Authors: Cate Noble
Sedona, Arizona
September 24
Max decided that using Erin’s cell phone was less risky than being out in the open, using a pay phone. It was also faster. He needed answers now.
Besides if the Agency did have a tracking device on one of their belongings, they’d know where he and Erin were, at least until they dumped everything.
He dialed Dante’s number then put the call on speakerphone so Erin could hear.
Dante answered immediately. “Erin?”
“It’s Max. And I’m going to keep this brief.”
“Listen, buddy, I understand your concern but we need to talk. There have been developments here.”
“Like the accident involving the tan SUV?”
“What accident?” Dante’s voice went from confused to concerned. “Jesus, are you, is Erin, okay?”
Max nodded at Erin, who spoke up. “I’m fine, Dante. So is Max.”
“Good. Is one of you going to explain about this tan SUV?” Dante asked.
“In a minute,” Max said. “First tell me if you’ve had any word on Taz.”
“None pertaining to his whereabouts, but the developments I mentioned involve him. His fingerprints were found in your hospital room, Max. And his DNA on Dr. Winchette’s body. He evaded the security cameras, but his prints were also on a lab cart outside the room. It’s now believed Taz came to your room after you’d left and surprised Dr. Winchette—or vice versa.”
“Damn.” If Max had just stayed at the hospital, would that have been averted?
“Look, Max, come on back. Or let me meet you. I’ll come alone. You call the shots.”
“No offense, but I’m not sure who to trust right now. The tan SUV picked up our trail and the driver was armed. I’ve lost him—temporarily—but I want to know why the Agency’s gunning for me. Especially if I’m no longer a suspect in Winchette’s death?”
Dante swore. “It’s not us, Max. And I might know how to prove it. After I escaped, I learned I had a tracking beacon implanted in my arm. Cat had one, too.”
“Catalina! She was held there?”
“No, but she had her own run-in with Viktor Zadovsky.”
“After the Belarus job?”
“Yes. It’s a long story, Max, but Cat and I are—we’re getting married. We have a son. If she hasn’t already, Erin can fill in a few details, but even she doesn’t know everything.”
Max’s head began to pound. “It’ll have to keep till later. Get back to the tracking beacon.”
“If you have one implanted, you can be tracked by a handheld device. Zadovsky used one to find me, but it’s in pieces in a lab or I would have suggested we use it to find Taz.”
“But Zadovsky’s dead.”
“And whoever inherited his work likely has a tracking device, too. You and Taz are both at risk,” Dante said.
“How do I figure out if I’ve got one of these beacons?”
“Get Erin to check the underside of your upper arm.”
“What would I look for?” Erin asked.
“A small round scar. Large-gauge needle. His might be somewhere else. Thigh. Buttock. The beacon will be hidden in muscle. It’s a blue, rice-sized transmitter. You need to find it, pull it out so they can’t track you,” Dante said.
Erin was already inspecting Max’s arms. “Got it. Small round puncture scar. How do I remove it?”
“You will need a scalpel and forceps. In your case a pocketknife and tweezers will probably be as much as you can get ahold of. You might have to dig for it, and it will hurt like hell, but he’s had worse. Right, Max?”
“If what you’re saying is true—then whoever is tracking me might have already found Taz,” Max said.
“It also means they might know where Harry is.”
Max’s head felt ready to explode, a warning to stop or pay a higher price. “Erin and I will check for this beacon. If I find it, I’ll call you back.”
“One last thing, Max. Cat told me what you did in London. I owe you, big time. Remember that as you weigh who you can trust. I’m here for you.”
Max disconnected the call and looked at Erin. “Feel up to performing a little exploratory surgery?”
“I shouldn’t, but at this point the ‘shouldn’ts’ don’t matter. And I can only imagine how it must feel to know that
thing
is inside you. If it were me, I’d want it out fast.”
“I don’t want to endanger you further. Whoever drove that SUV could be back on the road already, closing in again. And in case you didn’t notice, he’s armed. I’m not.”
“His car didn’t look in good enough shape to drive. That’s going to buy a little time, Max. Let’s see if what Dante said is true. If we can get that tracker out and destroy it, they can’t follow us.” Erin met his gaze squarely. “You’ll also know you can trust Dante. We can’t keep running like this forever.”
Max slowed. “There’s a small town about five miles east of here. We’ll find a drugstore and get what we need to do my arm and to patch up your feet.”
An hour later, Max pulled into a public boat ramp.
They were about twenty miles outside of Sedona. The place was deserted except for a few parked cars with empty boat trailers attached.
“You sure seem to know your way around here,” Erin said.
“My father lived nearby.” He pointed to a path in the woods. “There are restrooms just over that rise.”
“Let’s go. I’ve got what we need.” Erin held up the bag of stuff he’d purchased at the drugstore.
While he’d driven here, she’d bandaged her feet and slipped on the pair of flip-flops he’d bought. They’d be hell to run in, but better than bare feet.
“No, we’ll do it right here,” Max said. “Once we get the tracker out, I want to plant it. See if someone comes looking for us.” The SUV driver had had enough time to secure another car.
“I thought the point was to get away?”
“The point is to find Taz. If I’ve got a tracking beacon, so does Taz. And if they haven’t found him yet, then I want to get that device they’re using to hunt us.”
“You plan to track Taz with it?”
“Whatever works. I’m focused on the end result—and I’m running out of options.” He pulled his shirt off and braced his right arm where she could access it.
Erin opened the small pocket knife and tweezers he’d purchased and poured alcohol over them.
“This will hurt,” she warned.
“As Dante said, I’ve endured worse.” He caught her gaze. “Thank you for your concern.”
He felt her swab his skin—smelled the alcohol. The memories…
“The scars on your chest. Is that what you meant by ‘endured worse’?”
Max gritted his teeth as she sliced quickly into his arm, straight in, no hesitation. “I believe so.”
When she inserted the tweezers, the headache fled on the edge of pain. A memory sprang forth.
“Taz and I discovered that physical pain, from an injury, overrode the mental anguish from the programming.”
“Hold on. Sorry!” She winced as she probed inside the incision. “The good news is, the bleeding is subsiding.”
“It’s healing. That’s another thing we discovered. We healed fast. We could hurt ourselves, or each other, in order to plan, talk.”
“Got it! I think.” Erin withdrew the tweezers and dropped a small bloody bead on a piece of gauze.
Max studied it while she bandaged his arm. The piece glowed like neon blue. “I know I’ve been gone awhile, but damn, the changes in technology are amazing.” He cleaned the knife and closed it.
Erin looked at the beacon. “You think it still works?”
“We’ll find out. Come on.”
They climbed out of the car. Max hurried around to her side and swept her up in his arms.
“I can walk, Max.”
“This is faster and I know your feet are still sore.” And he liked the feel of her in his arms.
He followed the path between the trees, and then looked around, to get his bearings.
“Did you come here often?” she asked.
“My old man used to come here with one of his girlfriends. Maggie hated me and would encourage my father to leave me here to play while they went out on his boat to get drunk and screw.”
“Was it good they left you behind?”
“Ultimately, yes. More than once they forgot me, which is how I ultimately came to live with Stony. My uncle went to my dad’s one morning to pick me up and Maggie said, ‘Oh, shit, we forgot him again.’”
“How old were you?”
“Eight or nine. And before you say how wrong it was, know that I was thrilled, not having to be around Dad and Maggie when they fought and drank. I was glad they left me behind.”
There was a picnic table near the restroom. Max set Erin down long enough to plant the beacon inside the restroom. Then he scooped her back into his arms and reentered the woods on the other side.
“There’s a spot up here where you can see the road. I used to throw rocks at cars coming in.” At her look, he laughed. “You were obviously better supervised as a kid. We can sit here and see who pulls in.”
“What if no one comes?”
“I’ll hide the tracker here. I can come back for it, but I don’t want it on us.” He looked at the sky. “We’ve only got a few hours of daylight left. Park closes at sundown—so we’ll need to be out by then or they’ll tow the car.”
That was another problem. Whoever followed them knew what they were driving. He’d need to get different wheels eventually. But for now…
“While we’re sitting here, tell me what you know about Dante and Cat,” Max said.
Trying to recall anything about Catalina was particularly painful. He also sensed a heaviness in his chest when he tried. Loss? Had he and Cat been involved?
“Dante felt certain Catalina Dion was somehow responsible for his—your—capture overseas,” Erin said. “But my files indicated that she’d died while Dante was imprisoned. I don’t know the specifics, but ultimately he found her, hiding from the same people pursuing him. She’d borne his son, and was protecting their child.”
“They’d been lovers?” Max frowned.
“Obviously. Not ringing any bells?”
Gigantic, loud warning bells. “Nothing clear. What did Dante mean about London?”
“I have no idea, Max, but—” Erin grew quiet. “I hear a car.”
Max watched as a car came into sight. It was the tan SUV. The crumpled fender had been crow-barred out away from the tire. He knew they were hidden, but still they crouched. “He doesn’t look much worse for the wear.”
The SUV had slowed, but went past. Then the brake lights came on. The driver did a three-point turn and headed back.
“Stay here. Please,” he added.
“I can help.”
“If I have to worry about you, it’ll be a hindrance. I’ll be back before you know it.”
He slipped away, making his way through the trees, avoiding the picnic area and path.
As Max watched, the SUV circled the Taurus before pulling beyond it. The driver looked around, taking in the other cars. Then he seemed to notice the restroom sign. Parking, he climbed out.
Max got a better look at the man’s face. Though he didn’t recognize him, the man had obviously been military. He still had the walk.
The man carried a small device. Was that the tracker? When the man spotted the restroom he hurried up to the side and pressed against the wall. Pulling out his gun, the man inched toward the ladies’ room door.
The bastard figured if Erin was inside, he’d get her first.
Without sound, Max circled and eased up to toward the building from the opposite side.
A hinge creaked as the man opened the ladies’ room door.
Max rushed up behind him, shoving him inside. The man fell and tried to roll away. Max went with him. Keeping a tight grip on the man’s wrist, he slammed it against the concrete floor repeatedly.
The man grunted in pain as bones shattered. The gun slipped out of his grip. Max dived and picked up the gun, fighting the urge to shoot the man.
“Stay down,” Max ordered. “And keep your hands out.”
The man grimaced, as he moved his broken wrist.
Max pointed the muzzle at the man’s groin. “If you know anything about me, you know I start there—then move to the knee caps.” The man’s face lost color. “Who do you work for?” Max pressed.
The man didn’t remain quiet long. “Abe Caldwell.”
The name meant nothing to Max. “What does he want with me?”
“I don’t know. I just follow orders.”
Max raised the gun sights.
“I swear! I was sent here to help that other doctor, Winchette, find the first guy who escaped. Then you took off, too.”
“Did you find the other guy?” Max reached for the blue beacon he’d put over the door frame. “I know about these.”
“I haven’t been able to pick up a signal on him. The implants don’t always work right. I had you in southern Arizona but lost you in a rainstorm. Then you popped up a day later in Sedona.”
“Hand over the tracking device,” Max said.
“It’s in my pocket.”
“I suggest you pull it out really slow. Then slide it over here.”
The man complied, shoving the unit toward Max. The tracker resembled a Palm Pilot.
“How does it work?” Max asked.
“Hit the button. It’s in hibernate mode. The beacon either shows up on the map or it doesn’t. You basically zoom the map in and out.”
“Now get up. And don’t try anything stupid,” Max said.
He directed the man back to the parking lot. It was still deserted, so Max kept the gun in view.
“Go to the Taurus.”
The man looked puzzled when Max tossed him the Taurus keys. “Open the trunk.”
Sweating profusely, the man tried to negotiate. “Hey, man, I’m cooperating fully.”
“Yes, and for that you get to live. Empty your pockets—everything on the ground. Then climb in.”
It was a tight fit, and not easy to maneuver given his broken wrist. Max slammed the lid shut after dropping the beacon down a narrow crack near the tire well.
He gathered up the man’s wallet.
Allen Peterman
, the license read. He snatched the car keys but kicked the cell phone under the Taurus.
“Max!”
Erin came limping into view. She looked at the trunk. “Is he—?”
“Alive? Yes. Come on. I’ll get our stuff out of the backseat. We’re taking his car.”
“You can’t leave him like that,” Erin insisted.
“I’ll call Dante later and tell him where to find this guy. Right now I just want to get away from here.”
Max did a quick search of the SUV and found another gun in the glove box. He turned on the tracking device and watched as the GPS-style map overlay showed the highway and a blinking red dot—the Taurus.