The soldier saw the exchange and left to return to his position.
“Been flying and driving all night,” Stevie said. He wore khaki pants and a blue long-sleeve shirt, creased and expensive-looking. His eyes were framed with lightweight glasses which were completely transparent from any angle.
As he stepped into the cabin, Matt bumped fists with the high tech analyst.
“Still stylin’, I see,” Matt said.
Julie pulled her robe closed and waved. “Hi, Stevie.” Then she scampered back to the bedroom.
Stevie dropped his bag with a grunt. “Man, I could use a cup of coffee.”
“It’s already made,” Julie said from the bedroom.
Nick went and poured Stevie a cup of coffee, then placed the cream and sugar on the counter next to the cup with a spoon. As Stevie prepared his drink, Nick looked at the duffle bag.
“Is that everything?” Nick asked.
“No, I’ve got another case out on the porch.” He took a sip of the coffee and sighed. “So, tell me what you need.”
“We’ve located Barzani’s safe house,” Nick said. “He left in a hurry, so I need you to go over there and inspect every centimeter of that place. He’s shrewd, but he left clues behind, I’m sure of it. We just need to figure out which ones matter.”
Stevie glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m ready anytime.”
“Okay,” Nick said. “I’ll go wake up Tommy and have him take you there.”
“Tommy, as in your cousin?” Stevie asked.
“Yeah,” Nick said. “That okay?”
“No,” Stevie said with a tired smile. “That’s better than okay. I need the entertainment.”
Chapter 16
President Merrick sat slumped back in a chair in Press Secretary Fredrick Himes’ office. He was reading the Washington Post with his legs crossed while Himes worked on notes for Merrick’s upcoming press conference from behind his desk. Himes’ office was a small, white room with the American Flag prominently displayed behind the desk.
“Isn’t that a little old fashioned?” Samuel Fisk said from the doorway, pointing to the newspaper in Merrick’s hands.
Merrick didn’t turn his head. “I hear you’ve been searching the White House for me.”
“I have,” Fisk said, leaning against the door jam and folding his arms. “They’ve just increased the terrorist threat level again. That’s twice in five days.”
“I know. I’ve already read the reports.” Merrick squeezed his eyelids shut, then reopened them. “That backlit screen is just too harsh. Sometimes I just need good old fashioned paper and print.”
“Is your statement finished?”
Merrick lowered the newspaper and looked at Himes. “Freddy?”
“Just about,” Himes said, his face glued to the computer monitor.
“What’s the main theme?”
“We don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Himes said flatly. “Should they want a serious conversation, we’ll have one. If they just want to threaten, we can do that as well.”
“I see,” Fisk said. “By the way, John, have you been playing online poker again?”
Merrick turned a page. “Is there something you want to tell me, Sam?”
“Well, apparently your little bluff with Hakim has worked.”
Merrick shut the newspaper so fast, it almost ripped. “And?”
“He’s on his way to the airport as we speak.”
Merrick slapped his hands together. “Yes.” He turned to Himes. “Get this news out to Nick in Arizona. Maybe he can do something with it.”
“Can I ask you something?” Fisk said.
“Sure.”
“What exactly are you going to tell him when he asks you about your withdrawal strategy?”
Merrick folded the newspaper and placed it on Himes’ desk. “Well, to be honest I never thought it would get this far.”
“I know,” Fisk said. “That’s why I asked.”
Merrick leaned back in the chair. “You know Sam, you can be a real pessimist sometimes. I just bought us another twenty four hours. Maybe I just saved some lives out in Payson. Maybe Barzani sees this as a positive sign and gives us enough time.”
“Enough time for what?” Fisk asked.
“Enough time for Nick and Matt to catch the bastard,” Merrick said, putting some mustard on that last word.
Fisk shook his head. “You put a lot of pressure on those two. How many bullets do you think they can dodge?”
“I don’t know,” Merrick said, looking outside the double window at the South Lawn. Thunderstorm clouds threatened to the east. “I guess I’m always banking on their experience to pull us through.”
“Did you notice Barzani didn’t mention LAX once in his message to the television station?”
“I noticed.”
“Any idea what that means?”
“I wish I knew,” Merrick said as lightning lit up the eastern sky. “I wish I knew.”
Nick entered his office right at 8 A.M. and shook hands with the deputy behind the receptionist’s desk. He held a rifle in his left hand.
“Good to see you again, Hank,” Nick said with a grin. He pointed to Semir, lying on the cot behind bars. “You have any trouble overnight?”
“None,” the deputy said.
Just then the door to Nick’s inner office opened and another deputy came over and shook Nick’s hand.
“I want to thank you guys for filling in,” Nick said. “I can take over from here.”
Outside a Humvee came into view and half a dozen soldiers came jumping out to set up a perimeter around the building.
Hank gestured outside. “Looks like you got some serious protection.”
Nick pulled up on his arm sling. “Yeah, well I’ve earned it.”
The two deputies gathered their stuff, leaving Nick alone with Semir. Nick pushed the keypad on a metal cabinet which hung on a wall behind the desk. When the door opened, he took out a key from the cabinet and walked over to Semir’s holding cell.
Semir sat up and carefully watched as Nick unlocked the door. He seemed startled when the Sheriff entered the cell and took a seat on the opposite side of his cot.
Nick noticed Semir glimpse at the open cell door. “Don’t even think about it,” Nick said. “There’s a platoon of soldiers out there just dying to shoot someone.”
Semir slumped back against the wall.
Nick gestured to the bandages on his face. “You okay?”
Semir gently nodded.
“I want to apologize for what happened out there,” Nick said. “That old guy was a jerk.”
When Semir remained quiet, Nick added, “He’s dead now. My cousin Tommy shot him.”
Semir gave nothing away.
Nick looked down and picked at a fingernail. “I wonder what would’ve happened to you if Matt hadn’t stepped in?”
Nick let the concept sink in before he continued.
