'Believe it or not, Las Vegas is the number one busiest airport for the Thanksgiving weekend.' Nick interrupted her thoughts, glancing over at her computer screen.
'Why doesn't that surprise me?'
'It'd be a pretty big impact.'
She considered it then shook her head.
'I don't think he chose Vegas.'
'Gut instinct?' Nick asked.
'Think about how you prefaced it with 'believe it or not.' It might be a reality, but not everyone would relate to choosing a gambling casino over Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. He's hoping the impact here is the idea that it could happen to anyone.'
Nick pointed the remote at the TV and muted Ralphie right before he got a mouthful of Lava soap.
'What about another Midwest hit? Could he be looking for someplace close? Milwaukee's about a five-or six- hour drive. Detroit's a bit farther. Maybe ten hours.'
'Too difficult a drive in that snowstorm. My guess, he was at the airport and gone before they were putting the wounded in ambulances.'
'There were flight delays because of the snow,' Nick said. 'Ceimo mentioned the state fire inspector was stuck in Chicago and Yarden's supervisor was trying to get back from New Jersey.'
'How much in advance was this storm predicted?'
Nick furrowed his brow, giving it serious thought.
'They were talking about it early in the week,' Nick told her. 'I only remember because I promised Christine I'd go with her to buy a Christmas tree on Friday. I was hoping the storm would make her cancel.' He shrugged. 'It's a good day for college football.'
She nodded and smiled, remembering her own plans for Friday. Was that only yesterday?
'Anyway, the storm ended up missing Omaha. Do you think he factored in the snowstorm?'
Her turn to shrug.
'I'm looking at a logical process of elimination. How many of these airports are hubs for an airline?'
Nick leaned closer and took a look. Pointing with his index finger, he went over the list, one by one.
'Milwaukee is Midwest Airlines, Salt Lake City and Cleveland are Delta, Sky Harbor is Southwest and US Airways. Detroit was a limited hub for Northwest. Why? Are you thinking it might be a hub?'
'Actually I'm thinking the opposite. You said UAS has been trying to get airports to upgrade the arrival and departure areas, right? At an airport that's a hub aren't the majority of their passengers simply making a connecting flight?'
She caught the glint in his eyes as he followed her logic.
'So most passengers wouldn't be going through the ticketing area or picking up baggage,' she continued. 'Not a big enough impact. And Reagan National on the Sunday after a holiday will be a good deal of politicians returning to Capitol Hill.'
'You just eliminated every airport on the list.'
'Both Las Vegas and Phoenix would be destination airports?' she asked, thinking out loud and not really expecting an answer from Nick. 'Someplace where families would go for Thanksgiving for a treat to get away. Maybe get out of the winter cold.'
'I just remembered something,' he said. 'Airports depend on state and federal revenues so we usually take that into consideration when we're talking to them about upgrades. Phoenix is being considered for a chunk of federal dollars. Something to do with Homeland Security. The city's number two in the world, second only to Mexico City, for kidnappings.'
Maggie remembered what Henry Lee said about his group influencing government policies.
'It has to be Phoenix.'
She hugged him, excited, relieved. She kissed his cheek, but his lips found hers. She let herself sink into him, maybe a moment too long. By the time she pulled away she was out of breath.
'Nick, this isn't a good idea. We're both exhausted.'
'I'm not that exhausted.'
He ran his hand over her shoulder, fingers caressing the back of her neck. His other hand wrapped around her waist, gently nudging her back against him, enough to show her he wasn't too exhausted. His lips brushed her neck, her earlobe?maybe she wasn't too exhausted either.
A knock at the door decided for them.
'Damn. Can't we ignore it?' But he let her pull away.
'Maybe it's housekeeping?'
'Too early,' he said. 'And room service doesn't begin until 6:00 a.m. I checked.'
She crossed the room, instinctively reminding herself where she had left her Smith amp; Wesson.
When she checked the peephole she had to do a double take. She was exhausted. Was it possible her imagination was playing tricks on her?
She undid the locks and pulled the door wide open.
'Hi,' Patrick said, looking embarrassed and shy. His hair was tousled, clothes wrinkled.
'How in the world did you find me?' she asked him.
'I used housekeeping's direct line to the front desk. 'Ms. O'Dell needs more towels. What room is she in?'' He said it with a convincing Spanish accent.
She didn't say another word. Instead she followed her instinct this time and simply hugged him.
CHAPTER 66
Rebecca was sure Dixon was dead.
She couldn't see him in the dark. There was no sliver of light this time from the sealed trapdoor. She listened for moans or breathing but heard only the rumble of the furnace.
She hunched over, paralyzed in the corner. With her hands bound behind her, there was nothing she could do for him if he was alive and hurt.
'Dixon?' she called for the second or third time. Her voice sounded foreign to her, strained and small.
There was no response.
She searched in the dark and found the jagged metal on the corner of the furnace. She stretched, made contact. It hurt to hold her arms at that high of an angle. She hooked the plastic between her wrists onto the metal and started rubbing it back and forth. Her wounded arm throbbed but she kept pulling and sawing the plastic tie against the sharp edge. She had no idea if she was making any progress.
By now her eyes had adjusted to the dark. It wasn't pitch-black. She could make out Dixon's body. Still no movement. She was too far away to see if he was breathing. Her nerves were raw. Every little sound made her catch her breath, stopping to listen. The silence above should have comforted her. Silence meant no one would be coming down to hurt her like they had Dixon. Instead, it set her on edge. Why would they just leave her to be found or to escape?
She kept sawing. God, her arm hurt. Her lungs felt on fire from the gasoline fumes. She wanted to scream and shout. Get angry because it was better than feeling afraid.
'What the hell did you get us into, Dixon Lee?' she yelled.
'Becca?'
She jumped, pulling her wrists down, and heard a pop. Her wrists were free.
'Dixon?'
'Where are you?'
She could see him move, a shadowed bulk still lying on the concrete floor.
