voice quivered. He raised both hands and stepped away from the desk. “Around noon. Is…something wrong?”
“Yeah. We’re undercover cops,” Hadi said, smoothly dropping his British accent as he slipped his gun into his waistband. “Sorry.” He ran a hand over his head, sweeping away the sweat and rubbing his hand on the seat of his pants. “Didn’t mean to scare you, been tracking these fellows for days and they keep giving us the slip.”
“Oh, I…they seemed quiet, no trouble…except for the fire in their jeep.”
“No forwarding number or contact, I suppose?” Hadi asked.
The manager shook his head. “No.” He pulled the motel register toward him with shaking hands. “They’d paid one night in cash, and they called from the road saying they’d checked out.”
Hadi nodded again and moved to the door. “Well, we might swing by again. Their rental jeep is still in your parking lot. They’ll have to come back for it. Keep your eyes open. They’re armed and dangerous.”
“No, no, the car rental office already called,” the manager said, his voice squeaking. “The customer had a problem with the ignition. They’re sending a tow truck. I’ve already had the room cleaned, it was all in order. Only thing they did wrong was leave the slider open.”
“Any other way out of the rooms on the second floor?” Hadi asked, already across the small office. Stuart moved aside to let him exit.
“Not unless they climbed down the tree.”
Outside the front of the motel Stuart stared up at room number 205, and the perfect climbing tree that reached to the terrace. He slapped his head. He couldn’t win.He walked back to the car behind Hadi, who fumed and swore in his native tongue.
Stuart swallowed hard and dialed Col’s private number.
“How in blazes did that happen?” Col asked. “I told you not to let them out of sight.”
Stuart explained about the tree. He felt like setting that fucking tree on fire, too. Not that that would help his situation.
“I’m getting tired of this,” Col said. “First you lose the girl, and now the two men.”
Hadi slumped across the steering wheel, one hand covering his crotch, the other gripping the steering wheel.
Stuart figured Col would take it out on him, too. Col relayed the information to someone else in his office. Stuart listened to their voices, raised, angry. The other bloke was saying something about the restriction on using guns, and yelled at Col that they should take out the bastards.
Col came on the line, his voice icy. “Find them. Shoot if you have to,” he said.
“I’ll put Hadi on.” Stuart handed the mobile to him.
“All right, boss,” Hadi said and nodded. “No, we won’t let them get to Bungumby.”
Stuart beckoned for the phone and Hadi handed it over. “Is Amy there?” he asked.
“The other tail I had on them believes so.”
“It’s a resort. We can’t have innocent people harmed, we—”
“Oh, for chrissakes, stop your whimpering. I told Hadi, no shooting at Bungumby,” Col said.
“Okay.”
“I’m sure the two blokes are trailing Amy.” Col’s voice softened. “They wouldn’t know Meg was there.”
Stuart nodded but remained silent.
“Observe and report back, but no shooting. Shoot out their tires, but no shooting at the lodge. Slow them down if you can. There’s a storm coming in.”
“You want me to stay at the lodge?”
“Jesus man, do I have to hold your hand? Leave the bloody car beyond the rise and track down to the other side of the waterfall. Hadi knows the spot. We camped there before when we were checking into buying the place. Under no circumstances do you let those people get friendly with Meg. She knows too much.”
Stuart froze at those last words.
“You hear me?”
“Yes. We’ll keep you posted.” Stuart closed the cover on the mobile.
“Camping?” Hadi asked and lit a cigarette.
Stuart nodded, and the sweat trickled down his back even though icy air blew from the AC
“Yeah. We’re undercover cops,” Hadi said, smoothly dropping his British accent as he slipped his gun into his waistband. “Sorry.” He ran a hand over his head, sweeping away the sweat and rubbing his hand on the seat of his pants. “Didn’t mean to scare you, been tracking these fellows for days and they keep giving us the slip.”
“Oh, I…they seemed quiet, no trouble…except for the fire in their jeep.”
“No forwarding number or contact, I suppose?” Hadi asked.
The manager shook his head. “No.” He pulled the motel register toward him with shaking hands. “They’d paid one night in cash, and they called from the road saying they’d checked out.”
Hadi nodded again and moved to the door. “Well, we might swing by again. Their rental jeep is still in your parking lot. They’ll have to come back for it. Keep your eyes open. They’re armed and dangerous.”
“No, no, the car rental office already called,” the manager said, his voice squeaking. “The customer had a problem with the ignition. They’re sending a tow truck. I’ve already had the room cleaned, it was all in order. Only thing they did wrong was leave the slider open.”
“Any other way out of the rooms on the second floor?” Hadi asked, already across the small office. Stuart moved aside to let him exit.
“Not unless they climbed down the tree.”
Outside the front of the motel Stuart stared up at room number 205, and the perfect climbing tree that reached to the terrace. He slapped his head. He couldn’t win.He walked back to the car behind Hadi, who fumed and swore in his native tongue.
Stuart swallowed hard and dialed Col’s private number.
“How in blazes did that happen?” Col asked. “I told you not to let them out of sight.”
Stuart explained about the tree. He felt like setting that fucking tree on fire, too. Not that that would help his situation.
“I’m getting tired of this,” Col said. “First you lose the girl, and now the two men.”
Hadi slumped across the steering wheel, one hand covering his crotch, the other gripping the steering wheel.
Stuart figured Col would take it out on him, too. Col relayed the information to someone else in his office. Stuart listened to their voices, raised, angry. The other bloke was saying something about the restriction on using guns, and yelled at Col that they should take out the bastards.
Col came on the line, his voice icy. “Find them. Shoot if you have to,” he said.
“I’ll put Hadi on.” Stuart handed the mobile to him.
“All right, boss,” Hadi said and nodded. “No, we won’t let them get to Bungumby.”
Stuart beckoned for the phone and Hadi handed it over. “Is Amy there?” he asked.
“The other tail I had on them believes so.”
“It’s a resort. We can’t have innocent people harmed, we—”
“Oh, for chrissakes, stop your whimpering. I told Hadi, no shooting at Bungumby,” Col said.
“Okay.”
“I’m sure the two blokes are trailing Amy.” Col’s voice softened. “They wouldn’t know Meg was there.”
Stuart nodded but remained silent.
“Observe and report back, but no shooting. Shoot out their tires, but no shooting at the lodge. Slow them down if you can. There’s a storm coming in.”
“You want me to stay at the lodge?”
“Jesus man, do I have to hold your hand? Leave the bloody car beyond the rise and track down to the other side of the waterfall. Hadi knows the spot. We camped there before when we were checking into buying the place. Under no circumstances do you let those people get friendly with Meg. She knows too much.”
Stuart froze at those last words.
“You hear me?”
“Yes. We’ll keep you posted.” Stuart closed the cover on the mobile.
“Camping?” Hadi asked and lit a cigarette.
Stuart nodded, and the sweat trickled down his back even though icy air blew from the AC
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