arms,
green-bordered shields with the silhouette of a pine tree and the words Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture stitched inside.
“No!” shrieked Jenna as they
passed. “This is where we went off the road. It has to be. I swear to you,
every word I told you was the truth. But these bastards just destroyed the
evidence I was going to show you.”
“These bastards are all the evidence I need,” said Blake as the men
receded behind them. “Just incredible!” he added in awe. “They scrubbed the
road, airlifted a Hostess truck out of here, and cleared the area since last night . I thought I might have
overblown the situation with Greg, but now I don’t think so. What in the world
are we dealing with?”
Blake saw the despondent look on
Jenna’s face and winced. “Sorry. Not trying to make this situation worse. But
like I said in my apart—office—anyone capable of sanitizing the scene you
described would have to be absolute magicians. They must wield enormous
resources.”
“So you don’t think those guys are
really with the Forest Service?”
“The two who were watching the
road definitely aren’t. The others may be legitimate, but I think the odds are good
they’re military. Or at least they were —not
sure who they’re working for now. The military trains all kinds of specialists.
Men who can construct floating bridges in a single night half a football field
long, strong enough for heavy artillery to cross. Men who can build tunnels, or
even underground facilities, faster than you’d believe possible. And men who
can clear woodlands.”
“So this is about the worst
development we could ever hope for,” said Jenna.
Just as she said this, Blake spotted
one of the periodic turnouts in the road, which he was rapidly approaching. “Maybe,”
he said as he began braking. “But maybe not. If I play my cards right,” he
added with determination, “this might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”
13
Blake pulled onto the turnout
and killed the ignition. “Wait here,” he said to Jenna. “Face away from the
road and appear to be, you know . . . communing with nature. I’ll try to be
back within an hour.”
“An hour?” repeated Jenna
worriedly.
Blake nodded. “My guess is that
I can get to a vantage point that looks out on the men we saw in fifteen to
twenty minutes,” he said. “I’ll take a video of them and snap some photos. I
have a friend who can run their faces through a database.”
“Aren’t you going to need a
really good telephoto camera for that?”
Blake laughed. He reached well
over onto her side of the car and popped open the glove compartment. He removed
a small but mighty Nikon telephoto camera that reeked of expense and
sophisticated electronics.
He returned his arms and torso
to his side of the car and gripped the door handle, preparing to exit. “As far
as I know,” he said, “this camera can only film cheating spouses screwing co-workers
or hookers. But I’ve always theorized it might be able to film people who still
have their clothes on.” He raised his eyebrows. “I guess there’s only one way
to find out.”
Jenna’s face wrinkled up in
disgust. “Ewww,” she said as she thought further about this seamy aspect of a
private detective’s life.
“Yeah,” he said in agreement. “Ewww
is right.” He paused. “So my plan is to get the shots I need and then remain in
place for fifteen or twenty minutes in the hope I get lucky.”
“Lucky how?”
“Maybe one of them will stray
from the herd. Doubtful, but you never know.”
“And if one does, you’ll go
after him?”
“Yes. This probably won’t happen,
but if it did, we could hit the jackpot. I’m not sure what these men know, but
it’s bound to be a hell of a lot more than we do. At minimum, whatever I could learn would at least suggest other directions
of inquiry. It’s a long shot, but worth an extra fifteen minutes.”
“I assume you’re well armed,”
said
green-bordered shields with the silhouette of a pine tree and the words Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture stitched inside.
“No!” shrieked Jenna as they
passed. “This is where we went off the road. It has to be. I swear to you,
every word I told you was the truth. But these bastards just destroyed the
evidence I was going to show you.”
“These bastards are all the evidence I need,” said Blake as the men
receded behind them. “Just incredible!” he added in awe. “They scrubbed the
road, airlifted a Hostess truck out of here, and cleared the area since last night . I thought I might have
overblown the situation with Greg, but now I don’t think so. What in the world
are we dealing with?”
Blake saw the despondent look on
Jenna’s face and winced. “Sorry. Not trying to make this situation worse. But
like I said in my apart—office—anyone capable of sanitizing the scene you
described would have to be absolute magicians. They must wield enormous
resources.”
“So you don’t think those guys are
really with the Forest Service?”
“The two who were watching the
road definitely aren’t. The others may be legitimate, but I think the odds are good
they’re military. Or at least they were —not
sure who they’re working for now. The military trains all kinds of specialists.
Men who can construct floating bridges in a single night half a football field
long, strong enough for heavy artillery to cross. Men who can build tunnels, or
even underground facilities, faster than you’d believe possible. And men who
can clear woodlands.”
“So this is about the worst
development we could ever hope for,” said Jenna.
Just as she said this, Blake spotted
one of the periodic turnouts in the road, which he was rapidly approaching. “Maybe,”
he said as he began braking. “But maybe not. If I play my cards right,” he
added with determination, “this might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”
13
Blake pulled onto the turnout
and killed the ignition. “Wait here,” he said to Jenna. “Face away from the
road and appear to be, you know . . . communing with nature. I’ll try to be
back within an hour.”
“An hour?” repeated Jenna
worriedly.
Blake nodded. “My guess is that
I can get to a vantage point that looks out on the men we saw in fifteen to
twenty minutes,” he said. “I’ll take a video of them and snap some photos. I
have a friend who can run their faces through a database.”
“Aren’t you going to need a
really good telephoto camera for that?”
Blake laughed. He reached well
over onto her side of the car and popped open the glove compartment. He removed
a small but mighty Nikon telephoto camera that reeked of expense and
sophisticated electronics.
He returned his arms and torso
to his side of the car and gripped the door handle, preparing to exit. “As far
as I know,” he said, “this camera can only film cheating spouses screwing co-workers
or hookers. But I’ve always theorized it might be able to film people who still
have their clothes on.” He raised his eyebrows. “I guess there’s only one way
to find out.”
Jenna’s face wrinkled up in
disgust. “Ewww,” she said as she thought further about this seamy aspect of a
private detective’s life.
“Yeah,” he said in agreement. “Ewww
is right.” He paused. “So my plan is to get the shots I need and then remain in
place for fifteen or twenty minutes in the hope I get lucky.”
“Lucky how?”
“Maybe one of them will stray
from the herd. Doubtful, but you never know.”
“And if one does, you’ll go
after him?”
“Yes. This probably won’t happen,
but if it did, we could hit the jackpot. I’m not sure what these men know, but
it’s bound to be a hell of a lot more than we do. At minimum, whatever I could learn would at least suggest other directions
of inquiry. It’s a long shot, but worth an extra fifteen minutes.”
“I assume you’re well armed,”
said
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