“It might be a trap. You ever think of that?” she said. “Maybe Markoff didn’t write the module ID on the container.”
“But if he did, I can’t ignore it.”
“I’m sorry,” Nate said. “What exactly are we doing?”
“Dark clothes,” Quinn said to his apprentice. “Then meet me in the lobby in ten minutes.”
After Quinn had dressed, he returned to the living room with the backpack full of items he would need. He was happy to see only Orlando remained. She was still at the desk, but didn’t look happy.
“We’re going to need the communications gear,” Quinn said.
Orlando pointed to her backpack sitting on the floor a few feet away. Inside, Quinn found three boxes of what appeared to be MP3 players. Easily explained as gifts to any prying customs official, they
were in fact two-way radios. He grabbed one each for himself and Nate. “Anything?” he asked, as he glanced over Orlando’s shoulder at the computer. “No. Jenny’s phone is still inactive.” She looked around at Quinn.
“Maybe I should come with you.” “I need you to stay here in case Jenny tries to contact us again.” “Like that’s really likely,” Orlando said. He glanced at the computer. “While we’re gone, maybe you can
try to pin down where the congressman will be staying when he ar
rives. And LP, someone’s gotta know what that means.” “I’ve already taken care of the Guerrero part.” Quinn smiled, not surprised. “He’s got reservations at two different hotels,” she said. “Someone’s a little paranoid. Which ones?” “The Sheraton and, of course, Raffles.” Raffles was the most fa
mous hotel in Singapore, and one of the most famous in the entire world. Large and luxurious, it had been a mainstay in Singapore for over a century. It was also in one of the Raffles’s bars—the Long Bar— that the Singapore Sling had been invented.
“He’ll stay at Raffles,” Quinn said.
“That would be my guess, too.” She hit a few more keys, then stopped and looked up at him again. “You really think it’s a good idea going back there tonight?”
“It’ll be quiet. Easier to look around.” “You haven’t a clue what you might find. You may not even be able to get all the way to the signal.” “Markoff pointed us toward the building for a reason. I’ll just get
the lay of the land.” She turned back to the screen. “You really shouldn’t go.” “And you should get some rest,” he said. “You’re getting cranky.” She scowled but said nothing. “It’s nice of you to offer to wait up for me, though, but it’s not nec
essary,” he said. “Just don’t do anything
Three a.m.
The streets around the Quayside Villas were all but deserted. In fact, the only person visible was the guard sitting in the glassed-in security office out front. He was alone, but that didn’t mean there weren’t others. Quinn figured there had to be at least one additional man doing rounds. And to be safe, it was better to assume there were two more, one for each tower.
The lighting in the front of the building had been well planned. It illuminated the facade tastefully, yet left no dark areas someone could use to hide in. And, as Quinn had expected, the front door was particularly well lit.
“This should be fine,” he said.
He and Nate were standing across the street, near the far corner of the neighboring hotel. From their concealed position, they had a great view of the fishbowl security room and the entrances to both towers.
He looked down at the tracking device in his hand. “Signal’s still strong,” he said. “That’s good,” Nate said. Quinn pulled a small case out of his backpack. It looked like a pair
of old, collapsible opera glasses. But while they served a similar purpose, these particular binoculars had a unique feature. Night vision. Not useful for the theater, but perfect for their needs. He handed them to Nate.
“If the security guard moves at all, you let me know.” “Every time?” Nate asked. “Every time.” Quinn had tucked the wire of his radio under his shirt so it
wouldn’t snag on anything. He picked up the dangling earpiece and put it in his left ear. “Check, check,” he said, making sure the small microphone jutting out of the earpiece worked.
“I hear you.” Nate’s voice came at Quinn both directly and through the earpiece. “What do you want me to say if you need to get the hell out of there?”
Quinn looked at his apprentice. “ ‘Get the hell out of there’ will work fine.”
“Right,” Nate said. “Good luck.”
Quinn gave him a terse smile, then headed off.
He skirted around the side of the building, returning once again to the walkway along the river. Like out front, the rear of the Quayside Villas was also well lit. Only the coverage wasn’t as intensive as it was at the main entrances, and even more importantly there was no permanent security station. There were, however, two cameras covering a large portion of the back, including the central rear entrance.
Lining the walls that led left and right from the entrance were columns about two feet in diameter. They created a narrow portico that was more for decoration than practical use. Above the columns, the second floor was a series of faux windows recessed into the wall and covered with some sort of lattice. And above that, the rooftop patio. That was the key.
Quinn figured it would be the easiest way to get in. Getting there without being seen was the issue. After examining the photos they’d taken earlier in the day, he had located a narrow blind spot in the camera coverage. It was near the southeast corner.
It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.
