Matthew Dunn - Spycatcher

Patrick answered.

Will spoke quickly and urgently. “Camp David’s not the target. I repeat, not the target.”

“What!”

“Not the target. It doesn’t make sense. Megiddo’s probably spent years planning this operation. He would have thought through every angle. He never would have allowed one of his men to leak details about his target to Lana.”

“Then why the hell did Lana tell us he was striking Camp David?”

Will breathed rapidly. “She told us the truth. She told us exactly what Megiddo wanted us to hear in case she and I were rescued from the Hotel Monaco torture room.”

“Oh, damn!” Patrick’s own breathing sounded swift and heavy. “He got one of his men to deliberately feed her a lie so she’d pass it on to us.”

“Exactly.” Will could feel his heart pounding in his own ears. “What could be worse than an attack on the premiers at Camp David?”

“I don’t know.”

“It has to be a target in New York State, because he and his men are still here.”

“I agree, but I don’t know.” Patrick sounded exasperated. “I can contact the critical agencies, however, and place the whole eastern seaboard on high alert.”

Will shook his head vigorously. “Absolutely not. Megiddo will go to ground. We have a last chance to catch this monster and finally stop him.”

Patrick said nothing for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “All right, Will. But I’m placing all my trust in you. I’ve got no other option.”

Will ended the call.

Roger glanced at him. “Why don’t we just stop her and force her to tell us where she’s going?”

Will shook his head. “Megiddo’s men are almost certainly watching her. If we move in, they’ll alert him.”

“Then call her. Tell her not to slow down, but ask her for details over the phone.”

Will shook his head. “No.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because while I’m damn sure I know what’s happening, I’m also damn sure I’ve underestimated Megiddo in the past. He could be monitoring her phone. He could be doing any number of things, and at this precise stage I am not one step ahead of him. I’m several steps behind. For the moment we have to just follow Lana until we can be certain where she’s going. At that stage we’ll move in and stop her.”

Roger nodded. “Lana’s car and Laith’s car are ninety minutes ahead of us, but we’re closing in on them.”

“What about Ben and Julian?”

Roger smiled. “By the sound of things, Ben’s driving their vehicle beyond all legal limits.” He pressed a button on the phone to turn on its speakerphone, and Julian’s commentary instantly shouted out over the noise of their vehicle’s engine.

“Clear of Harrisburg, on to the seventy-eight. No vehicles ahead, traveling at one-thirty MPH, increasing speed.”

Roger turned the phone back to normal and spoke. “Laith, update please.” He listened, nodded, then relayed the information to Will. “Lana’s in upstate New York now, driving at normal speeds.”

Will rubbed a hand over his face and said, “If she’s heading back to the house she was taken to by Megiddo’s men, why is he still there? Megiddo must know that she set his men up after we killed them in the Hotel Monaco.”

Roger held his index finger in the air, and it was clear that he was listening to his phone. He nodded and quickly glanced at Will. “Lana’s stopped her vehicle, has gotten out, and is checking a map.”

Will nodded his understanding. “She’s not been to the place before.” He looked out the car window. The scenery around them had become rugged and hilly. “So how the hell does she know where they are?”

Roger glanced at Will with a look of impatience. “She found something when she was in the house with them, something that gave her a clue where they were going.” He changed gears as they sped around a bend in the road, and the car screeched forward at an even greater speed. “She wants her revenge. She was never going to let them disappear from sight.” He paused, listening to his phone. “But wherever she’s going, she’s on the move again.”

They passed Lake George and Schroon Lake before moving northwest on Route 73. Hills were now being replaced with snow-covered mountains.

Roger spoke while continuing to scrutinize the route ahead. “Ben’s made up incredible ground. Their vehicle’s now only sixty kilometers behind us.” He frowned, clearly listening to his phone, and said nothing for a minute before saying, “Okay, I’ll get instructions from Will.” He slowed the vehicle and looked at Will. “Laith’s just reported that Lana’s stopped and exited her car in a wooded area near the town of Saranac Lake. She’s walking away from her vehicle. And she’s holding a handgun.”

“Damn it.” Will punched the dashboard.

“Do you want Laith to stop her?”

Will just banged his fist repeatedly against the dashboard.

“Will, do you want her stopped?” Roger’s voice was tense and firm.

Will exhaled and stopped punching. “Stop her. Get her out of there!” He ran his fingers through his hair.

Roger nodded and relayed the instruction over his telephone. Will watched the CIA man. He saw his eyes quickly narrow, and he saw that he was listening intently to his cell phone’s earpiece.

“What’s happening?”

Roger held a hand up again, wearing a look of total concentration. He spoke to the phone. “Absolutely not. You’re outgunned, and you’ll panic them into retreating and disappearing. Get as close to the building as you can, and get me an accurate layout of the place. But for God’s sake stay out of sight.” His voice became louder. “Ben, Julian-where are you?” He exhaled loudly. “Thirty isn’t good enough. We need you here in ten minutes maximum.” He looked at Will. “Megiddo’s men have her.”

“What happened?” Will shouted the words.

“Laith ran after her, got close to her, and saw that she was approaching a lakeside lodge. As she approached the place, men surrounded her, disarmed her, and dragged her into the building. Laith had to duck out of sight. But when the men’s backs were turned, he wanted to go straight in and fight them on his own. You heard my response.” Roger removed his earpiece, switched the phone into speaker mode, and pulled out his handgun.

Julian’s voice was instant and urgent. “Hard right in twenty. Accelerate. Sweeping left. East right, hairpin bend. Oncoming vehicle. Straight road. Accelerate now.”

Will’s heart pumped fast, and adrenaline coursed through his body. He punched the dashboard again and swore. When he looked out the window now, he could see road signs telling him that they were only four miles from Saranac Lake. He looked at Roger and spoke with urgency. “Do you know anything about this area?”

Roger shrugged. “I’ve never been here before, but I know it’s got three lakes and is surrounded by forest and the Adirondack Mountains. Lana’s been taken to a lodge on one of the lakes. I’m betting it will be as isolated and as good a place as any to have our gunfight.”

Will clenched his fists again. “We save her, and if he’s there, we capture Megiddo alive. But everyone else dies.”

Roger nodded. “Damn right.”

Roger slowed their vehicle and then stopped by a deserted woodland picnic area. He looked at Will and said, “We’re one mile from the target. I’m not going to drive any farther.” He picked up his phone and advised his men of his location.

Will called Patrick and gave him a full update.

Both men got out of the car, and Will withdrew his weapon. He looked at his watch and muttered, “Come on, come on.”

He heard tires screeching and the high-pitched whine of engine noise. It grew louder, and soon he saw Ben’s car hurtling toward him along a narrow track at what must have been ninety miles an hour. The vehicle swerved sideways, skidded, and then came to a stop. Julian and Ben instantly jumped out and walked to the rear of their vehicle. Both men’s faces were covered in sweat, and their hair looked sodden. They were opening the trunk as Will and Roger ran up to them.