No Man's Land

63

IT SHOULD BE this one,” said Knox.

They had crossed over into North Carolina about ninety minutes ago. It was now after nine in the morning as Puller turned into the driveway of the large beach house.

“The Grunt must be a cash machine,” said Knox as they got out of the car.

“I think selling stolen government secrets is probably more lucrative,” replied Puller dryly.

They walked up to the front of the house.

“Puller, the door is open,” said Knox.

Puller already had his gun out; Knox followed suit.

He looked down at the asphalt drive. “That looks like a fresh oil spot,” he said, pointing to a dollop of liquid.

They stepped to the side of the front door and Puller gave it a nudge with his foot. It swung open and he did a quick look inside.

He eyed Knox and motioned with his head.

She ducked into the house, her gun pointing center left. Puller followed her performing his arc center right. They cleared the first floor and then checked the garage.

“That’s Myers’s BMW,” said Puller. “I don’t know whose Maserati that is.”

Knox opened the door to the Maserati, popped the glove box, and took out the registration.

“Josh Quentin.”

“Okay, this is starting to make sense.”

“Do you think they’re here?” asked Knox.

“We have more house to search, but I didn’t hear anything.”

“You think they’re dead?”

“I think we’d better check.”

They moved up the stairs and went room by room on the second floor. In a bedroom, Puller reached down and picked up a length of rope and a balled-up washcloth.

Knox said, “Looks like someone was restrained. Who do you think it was? Myers?”

“I don’t know.”

They split up, with Knox taking half the floor and Puller the other half. Knox cleared her section and then found Puller in one of the bathrooms.

“Find anything?”

He pointed around the toilet. “Looks like someone was sick to their stomach.”

Knox wrinkled her nose. “Smells like it too.”

“And then there’s this.” He led her over to the shower. “Check out the pipe.”

She looked at it. “Someone nearly crushed it. Did you check for a tool mark?”

“It doesn’t look like a tool was used. From what I’m seeing it was someone’s fingers.”

"That pipe is metal and it has to be thick enough to withstand the water pressure.”

“I can think of only one guy who could make metal seem like putty.”

“Paul. So he was here. Do you think he was the one tied up?”

Puller shook his head. “That rope never would have held him.”

“So he had someone tied up. Myers?”

“It’s her house. But it could be Quentin.”

“I wonder how Paul found out about this place?”

“I don’t know. But he apparently was here.”

“But why would he think Myers has anything to do with Jericho?”

“I don’t know, Knox! Unless he stumbled onto what they’re doing in that upstairs room at the bar.”

“I guess he could have. He worked there.”

Puller examined the couch and then focused on something. “It’s a few strands of hair fiber.” He picked them up. “Doesn’t look like Myers’s. Maybe Josh Quentin’s? His car’s in the garage too.”

“Maybe that’s who Paul was looking for? Maybe he followed Quentin down here. And didn’t even know Myers was going to be here.”

“That could be.”

“And we know he and Myers are working together to pass secrets. It would make sense that they might meet here,” noted Knox.

“So Paul, Myers, and Quentin were all here together. And people tied up with washcloths balled up in their mouths so they couldn’t cry out and warn someone.”

“So Paul was holding them both? And now where are they? Did he take them somewhere?”

Puller nodded. “It’s certainly possible. Maybe to get to Building Q? To get to Jericho?”

“Okay, but if so, how do we get in there without an invite?”

“Maybe we need to make our own invitation.”

“How?”

“We have a two-hour drive to come up with one.”