Iris Johansen - Dead Aim

"And Baltimore is practically next door to Washington. The sonic manipulation of a hydro vent offshore could directly affect Washington."

"Jesus."

"But Betworth wanted more bang for his buck, so he contacted Morales." Morgan was silent for a moment. "And what could Morales give him for more bang for his buck?"

She was afraid to guess. "I hope to hell you find out. You meet with Leary tonight?" "If I'm lucky. I have a good many more questions to ask him now about those bunkers." He paused. "Sharp, very sharp, Alex."

"Then maybe you should have called me before."

"I had to brace myself to be flayed. I'll phone you after I finish with Leary." She slowly hung up the phone. She didn't want to let him go. Maybe she shouldn't have jumped on him. What if she never saw -

Of course she should have done it. He was wrong. He was honest enough to realize that and expect her to

Dear God, she wanted him here.

Forget it. Think about this blasted kettle. Think about those bunkers and why they were destroyed.

More bang for the buck.

Christ.

"I've verified your bunkers, Alex," Logan said. "No one in Congress wanted to talk, but I tapped one confidential source. Once he realized I already knew about it and only needed to be filled in, he opened up. The bunker wasn't in Arapahoe Junction, it was on the other side of the dam, where you were taking your pictures."

"Powers said there was a screwup. They didn't have the technology right." Her lips twisted bitterly. "They blew the dam and buried the town of Arapahoe Junction. I'd say that was a big-time screwup. All those people…"

"My contact didn't know anything about any of the other bunkers. Since they're all underground, he said he'd bet that the installation at Plummock Falls is practically right beside the mine. The location picks were supposed to be in fairly populated areas so that the Congressmen's comings and goings wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb."

"And Plummock Falls is a bustling mining town."

"So they blow the bunker and take some of the coal mine with it."

"No information about Z-3?"

"Evidently everyone knows about their particular bunker and no other. It makes good security sense. Sorry, I'll keep trying."

"You found out quite a bit. At least one thing is going right." "More than one. Sarah called me and told me they'd located the miners."

"Alive?"

"At least some of them. There was tapping."

"Thank God." She paused. "Have you gotten through to Andreas?" "Not yet. There's a steel wall of security around him these days. I'll keep trying. Has Morgan phoned you?"

"Not since this morning. He said he'd call me when he could."

"Let me know when he does."

"I'll do that." If she heard from him. She was beginning to wonder if he- Stop wondering. Stop thinking. She had to believe he'd contact her when he could. He had his job to do and she had hers.

She stared down at the open atlas on the coffee table in front of her. The kettle…

Guatemala City

Jesus.

Morgan took a long drink of his bourbon as he stared at the television set over the bar.

Plummock Falls.

The cameras were panning the faces of the crowds gathered outside the fence that encircled the opening of the mine. Pain. Disbelief. Fear. Hope.

"It's terrible." The bartender shook his head. "But it's good that maybe some of them will be saved. To be buried alive would be anyone's nightmare."

"Yes." He tore his eyes from the television set. This wasn't the time to be distracted. He was only grateful Alex was so absorbed in trying to figure out the location of Z-3 that she wasn't one of those people behind the fence. He turned to Marco Salazar. "You're sure Leary will be alone?"

"Well, he won't be with anyone from the Matanza group." Salazar shrugged. "Cordoba doesn't approve of gays. This bar is the hangout for homosexuals in Guatemala City. Leary was here last night and went home with someone he met. He'll probably be back. He didn't impress me as the faithful type."

"He's not. I remember when we were in San Francisco for a couple weeks, he hit practically every bathhouse in town." He got off the stool. "Time to make myself a little less conspicuous. I'll be back in that booth in the corner. When he comes in, let me know."

Salazar nodded absently, his gaze focused on the TV set and the miners being carried out of the shaft.

Ten minutes later Al Leary walked into the bar.

Morgan didn't have to see Salazar's signal to know Leary was in the room. He blew in with his customary swagger and immediately began to talk to the bartender. He was on the hunt, Morgan thought. He had seen Leary operate in dozens of cities around the world and it was always the same. Make contact with the bartender and let him know he was available, then get a line on the most attractive men who frequented the place.

He was turning toward Salazar, Morgan realized. He'd thought that would be his response to Salazar's dark good looks. Leary was all flashing white teeth and aggressive charm as he sat down on the stool next to Salazar.

Fifteen minutes later Morgan got up from his booth and moved toward the bathroom in the rear of the bar. It was empty, but no telling how long it would stay that way. He cracked open the door so that he could see the bar.

Come on, Salazar. Get the show moving.

As if he'd heard Morgan, Salazar got off the bar stool and touched Leary's arm and said something to him. Leary and Salazar left the bar and strolled toward the bathroom.

"It's good stuff," Salazar was saying as he pushed open the door. "Enough to give you a high but not interfere with-" Morgan's arm encircled Leary's neck and jerked him back ward.

Leary gasped, gurgling helplessly as he tried to breathe. "We're leaving," Morgan said in his ear. "We're going to go out the back way and then get in the car in the alley. When we leave this bathroom, my arm's going to be around your shoulders and my hand is going to be affectionately on your neck. If you're not equally quiet and affectionate as we go through that crowd, I'm going to stop being affectionate and give you a shuto blow to the back of the neck and kill you. It will be over almost before you know it. You've seen me do it before."

Leary's eyes were wide with terror as he tried to speak. "Go and start the car, Salazar." Morgan loosened his arm around Leary's neck. "We'll be along in a minute." "Morgan." Leary's voice was hoarse. "Don't kill me. It wasn't my-" "Easy does it. This isn't the time." His arm slipped around Leary's shoulders. "Now, let's go. Salazar's arranged a place for us to have a little talk."

November 10

8:45 P.M.

"Danley tells me you're in position, Runne," Betworth said. "Of course. We made a deal."

"You checked in at 2-3 last night. But no one's seen you since then."

"If they'd seen me, I wouldn't be doing my job, would I?"

"I want you to report to Danley again tomorrow. I have to know that you're ready. Not that I don't trust you." "Just have that helicopter ready to get me out of there. I'll handle the rest."

"Report to Danley tomorrow or there won't be a helicopter." "Don't bluff me. You want me out of there as much as I want to get out. When do I get Morgan?"

"He's still on the loose. Who knows? You may run into him at the Kettle." Betworth hung up.

And he might not, Runne thought. The surer bet was still the woman. He had been disappointed that she hadn't shown up at the mine. Time was running out. He'd been running back and forth between the mine and 2-3 for the last few days to placate Betworth and Danley, but now there were only two days left.

If he was going to have the opportunity to get Morgan, it might be necessary to escalate matters. He reached for his phone.

9:05 P.M.