TEDDY BREEZED RIGHT through the airport. The check-in line was long, but he was flying business class, so he zipped through the priority line. He checked his suitcase, collected his boarding pass, and headed for security. Billy Barnett had TSA precheck, so once again he skipped the line. He handed his boarding pass and photo ID to the TSA agent, was approved, and walked on toward the metal detector. He didn’t even have to take off his shoes.
Darby watched in helpless frustration. His first assignment in months, and the man just walked away. He could not fail. He had to get through security.
Darby went back to check-in and got in the priority line. There was only one passenger ahead of him. He waited impatiently for the man to be done, then stepped up to the counter.
“One business class ticket to JFK.”
“That flight is sold out.”
“Check again.”
The woman did. “Actually we have a late cancellation. I can put you on standby.”
“Standby?”
“There is a waiting list.”
“Put me on the top of it.”
“I can’t do that.”
Darby palmed three hundred dollars across the counter. “Yes, you can.”
The woman whisked the bills under the counter. “May I have your credit card and photo ID, please?”
DARBY HAD one more problem. There was no way he was getting his gun through security. He went into the men’s room, took his jacket off, and slipped out of the shoulder holster. He draped his jacket over his arm, covering the holster and gun, and found a bank of storage lockers. He stuck the gun and holster into locker 67, slipped the key into his pocket, and went to security.
Darby did not have TSA precheck, so he had to go through the whole aggravating routine. He took off his shoes, his belt, and his jacket, put them in a plastic tray, and sent them through the scanner. He put his watch, his wallet, the change in his pocket, and the key from the storage locker in a little plastic bowl. He stepped into the scanner and held up his arms while the X-ray machine performed its inspection, and the guard on the other side waved him on. He put on his shoes, his belt, and his jacket, and retrieved the items from the plastic bowl. The wallet went in his hip pocket, his key and change in his front pocket.
He slipped on his watch. As always when putting it on, he checked that the mechanism was working. He pushed the stem sideways, and surreptitiously pulled out the razor-thin wire, just an inch, just enough to make sure it was gliding smoothly.
It was.
All systems were go.
Darby set off looking for his prey.