The Target

Chapter 42

I want to talk to her,” said Reel.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Dikes.

“Then you can forget it. Knowing you like I do, she’s probably already dead. And so I’m not putting myself or Laura in danger if she is.”

“You are so tiresome,” said Dikes with an exaggerated sigh. “It was one of your least attractive features.”

“I want to talk to her. Now!”

A few moments later Reel heard Julie’s voice.

“I’m okay,” Julie said.

“I’m so sorry about all this, Julie. Have they hurt you?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. And they’re standing right next to me in case I say something wrong.”

“I know. I just want you to know that things will turn out okay, Julie. No matter what happens, you’re going to be safe, okay?”

“Okay,” Julie said in a small voice.

Reel heard a gasp from Julie, and Dikes said, “All right, you’ve confirmed that she’s just fine.”

“And she better remain that way,” warned Reel.

“You are in no position to make demands. And don’t attempt to employ your U.S. Marshal friends in WITSEC.”

“What?”

“Your little friend told me all about you. That you’re still in WITSEC. And that you are engaged to marry her guardian, Jerome, who is a very rich man.”

“You bastard,” snarled Reel. “Did you torture her to get her to tell you that?”

“The mere threat was enough. She’s only a child. A precocious one, but still only a child. And she apparently lives in a fantasy world. She tried to feed me a cock-and-bull story about her being kidnapped by a Saudi prince, as if I’d believe that. But the mere sight of my, uh, chief interrogator, and she confessed all. It was rather pathetic.”

“She’s just a kid, Leon,” barked Reel.

“Then she should act her age rather than wasting my time with stupid stories. And she also informed me about your friend, Mr. Robie. Or should I say Marshal Robie? Do not think of bringing him along. We will be able to see you coming from a long way off. And all you’ll find when you get here is Julie’s body.”

“How do you want to do this, then?”

“Did you contact Laura?”

“I wouldn’t be talking to you unless I had,” retorted Reel.

“She will come with you. No tracking devices. No weapons. I recall that you were adept with a knife.”

“Where am I going?”

“You mean where are you and Laura going,” corrected Dikes.

“Just tell me, Leon.”

“Don’t let your nerves run away with you, Sally. It’s unbecoming. How you were able to keep them in check when you were so young, I can’t imagine. Luck, like I said before.”

“Give me the instructions,” Reel said flatly.

They were elaborate and well thought out, she had to admit.

They would first take a commercial aircraft to Atlanta and then a puddle jumper to Tuscaloosa. There they would board a Greyhound bus that would take them to an even smaller town. A car would be waiting in a parking lot next to the only grocery store in the town. The keys would be on the front seat. Directions going forward would be in the glove compartment. They would drive to a prearranged spot and they would be picked up from there. After that they would be driven to their final destination.

Dikes added, “Keep in mind that this is my country down here. I know every nook and cranny of it. I have the local police both in my back pocket and in my ranks. I own the town.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“People in bad economic times look to any savior possible,” replied Dikes. “I can give them what they want. Order, safety, jobs. We’re even venturing into other parts of the country. Some of our groups are buying up entire towns in the Midwest and the Dakotas. It is a good platform for growth and the spread of our unique ways.”

“You mean your sickness?”

“They obviously do not see it that way, do they?”

“You may think so. But you’d be wrong.”

“Nevertheless, when you come here you will be in my power, lock, stock, and barrel.”

“Which means you have no intention of letting Julie go.”

“I give you my word, Sally.”

“Your word means nothing to me.”

“Then why come at all?”

Reel fumed for a few moments, trying to regain her composure. “Because you’re not going to do to her what you did to me.”

“Well, we’ll see, won’t we? And we’ll see very soon.” He told Reel when she would be expected and hung up.

Reel clicked off and looked at the notes she had written down with the travel directions. Then she looked up at Robie, who had, again, listened to the entire conversation.

“This complicates things,” said Reel, tapping the paper.

“But it’s not unexpected,” noted Robie. “It’s not his job to make it easy.”

“Yeah, it’s his job to make it impossible.”

“But it’s not impossible,” observed Robie.

Reel looked down at her notes and suddenly smiled. “No, it’s not. You remember Jalalabad?”

“How could I ever forget? Is that how you want to play it?”

“Yes, I do,” said Reel firmly. She looked at the notes again. “I see two, maybe three possibilities.”

Robie nodded. “Same here. I’ll head out early.”

Reel nodded thoughtfully at this. “Recon will be important. Like he said, the area is under his control. You’ll need cover.”

“Two birds with one stone, Jessica.”

She looked excited. “I can see that. I can absolutely see that.”

“Once they pick you up you’ll be cut off from communications.”

“You lose me, we’re lost.”

“So I don’t plan on losing you.” He tapped the table. “And Laura?”

“I got that covered, Robie.”

“Really?”

“Really.”