Edge

Chapter 53

I WAS SPEAKING to Claire duBois.

“Loving’s on the run. He might be driving but I think he wants to get clear of the area. Data mine flight reservations. I want to know anybody who bought a ticket, after he talked to Zagaev-about three p.m.-for travel today. Maybe from Dulles, National or BWI but I think he’s still going to be avoiding them, especially now that he suspects we’ve turned Zagaev.”

“Amtrak?” duBois asked.

“Freddy’s told the police at Union Station to look for him. But I’m betting he wants to put more distance between us faster than taking a train.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

Zagaev had no clue where Loving might have gone, except to add that the flight to Charleston, West Virginia, had taken him about five hours, which suggested he was based somewhere on the West Coast, though possibly Mexico, the Caribbean or Canada.

The tactical officers were assembling their gear. We talked to the county detectives but it was no surprise that the call that had brought them here had been anonymous and from an untraceable phone. “The caller said he’d seen somebody selling ‘army guns’ from the back of his car. What were we supposed to do? Jesus, you guys scared the shit out of us. Flash-bangs? Messed up my eyes, I’ll tell you. I’m talking to my commander about this.”

I realized Loving’s choice of a crime was smart. Had he reported a drug deal or a girl’s shouting for help, as I’d thought originally, a standard patrol car with uniformed officers would have shown up. Selling weapons brought plainclothes detectives, which tricked us into believing they were Loving and the partner and prolonged his chance to escape.

Freddy said, “How’d he know we turned Zagaev?”

“Years and years of doing this shit.”

The agent lifted an eyebrow. “A sense of humor and you’re cursing, son.”

Ten minutes later duBois called back. “Five minutes after Zagaev and Loving hung up, a man named Richard Hill bought an e-ticket to Seattle from Philly. It was the next available flight.”

“Why do you think it’s Loving? That’s not a known alias of his.”

“Well, for one thing, because Richard Hill is dead. His birth certificate was used to get a driver’s license two years after he died.”

“Ghosting.” This was a common technique for establishing a false identity.

“Exactly. But mostly we know because the airline records the calls; I got the clip. Voice print matches.”

“Flight time?”

“Little under three hours from now.”

“One ticket?” I was thinking of the sandy-haired partner.

“No, two. Another fake name. That person’s dead too.”

I told her I’d get back to her, disconnected and then gestured Freddy over and told him. He grunted. “Your girl data mines better’n my girl. Tell you, Corte, I might hire her away from you.” He called the Bureau’s Philly field office and briefed them. He disconnected and turned back to me. “They’ll be on site in twenty minutes.”

“Subtle, Freddy. Call them back and tell them to be subtle. They need to stay invisible till the last minute.”

“They’ll be subtle.”

I cocked my eyebrow.

“I’ll call ’em back.” Then he gave me a rare grin. “You coming along for the hunting party?”

I thought of Rhode Island. I thought of Abe. The idea of being present at Loving’s arrest was immensely appealing.

How badly I wanted to go…

But I said, “I’ll leave that to you folks. I’m going to head back to the safe house, keep an eye on my principals.”

“What for? The case’s over with, Corte.”

“That’s true, Freddy. But the fact is they still need guarding.”

“We got the sole primary in custody and the lifter’s headed for the hills. Who’d they need protecting from?”

“Themselves.”