“I’m kidding, Charlie. We aren’t going to dig up Francis Jackson’s grave unless we absolutely have to. And if that is necessary, we’ll go through the proper channels. I’m sure Tommy’s got some connections to the right people over there to get us the permits for such a thing.”
Charlie shook his head. “Let’s just hope you don’t have to get them. If you ever go pokin’ around my grave after I’m done, I’ll haunt your dreams until you join me.”
Tommy burst out with a short bout of laughter and then continued reading on the screen.
Another doctor in a lab coat approached the group. This time, the guy didn’t continue down the hall. He stopped when he reached them. “Are you the people who brought Mr. Cooper in?”
“Yeah,” Charlie stood up. “That’s us.”
“Are any of you relatives of Mr. Cooper?”
The question sent a blade through everyone’s throats. A question like that from a doctor usually didn’t carry good news with it.
“He doesn’t have any relatives,” Charlie said in a grim voice. He knew what was coming next. The look on the doctor’s face didn’t help.
“Oh,” the man said awkwardly. He glanced down at the chart in his hand and made a few notes. “So, you are friends of his?”
“Yeah, Doc. Is Coop gonna be okay?” Charlie asked with heavy concern.
The question caused the doctor to perk up. “Oh, yes. He will be fine. The bullet missed all his vital organs, so far as we can tell. He will need to stay overnight for observation, considering the amount of blood he lost. But your friend is going to be okay.”
Relief washed over Charlie’s face.
“He’s still in surgery right now, but he will be moved to recovery and then a regular room in a few hours.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Sean said. “We appreciate it.”
“You’re very welcome.” The man looked over the rim of his glasses. His tall forehead shone from the fluorescent lights overhead. “I am curious how this happened. Was he cleaning his gun or something?”
Everyone’s eyes drifted to Sean as if they expected him to answer the question. He reacted quickly. From the way the doctor had asked the question, he knew the nurse had already informed him about the bullet-riddled SUV. “I wish that were the case. We were caught going through the wrong part of town. It felt like a drive-by shooting. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a good look at the shooters.”
The doctor’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh? Have the police been informed?”
“Not yet,” Sean said. “But we will give them all the details we can.”
“That’s a good idea. The next person that drifts through that area might not be so lucky. I’d hate for that to happen if it can be prevented.”
The doctor tucked his clipboard under his armpit. “You all have a good day. I’m sorry about your friend’s misfortune. You should be able to visit him in a few hours.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Charlie said amid the thank yous from the others.
The man nodded and strode back down the corridor.
“At least Coop’s going to be all right,” Sean said, turning back to the group.
Charlie’s face turned ashen. When he spoke, his voice carried a dreary tone. “Sean,” his gaze pierced Sean’s eyes all the way to his core, “you have to make these people pay. Whoever they are and whoever they’re working for have to answer for this. I don’t care that the Russian guy beat me up and was threatening to kill me, but when it gets to the people I care about, that’s when I get mad.”
“I would hope that we don’t have to see them ever again, Charlie,” Sean said. But he knew better. It was foolish to think that there wouldn’t be another clash. All he could really wish for is that they would put enough distance between them and the hit squad. “We know they’re after the coins. Why is another question.”
“Agreed,” Adriana said, easing back into her seat and crossing one leg over a knee. So our next stop is England?”
“Looks that way,” Tommy shrugged.
“I’m stayin’ here with Coop,” Charlie stated. “I’m too old to be runnin’ around with you youngins.”
No one protested. Charlie was right. He would only slow them down, though no one wanted to say it. Staying with Coop was the best thing he could have done. Sean tilted his head back in Tommy’s direction. “Southampton, huh? You coming?”
“Well, it has been a while since I’ve had good fish and chips.”
Chapter 15
“You lost them?” Dufort’s rage blared through the earpiece of Petrov’s phone.
The big Russian sat in his sedan, staring at the glimmering white facade of the hospital. When he arrived at the IAA headquarters, his quarry was on their way out. Petrov and his men hung back and made sure they weren’t noticed.
Four people left, two were young, probably in their early twenties. The woman, a tall brunette, probably in her late thirties, was among them. But Petrov’s attention remained locked on Tommy Schultz, who exited the building with a laptop bag and a few papers in hand. The way Schultz was looking around, checking for anything suspicious, told Petrov that the man had been alerted to their presence.
“No. I didn’t lose them. They’re at the hospital as we speak. One of them must be wounded. My team is waiting outside in the parking area. If they come out, we’ll be here to nab them.”
Dufort didn’t apologize, but the explanation seemed to soothe his tone a little. “Where is the coin now?”
Petrov knew that question was coming. It was also a dumb one, though he wouldn’t tell his employer that. Obviously, the coin was with his targets. If he had it, he’d be on a plane back to France right now.
“Sean Wyatt has the coin.” He figured a white lie wouldn’t hurt. After all, it was a reasonable assumption.
“I need that coin.”
The Russian knew that. His irritation bubbled up inside him, but he suppressed it. “I know. We will have it shortly.”
His phone vibrated, and he pulled the device away from his ear to glance at the screen. A message from an unidentified number appeared. He read it and smiled, putting the phone back against his ear.
“We know where they’re going next.”
He imagined the sentence changed Dufort’s demeanor.
“How do you know that?”
“It’s what you pay me for, isn’t it? I get things done.”
“True.”
Petrov gave a signal to the other men and started up the car. “A new flight plan was just filed from one of the private hangars at the Atlanta airport. They’re going to London.”
“London?” Dufort’s voice sounded troubled again. “They must have discovered the first clue from Francis Jackson.”
Petrov steered his car out of the parking space, through the thick maze of parked vehicles, and out the exit onto the road. “What would you like me to do?”
He could tell Dufort was thinking about the issue, which meant the man wasn’t sure. Petrov hated uncertainty. He always paid close attention to detail.
“Follow them to London. If they find the next coin, take it from them, and return it to me.”
“And what about Wyatt and his companions?”
“Do what you do best.”
Chapter 16
By the time the IAA private jet landed in London, it was just a few minutes past one in the morning.
He, Tommy, and Adriana had departed the hospital, leaving Charlie with Coop. The three felt bad about ditching the two older men, but each knew it was the right thing to do.
Before they left the hospital, Tommy made a phone call to his private pilot and had him file a flight plan for London. Having their own plane and pilot made spontaneous international travel much easier.