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Noah pulled out his phone and made sure it was on before passing it to Hutchings. “I need whatever cash you have on hand.”
“Do I want to know what's going on?” Hutchings handed over sixty dollars.
He shook his head and grabbed his small bag. “I’ll call you on your cell and keep you updated if I can. I’ll send something to your work email.”
“I don’t like this, Hunter. Be careful.”
With boarding pass in hand, Noah made his way down the aisle to the rear of the plane. He stopped in front of the soldier. “Excuse me, can I see your pass?”
Confused, the man handed it over, and Noah slid it into his suit pocket. “Ah. I see the problem.” Noah handed him his boarding pass. “It seems you are in the wrong seat Corporal Frith. You’re now in first class. Thank you for your service.”
The young soldier grinned as a few people around them smiled at the situation. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. Enjoy it.” Noah shook his hand and escorted Frith to his former seat. Then, with a nod to Hutchings, he waited until the attendant moved into the galley. When another woman took her place at the door, he stepped forward.
“Excuse me, but there’s been a family emergency, and I have to leave.”
“So sorry to hear. In another minute, it would have been too late. Do you have any checked luggage?” Noah handed her the boarding pass and shook his head. She used the radio to call the service desk. “I have a Ben Frith, seat 23B departing due to an emergency.”
Moments later, Noah stood on the walkway back into the terminal while the doors to the plane closed behind him. The airline attendant who checked his boarding pass at the gate briskly walked down the hall, and Noah pulled out his wallet. A quick flash of the badge and identification was enough to give her pause.
“The men that escorted us inside. Are they still here?”
“They’re at the window. Is there something wrong?”
The radio rose in her hand, and Noah quickly reassured her. “I have reason to believe they may not be federal agents. I’ve been ordered to follow at a distance. They can’t know I have left the plane. This is a matter of national security.”
He didn’t mind borrowing the standard line. However, the effect on the woman was evident. Her eyes widened, and she grinned. “Really? This is just like the movies.”
Noah tucked the wallet back in his pocket and nodded. “Except real lives are on the line.”
Face flushed with excitement, she nodded. “Follow me.”
The woman brought the radio up and made a call. “United 454 is cleared. I’m taking a quick break, Cynthia.”
“United 454 is cleared,” came over the speaker as the woman opened a service door with her badge. She led Noah down the steps and opened another door that led into the terminal. He stood in the area where the handlers loaded the baggage, and several gave him a curious look as he was escorted to the employee door.
“Thank you so much. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Flight 545 should be taxiing on the runway and ready for takeoff.” The woman seemed to be enjoying the situation. “Good luck.”
Noah gave her a wink as he opened the door and, after leaving another hallway, merged with a crowd of people at the taxi stand. Eighty feet ahead was the Tahoe parked against the curb. He could see the driver still behind the wheel, but the tint was too dark to view in the back.
The number of people being dropped off and those waiting on taxis acted as camouflage. Noah easily blended in with the suit and small bag. As he stood next in line, the two men that had escorted him on the plane exited the building. The tall bald man stood out from the crowd as the setting sun gleamed off his bald head.
“Where to?”
Noah slid into the backseat and flashed his badge to the driver. “Right now, we are going to follow that SUV at a safe distance.”
The older cabbie didn’t even blink at the request, but he readjusted his ballcap. “That ain’t a problem. You are paying. Right?”
Noah chuckled. “Only if cash is good enough for you.”
“Perfect.”
The driver didn’t engage the meter when they pulled away from the curb.
True to the instructions, the taxi remained several vehicles back as they got on the 267 East. “If they get on the toll, you’re paying extra.”
When they merged on the I-66 East, the cabbie nodded. “They’re going downtown.”
“You’re doing good and earning your tip. Thanks.”
Once they crossed the Potomac River, the Tahoe took the first exit on the right. Noah wasn’t familiar with the area, and when they turned south on 23rd Street NW, the cabbie pulled over. The SUV went through the controlled gates on the west side of the road. He didn’t see any signs. “What’s that place?”
The cabbie glanced in the rearview mirror. “Executive entrance for the White House.”
How could the spooks be involved with Leslie Taylor and her daughter?
Noah shook his head. “Good job. Thanks. Can you drop me off at a shopping center? I have some things to pick up.”
He had the resources, and despite his misgivings about how they were secured, it was time to use them.