Night Watch

18

San Diego Airport

“WAIT! DON’T YOU DARE take off without me, Lynch!”

Lynch had just turned on the rotors of the helicopter, but Jessie’s voice was still piercing enough for him to hear her. He glanced out of the window to see her running across the tarmac toward him. “I’m not waiting for anything,” he yelled back at her. “And I don’t want passengers.”

“You mean witnesses, don’t you?” Jessie had reached the helicopter, and she was glaring up at him. “That’s why you wanted Griffin to go ahead. You didn’t want him to get in your way.”

“Step aside, Jessie,” he said coldly. “I’m taking off.”

“Not without me. I don’t give a damn about what you do, whom you kill, and whether it’s by the book. Do you think I don’t know what’s been building up inside you? You’re ready to explode. You did your research on me? I didn’t have to do any on you. I probably wouldn’t have found anything anyway. But I know you. You don’t play by any rules but your own. That’s why you win. Winning is important to you.”

“Go away, Jessie.”

She ignored the words as she took a step closer to the window. “Maybe only one thing is more important to you, and she’s in that desert. So Griffin’s rules won’t only be ignored, they’ll be decimated. That’s okay with me this time. Why do you think I’m here instead of hitching a ride with Griffin? Sure, he’s going to go out there with a crackerjack team. But sitting back in his office is his boss, Director Howell, who’s putting pressure to make Waldridge top priority. If Griffin has to make a choice, who would it be?” She met his eyes. “I’ve already made my choice. I’ll keep Waldridge alive if I can, but I let Kendra walk into this mess. I was stupid. I should have realized that Biers could be a phony. I told her I could protect anyone. But I didn’t protect her the way I should. So now I have to make it right.” She straightened, her shoulders braced for battle. “And I can’t let Griffin or anyone else stop me. Not when I have you as an alternate. I can help you, dammit. So, if you think this helicopter is going to take off without me, you’re sadly mistaken.”

He was silent, staring at her without expression. Then he asked, “How can you help me?”

She released the breath she’d been holding. “The usual way. I’m smart, well trained, and considered lethal. Anything else we can work out between us.” She paused. “I will not be a witness. I see only what you tell me to see.”

“You’ll obey orders without question?”

She hesitated. “Yes, until we leave the desert.”

Another silence. Then he nodded curtly. “Get in the helicopter. We’ve got to get moving.”

“Right.” She didn’t wait for him to change his mind. She was around the helicopter in a heartbeat and jumping into the passenger seat. She pulled out her tablet as he took off. “I figured I’d navigate. I pulled up the app, and I can track where Kendra is going and check the terrain. I’m also going to Google and try to see what other movement is going on around her. And maybe I could-”

“So much for obeying orders,” Lynch said dryly. “I don’t recall discussing any of this with you, Jessie.”

“But you would have,” she said quietly. “I’m just anticipating the order…” She smiled. “Sir.”

LIGHTS SPEARING THE DARKNESS.

Coming in their direction?

Kendra felt the fear gripping her when she first saw those lights in the distance.

She and Waldridge had climbed atop the small ridge overlooking the large basin, and the first thing they had seen when they reached the top were those three road vehicles separating in search patterns as they thundered across the desert. The second thing were the lights of a low-flying helicopter some distance to the east.

Waldridge gave a low whistle. “Not good. What do you think the odds are that’s our rescue party?”

“Not very high,” Kendra said. “Even if that tracking device worked, I don’t see how they’d get here in that kind of force so soon. Three vehicles and a helicopter?”

Waldridge nodded. “Those must be the reinforcements Biers told us about.” He grimaced. “Though it’s flattering he would think he would need them, I was hoping that you’d have a more optimistic take on it than I did.”

“I want to be optimistic. We just can’t be certain that tracking device is even working. And even if it is, I don’t know if Jessie and the FBI can get here before those guys track us down.” She shivered as she watched the precision of the drivers of those vehicles as they covered miles of desert, those brilliant lights constantly searching. “They seem to know exactly what they’re doing, don’t they?”

Waldridge reached out and gripped her shoulder. “But so do we,” he said gently. “Look how far we’ve come against the bastards. We’re fantastic.”

“Yeah.” She covered his hand with her own. “We’re fantastic. How could I forget?”

“I have no idea. See that it doesn’t happen again.” Waldridge looked to the east, where the sky was just beginning to lighten. “But it’s going to be tough for us to move after it gets light. Maybe we should try to find some place to burrow down and hide.”

“That might be a good plan.”

But they both knew there were few places to burrow and hide in this barren desert. In these last hours, after they had left Biers, that truth had hit home to them as they had made their way over that scorched earth to this ridge.

Kendra gazed down at the tracking device in her hand, then looked up toward the western horizon.

Please. We’re here, but I don’t know for how long, Jessie. Come and get us…

JESSIE HELD ON TO HER tablet computer as Lynch banked a wide turn with the helicopter.

“Did you text Kendra’s current tracker coordinates to Griffin?” Lynch asked.

Jessie nodded. “Griffin and his team are on the way.”

“Good.”

“And Griffin requests that we hang back and coordinate our arrival at the scene with his team.”

Lynch shook his head. “Griffin knows that’s not going to happen. He’s just covering his ass in case this thing goes south. Truth be told, he’d rather not be responsible for what I do out there.”

She glanced at his expression, then looked away. “I can understand that.”

Lynch cocked his head toward the back. “Behind our seats, there’s a black canvas bag. Would you mind unzipping it and showing me what’s in there?”

Jessie pulled the heavy bag into her lap, unfastened the snaps, and opened the zipper. She stared in disbelief at the bag’s contents. “Holy shit.”

“Everything seem okay?”

The bag contained a variety of handguns, automatic rifles, and ammunition. “It depends on how you look at it. They all appear to be in good shape and functional.” Jessie pulled out a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic. “Do you always travel with an armory?”

“Not always. I had a friend meet me at the airport with some special favorites. I thought they might come in handy tonight. Would you like to borrow one?”

She patted her shoulder holster. “I brought my own, thanks.”

“Suit yourself.” He was gazing intently down at the stretch of desert that had just come into view, his lips tightening. “Check that tablet again. Shouldn’t we be almost there?”

“THEY’RE COMING THIS WAY,” Kendra gasped as she climbed the ridge’s rocky face. She tried to get her breath as she looked over her shoulder at Dyle’s helicopter, which hovered less than half a mile from where she and Waldridge were scrambling over the rocks. Stay in the shadows. Those beams from the helicopter were lighting up everything around them. If they got much closer, they would spot them and pin them against these rocks like a collector would a butterfly.

But butterflies were helpless. They mustn’t be helpless. They mustn’t let Dyle gather them up. They mustn’t let him win.

Waldridge swung his legs over a cluster of rocks. “I’m slowing us down,” he called back to her. “It would be easier on the desert floor.”

“We’d be sitting ducks down there. Keep going. You’re doing fine.”

Kendra gave him a gentle shove to help him over the rocks. Waldridge was slowing down, and she probably was, too. Moving along this high ridge was increasingly treacherous, especially as they grew more tired.

Keep moving.

Stay hidden.

But that damn helicopter was getting closer.

So close.

Too close.

She tried to move faster.

Keep moving.

Hold on until help arrives.

If help arrived, she reminded herself. She had no way of knowing if the tracking device was actually working.

Don’t think about it. If they couldn’t count on it, then they’d find another way.

But the helicopter drew closer. The spotlight swept over crevices and pathways they had traveled only minutes before.

Damn. She shook her head in disbelief. In this vast desert, it was as if they knew exactly where to look.

Waldridge was muttering a curse. He was obviously thinking the same thing. “I believe it might be time to find a place to hide.”

Her gaze was frantically scanning up the rock wall. “Just on the other side of this ridge is our best bet. Can you make it?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not unless those guys decide to pack up and call it a day.”

“I don’t think that will happen. Of course, I’ll make it.”

Dyle’s helicopter moved even closer. Vegetation rustled on the hillside. The wind was suddenly filled with blowing sand.

Waldridge whirled and was scrambling over the ridge. Kendra was two seconds behind.

Light.

Her breath left her body as she cleared the rim.

She and Waldridge were suddenly bathed in white, blinding light.

Pinned.

Stabbed by light.

“Shit,” Waldridge murmured.

As her eyes adjusted, she realized what she was seeing.

A trap.

Dyle, Jaden, and two other of his uniformed security men stood next to a Range Rover and a Hummer. Dyle had not been in the helicopter, as she’d assumed, but one of the vehicles. Each vehicle had roof-mounted arc lights trained on the ridge, clearly waiting for Waldridge and Kendra to make their appearance.

The two security men had their automatic rifles trained on them.

Dyle smiled. “Careful. I wouldn’t want you to fall.”

Kendra looked up. The helicopter was now overhead with its intense search beams trained directly on them. She and Waldridge looked at each other.

Frustration.

Defeat.

No place to go.

They made their way down the short incline until they found themselves face-to-face with Dyle and Jaden.

Dyle frowned and stepped toward Kendra. “First things first. Give me the tracking device.”

“Biers took it from me, remember?”

“And you took it back from him. Give it to me.”

The realization hit her. “You picked up the signal. That’s how you knew where we were. Your helicopter was steering us right to you.”

“Enough stalling. Give it to me.”

Kendra pulled the tracker from her pocket and placed it in Dyle’s extended palm. Dyle immediately dropped it on the ground and smashed it with his heel.

“It’s over,” Kendra said. “They know who you are and what you’ve done. No matter what you do to us, it’s over for you.”

Dyle raised his voice to be heard over the sound of the hovering helicopter. “You don’t think I’ve made preparations? You don’t think there are scores of countries that will deny extradition for a man of my generous nature? Particularly if they can also reap the benefit that I’ll bring with Waldridge.”

Waldridge shook his head. “You’ve already gone down that path.”

“I’ll get there yet. I just need some more time with you.”

“You’ve already lost,” Kendra said, shielding her eyes from the blowing sand. “Even if you won’t admit it.”

“Why admit what doesn’t exist? I won. You lost. Now all I have to do is rake in the pot and head for Mexico. In a few minutes, you’ll both be on that helicopter, and we’ll begin the new game.” He smiled. “But perhaps with a few of the same inducements I used-”

A series of short pops sounded above them.

“What the hell…” Dyle was gazing up at the helicopter. “What’s happening?”

More short pops sounded.

The helicopter whined. It sharply banked away from the ridge!

Kendra’s gaze flew to the helicopter as it moved erratically off the ridge. The tall wing and rear motor were wobbling, sending the helicopter spinning on a lateral trajectory toward the desert floor.

“It’s crashing,” Dyle said, stunned. “What’s Koppel doing? How could it be-” Dyle was quickly raising his walkie-talkie, but he froze as he saw the answer above them.

Kendra looked up and saw it, too.

Another helicopter, silhouetted by the first orange rays of dawn, rose from behind the ridge.

Pow-pow-pow-pow.

The same sharp pops they had heard earlier, blasted from the helicopter. As the aircraft swung around, she saw Lynch leaning out the open door, wielding an automatic rifle. But the target was not the crippled helicopter this time. He was aiming at something or someone on the ground.

A scream!

Kendra spun back around. Dyle’s two security men were down, their heads shattered by Lynch’s gunshots. Dyle and Jaden had grabbed Waldridge and were trying to take cover behind a row of boulders.

Lynch leaned back inside the helicopter as it was buffeted by the strong desert winds.

Jaden lifted his gun toward Lynch, but Waldridge leaped over and struck his arm as Lynch’s helicopter turned and descended behind the rim. “Son of a bitch!” Jaden turned and struck Waldridge with the butt of his automatic rifle.

“No!” Kendra screamed, as Waldridge slid down the embankment, unconscious.

Or dead? Pray God he wasn’t dead.

“Jaden, you fool,” Dyle shouted. “I need him. Now go down and get him. We’ve got to get out of here. Chances are he’s not alone.”

She hoped Lynch wasn’t alone. But she couldn’t let Jaden let loose any bullets at that helicopter. She took cover behind another row of boulders, reached to her waistband and pulled out the gun she’d taken from Biers.

“You go get him,” Jaden told Dyle. “I’ll join you as soon as I take care of the problem here. After all, that’s what you pay me for.”

Dyle was swearing as he started crawling down the embankment.

“Here we are, Kendra.” Jaden had ducked behind the boulder again. “What a lot of bother you’ve caused us. I don’t relish your coming along and causing me more trouble. So I think we’ll dispense with you before Dyle comes back and decides he needs you, too.”

A bullet splintered rock a foot from her head.

She fired back in the direction from where she’d judged his voice had come.

Blamm!

Kendra’s right arm throbbed, and her gun went flying.

Pain. Searing, horrible pain.

“Now we take care of unfinished business.” She could see Jaden moving toward her. “Are you ready, Kendra? You’ve had a very long grace period, but all things come to an end.”

A barrage of gunshots erupted from the top of the rim. Spitting sand only inches from Jaden.

“Dammit.” He dove back behind the rocks. “Only a minor interruption. I’ll be right with you.”

He returned the fire from the rim.

“What are you doing?” Dyle was crawling toward him from the embankment. “I told you we have to get Waldridge out of here. Now do it. I wasn’t able to get him up that embankment.”

“And I’ll take care of it,” Jaden said. “Don’t I always take care of everything for you?”

“Talk’s cheap. Get us out of here.”

“Too late,” Lynch called down from the rim. “I wanted to spend a little time with you, Dyle, but Jaden shot Kendra, and I don’t have that choice now.”

“Kill him,” Dyle shouted at Jaden. “Now.”

Jaden was already firing a round at the rim.

“I’ve got cover and a clear view,” Lynch said. “I see you, Dyle. Enjoy the next minute while I line up my shot.”

“Kill him,” Dyle screamed again. “You heard him.” He was trying to get closer to the protection of the boulder. “Take him down!”

“Time’s up,” Lynch said softly.

A bullet tore through the center of Dyle’s skull. His head jerked back, a thin ribbon of blood ran from his lips.

He slumped over, dead.

More bullets tore down from the rim, pinning Jaden behind the boulders.

Jaden returned the fire. “Well, Kendra, it appears the situation has changed. I may have to assess the situation and change with it. Would you like to take a little ride with me?”

“Screw you. You’re beaten, Jaden.”

“I’m never beaten.” He crouched low, moving slowly toward the bank of rocks where Kendra lay. “Let’s go.”

“A hostage? Seriously?”

Jaden whirled around. Lynch was standing less than ten feet away, holding his rifle in front of him.

“You should rethink that strategy,” Lynch said.

“It’s worked before.” Jaden spoke in a lazy drawl that belied the intensity in his eyes and movements.

“Not this time. Drop your gun.”

Jaden nodded up to the ridge. “I thought you were up there.”

“That’s what I wanted you to think.” Lynch shrugged. “I brought a friend.”

Jaden nodded. “You’re good.” He paused. “So… how good are you?”

“You don’t want to find out.”

Jaden gripped his rifle. “The way I see it, I have a definite advantage. I’m wearing Kevlar. You’re not.”

“That’s why I’d put a bullet in your head as I did Dyle. Drop your gun.”

“Look, you just killed my employer. Somehow I don’t think I’m getting paid for this job.”

“I think you’re right.”

“So why don’t we call it a day? I’ll pull my men out, and we can-”

In a blur of motion, Jaden raised his gun.

Blam!

The shot was Lynch’s. Jaden went down with a single bullet in his forehead.

Lynch didn’t even look at him, he immediately whirled and strode toward Kendra.

The next moment he was kneeling beside her, pushing the shirt off her shoulder to reveal the wound. “Why the hell did you decide to take on Jaden? I was here, dammit. All you had to do was let me-”

“It didn’t work out that way. Waldridge might have been-”

“I don’t want to hear about Waldridge right now. Is this the only wound?”

“Yes.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Jessie was running down from the ridge. “I’m pretty good a dressing wounds. Why don’t I-”

“No.” Lynch put a hand out to stop her. “She’s not bad. I’ll take care of her.”

“Waldridge is down the embankment,” Kendra said. “Jaden hurt him. He needs help, Jessie.”

“Yes, by all means, go down and help Waldridge,” Lynch said roughly. “Or she’ll be going down herself.”

“Right away.” Jessie was already running down the embankment. “I’m on it.”

“Satisfied?” Lynch asked curtly. “Now let me get a better look at this wound.”

Satisfied? She couldn’t sort out her emotions at this moment. Too much had happened in too short a time. And most of it had happened since Lynch had erupted on the scene. She couldn’t get her breath as she looked down at Dyle. Dead. Brutally, horribly dead. Jaden, who had tried to kill her, with the bullet hole in his forehead… So many dead…

She looked down at the fiery wreck of the helicopter engulfed in flames on the desert floor. There were almost certainly dead down there, too.

But not Waldridge or Lynch or Jessie. Safe. All these people she cared about were safe.

She moistened her lips. “You really know how to make an entrance, Lynch. I’m impressed.”

Lynch didn’t answer, his hands swiftly bandaging the wound.

“You were…” She didn’t have a word to describe that savagely efficient carnage. “Unusual.”

“Not really. I was angry, and I wanted it over fast, or you would have seen unusual. I wanted to cut Dyle’s heart out.” He’d finished putting the temporary bandage on the wound. “I think this is just a flesh wound. The bullet seems to have gone right through it. We’ll get you to a hospital to confirm it.”

She looked at Waldridge, who was leaning on Jessie as they topped the embankment. “I have to go see if Charles is-”

“No. He wasn’t the one who was shot. You worry about you. You can bond with him later.” He helped her to her feet. “Right now, we’re out of here before Griffin arrives and keeps you here answering difficult questions.”

“I can answer questions.” She looked at the bodies. “I think.”

He shook his head. “No.” He called, “Jessie!”

Jessie looked across at them. “Waldridge is okay, Lynch. Cut on his head. And just a little bruised and stiff.”

“Take care of him. Griffin will be here any minute and will be whisking him away. Go with them and make certain he goes to a hospital and gets a clean bill of health.”

Jessie’s gaze shifted to Kendra. “You’re certain she’s all right?”

“Fine,” Kendra said. “Dyle injected Charles with something. Make sure they didn’t do any damage.”

“I told you they didn’t, Kendra,” Waldridge said. “Believe me, dammit.”

She smiled. “It doesn’t hurt to check.”

“They’ll check,” Lynch said curtly as he slid his arm around her waist and propelled her up the ridge to the helicopter. “Call me later and report, Jessie.”

“I will. Last duty, Lynch.” She grimaced. “Actually, a freebie since I’ll be out of the desert by that time. No orders after I leave the desert, remember?”

“I remember.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But while you’re here, you might rush Griffin along so that he won’t dwell on what happened here. I’ve been trying to convince him that I’ve mellowed since the time when I worked at the Bureau.”

“Mellowed? I think you’ve blown that. I’ll do what I can.” She looked down at the desert floor. “I hear them coming. You’d better get out of here.” She turned to Waldridge. “Come on. I’ll give you a hand, and we’ll go meet them. It will give Lynch a little extra time.”

A few minutes later, Lynch was lifting Kendra into the passenger seat of the helicopter, then jumping in himself.

She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. The adrenaline of the past day was ebbing away, and she felt weak, shaky.

“What’s wrong?” Lynch said fiercely. “Tell me. Was I wrong about that wound? You’re not going to leave me now, Kendra.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m just having a few aftereffects from one hell of a day.” She opened her eyes. “The wound isn’t anything that-” She stopped as she met his eyes. She inhaled sharply. “But I’m not the only one who’s having aftereffects, am I? God, I’m sorry, Lynch.”

“You should be.” His voice was uneven. “About a lot of things you’ve done recently. We’ll eventually go into all of them in detail. But right now I need a few moments to realize that you’re alive and not dead. Come here.” He took her in his arms and held her tight, his face buried in her hair. “Just be quiet, okay? Let me have this time.”

She didn’t want to speak. She felt so close to him in this moment. She’d had no time to dwell on the thought of life or death since the moment she’d been taken. It had been all action and survival. But the people who cared about her had that time. Lynch had that time. Her arms tightened around him. She wanted to give to him, take away those bitter hours of worry. She couldn’t do it.

All she could do was hold him through this terribly vulnerable moment for him.

“That’s all. I’m done.” He cleared his throat and released her. “Now I’m back to normal.” He started the helicopter. “Which might or might not be good for you. We’ll have to see, won’t we?” The helicopter lifted off. “But you don’t close your eyes again until I get you to that hospital. I’m not having it.”