Side by Side

39

In the drumming rain, Winter held the Sig Sauer loosely at his side and peered into Click’s den. Standing back from the window, Winter was as good as invisible to the three inhabitants of the room. He couldn’t hear the conversation through the glass, but he could see Serge Sarnov and Max Randall and he could read Sarnov’s lips. Click’s chair was positioned so Winter couldn’t see the young man’s face, just his white socks.

What Winter learned from reading Sarnov’s lips thrilled him. The Russian made Click a job offer, which Click must have declined, because Sarnov pulled a pistol and aimed it at Click. Reflexively, Winter aimed at Sarnov’s head, figuring for deflection and reflection, but he didn’t fire, because-based on Randall’s and Sarnov’s body language-he didn’t believe Sarnov intended to kill Click. He was right. The gun was just the additional incentive the boy needed to reconsider.

Winter wondered if Click was smart enough to know that what the Russian said about Laughlin’s and his father’s greed might be true, but he doubted Click understood that the Russians would not part with any larger share of profits than Click’s own family would. “Join us or die” was not exactly a promising start to the ideal courtship.

Winter waited until Serge holstered his gun to move away from the window. Then he walked to the edge of the yard and sprinted back to Alexa’s car. She was in the driver’s seat.

“What’s the deal?” Alexa asked.

“The Smoots definitely have the Dockerys,” he replied. “Score one for Clayton. You can tell Clayton that Ross Laughlin is not just Peanut’s lawyer-he’s also his boss. Laughlin is definitely our link between the Smoots, Bryce, and Sarnov, Lex. Laughlin is connected to a syndicate, but the Russians are planning to move in on them.”

“You’re sure?”

“Acquisition by force is a standard Russian business plan. That’s what Serge said. I guess that’ll be news to Clayton.”

“I’m sure it will be. Did Serge happen to say where the Dockerys are?”

“Sarnov didn’t say. I couldn’t see Click’s side of the conversation, but I don’t think he mentioned a location either. Maybe Click knows, maybe he doesn’t, but there’s no doubt the Smoots grabbed Lucy and the baby and have them. Sarnov said they’re going to kill them.”

“Even if Bryce walks?”

“I got that impression. We need to find Peanut. He sure as hell knows where they are.”

“They could be anywhere,” Alexa said. “Do we stick with the kid or follow Sarnov?”

“I’d put a tracker on the BMW if we had another one, but I don’t think Sarnov is directly involved with the Dockery abduction, based on the lip-reading I did. We have to get to Peanut, or beat it out of Click.”

“You’re joking?”

“No, not really. Beating it out of Click is a perfectly good idea. Lex, the longer we wait, the more likely something bad will happen to the Dockerys. They’re going to be murdered unless we can get them released, and time is running out for them. You said so yourself.”

“Maybe after Monday, yes.”

“You aren’t sure. Did they share their timetable with Clayton or yourself? If they did, fine. If they didn’t. .”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she snapped. “You’re going to torture the truth out of a teenager?”

“If it will save the Dockerys, yes. And he’s twenty-one and a criminal coconspirator in a kidnapping and possible double murder.”

“Maybe we won’t have to do that. Clayton says NSA’s Big Ears caught Peanut and Dentures talking. Peanut uses prepaid disposable cell phones, but as soon as Clayton can get the location for the pay phone number she called from, we’ll have something tangible. They could be holding the Dockerys in one of their houses. Maybe we should be checking Peanut’s house, offices, properties.”

“I doubt they’d risk keeping them in an obvious place,” Winter said. “But what the hell. It’s worth a shot.”

After she flipped through the manila folder, Alexa handed the address-printout page to Winter. He used a micro-flashlight with a red lens that he kept on his key chain to read through the stack of Smoot residences and associated business addresses. The file also contained the few known telephone numbers each of the subjects used. Not one of them had a landline, just cell phones. There was also a list of vehicles and license plate numbers.

To Winter the files looked like a thick stack of wasted time and dead ends. Time was something they didn’t have.

“Lex, I have a gut feeling that we have to get to the Dockerys tonight. As soon as we start pushing on one of the Smoots, they’ll know and it’ll be over for the Dockerys, if it isn’t over already. We can’t just sit here with our thumbs submerged.”

“What do you suggest?”

“We’re going to have to start some fires.”

“If we make our presence known, it could cost the Dockerys their lives. You just said so.”

“Damn it, Lex, Lucy and that boy are dead if we don’t move. If we do it right, only the people we interview will know we’re bearing down. You know I’m right.”

“I don’t disagree,” she said. “But what’ll we do after we talk to one of them-lock them in my car trunk?”

“Your trunk’s too small to hold but a couple of them. We can lock them up, though.”

“Kidnap people? Lock them up somewhere. .”

“I know a safe place we can put them. We have to gather a little field intelligence. We have nothing to lose.”

“Nothing to lose but my job and our freedom. You’re talking about committing felonies.”

“I’m not law enforcement.”

“You’re not a criminal either. Let’s think about this.”

“Alexa. We both know why I’m here. Let’s get this done.”

“I agree. I agree. But not yet. Look, let’s run this past Clayton-”

“No,” Winter cut in. “He’s sitting in a hotel room sucking on his pipe. This isn’t about him, or intelligence he can glean or buy. I don’t need more of his information to get going. I’m not going to sit on my ass waiting for Peanut to ring up Buck.”

“But I think he-”

“I signed on with you to find the Dockerys before somebody kills them. That is the only felony I’m worried about at the moment. I’ll do whatever it takes. I thought you felt the same.”

“I’m off the books,” Alexa snapped. “That’s committed. I could lose my badge and my pension for this. Going to prison isn’t something I want to risk.”

“Mentally you aren’t off the books. I don’t have a career to worry about any longer.”

“You have a family that loves you. That’s more to lose than a career. And you don’t need a career because you have a rich wife.”

“That’s a low blow, Lex.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But you’ve been off the books more than once. This is my first time on a high wire without a safety net.”

“You want to play by the rules, you’re in the wrong game. Go call your fellow FeeBees and they’ll look up the laws for you as you go. That isn’t going to help now, and you’re about to get in my way.”

“I think you should go home,” Alexa said. “For your sake. For your family’s sake. I shouldn’t have come to you. No hard feelings, Massey. Clayton and I can handle this.”

“Are you two going to let the Dockerys find themselves? Are you going to wait to see if Peanut Smoot makes that phone call? What if he doesn’t? What if they maintain silence? What if they decide they don’t need Lucy and Elijah alive until Monday? You want to rely on Clayton Able’s connections, some computers and satellites being run by people who could care less if we succeed? You want to end your brilliant FBI career standing at two gravesides? You want to spend the rest of your life wondering what Eli Dockery would be doing at that moment if he was alive? I will go to prison to save a woman and her child. I don’t intend to ever ask myself why I didn’t do what I knew I had to do, but didn’t. Those two people are more important than the lives of everybody who is even peripherally involved in abducting them.”

“I agree, but. .” She stared at him, uncertainly. “Bringing you in and tying your hands wasn’t fair. I am an FBI agent, and I can’t break the law, off the books or not.”

“Then get the hell out of my way.”

“I am in charge here.”

“I’ll tell you what, Lex. You’re right: Breaking laws is putting us on their level. Why don’t you go back to the hotel and put your head together with Clayton’s? Meantime, I’ll watch Click’s house while you and Clayton work on figuring out how to figure out where the Dockerys are. You guys figure it out, call me. I see anything here, like if Peanut stops by for popcorn and soft porn, I’ll call you.”

Alexa shook her head. “You’re going to do something crazy, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely not,” he said, crossing his heart. “I’ve made my speech, and I feel better and, bottom line, I agree with what you’ve said. No sense both of us sitting here in the rain.”

Sarnov and Randall left the house through the front door, ran to their car in the rain, and drove off.

“Maybe I should tail Sarnov?” Alexa said.

“He or Randall would spot you before you got three blocks,” Winter said.

“I guess.”

“Seriously, Lex. One of us should get some rest. Two hours and, if nothing happens, we’ll regroup and think this through.”

Alexa thought about it for a few seconds. “You’re on your own. But you keep me in the loop.”

Winter went to his truck. A few minutes later, when Alexa drove off, she didn’t look at Winter or wave at him.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. He had already made up his mind. No matter what Alexa said, there was no alternative to doing something crazy.