The Delta Chain (30 page)

‘Given the damage this
leak could cause to the Institute
’
s
reputation,
’
Wal Hester added,
‘
I
’
d say Westmeyer
will be only too pleased to have the local detective right on
side.
’

‘While
you
’
re working that case from
within,
’
O
’
Malley directed this specifically to Adam,
‘
you
’
re perfectly
placed to seek out links between Westmeyer and the drownings,
without arousing suspicion.
’

‘Regarding your anonymous
caller,
’
Hester added,
‘
Megan
’
s on to that.
We know that last week Westmeyer hosted a meeting with potential
investors. One of them, a banker by the name of Meredith Seals,
spent extra time in Northern Rocks and was seen boarding
Westmeyer
’
s private boat.
’

‘She
could
’
ve overheard
Westmeyer
’
s conversation-
’

‘We plan to confront her
as being the anonymous caller, and ask her to identify, from tapes
of the mayor, if his voice is the other one she heard.
’

Driving back, Adam called ahead
to check on messages.

An urgent message to phone
Harold Letterfield puzzled him. Adam attempted the call but he was
picking up too much interference; he
’
d
have to wait until he was back at the station, to make the call
from the landline.

Instinctively, he suspected it
had something to do with Kate.

Daniel staggered from the water,
exhausted. He sank to his knees and then lay on his belly,
oblivious to the man and boy who sat with fishing lines cast.

‘What
’
s wrong with that boy?
’
Joey
wondered aloud, his eyes wide with sudden interest.
‘
Was he drowning?
’

‘I don
’
t think so, but something
’
s
wrong.
’
Costas put his rod aside, leaving
the line trailing in the water, and moved quickly to where the boy
lay panting. Joey followed.

‘You okay, son?
’
Costas knelt beside the boy. Daniel tried to
answer but words wouldn
’
t come. He gasped
for breath..

‘Okay, now, take it
easy.
’
Costas
’
hand rested on the boy
’
s
shoulder.
‘
Try and slow your breathing,
and take in long, deep, slow breaths. After I count to three,
okay?...One...two...three. Breathe in. And now, slowly, breathe
out. That's the way. Now, again...'

Joey
’
s eyes never left the boy.

‘You
’
re quite safe, young man, so try and relax.
’
Costas looked from the boy to the river. It
occurred to him the boy had swum
–
not
from the other side of the river
–
he and
Joey would
’
ve noticed that, but instead
from much further upstream.
‘
I
’
m Costas, and this is Joey.
What
’
s your name?
’

‘…
Daniel.’

‘Okay, Daniel, do you
think you can get over to this tree just behind us?
You
’
ll feel better if you can sit up
against the side of the trunk.
’
Daniel
inched across the grass and propped himself against the
tree.

‘Please
don
’
t…hand me over.
’

‘To who?
’
piped in Joey.
‘
The
police?
’

‘No…
’
Daniel
’
s breath was returning
fast and he tried to push himself to his feet.
‘
Got to go…
’

Costas gently manoeuvred
him back.
‘
Not so fast, you need a little
time to regain your strength.
’

‘The Keepers are right
behind me, Mr. Costas. I can
’
t go back to
The Com.
’

Keepers? Com?

‘Okay,
I
’
ll tell you what. My car is just over
the slope. Why don
’
t you come with us,
back to Joey
’
s place. A nice hot
breakfast and a warm shower
’
s what you
need, and you
’
ll be quite safe with us.
Won
’
t he, Joey?
’

‘Sure you will,
’
Joey said to Daniel.

Daniel
didn
’
t reply. He stared at Costas and
Joey. Could he trust this man and boy? His eyes locked with those
of Joey.
‘
We
’
ll
make sure you
’
re okay, Daniel. These
Keepers don
’
t know where I
live.
’

Costas helped Daniel to
his feet, noting at the same time Joey had become vital and caring,
a different boy from the one who
’
d sat
silent and pouting just minutes before.
‘
Come on,
’
Costas said to
Daniel,
‘
let
’
s
see if you can stay on those feet and walk with us to the
car.’

It was a warm, cloudless
day in Bethesda, Maryland, but Michael Renshaw braced himself for
an inner storm as he entered his boss
’
office in the old brownstone building.

‘Perhaps I
should
’
ve seen all along it would come to
this,
’
Logan Asquith said to his
aide,
‘
but Westmeyer persuaded me
he
’
d learned a valuable lesson from the
last incident.
’

It was rare for Renshaw to see
his boss question his own abilities. In fact, Renshaw had never
seen it before. The Logan Asquith that Renshaw knew was decisive,
arrogant and supremely confident. Never self questioning.

He knew it
wouldn
’
t last.

The storm was coming.

‘No doubt the situation
can be contained, sir…
’

‘It
’
s worse than that.
’
Asquith waved
Renshaw to the chair that was at right angles to his desk.
‘
If there
’
s a saboteur
inside the Institute leaking sensitive information, even if
it
’
s just a prank, then
it
’
s
still
going to attract attention.
Damn it, Michael, one of the reasons we selected Northern Goddamn
Rocks was because it was so out of the way, uninteresting, the last
place anyone would go looking…
’
Asquith
picked up the report Renshaw had delivered just moments
before.
‘…coupled with this other business, the death of the
wildlife ranger
and
all these damn drownings coming to light…there
was a time Erickson and Collosimo could be relied on in situations
like this…instead, we
’
re heading for
disaster. Another Florida.
’

It wasn
’
t often Renshaw offered a personal opinion
–
his role was to compile and report the
facts
–
but given
Asquith
’
s outburst, Renshaw was tempted
to speak.
‘
I
’
ve
always thought Westmeyer a lightweight, and a self-opinionated one
at that…a dangerous combination. Wants the power but
doesn
’
t know how to wield it…
’

‘This is the team he
wanted. But they haven
’
t kept the tight
lid that was promised.
’
The Florida
incident still made Asquith wince. They
’
d
had to pull out when the Institute was into the final phase of the
project.

In less than four months a
battery of haulage trucks had removed the twenty million dollars
worth of computer hardware and shipped it on containers across the
Pacific. The data on hard drive had been backed up to the Nexus
mainframe in Bethesda. The Institute building near Everglades City
had been placed on the market; the deserted food processing plant
across the ocean in Northern Rocks had been purchased and
transformed by an array of designers and building contractors.

The scientific community and the
commercial business world were informed that due to long term
financial considerations, the Westmeyer Research Institute was
relocating

Asquith was furious the whole
thing was happening again.

Under any other
circumstances Asquith would have closed down the project
–
but they had come too far to stop it now. The
Institute
’
s latest reports had created
great excitement among the executives who called themselves the
Nexus Unit. There was no other choice than to spend the millions on
another complete “relocation”.

‘Get the Board together
for an emergency meeting,
’
Asquith
said.

Westmeyer put the phone down,
barely able to believe the run of bad luck.

It was many months since
he
’
d last spoken with Joseph Vender and
that was the way Westmeyer preferred it.

At other times it amused
him how Vender now referred to himself as the First Keeper, but on
this occasion it simply irritated the hell out of him. If anything,
it served as a very real reminder of Vender
’
s delusional mind.

Donnelly and Collosimo
walked in.
‘
I
’
ve just had Vender on the line,
’
Westmeyer said,
‘
he
’
s emailing a picture of a
young man who
’
s turned up in Northern
Rocks. Vender
’
s people are already out
there searching for him, and he asked if we can help.
’

‘Vender?
’
Donnelly spoke the name as though it were a
brand of poison.
‘
You
don
’
t mean-
’

‘Yes. The boy escaped. We
think he must
’
ve seen the news reports
with the picture of the unidentified drowner…
’

‘If
Vender
’
s men are already out
there,
’
Collosimo said,
‘
then what can we do?
’

‘Vender
doesn
’
t want the boy back. Says
he
’
s too much trouble. He wants us to
bring the boy here and take care of the problem.
’

Donnelly and Collosimo
exchanged glances. Collosimo didn
’
t miss
the smug look in Donnelly
’
s
eyes.

Adam placed the call as soon as
he arrived back. He listened as Letterfield explained that Kate had
returned to the Territory and was known to have gone into the
wilderness with Walter. At this point, they were not contacting the
grieving Kovacs family until they knew more.

Letterfield wanted to know if
Adam had any idea what Kate and Walter were up to.

‘No, I thought Kate was
still in Sydney. But I guess it
’
s obvious
she and Walter are looking for those hunters.
’

‘I was rather hoping you
could
’
ve told me something
different,
’
Letterfield said.

‘It
shouldn
’
t take me too long to charter a
flight and-
’

‘There
’
s nothing you can do here, Detective, that
isn
’
t already being done.
We
’
ve located their four-wheel drive and
search parties are on the way. Just stay near a phone and
I
’
ll keep you posted.
’

Daniel gulped down the
breakfast Barbara Cail had prepared. Barbara
didn
’
t want Costas and Joey standing
about, staring at the boy, so she gave them chores to do; Joey was
asked to toast more bread and make hot chocolate; Costas was given
some dishes to wash.

His mouth full, Daniel
said:
‘
Thanks…for helping me.
’

‘You
’
re more than welcome,
’
Barbara
said with a motherly smile.

Once the boy was well fed,
Costas sat with him at the kitchen table. Joey served the toast and
hot chocolate, and lingered.

‘Now
let
’
s see if we can find out something
about you,
’
Costas said.
‘
Where exactly are you from?
’

‘The Com, I
suppose.
’

‘Ah yes, this…Com. What is
that?
’

‘It
’
s…home. It
’
s where
I
’
ve always lived.
’

‘And where is The
Com?
’

‘It
’
s over the border, in New South Wales. In
God
’
s country.
’

Costas frowned.
God
’
s country
. It seemed an odd
phrase for the boy to use.