Iris Johansen - Deadlock

"I didn't tell you to kill Nemid. I could have handled it. And I told you that you shouldn't use one of the amulets with him."

"I had to offer him a bargain he couldn't refuse. We needed him. It's my job to keep you from worrying about details. And we'll do damage control." He changed the subject. "Did Zelov tell her any¬thing?"

"He said he didn't, but the idiot called me immediately after she left him. The drunken fool didn't even realize the risk." "I told you that you should get rid of him." "I couldn't, dammit."

"I'll jump on the next plane for New York. Do you know where they are?"

"No. Figure it out for yourself. Prove your worth. But you'll arrange for someone else to find and dispose of Garrett and retrieve Emily Hud¬son in the safest and least public of ways. It's clear you haven't been able to keep a low profile. You know of such a person?"

"Yes, but I'd rather do it myself."

"I don't care what you'd rather do. You'll come here in case I need you." He hung up,

Cold, arrogant bastard, Staunton thought, as he hung up. He was tempted to ignore Babin and go to New York himself. He didn't want anything to happen to Emily before he could get his hands on her. He'd waited too long.

But Babin was a force he had to reckon with. Staunton wasn't quite ready to make a move yet. Everything and everyone had to be in place. This was his big chance, the bonanza he'd searched for all his life. He had to be calm and patient. It would be better to do as Babin ordered, find someone else to do the job, and trust that his orders would be obeyed. He had to have Emily Hudson.

But if he couldn't do what he wanted to do at the moment, then he would find another way to sting Emily. She had to realize that he was still in control.

He reached for his phone and dialed Borg. "Are you still in Kabul?"

"Yes. I thought I'd call you and ask-"

"Get a plane to Morocco. Isn't that where you said we followed Irana Povak?"

"Yes, Tangiers. She's working with some doctor there." He paused. "But I don't know if I can get to her. Dardon has her surrounded with security."

"We'll get to her. One of those security men will make a slip, and we'll find a way to take her. Find someone to bribe. Find someone to kill. Until then we just have to be patient. Watch and wait, Borg. Watch and wait." He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. Good advice, but he wasn't feeling in the least patient. He didn't want Irana Povak. He wanted Emily, dammit. But Emily could be reached by anyone she cared about, and she cared about Irana Povak.

You want another experience like the one with Joel Levy, Emily? Let's see if I can oblige you.

But now he had to throw a bone to Babin and do as the arrogant bastard commanded. He had to find someone else to do the job of go¬ing after Emily in Connecticut that he wanted to do himself. Who was efficient that he could control?

Sal Caprini. Sal was smart and lethal and would know that Staunton would come after him if he didn't do exactly as instructed. But there was the problem of finding Garrett and Emily. He frowned as he concentrated on the problem. Emily and Garrett had found Zelov and were digging deep. What would Garrett's next move be? In his position, what would he do?

Then it came to him.

He started to dial Sal Caprini in New Jersey.

DARDON KNOCKED ON THE DOOR at six forty-five the next morn¬ing, and when Garrett answered, Dardon said, "Got him. He was down in Miami doing a job for IBM."

"Hello, Pauley," Garrett said to the man standing beside Dardon. "Thanks for coming."

"Dardon said it was going to be profitable," Pauley said. "I've de¬cided I have to retire like you. Keeping up with all this new technol¬ogy is making an old man of me."

"Emily, this is Mark Pauley. Emily Hudson." Dardon gestured to the man who entered the room with him. "He's going to break into a phone-company database that everyone says is unbreakable and get us the information we need. Or so he says." He headed for the room ser¬vice table where Emily was sitting. "Breakfast. I'm starved. At the rate you're charging us, we can only afford to give you a cup of coffee, Pauley."

"I'll survive." He came forward and shook Emily's hand. "I'm very glad to meet you. I understand that if I reveal I've seen you, I'll die a slow and horrible death. Titillating, isn't it?"

He had a faint British accent, but there was nothing of British re¬serve in his smile. It was warm, intimate, and chock-full of charm. He was brown-haired, blue-eyed, in his late twenties, and stunningly good-looking. Emily couldn't remember even seeing a movie star that attrac¬tive. "If you can call death titillating. How do you do, Mr. Pauley."

"Oh, not actually experiencing the dire fate. I violently oppose death. But it's always interesting to skirt on the edge." He turned to Garrett. "How much time do I have?"

"Time to have a cup of coffee," Garrett said. "I'll even order you breakfast. I'm not as miserly as Dardon."

"I understand and forgive him. He's an amateur, and he resents a professional's expertise." He gave Dardon a sly glance. "I'll even let him come and watch a master at work. He may learn something."

"Bastard," Dardon muttered as he took a sip of coffee. "You're not so perfect. I will watch you, and I'll learn your bag of tricks."

"By all means." Pauley's smile faded. "Seriously, give me a time frame, Garrett."

"I want to be on a plane and heading out of the country by noon."

"Then you may have to take me with you. These days it's not easy hacking into a phone company and tracing past calls. There are all kinds of trip wires and firewalls. Even the NSA has trouble, and they're the snoopiest bastards on the planet."

"Do your best. Otherwise, you may have to take a short Russian vacation."

"It will have to be short. I don't like Russia." He shrugged. "Well, I don't mind it, but they don't like me. You'd think a country as into electronic snooping as the Kremlin would be a little more tolerant. I think they're jealous." He winked at Emily. "Like my friend, Dar¬don." He turned to leave. "I'll skip breakfast and go back to Dardon's room and see if I can make some headway. Maybe I'll even strike it lucky and meet your deadline."

Emily watched him leave. "Is he as good as he says he is?"

"Better." Dardon made a face. "He's a damn wonder. He doesn't look at things the way we do. He has a cyber connection."

"He looks like a movie star."

"And makes the most of it," Garrett said dryly. "He makes the most of all his talents." "I think I like him."

"You see? He's in the room five minutes, and you're on his cheer¬ing team." There was a faint edge to his voice. "Don't get too in¬volved. I'll send him packing as soon as I get what I need from him." He sat down and started his breakfast. "Eat. We've got to get moving. I want to get to the courthouse as soon as they open." He turned to Dardon. "And you don't have time to stay with Pauley and play with the computers. You need to set up the flight, pick up documents, and arrange for a place for us to stay in Russia."

"Pauley, too? You were serious?"

"Pauley, too. Even after he gets us the address we need, we may be able to use him over there." He grimaced. "And it will give Emily something pretty to look at on the trip to Moscow."

That edge was in his voice again, and it was beginning to annoy her. "That would be nice," she said coolly. "I may learn something from him. I'm sure he's a good teacher."

Dardon chuckled. "He'll tell you he is."

"It depends on what he's teaching." Garrett met her gaze. "You could do better."

"Could I?" She finished her coffee. "But you never know unless you give someone a chance."

"My, my." Dardon's expression was suddenly wary as he looked from Emily to Garrett. "I believe it's time I made my exit. I have a lot of things to do."