“Long Island,” he said quietly, knowing he was right. “In fact, we’re in Montauk.”
15
The Pentagon
In the main lobby, a score of dark-suited security men with M5s drawn rushed to surround the lone man standing on the reception desk.
“It’s Montross,” one said into his collar receiver as he aimed his weapon. The others encircled the desk as the administrative people were ushered out of the way. Holstering his weapon, confident the others would shred Montross if he made one wrong move, the agent stepped closer, still talking to the woman on the other end of the line.
“Yes, we have him.”
Then he paused as the man on the desk — disheveled, exhausted and clearly confused about his options after somehow breaking confinement — smiled.
Not only smiled — but flickered, as if his presence wasn’t really as solid as it was made out to be.
“What is it?” came the superior’s voice.
“I…”
And just like that, Montross was gone, as if he were never there, and all the agents were left scratching their heads and looking around in confusion.
“Damn it,” came the voice in his ear. “He tricked you. Get outside, search the perimeter!”
Two blocks away, slipping into a crowd as he adjusted his Redskins cap and pulled up the hood on the sweatshirt Nina had supplied for him, Xavier Montross followed the limber woman, his former lover and partner, toward a waiting car.
“Perimeter slipped,” she announced over her shoulder as he caught up.
“Not out of it yet.” He risked a glance backwards and saw the agents rushing out of the building, scanning the crowds and looking for him. It was a nifty little trick he had learned years ago, and one that had gotten him out of several jams in the past, even if he hadn’t been entirely sure how he managed to be in two places at once, for a short time.
“Don’t worry, your distraction was perfect. Pulled the perimeter guards away so we could mosey on past, and then bought us time to get out of their range.”
“Their cameras will have spotted us, and it’s just a matter of time…”
“Time they don’t have,” Nina countered as they slid into the back seat, closed the door and she rapped on the back of the driver’s headrest. “Move.”
“Who’s this?” Montross asked, meeting the driver’s eyes in the mirror.
Nina smiled. “Uber.”
“You’re kidding me?”
“Maybe, maybe not. He’s only taking us about two minutes down the road, where we’ve got some other friends waiting.”
“Then I’ll just behave and keep quiet until then.” Montross crossed his arms and sat back.
“And lose the hat,” Nina whispered. She wriggled out of her sweatshirt, took his cap and added it to a bag with her sweatshirt. As she went with a new white wool hat to match her spandex jogging shirt, she said, “Go with the hoodie.”
Two minutes later, the driver was gone and they were waiting under a bridge for the incoming ride.
Montross fidgeted under his hood. “Another Uber?”
Nina shook her head as she put away her phone.
“You gave that guy five stars? He was kind of dull. And didn’t offer us any snacks.”
“You’re right,” she said. “Maybe I’ll correct my rating when I get a chance and we’re out of the proverbial woods of shit here.”
“I’m still worried about them tracking us.”
“Don’t,” she said. “We’ve been covered well enough up to now.”
The car — a Kia SUV — approached, and Montross could make out a few figures inside, but the dull sunlight glaring off the windshield made it so he couldn’t see the driver’s face. “I’m more worried about non-terrestrial means of detections. And I’m not talking about satellites.”
Nina grinned at him as the vehicle slowed. The back door opened and when Montross saw who was inside, she interrupted his greeting. “See, I’ve got it covered.”
Behind Alexander — who was grinning ear to ear at seeing his uncle, Aria leaned around him, waving.
“Hello shield,” Montross said as he leaned in to hug his nephew. “And Sir Jacob, they let you drive?”
Nina’s son turned around, glaring. “Just get in, or wait for the next cab.”
They got inside, Montross in the back, and Nina in the front. He didn’t fail to notice the look of admiration Nina passed to Jacob.
“So, all together again, and on the run!” Montross let out a sigh as they moved forward. “What’s the plan now that you’ve all sprung your criminal uncle mastermind? What…”
Just then the car jerked to a stop as a bike rider swerved in front of them.
Nina went for her gun, keeping her eye on the wiry young man who adjusted his helmet as he got off his bike — and retrieved a thin envelope from a basket.
Out of breath, he knocked on the side window.
Keeping the gun out of sight, Nina rested her finger on the window release as she made eye contact with Montross, who could only shake his head. “Sensing nothing dangerous. At least to myself at this point.” He glanced outside the car, watching the biker and passing cars with concern, just as Alexander, in the middle seat, tried to get comfortable pressed so tight against Aria.
“Delivery for Nina Osseni,” said the man.
The window rolled down as the gun’s barrel aimed upward, ready but just out of sight. “That’s me. How did you know I’d be here?”
The man shook his head and looked at his watch. “I’m just the courier, I go where the client tells me. And this lady, she said you’d be here at…well, right now.”
Nina nodded, slightly lowering her guard as she took the envelope. “Well, thanks for being so prompt.”
“All in a day’s work!” The courier beamed from behind dark glasses, then spun around and rode off.
“What’s it say?” Alexander asked, nudging forward. “It has to be from Phoebe. Maybe she…”
“Hang on kid,” Montross took it from Nina, tore it open efficiently and read the scrawled note inside.
“Victoria?” he said. “Who’s that?”
“One of the recruits,” Alexander answered. “They missed her in the sweep since she didn’t pass our tests and was on her way out of the building.” He leaned back as Aria craned her neck.
“What’s it say?”
Montross motioned to Jacob. “Should we move while I read?”
Jacob stepped on the gas, eased out into traffic and back into the open.
Montross scanned the note. “It says…well it says that your failed recruit is actually pretty damn good and probably should not have been let go.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, well apart from the fact that she knew precisely where we’d be and when to deliver this note, she says Phoebe reached her and put her in charge of locating some other recruits who showed promise but were under the radar of our enemies. Blah blah blah, she’s hiding out, was told not to use phones, credit cards, et cetera.”
“What else?” Nina asked from the front, a little exasperated. “Need to know our next move, and I was really hoping Phoebe would have her act together. Didn’t expect her to send in the JV team.”
“Phoebe’s…indisposed is what I gather,” Montross said, waving the note. “Now if you’ll kindly let me finish reading?”
Nina waved her hand for him to proceed.
“They’ve been busy RVing the heck out of things, trying to focus on what Phoebe asked of them, and…okay here we go. Caleb they believe is at some place called Pine Gap, in—”