The Adamas Blueprint

CHAPTER 34

Franco, still huffing from his mad dash down the stairs, led Kevin up the front steps until he was facing Lobec and Tarnwell.

“When did you know?” Kevin asked as he was patted down by Franco.

Lobec smiled, and Kevin knew that he’d been set up.

“From the beginning?”

“He’s clean,” Franco said.

“I know that you are a resourceful man, Mr. Hamilton. You are not the type to sit back and wait for something to happen.”

Kevin looked at Tarnwell. “And the chemicals?”

Tarnwell nodded. “When you stopped up your toilet, David told me about this idea he had. I couldn’t resist. Being a chemist myself, I knew a few mixtures you could brew from what we left up there. You seem to know some yourself.”

“The key,” Lobec said, “was not to make the availability of the chemicals too obvious. We had to make reasonably sure you would find them while not tipping our hand.”

“And you just waited here until I climbed out the window.”

“We had arranged for all paths to lead you to this point, but we did not know exactly how you would get here. That would have spoiled the surprise.”

“We surely didn’t want that,” Tarnwell said.

At least Kevin had the satisfaction of causing serious damage to the expensive mansion. “Did you want me to destroy two rooms in your house?”

“As a matter of fact, I’m having the entire second floor refurbished next month. I just bought this place, and it doesn’t suit me. You could consider tonight the groundbreaking ceremony.”

“Glad I could help,” Kevin sneered.

“Now, Mr. Hamilton,” Lobec said, “as I stated earlier, any attempt on your part to escape would force me to have you restrained. Thankfully, you did not disappoint us.”

When Hamilton was safely locked in another bedroom, Tarnwell motioned to Lobec to close the library’s door. He poured a snifter of Courvoisier and took a hand-rolled Cuban cigar from the mahogany humidor. Tarnwell noticed that Lobec stayed far on the other side of the room as he lit the cigar.

“Care for one, David?” he asked innocently.

“No, thank you.”

Tarnwell blew a smoke ring in Lobec’s direction, then closed his eyes as he sipped the cognac. After a long pause to savor the taste, he swallowed and opened his eyes. “Fine job tonight, David. I hope your plan for tomorrow is just as good. Tell me about it.”

Still standing at the other side of the library, Lobec’s eyes followed the smoke ring until it dissipated. “It’s very simple really. I will have two men in separate cars posted at each end of the Arlington Bridge. They can’t get there too early or police may stop to ask why they are holding up traffic. We will let Miss Jensen approach, if she is not already there. Once I verify that she has the notebook, we make the exchange and let them leave.”

Tarnwell raised an eyebrow. “You let them leave?”

“At least give them that impression. Since Mr. Bern and I must be on foot, it would be risky to terminate them in the middle of the bridge, too much attention would be drawn to us, with no way to escape easily.”

“Then where do you get them?”

“My men have instructions to take them out at the end of the bridge. A few short bursts should do the trick. They can then make their escape, with no connection to us.”

“Don’t you think they might have thought of that?” said Tarnwell.

“Of course, but there really is no defense. My men have automatic rifles. No matter if they leave by foot or by car, they will be vulnerable.”

“What about the water?”

“Unlikely. Since we will be in the middle of the bridge, they would have to swim a quarter of a mile to get to the shore. Even if they tried something as foolish as jumping, my men would have no trouble picking them off while they are still in the river.”

“And the police?”

“She has no proof. The police won’t help her.”

Lobec’s reasoning seemed valid. “It sounds like you’ve got things under control, David. Just make sure you get the right notebook. We don’t have time for any more delays. Just in case Miss Jensen doesn’t show up, I will be handling our contingency. Call me on my cell phone when you’ve succeeded.”

Lobec turned to leave, but Tarnwell wanted to remind him of something.

“David, I hope you haven’t forgotten about your brother and his family. Because I haven’t. I really want to see that notebook in my hands tomorrow, and I wouldn’t want to see a slipup on your part harm them.”

Lobec narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Tarnwell smiled. Lobec understood. With a wave of his hand, Tarnwell dismissed Lobec, who left the room. After the door was closed, Tarnwell pressed an intercom button next to his chair.

“Come in, Richard,” he said.

Through the library’s other door came Richard Bern. He stood uncomfortably in front of Tarnwell.

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Tarnwell?”

“Yes, Richard, I did. You have a bright future in this company. You’ve become one of my most trusted employees, and you know that I reward my employees well.”

“You sure do, Mr. Tarnwell. I’m lucky to be working for you.”

“Thank you, Richard. That’s nice of you to say. The reason I asked you in here is because I need someone I trust on my side. You see, David is a very competent individual, but I’m afraid he may be planning something silly after the operation is completed tomorrow morning. I need your help.”

“Sure, Mr. Tarnwell, anything.”

“Once you have the item you are receiving from Erica Jensen tomorrow, never take your eyes off of it or David. I’m trusting you to make sure it gets back to me safely. It contains something that will make us all very wealthy, you included. This will be the most important job you’ve ever had. Don’t let anything stop you from getting that notebook to me. Do whatever it takes, I mean anything. Are you up for that?”

“You pay the bills.”

“Good,” Tarnwell said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

Sensing that Tarnwell was finished with him, Bern left.

Tarnwell turned the cigar over in his fingers, treating himself to one more relaxing moment. In less than 24 hours, moments like these would be few. Even with the Adamas process, it would be hard work becoming the richest man in the world.

After an almost sleepless night tied to a four-poster bed, Kevin’s muscles ached, and his eyes were gummed from sleeping two straight nights without removing his contacts. At 6:00 in the morning, Richard Bern loosened his bonds. Bern was uncharacteristically dressed in gray sweatpants and a blue, hooded sweatshirt. He led Kevin to a different bathroom, but this time Kevin was afforded no privacy. The door remained open while he urinated.

He was given water but no breakfast. Kevin tried to suppress his growling stomach. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he could hear Bern chuckling behind him as they walked downstairs and into the library.

Lobec stood as Kevin and Bern entered the room. He was already dressed, but like Bern, did not wear a suit. Instead, he wore jogging shorts, a long-sleeved cotton pullover, and an Orioles baseball cap.

“I hope you slept well despite the conditions,” Lobec said.

Kevin had caught a glance at himself in the upstairs mirror and knew he looked like hell.

“Where’s Tarnwell? Doesn’t he want to join in on the fun, too?”

“Mr. Tarnwell had some business at the Capitol this morning. He’s quite involved in fund raising.” He looked at his watch. “Are you ready to meet Miss Jensen?”

“I don’t have much choice, do I?”

“Of course not.”

Lobec nodded at Bern, who cuffed Kevin’s hands in front of him. The three of them went outside to a Ford waiting for them at the mansion entrance. Franco was in the driver’s seat.

“Just the four of us?” said Kevin as they pulled away from the house. “I would have thought you’d bring the whole goon squad.”

“Mr. Francowiak will be dropping us off. There is no reason to upset Miss Jensen unnecessarily with a large contingent.” Even though Kevin couldn’t tell from the smooth voice, he knew Lobec was lying. Lobec probably already had men stationed around the bridge, waiting to tell him when Erica arrived.

Forty minutes later, Franco stopped at the eastern side of the Arlington National Cemetery. It was a ten minute walk to the bridge.

As Bern dragged him from the car, Kevin said, “So what’s the plan?”

“We will escort you to the middle of the bridge,” said Lobec, “where Miss Jensen should be waiting for us. She will leave the notebook and videotape on the sidewalk and you will be free to go.”

Kevin withheld a contemptuous chuckle and held up his cuffed hands. “Can I at least get these off?”

“I don’t think so. You have already shown a penchant for causing trouble. I will release your hands before we make the exchange.”

Bern pulled the hood over his head, and they began walking toward the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The western face of the Lincoln Memorial was still in shadows, and in the distance Kevin could see the Washington Monument and Capitol. They climbed down the incline, crossed a busy interchange, and walked onto the north side of the bridge.

The bridge was essentially a six-lane road with fifteen-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides. Cement railings lined the edge, with lamps embedded in square pillars every twenty feet. The half-mile span arched over the Potomac 75 feet below. A fine mist rose from the river’s placid surface, and the rising sun cast long shadows across the water.

As Kevin expected, several early morning exercisers jogged or biked across the bridge. Traffic was brisk, but not heavy. That would change nearer to 8:00, especially on the other side, where traffic was going from the Virginia suburbs into the District. No cars were allowed to park on the bridge at any time, which was probably why Lobec had agreed to the location. There was nowhere for the police to observe the transaction without being obvious.

That left only two ways for Erica to meet them. She could either pull up in a car and leave it for a few seconds while they made the trade, or she could walk. He didn’t like either scenario. Lobec and Bern could easily force themselves into a car with him and Erica. And if she walked, they had to trust Lobec to let them get to the end of the bridge and whatever mode of transportation she had waiting. After the past two days, Kevin trusted Lobec about as much as he’d trust a weasel in a hamster-laden Habitrail.

They reached the center of the bridge and stopped next to a cement pillar. They stood facing traffic, scanning both directions. Kevin looked at his watch. It was 6:57.

From a distance, it was difficult to tell one walker from another, and Lobec and Bern had several false starts when they saw lone women coming toward them. When they realized they were mistaken, they relaxed and began scanning again.

The traffic heading toward Virginia suddenly stopped, blocked by a cab that had come to a halt about 100 yards past them. A single woman got out, looked both directions, and began walking toward them.

Kevin had trouble seeing her face through his dirty contacts. The tall, slender form matched Erica’s height, but her hair did not cascade over her shoulders as Erica’s did. The woman wore a T-shirt and shorts and carried a bag at her side.

Despite his blurred vision, Kevin had no doubt. The distinctive, purposeful stride and long legs gave her away. It was Erica.

On her cab ride from the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station, Erica had been careful to look out for any signs that she was being followed. In fact, for the last day and a half, she’d carried out an almost paranoid observation of her surroundings. If Kevin’s abductors knew what she was about to try, it would certainly fail.

Up ahead, Kevin made no sign that he recognized her. She couldn’t see the two men behind him clearly. One wore sunglasses and a baseball cap and the other’s head was covered by a hood. She guessed that they were the same two that had kidnapped Kevin from the parking lot at Virginia Tech.

Erica didn’t see anyone else, but that only made her more nervous. She knew they had to be around somewhere and thought of all the clichés. A parked car with a man reading a newspaper, a sidewalk vendor, a jogger taking a slow walk to cool down. But as far as she could tell, there was no one else around besides the normal traffic. She didn’t like it.

She walked slowly toward them, trying to detect any unusual movement in her periphery. Footsteps pounded behind her. She clutched the bag close to her chest and whirled around to see a sixty-year-old woman focusing on the ground as she jogged past Erica. Erica tried to calm herself and continued toward the middle of the bridge.

When she was fifty feet from Kevin and his escorts, she moved toward the side of the bridge and held the bag over the railing as she walked. It was a concrete railing about a foot wide and at shoulder level, so Erica had to stay close to the edge with her arm outstretched. Inside the bag was a kayaking pack she’d bought yesterday at an outdoor store. She’d wrapped the pack in a canvas bag to hide the fact that it was waterproof.

Thirty feet away from Kevin, she stopped. She could tell from this distance that she was right about the men’s identities. Barnett and Kaplan. Barnett was in jogging shorts and a cap, and Kaplan’s bulky frame looked at home in the sweatpants and sweatshirt he wore. She could also see that Kevin’s hands were cuffed in front of him. They shoved him and began to walk toward her.

“Don’t come any closer, Barnett, or whatever the hell your name is,” Erica said, shaking the bag. “I’ll drop the notebook in the river.”

“If you must know, Miss Jensen, my name is David Lobec. To my left is Richard Bern. How do I know you that you have what I want in that bag.” Lobec held a pistol to Kevin’s right, out of sight of the passing traffic.

“First, I want to know if Kevin’s all right.”

Lobec nodded for Kevin to speak.

“Except for a couple of bruises,” he said, “I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“Considering the circumstances, I’d rather be doing what I was doing the night my parents died.” She looked at the river, hoping to give an impression of sadness to Lobec and Bern. Then she looked back at Kevin.

His eyes flicked twice to the river. He nodded almost imperceptibly. “I think I know what you mean,” he said.

Good, he got the message. Now they had to find the right time. Maybe they could make it a few yards down the bridge before they attempted her plan.

“Miss Jensen. The contents of the bag?”

Still holding the bag out as far as she could, Erica unwrapped the Kayaking pack inside the bag, out of Lobec’s sight. She withdrew the Adamas Blueprint and flipped a few of the pages to show him the writing.

“And the videotape? You have that as well?” said Lobec.

She replaced the notebook and took out the 8mm videotape. He seemed satisfied. She stuffed it back in the kayaking pack and velcroed it shut. Her arm was again outstretched over the water.

“I suppose you expect me to trust that those are the originals and that no copies have been made.”

“Just like I have to trust you to let us go once you have them. Now let Kevin go or I’ll drop the bag in the water and no one will ever see the Adamas Blueprint again, especially Tarnwell.”

“I don’t care,” Lobec said.

She was taken aback by the statement. Kevin furrowed his brow. By the look on his face, even Bern seemed puzzled.

“I’m serious,” Erica said. “I’m going to drop it.”

“I certainly hope you’re serious,” Lobec said. “Go ahead. Drop it.” Then he turned and shot Richard Bern.