After boarding, Zane dumped the coffee and newspaper into a trash bin then pulled out his phone. Now that he was on the train, he could see that Carmen’s signal was coming from one of the cabins. That seemed odd. If she was packing her things, why couldn’t she send a more detailed update? He thought for a moment then realized she might have left the device in the room while she took care of something. But if that’s the case, then where is she, and what’s she doing?
A minute later, Zane arrived at her cabin. He waited for a family to pass by then placed his ear against the door. He listened for a few seconds but heard nothing. Even though he was reasonably sure Carmen wasn’t inside, he tapped lightly. When no one answered, he removed the universal entry card Brett had given him and swiped his way in.
The blinds were closed, leaving the room mostly dark. After letting his eyes adjust, Zane cast his gaze around the space. It was surprisingly empty. No personal effects were lying out in the open. She’s checked out.
Before leaving, Zane needed to find the device that was giving off the signal. Obviously, she had left it there for a reason. He started his search in the bathroom. It looked like it had been used, but it soon became clear the device wasn’t there. He returned to the sleeping compartment, went to the tiny dresser, and opened all three drawers. Inside was a travel magazine with a list of local attractions, a card for ordering room service, a pad, and a pen. He tore off the top sheet of the pad and held it up to the light. He saw nothing that would indicate Carmen had etched a message on the surface.
The last place to search was the closet. He slid the door open and examined the interior. There was an iron, a plastic bag for dirty laundry, and several hangers, but nothing of any interest. After closing the door, he stood in silence. Where did you put it, Carmen?
As he took one last look around the room, his eyes fell on the trash bin. Picking it up, he looked inside. Nestled in the plastic liner were several used tissues, an empty water bottle, and a package of Swiss chocolate wafers. Nothing. As Zane set the can down, he remembered something Carmen had told him several weeks ago. She said she was on a new health kick and was giving up sugar for the next six months. It was one of those detox things that had become so popular. And if that was the case, he wondered what the disciplined Carmen Petrosino was doing with a box of chocolate.
Bending over, Zane fished the box out of the bin. As he lifted it out, he could tell it was heavier than it should be. He opened one end and looked inside. The phone. Zane felt relieved at the sight of the device. The fact that she had hidden the phone in a box of chocolate wafers indicated she was probably safe. The only remaining mystery was why she had left the train without providing any additional update.
Zane knew Carmen had taken three devices with her on the train: two burner phones and the faux compact. There were GPS tracking chips in each, but for some reason, this was the only one still emitting a signal. Even though Zane was concerned for her safety, he knew Carmen would have a good reason for turning off the other two devices.
He powered up the burner then opened the texting app. As he suspected, all communications had been erased, even the text she had sent him earlier. Delphi operatives were trained to regularly purge all communications in case their devices were compromised.
As he was about to close out the app, he noticed an item in the draft folder that was highlighted in red. It was a text that hadn’t been sent. He opened it and read the message: They asked me to meet with the leader of their organization. His name is Jonas Brehmer, and his home is just outside Lugano. I’ll be monitored from here, so I’m going dark. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.
Zane read the text a second time. Jonas Brehmer. The name wasn’t familiar, so he made a mental note to search for more information on the man later.
As he slipped the burner into his pocket, Zane considered Carmen’s decision to go dark. Why didn’t she reach out to discuss the matter with me or with Ross? He supposed she had her reasons, but he couldn’t think of anything to justify putting herself in such a precarious position. Maybe she knew there would be pushback.
Zane would call in backup. Based on the circumstances, that was a given. Three Delphi operatives had just finished a covert mission in Croatia and were scheduled to fly into Milan later that night. The original plan was for the entire group to return to Washington on a chartered flight, but in light of the latest developments, Zane would redirect them to Lugano.
After taking a final look around, he exited the cabin. As he turned to leave, he saw a woman coming toward him. He gave her a quick glance as they walked past one another. She was of average height and had short blond hair and olive skin. Despite her hair color, her features were an exotic mix of ethnicities.
Zane frowned as he continued down the hall. Something was familiar about the woman, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
Wanting another look, he ducked into an alcove with an ice machine. He then eased out and looked down the hall. The woman stopped in front of a door and used her card to enter. After she disappeared into the room, Zane emerged from his hiding place and walked briskly to the spot where she had been standing. Interestingly, her room was the next one down from Carmen’s.
Is it a coincidence that someone who looks familiar is staying next to Carmen?
Zane Watson didn’t believe in coincidences.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ANOTHER PLATE OF chicken and rice arrived at six o’clock in the evening. After eating the tiny portions, Devon set the plate next to the door. It would be another hour before someone came to collect it. Ordinarily, one or two guards came every thirty minutes, but for some reason, there was a longer break after dinner. Devon assumed his captors were eating dinner or involved with some other task. Whatever the reason, he was thankful for it. That one-hour gap would give him enough time to carry out his plan. He would have preferred to slip away in the dead of night, but he needed to take advantage of the additional time.
“Seven, three, five, seven, four, nine,” Devon whispered to himself. The numbers were seared into his memory. Punching in the code would be the easiest step of all. He might not get away, but he was confident he could get out of the cell.
After repeating the numbers three more times, Devon stepped over to his bed and arranged the two pillows to resemble a sleeping body. He then pulled sheets over them and took several steps back. In the dimly lit room, it didn’t look too bad. No one would mistake it for a person when viewed up close, but it might fool a guard standing at the door.
Whenever one of the men came to collect his dinner plate, they always pointed their flashlight beam at the bed. That routine had given Devon an idea. For the last several nights, he had gotten into bed after dinner and pulled the covers completely over himself, including his head. He then curled up in the fetal position. His goal was to condition the guard to expect an unmoving lump. There was still the chance they would notice, but there was also a small chance they wouldn’t. And another thirty minutes might save his life.
He took a deep breath. It was time. He guessed about ten minutes had passed, which meant he had fifty minutes to get out of the building. If the ruse with the pillows worked, he might have even more time, but he couldn’t count on it. As far as he was concerned, an hour was all he had.
Reaching under the bed, Devon retrieved a pencil from its hiding place between the metal rail and the box springs. He had taken it from an examination room when no one was watching. Pencil in hand, he crossed to the corner of the cell where the door met the sidewall. He pressed his stomach against the wall then reached out through the bars. He ran the pencil along the cinder block wall until the eraser tip hit the edge of the keypad. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had just enough reach to tap the keys.