Before I could reply, the analyst went on, “I’ll play the message for you. Hold on…”
A moment later a nondescript male voice issued from the speaker. “Good afternoon, Ms. Widdenback. My name is Ted Walker, and I got your contact information from a mutual acquaintance. I noticed in the newspaper that you’re currently in Regina, and I would like to meet with you today to discuss a business opportunity. Please call me at your earliest convenience.” He left a phone number, and the recording ended.
Somehow I managed not to groan aloud or shrink to the size of a cowering mouse and hide under the seat.
I held my voice steady. “Okay, thanks, Trish. I’ll call him.”
“Have you got anything on Ted Walker?” Holt demanded.
“No flags in the database,” she replied. “It’s a pretty common name, probably an alias. We’re tracing the call, but it looks like a burner. That might have been an electronically modified voice, too. We’re analyzing it.”
“Okay, keep us posted.” Holt gave me a nod, and I closed the connection.
Leaning my head back, I stared at the roof liner. “I knew that damn Arlene Widdenback thing was going to come back and bite me in the ass. What are the chances that somebody in the arms business would bother to read about an apartment fire in the Regina Leader-Post?”
Holt shrugged. “With your luck? Pretty much a hundred percent.”
“No kidding,” I growled. “And I wonder who this so-called ‘mutual acquaintance’ is. I thought all Arlene Widdenback’s contacts were dead.”
“Guess not. Think you can handle a simple meeting?”
I scowled, ready to retort; but he was studying me with genuine concern.
I sighed. “A simple meeting, sure. But are they ever simple?”
“A first meeting should be, but only if that’s all it is.” He grimaced. “If somebody’s trying to draw you out for some other reason, it could go to hell fast. And you’re not cleared for active duty. Call him back and tell him you’re too busy-” He broke off. “Shit, I’ve got a call coming in.”
Steering into a small parking lot, he braked and pulled out his phone. “Holt.”
As his caller spoke, Holt’s gaze flicked to me.
“Yeah.” He listened for a moment, then responded, “No, we should defer it. She’s not-” His brows drew into a frown. “Well, yeah; but-” His shoulders stiffened, his chin jerking up. “Of course I can fucking handle it!” He scowled. “Fine.” He disconnected without waiting for a response.
My heart had been sinking while I listened. “Dermott, right?”
“Got it in one.” Holt drove out of the parking lot, still scowling.
“So we’re going ahead.”
“Yeah. Call Walker and set up a meet. Tell him it’ll have to be after supper because you’re busy. That’ll give the analysts a few hours to dig a little deeper. And tell him it’ll be short. And don’t give him a location yet. Tell him you’re not sure what part of the city you’ll be in, and you’ll call him later and let him know where and when. That’ll give us time to secure the site and prevent him from setting up anything of his own.”
I nodded in silence, memorizing his instructions and trying to summon some courage.
Holt glanced over, his frown deepening. “Why aren’t you busting my balls for telling you a bunch of shit you already know?”
“Because I’m glad you’re doing it,” I admitted. “I don’t have two brain cells left to rub together.”
Holt groaned. “We’re so fucked.” He gestured at my burner, letting his hand drop back onto the steering wheel in a gesture of futility. “Well, then, make the call.”
I drew in a deep breath that was supposed to be calming and let it out slowly. Then I activated the burner’s speaker and dialled.
It rang a couple of times at the other end before the nondescript male voice spoke. “Ted Walker.”
“It’s Arlene Widdenback returning your call.”
The voice betrayed no emotion. “Are you available to meet today?”
I kept my voice as flat as his. “Maybe. I’m pretty busy. I might have time after supper, but only a few minutes. I can call you later with a time and place.”
“That will be fine. I’ll wait for your call.” The line went dead.
I stowed the burner in my waist pouch again with a shaking hand. “We’re on.”
Holt grunted, and we didn’t speak again for the rest of the trip.
He was probably planning a strategy. I was just trying not to panic.
Back at the hospital, LaVonda was responding with more alertness at last, and her pupils slowly returned to normal. In between stints at her bedside, I briefed Kane and Hellhound about the meet with Ted Walker. Nobody looked happy when I was finished.
By the time LaVonda was released at five o’clock, we were all jumpy.
“Too fuckin’ many people around here,” Hellhound muttered. “Ya never know when somebody’s sneakin’ up on ya.”
I rubbed a soothing circle on his back. “I know how much hospitals freak you out. Don’t worry, we’re almost out of here.”
“Can’t be soon enough for me.” He turned to LaVonda, his voice softening. “How ya doin’?”
We studied her as she stood fully dressed at the entrance of the cubicle. As the Rohypnol had worn off she had become increasingly agitated, and now she wiped trembling hands down the sides of her thighs and swallowed hard.
“I can do this.” She didn’t sound sure.
“Ya got the Ativan the doc gave ya,” Hellhound reassured her. “If ya get too anxious, ya can take one.”
LaVonda’s chin lifted. “I’m not going to start solving my problems with drugs again.”
“But if ya need it…” he began.
“When I was addicted, I needed cocaine and heroin.” Her lips twisted. “I only want Ativan. Let’s go.”
“Awright. We’ll make sure ya get back to the hotel safe an’ sound.”
Her eyes widened. “Which hotel?”
“Not the one you used before,” I hastened to reassure her. I shot a smile at Kane. “John got everything set up this afternoon.”
“Don’t worry,” Kane said. “I booked the rooms on both sides of you and directly across the hall. We’ll have you surrounded. You’ll be safe.”
Holt The Magnificent swaggered up in time to add a codicil. “And I’ll be watching the corridor all night.” He gave me a look that might have been reassurance or threat. “Nobody will get by me.”
LaVonda gave him a timid glance.
“This is Greg Holt,” I said. “He’s here to help us. Greg, this is LaVonda.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, and offered his hand.
LaVonda wiped her palm on her sweatpants before accepting his handshake, and her gaze flicked over him again. “Are you police, or military?”
There was nothing in her tone to indicate she would believe any other categorization. Apparently her cop radar was finely tuned.
Holt didn’t hesitate. “You’ve got a good eye,” he said pleasantly. “Military. I’m one of Hellhound’s old army buddies.”
“Hellhound?” LaVonda cast a puzzled glance between Kane and Arnie. “Which one of you is that?”
Arnie flushed. “That’d be me. Guess I got that nickname after we lost touch.”
“Oh.” She eyed him seriously. “It doesn’t suit you.”
His flush deepened and he studied the floor. “Suits me better’n ya think.”
LaVonda touched his hand. “I may not have seen you in thirty years, but some things don’t change. You definitely aren’t a ‘Hellhound’.”
Arnie’s jaw clenched, and I could practically feel the waves of self-hatred rolling off him. No matter how often I reassured him, he could never see the good in himself.
LaVonda must have sensed that she’d touched a sore point. She turned to Holt instead. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Greg. Thank you for helping.”
“My pleasure.” He gave her a smile, and her cheeks went pink.
I could see why. Despite my earlier gibe about Holt’s appearance, he was actually attractive in a rough-hewn way if he bothered to smile. With his smart designer clothes, hard-muscled martial artist’s physique, and alpha-male posture, he could turn a few female heads.
Although they’d probably lose interest fast when he opened his mouth.
“Is Princess okay?” LaVonda asked. She turned an imploring gaze on Hellhound. “You didn’t leave her out in the cold car all this time, did you?”
“Nah, ’course not. She’s safe an’ sound, waitin’ for ya in your hotel room. An’ so’s your bag.”
LaVonda’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you. And Aydan, thank you so much for buying me all these beautiful things.” She stroked a hand down the pink parka she wore. “I love this. It’s so pretty.”
Holt gave me a triumphant smirk, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“All right, LaVonda, let’s get you out of here,” Kane said. “Aydan and Greg will take you to a different exit while Arnie and I bring my rental car around. You won’t be exposed for more than a few seconds while you go from the hospital door to my car. On the way to the hotel, Aydan will lead us in the Home Depot van, and Greg will follow in his own rental. We might drive around quite a bit before we get there, so don’t worry. If we’re attacked, I want you to instantly obey whatever any of us tells you. If we say run, you run to the nearest safe place and call 911. Don’t hesitate, and don’t try to help us.”
She gave him an uncertain nod, and our small entourage split up.
My heart thumped fast as we approached the hospital doors. The kidnappers’ lawyer would have alerted Fitzgerald as soon as he received their call. That had been nearly six hours ago. Who knew what Fitzgerald might have arranged by now?
Even if he hadn’t had any other men here this morning, more could have driven here. Or if Fitzgerald had a private jet, his men might have been here for hours already. They could have set up an ambush somewhere along our route, or even in the darkness right outside the hospital doors. It wasn’t a huge hospital. If they had enough men, they could cover all the exits.
Holt glanced over at me and I stiffened my spine and gave him a nod.
As the doors opened, I stepped outside trying to look in all directions at once. We hustled LaVonda into Kane’s rental car without incident, and Holt and I split off to our assigned vehicles.
The drive to the hotel left my shoulders aching with tension and my eyes gritty from trying not to blink while I stared into too-bright headlights in the blackness. I made random twists and turns, creating a convoluted route that became even more complicated when I realized I was lost. It took me a long time to find the hotel, but I salved my embarrassment with the thought that the others would only think I was being thorough about losing any potential tails.
At the hotel, we all pulled up under the portico and entered the hotel en masse.
When we crammed ourselves into the elevator and the doors closed behind us, I drew a short breath of relief but didn’t relax. As the indicator counted up to the fourth floor, my tension increased.
What if Fitzgerald’s men had somehow figured out where we were staying? When the elevator doors opened, they could shoot us like fish in a barrel. Nowhere to run.
Trapped…
My breath accelerated, and I fought it back to normal. I couldn’t lose control now.
I couldn’t burst out of the elevator screaming. I couldn’t run until I outdistanced all the fear and pain. Run until my heart finally burst, releasing me into merciful death…
The elevator dinged and the doors rolled open.
A man lunged at us.