, the Boonton Reservoir to our east. The traffic here was lighter, and we accelerated to almost eighty for a short burst. No tails revealed themselves.
"How'd you sleep?" Corry asked after a while.
"Well, just not for long. Ended up staying on the phone with Bridgett for almost two hours after I got home. You?"
"Not badly, all things considered. It took me an hour just to make certain the house was secure, you know?"
I laughed, and Corry nodded.
"You, too?"
"Me, too," I said. "What'd Esme say?"
"Well, I woke the baby up when I was checking the nursery, and Esme didn't much care for that. Asked me what the hell I thought I was doing. I told her I was just making certain the place was safe."
"You didn't tell her about Drama?"
He grimaced, shook his head. "It would've just kept her up all night. She needs her sleep. Did you tell Bridgett?"
"Yeah, but it's a different situation. She's working for us on this, so I figure she needs to know all the facts."
After a moment, Corry said, "I don't like keeping things from my wife."
I thought about how to answer, and then my cell phone rang. It was Bridgett.
"Hey, you," she said. "You'll never guess where I am."
"Philadelphia Community College."
"Oh, you are good." If she thought our last call had left a tension, there was nothing in her voice to acknowledge it. "In fact, I am in the Office of Campus Security at Philadelphia Community College, where I have
Similar Books
