The Adamas Blueprint

CHAPTER 29

It was Saturday, and the sun shone brightly through a cloudless sky. The commuter parking lot was still filling with cars, many with Virginia Tech banners flying from their antennas. Erica was surprised how many of the cars had University of Miami flags. She didn’t know much about football, but for the past week, the entire town had been consumed by the impending game, and she supposed that Miami fans would be equally ardent. The faculty lot had filled hours ago, and it didn’t look like many spots were left in the commuter lot. It was 12:25. The game would probably be starting soon, since most of the tailgaters were packing up their barbecues and heading toward the stadium.

The door to Ted Ishio’s office opened. Erica turned away from the window to see Kevin enter and close the door behind him.

“How’s it look?” he asked. “Crazy?”

“I’ll say. I’m glad we aren’t in it.”

“I will be in a little while. I’m starving, and the last of the pizza is gone.”

“We could get another one delivered,” she said.

“No, I’m sick of pizza, if you can believe it. I’m going to Wendy’s. You want anything?”

Erica was feeling slightly claustrophobic and wanted to go with him, but they had already agreed that she should show her face in public as little as possible to avoid running into someone who might recognize her from the grocery store incident.

“A grilled chicken salad if they have it. Vinaigrette dressing on the side, please.”

“Okay, but first I have something to show you.” The look on his face was noncommittal as to whether it was a good something or a bad something.

“What?”

“Come with me.”

He led her to the lab. It was totally quiet for the first time in days. None of the equipment was running.

“What’s wrong?” Erica said. “Is something broken?”

“Nope. I ran out of raw material to make more buckyballs, but I think what we have is enough. Take a look in the chamber.”

Erica went over to the chamber’s window. She gasped when she saw the specimen. She hadn’t seen it since Thursday night, and it was now ten times the size it was then.

“By my calculations,” Kevin said, “it should weigh between 35 and 40 grams.” He tapped the Adamas Blueprint, which was lying on the workbench. “Looks like old Mike and I had ourselves a winner.”

Erica smiled and shook her head. “This is incredible. You’re going to be famous.”

“Maybe. I know I won’t be rich. The university will own the patent. I guess I can see why Ward tried to sell it instead. I have to say, it’s hard not to be tempted.”

Kevin saw how she was looking at him.

“I’m not saying I agree with him,” he said, “just that I can understand why he did it.”

“So what do we do now?” she said.

“The only thing left is to remove the specimen from the chamber and take it to Washington. The chamber is still hot. It’ll be an hour or so before we can take it out.”

“How?” She had been gone during that part of the setup.

“I soldered the target to the top of a quarter-inch diameter nut. Then I just screwed it on to a bolt that was out of the laser’s path. Not pretty, but it worked. All you do is unscrew it. If you’d like, I’ll let you do the honors when the chamber’s cooled.”

Erica did a slight curtsy. “It would be my privilege.”

“Now, before my stomach implodes,” Kevin said, “I am going to get some food.” He handed her Ted’s keychain. “Keep both rooms locked, even if you’re just going to the bathroom.”

“I think I’ll hang out in the office. At least I can get some sun there.”

“Oh, and one more thing before I leave.” He drew her to him and kissed her, then drew his lips down her neck. The feeling was delicious. “While I’m gone, you can think about how we’ll pass the time until we leave tomorrow.”

With a wink, Kevin was gone.

“Mr. Lobec, I’ve got something.” Francowiak handed a notebook to Lobec. He flipped it open.

“This isn’t it. Keep looking.” They’d been in Ted Ishio’s house for over an hour and had nothing to show for it. The house had been searched from top to bottom, and they’d found no sign of the notebook. They had, however, found the bed in the guest bedroom unmade. A Northwest Airlines itinerary on the kitchen counter said the Ishio’s had left three days ago and wouldn’t be back until Monday. Strange then that the towels in the bathroom were still wet after all that time. Strange, that is, unless the Ishios had houseguests.

Bern walked up to him. “We’ve been all over this house twice. We would have found it by now if it was here.”

Lobec looked around at the torn furniture and papers strewn around the living room. “I think you are right, Mr. Bern. I was hoping they would be careless, but one of them must be keeping the notebook close at hand. Have you been successful in determining where Mr. Ishio’s office and laboratory on campus are?”

“Yeah. It was in a personal phone book in the den upstairs. 504 Jacobson Hall is his office. The lab is 514.”

“I expect Mr. Hamilton has put Mr. Ishio’s lab to good use in his absence.” Lobec turned to find Francowiak. “You stay here in case they come back. Call us if they do. Capture them, but do not kill them. We have to make sure we have the notebook before that happens.” Lobec opened the front door and turned back to Bern. “Shall we go take a look at Virginia Tech?”

It had been 20 minutes since Kevin left, and Erica was beginning to wonder where he was. The lot was almost devoid of people now, the last few making their way to the game.

The sound of thunder rattled the windows, startling Erica, who peered out at the sunny sky in amazement. Then she remembered something she’d read in the school paper during her long stretches of boredom in this room. A cannon was fired by the corps of cadets every time Virginia Tech scored. They must have just gotten a touchdown.

Erica found herself absently tapping on the desk and stopped. She chuckled, amused that she was starting to pick up Kevin’s bad habits. It was the first time in years she didn’t have to study, and now she didn’t know what to do with herself except stare out of the window, imagining everything that could go wrong in the next two days. What if their appointment got canceled? What if Congressman Sutter didn’t believe them? Would the Washington Post help them? And most of all, what if they were found by Barnett and Kaplan?

As the thunder faded, Erica heard a new sound. It was faint at first, but grew steadily louder. The sound of dress shoes on the linoleum hallway outside the door, two pairs. Both had the slow rhythm of men’s loafers marching in lockstep rather than the quick staccato of women’s heels. They were probably fifty feet away by now.

They suddenly stopped, to her left, just about where the lab would be. Erica pressed her ear against the door. She heard low mumbles. Definitely two men. Odd that someone would be dressed up on a Saturday, especially the Saturday of a big game. One of them knocked on a door.

She thought, What if it’s them? But that was absurd. Nobody knew where they were except Ted and Janice, and they were in Minneapolis. No, she was just being paranoid.

So why don’t you open the door and take a look?

She put her hand on the doorknob. More footsteps. Another knock, this time closer. More mumbling.

She hesitated. You’re just being silly. Just a couple of students trying to find one of their friends.

How many students do you know that wear loafers on a Saturday?

Even if it was them, what was she going to do about it? Her purse was in the lab along with her mace. The gun was in the truck’s glove compartment, although all she’d do with it would be to try and bluff them. No, might as well open the door now while she had a chance to run.

Erica turned the knob as quietly as she could, waiting to pull the door toward her until the latch was totally disengaged. The door was hinged on her right, so she’d have to stick her head out to see who it was. She eased the door inward and peered down the hall to the right. No one was in the field of view. As the door opened wide enough for her body, she yanked the door open, slid to the right and turned in one motion, tensing her muscles for flight.

When she saw the two men, she almost ran, but then she realized they were wearing dark blue maintenance uniforms and both had on tool belts. They turned at the sound of the door hitting her back. One was about Kevin’s height, blond, and had a gap where a tooth should have been. The other was about five inches shorter, with dark hair and a pug nose. Neither of them was the one who had ambushed them in Dallas, the man with the black hair and steely gray eyes. Both smiled when they saw her. The taller one spoke with a heavy Virginia accent.

“Excuse me, Miss. We’re looking for Dr. Haber. He said he was going to be in one of these labs, but we can’t find him.”

Erica let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Miss?” the man repeated.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not really familiar with this building.”

“I thought he said 519, but…”

A door opened beyond the two maintenance men, and a pudgy, bald man stepped out.

“Thank god your here,” he said in a thick German accent. “I was in the back of the lab, but I thought I heard knocking. The air conditioning is completely broken now. Come. The equipment will be ruined soon otherwise.”

“I think we found him,” said the blond, and the two men followed Dr. Haber into the lab.

Erica retreated into the office and closed the door, chiding herself for being so foolish. The phone rang. Kevin had told her to answer Ted’s phone in case it was him. If it was somebody else, she could just take a message and let the person think it was an answering service.

“Hello?” she said.

Kevin’s voice answered. “Hey, it’s me. I had a hell of a time just getting some food.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you when I get up there.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in the truck. Ted’s cell phone was here, so I thought I’d put it to good use. I’ve been looking for a parking spot for the last ten minutes. Can you see one from up there?”

Erica smiled and went to the window, scanning the parking lot for a second. There he was. The huge dualie was slowly turning a corner and heading up the fourth row from the building.

“Yeah, I see one. You’ll have to go up the next row and come over to the other side of the lot. It’s almost at the back. I think you’ll be able to fit.”

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

After a few more instructions, Kevin found the spot.

“Thanks,” he said as he opened the truck door. “This is kind of cool. I’ve never used a cell phone before.” He waved and began walking toward the building.

“Can you see me?” she said, waving back.

“Sure. The fourth window from the right.”

“I’m glad you’re back.”

“Hungry?”

“That’s not the only reason.”

“Oh really?”

“That’s not what I meant. Where were you?”

He held up a white bag and pointed at it. “You’re the reason I’m late.”

“Me?”

“I made sure and checked the order after I came out of the drive-through. They messed yours up and I had to go back in and wait to get it right.” He was about halfway to the building. Another car pulled into the parking lot.

“That was awfully thoughtful of…” Erica froze. The car, a brown Taurus, stopped about seventy-five feet from Kevin and its occupants got out. Both were dressed in suits, the driver a beefy guy with a crew cut, the passenger with jet black hair and sunglasses. They were far away, but she thought of the moment in Dallas when another Taurus had stopped in front of them in that rainy LuminOptics parking lot. Even though it seemed impossible, she had no doubt. It was them.

“Kevin!” she yelled. “Get down!”

His bewildered voice replied. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Oh my god! It’s them! Barnett and Kaplan! Get down before they see you.”

“Shit!” Kevin dropped to his knees behind a blue sports car, but it was too late. They saw him. Barnett and Kaplan crouched down, drew guns from their jackets, and began creeping toward Kevin.