Authors: Iris Johansen
“You were going to check on those Colby prison visitor contact files from—”
“I can do that here.” She glanced at Sam. “He might even be a help with that.”
“I’m flattered you think so,” Sam said sarcastically.
“Or he might not. Anyway, I’ll have plenty of time to work on it. In between making sure that Sam doesn’t do anything foolish that will get him killed.”
“I beg your pardon?” Sam said.
“He’s pretty safe here, Beth,” Kendra said.
“As long as he stays here. I can see him being impulsive and running out to get a cable or hard drive or whatever.”
Kendra could see that, too. “Yes.”
“If I’m here, I’ll go for him. I won’t let him do stuff like that.”
“Let?” Sam repeated.
“Let.” She turned back to him. “Stop being an ass. Kendra would feel terrible if anything happened to you. I have to make sure it doesn’t.”
“I’ve taken care of myself for a number of years, Beth.”
“And you can take care of yourself for the rest of your life after we get rid of Colby. Until then, you belong to me.”
“Really?”
“Don’t smirk. This isn’t about you, it’s about Kendra and the fact that I pay my debts. I owe one to you, and though I’m not sure you deserve—” She stopped. “That’s not true. You deserve everything I can do for you. I don’t care whether you helped me because it was a challenge, it was
my
life. And you helped give it back to me. So shut up. It’s going to happen.”
Sam blinked. “I believe it is.”
Beth turned back to Kendra. “Don’t take chances. Don’t worry about us. I’ll be in touch every day, and I’ll make sure that he works until we get what you need.”
Kendra hesitated. Beth’s decision had come out of left field, and she wasn’t sure that she liked the idea of having her out of sight. Yet what else could she do? Beth was a grown woman and would do what she wanted to do. Give in gracefully. “Thank you. I’m sure you will.” She hugged her and turned to Sam. “And you take care of her, too, Sam.” She hugged him, and turned toward the door. “I’ll let you know what’s happening.”
“Do that,” Beth said absently, her gaze fixed on Sam. “’Bye, Kendra.”
Kendra paused at the front door, looking back at them. So different. Beautiful, intelligent Beth, who had been lost and was trying to find herself. Sam who was volatile, worldly, and lively and yet was discovering new things about himself because of the monster in their midst. How would they cope with each other in this forced proximity?
Not her problem. They would have to work it out for themselves. She had her own worries.
That monster in their midst was getting closer all the time.
* * *
BETH KEPT TO HER WORD. SHE CALLED
Kendra early the next afternoon. “Everything’s fine here … I guess.”
“You guess?”
“I haven’t seen Sam for more than a few minutes since you left. He’s been closeted in that office except for trips down the hall to the bathroom and to the kitchen to grab a sandwich. I think he slept on the couch in the office.” She added sarcastically, “Or maybe hovering from the rafters like a bat over those blasted computers.”
“Regretting your decision to stay?”
“No. The reasons are still the same. I’m just facing the reality of Sam Zackoff. As long as I’m here, I’ll know he’s safe. And I’ve had time to look over those prison-visitors records, and I’ve narrowed it down to five possible.”
“Five?”
“Evidently, Colby attracted a lot of computer geeks. I don’t know why. Maybe they’re so removed from reality that they can’t differentiate between monsters and geniuses.”
“No one can deny that Colby is clever. Do you want to send them to me? I’ll help you do searches on all of them.”
“Let me try to pare it down a little more. I’ll get back to you. I’m sure that you have other things to do.”
“I’ve been working with Griffin and visiting the families of those victims and trying to get firm confirmations on those trophies. We’ve got two so far.” She added wearily, “It’s very painful, both for us and for them. They never forget, but the sight of those belongings just brings their loss home again.”
“But it may help Colby to be caught if you can just get law enforcement to admit he’s alive and go after him.”
“That’s what I tell them, but when the pain is there, it’s difficult to think of anything else. Oh well, we’ve got to do what we think is right.”
“It
is
right.”
“I know. It just seems as if I’m spinning my wheels. I feel as if Colby is out there watching … and waiting.”
“Waiting? Waiting for what?”
“I don’t know. What he’s been waiting for since he managed to escape that prison. My death? Absolutely. But he’s not ready for that yet. He’s planning something. That’s why he sent me that message.”
“You’ve done everything you can to protect Sam. This house is like Fort Knox.” Beth added with forced lightness, “And you’ve got me to keep an eye on him. So maybe Colby is just hunkered down somewhere and gnawing his nails with frustration. I’ll enjoy imagining him doing that.”
“Me, too,” Kendra said. “But send me those names as quick as you can. Okay?”
“You know it.” She paused. “You won’t change your mind about coming here? Much safer, and I could use the company. I’m not getting any from Sam.”
“No. I can’t hide away. Colby has to see me moving and coming after him. He has to feel as if there’s a chance of getting at me when he’s ready.”
“I don’t like the way you’re thinking.”
“It’s the way he taught me to think. I told you he was waiting. If I hide away, he’ll only burrow down until I surface. Or start killing again to force me out.” She changed the subject. “But it’s making me feel much better to know you and Sam are safe. Stay that way. Keep in touch.” She hung up.
Were they safe? Kendra wondered. Lord, she hoped they were. She had done everything she could think to do.
Now, like Colby, she had to wait, and see if that was enough.
* * *
“WOW, SAM. I’M DAZZLED. I DON’T
know if it will work, but it looks as impressive as hell.”
Beth was staring at the array of monitors Sam had set up in Lynch’s study, tied to a pair of laptops and a stack of black boxes. “I’ve been wondering what you were doing in here for the past day.”
“Setting up. Making adjustments. Trying to find any computer out there that’s specifically trying to connect with the software that Colby planted in Kendra’s computer. If it just happens once, only once, it can lead us back to Colby. I’ve been busy.”
“And shutting me out.”
“Nothing personal. I’m just accustomed to working alone.” He glanced soberly at her. “But I appreciated the fact that you were here.”
“At your beck and call?”
“Why not?” He grinned. “Hey, what guy wouldn’t want to have a gorgeous woman to meet his every need? You shouldn’t complain. You’re the one who set it up.”
“Not every need,” she said dryly.
“Now you’re spoiling it. I was having fantasies of—”
“And those fantasies would last only as long as that agile brain of yours wasn’t occupied with those computers.” She looked around the office. “So tell me about your first and probably only real love.”
“Pretty special, huh.” Sam smiled proudly as he stepped back from his creation. “Yeah. If Colby makes contact again, I want to be ready.”
She looked at the large monitors. “When did you bring all this stuff in?”
“I didn’t, actually. I just brought in the laptops. I had them delivered and left on the doorstep.”
“That was what was in all those boxes?”
“Yeah, the rest was in the office closet. This guy Lynch must be a real techie.”
“You just helped yourself to his gear?”
“Sure, why not? Kendra told us to make ourselves at home.”
“Yes, she did,” Beth said warily. “And you certainly took her at her word.”
“Anyway, I’ll feel a lot safer in this place than I did the last time I reached out to Eric Colby.” Sam looked at the windows. “Check these out. Glass-clad polycarbonate, almost an inch thick.”
“Bulletproof?”
“And even bombproof, up to a point. I’ve done consulting work with foreign embassies that weren’t as secure as this place.”
“Who
needs
a house as secure as this?” Beth said.
“Someone who has really pissed off a lot of people.” Sam smiled. “My kind of guy. I hope I get a chance to meet him sometime.”
“When you do, you can explain to him why you appropriated about twenty thousand dollars’ worth of his gear.”
“All for the noblest of purposes.” Sam sat down at the large mahogany desk. “If it gets us one step closer to finding this monster, who would possibly object?”
“And how close are you?”
“I’m not certain. I’ve spent a lot of time setting up these network-traffic-analysis rigs. I think I’m ready to find out.”
“You are?”
“Yep, that’s why I invited you in for the show.” He met her eyes, suddenly grave. “I have to work alone, but that doesn’t mean I like it. I want you to know that … I’ve liked having you here. But this is the only part I can share. It’s all I can give you. If you want to accept it.”
“You sound like someone from
Mission Impossible
.” She smiled. “It is what it is. Of course I’ll accept it. That’s why I’m here.”
“Good.” His hand went to the power switch on Kendra’s computer. “Ready to give this a shot?”
Beth leaned forward and pushed his finger into the power button. “Oh, yes. Let’s get this asshole.”
The indicator lights on Kendra’s laptop came to life. Sam punched a button on the HDMI switcher, and the image from the laptop suddenly appeared on one of Lynch’s large-screen monitors.
Beth turned back to Sam. “How long will it take?”
“Depends on Colby. Last time, he made contact immediately. It leads me to believe that he has a computer on and waiting for this machine to come online. At least he did then. If that’s still true, it can only help us. It’s hard to scan the Web like that without leaving some kind of footprint. This time, I’m looking for any sign that his computer is out there looking for us.”
“And once it has found us?”
“I’ll immediately start tracing the data packets. And if we hit a relay center, I’m ready to start analyzing data traffic patterns from the other side to figure out where it’s coming from. He may be smart enough to route himself through several relay centers, but I’m smarter.”
Beth nodded. “Not that I doubt you … But doesn’t the government have entire buildings full of people who do this sort of thing?”
Sam checked one of the monitors. “Yes. And they hire me whenever they fall on their asses.”
“Good Lord, what arrogance.”
“No, I’m merely supremely sure of myself.”
Beth laughed. “And unapologetically.”
“Why apologize? For being aware that I’m the best at what I do?”
“You’re the only person I’ve ever met who can swagger while sitting down.”
“Another one of my many talents.”
She glanced over at him: “So tell me … Who do they call when you fall on
your
ass?”
“Hmm. Can’t say, because it’s never happened. I guess they would just call a priest since the situation would clearly be hopeless.”
“Clearly.”
Sam suddenly leaned forward. “We’ve made contact.”
Beth tensed. “Can he see and hear us?”
“Not unless we want him to. I’ve muted the laptop’s microphone and camera. Of course, he may not even be there. Just because his computer is on, that doesn’t mean that he—”
“Greetings, Sam.” That mocking whisper again.
“That’s him,” Sam said.
“I assume it
is
you, Sam. You’re being very rude, not allowing me to see and hear you.”
Sam pushed a keyboard combination that opened the microphone. “Of course you can hear me.”
“Ah. Good. I trust you gave Kendra my message?”
“I did.”
“Fine. Then your part of this is done. I have no further use for you. I must speak to Kendra directly.”
“What makes you think she wants to speak to
you
?”
“Is she there?”
“No.”
“Too bad. You’re wasting time. The clock has started.”
“The clock on what?”
The screen flickered, and, suddenly, an image appeared.
Beth leaned close to get a better look. Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God.”
* * *
KENDRA’S PHONE RANG, AND SHE
barely had time to punch the
TALK
button when she heard Beth on the line, her voice shaking.
“Kendra, open your e-mail now, you hear me? Now! Sam just sent you a link.”
“A link? Beth, what’s happening?”
“Just do it. Hurry!”
Kendra had already grabbed her tablet computer and opened her e-mail. Three button presses later, she was staring at what appeared to be a live video feed that chilled her to the core.
Detective Martin Stokes, bruised and bloody, tied to a table. His eyes were wide with fear as he looked at something beyond the range of the camera.
And she had a terrible feeling she knew who he was looking at.
“Kendra, do you see it?”
She couldn’t take her eyes from the screen. “Yes.”
Sam’s voice suddenly cut in. “Kendra, I’m forwarding this to you through my server. I’ve also sent viewing links to Michael Griffin at the FBI and the San Diego Superintendent of Police. Colby is refusing to talk to anybody but you.”
“Can … he hear me?”
“I’m going to try and enable two-way communication in three … two … one … now!”
She spoke into her tablet. “Colby … It’s me. It’s Kendra Michaels. I’m the one you want, not him.”
Silence. Only Stokes’s labored breathing.
Sam had rigged this on the fly, so it was entirely possible that his attempt to provide a two-way communication link was going to be a—
“Hello, Kendra. What a delight it is to be here with you again.”
She went still. It was the first time she’d heard Colby’s voice since that terrifying morning at San Quentin.
She had hoped never to hear that voice again.
The picture on her screen hadn’t changed. Stokes was shirtless and bleeding, tied to what appeared to be an embalming table. “Colby, this is about you and me. You have my attention now. That man has nothing to do with this. He’s a cop. He didn’t even believe you were still alive.”