CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

The jpeg files appeared on Ricardo’s laptop computer seconds after Juan sent them. The computer beeped to let the user know a new e-mail had arrived. Ricardo was in his hotel room, and he clicked on the server. The new file appeared and he opened one of the jpegs—and sucked in a sharp breath. He opened file after file, looking for the best shot of the two men on the luxury yacht. He found what he considered to be the sharpest image and printed it on his portable Canon I-70. Then he went in search of Taylor and Kelly. He found them sitting in the small garden, talking.

“My man in Puerto Vallarta sent me some pictures,” he said, joining them at the table. The gardens were lush, and the sound of trickling water relaxing.

“And . . .” Kelly said.

“Edward Brand had a visitor,” Ricardo said. He dropped the color image on the table.

Kelly slowly reached out and picked it up. Neither spoke for a moment. They just stared at the man’s face. A face they both knew very well. It was Alan Bestwick.

“So the son of a bitch is in Mexico,” Taylor said. Her voice was smothered with bitterness.

“When did he arrive?” Kelly asked.

Ricardo shrugged. “I would guess within the last couple of hours. I told Juan to get pictures of any visitors and send them to my e-mail immediately.” He pointed at the picture. “Look at the shadows. They are almost nonexistent. The sun was directly overhead. That would put the time around noon. It’s just a little after one right now. I’d say these are as close to real time as we’re going to get.”

“Why would Alan visit Edward Brand?” Taylor asked no one, shaking her head. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“They know each other. They were partners in the scam. Maybe they think enough time has passed that it’s safe for them to get together. Who knows?” Kelly said. “The fact is, we’ve got a problem.”

Ricardo nodded. “Brand might bring Alan with him to Monte Alban. He knows me. Remember back to Mexico City when I drove you and Alan to the antique shop. It will be much more difficult. Impossible perhaps. They will suspect something immediately.”

“Maybe we should back off until Alan leaves.”

Taylor shook her head. “No. If Brand pulls anchor and sails out of the marina, he’s gone. Then we have to find him and start from scratch. Right now we’re only a few days from making this happen. I say we stay on schedule.”

Ricardo looked unsure. “I don’t know, Taylor. Kelly’s right. This is getting very dangerous.”

“It was dangerous before Alan arrived,” Kelly said, nodding emphatically. “Like Ricardo says, the problem we have now is that Alan knows who he is. If Alan is within eyesight when Ricardo and Edward Brand meet, the gig is up.”

“I don’t think Brand will involve Alan. He’d have to split the profits.”

“Going ahead is dangerous, Taylor,” Kelly said.

Ricardo checked his watch and stood. “I’ve got to pick up Adolfo at the airport. He’s in at two-twenty. You two can figure out what you want to do. I’m okay if you want to go ahead. If anyone else shows up at the boat, we shut it down. Alan is a detail we can probably handle, but that’s it. No more.”

“That’s fair. Did you take the artifacts we bought to the goldsmith?” Taylor asked. They had purchased nine pieces of Mixtec and Zapotec art and given them to Ricardo the previous day.

Ricardo nodded. “He’ll have them done sometime tomorrow. He figured the cost to be around four thousand U.S. dollars. I told him we’d pay him when we picked them up.”

“That’s fine,” Kelly said.

“Oh,” Ricardo said, turning back to the table. “I was going to ask. Who is going to coordinate the information? I’ll be in Cabo; Kelly, you’ll be in Washington; and Taylor will be here. Before I can meet with Edward Brand, I’m going to need to know what story Kelly fed to that FBI agent. We need someone to pass information between us.”

Kelly turned to Taylor. “Probably best if you do it. I don’t want traceable calls coming into the NSA. I’d rather call you from my cell or my home phone. Then you let Ricardo know what Brent Hawkins will find in the computer.”

Taylor agreed. “That works for me. I’ll relay to you what’s happening with Ricardo—when he’s meeting with Brand and when he expects them to be in Oaxaca City.”

“We’ll use your cell phone,” Ricardo said to Taylor. “Just make sure to keep it charged.”

“Okay.”

Ricardo left for the airport and Kelly ordered another Corona. “You’re sure you want to finish this, Taylor?”

“Absolutely. The only way Edward Brand gets away is if he floats out of that harbor before we’re ready. Today’s the twenty-eighth. I think Ricardo can hook him and get him to Monte Alban by January second or third.”

Kelly picked up a pen and made a few notes on a napkin. “We need to have the artifacts plated and in place. Adolfo already has his false identification, but he needs time to see the layout at the ruins. I have to get back to Washington and input the false data on the CIA computers. Ricardo needs to meet with Carlos Valendez, entice him to believe his story and deliver him to Edward Brand. They have to get from Puerto Vallarta to Oaxaca City. I think we’re cutting the timing too close.”

“You fly out tomorrow?” Taylor asked.

“Eight in the morning. But I’ve got to hub through Mexico City and Dallas. I don’t get into D.C. until almost nine at night.”

“You lose an entire day. That puts you at the office on Saturday, December thirtieth. How much time do you need?”

Kelly shrugged. “Not sure. I know how to access Langley’s computers without being seen by any of their sniffing devices. Getting in isn’t a problem. It’s where to put it. I’ve got to create a file that shows the CIA had an operative at Monte Alban who discovered the cave, and Brent Hawkins, our rotten little FBI agent, has to be able to find it. So it has to be deep, but not too deep. That’s going to be the problem.”

“You can do it,” Taylor said.

Kelly smiled. “Sure. I can do it.”

Taylor brightened. “When you initiate the transfers, where does the money go?”

“Well, the first five hundred thousand will go to a charity of my choice. Probably the children’s hospital in Washington. They can always use another half million dollars. I’m not sure where to send the bulk of the money. I’ll figure it out.”

“What sort of account do you need?” she asked.

“Somewhere in the Caribbean. An existing account would be best, but a new one will do in a pinch. I can probably set one up from D.C.”

“I’ve got an account in the Bahamas,” Taylor said. “I was thinking about buying a condo down there before I met Alan. When we got married I kind of forgot about it.”

Kelly sat forward. “Is the account still active?”

“Sure. I’ve got about twenty thousand dollars in it. And they debit their administrative fees every year. Why? Do you think it would work?”

“It should. And it’s a long-established account. That’s a good thing. Do you have the number with you?”

She laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding. No. But it’s on my computer back in San Francisco. I’ll give you my IP address and password so you can log into my hard drive.”

“Do you have some sort of remote access on your system? I’ll need it to get in.”

She nodded. “PC Anywhere, and it’s hooked into the Internet. The account number and the access code are in an encrypted file.”

“Smart girl. Did Alan know about the account?”

Taylor took some time to think. Finally she said, “No, I don’t think I ever mentioned it. We never discussed buying a property in the Caribbean.”

“Excellent. The file has always been encrypted?”

“Yes. The banker who set up the account recommended it, and I was scared that someone would hack into my computer and get the code, so I did it right away.”

“Okay, jot down the file name and the password into your computer, and I’ll pull it. That’s where we’ll send the bulk of the money.”

“Won’t he be able to trace it?” Taylor asked.

Kelly grinned. “Not a chance. I’m going to bounce the money off fifteen satellites and twenty banks before putting it in the account. There is absolutely no chance he’ll be able to trace it.”

Taylor took a deep breath. “Then we’re almost there. Ricardo will get Adolfo up to speed, then head for Cabo San Lucas to meet Carlos Valendez. You’re leaving for D.C., and I’m staying here to get the fake artifacts in place and light the fire. Everyone with a part to play.”

“Cogs in the wheel. Just keep your fingers crossed that Alan doesn’t see Ricardo in Puerto Vallarta.”

Taylor played with her empty cup, the coffee long since drank. “When you leave tomorrow, I won’t see you again until this is over. In fact, if it goes wrong I may never see you again.”

Kelly tried to smile, but the reality of what she said hit him hard. It was true. If Edward Brand or Alan Bestwick smelled a rat or figured out the scam too quickly, people would die. Taylor was at risk. She would be on top of an unforgiving mountain in the heart of Mexico in the middle of the night. At least one person, probably armed, would be nearby. If that person learned they had been robbed, they would go ballistic. Taylor’s life would be on the line.

“It’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ll make this work.”

She slowly nodded. “Just get the money. All of it. Ruin him.”

“I’ll get the money,” Kelly said. “I promise.”