“Ben, you still have two local units outside. If you need…”
“Go,” Ben said, cutting her off. “I’ve got it covered here.”
“Constance…” Felicity spoke up with a bit of hesitation in her voice. “Thank you…”
She gave her a nod and replied, “I’ll call as soon as this is over. You can thank me then.”
She turned and headed toward the back of the house where Felicity’s Jeep was parked. Just before she reached the kitchen doorway, Ben called out, “Connie…”
She stopped and looked back, a surprised expression on her face. I suspected it was due to the nickname, since I’d only seen one other person get away with calling her by it, and this was the first time I’d ever heard Ben use it when she was present.
My friend just stared at her for a second then said, “Be careful. ‘Kay?”
She gave him a quick smile then disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later, we heard the Jeep moving alongside the house as she backed it out of the driveway then sped off down the street. As ordered, Agent Parker followed along behind several minutes later.
Ben stood silently at the window, peering through a small crack in the blinds. Every now and then he would glance up at the clock then return his gaze to the opening. After a few minutes, he turned and pulled his jacket from the back of a chair and started shrugging into it.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Get your coats,” he replied.
“Why?” Felicity asked.
“‘Cause it’s cold outside,” he told her.
“Why are we…”
“Just get your coats,” he repeated. “We’re goin’ ta’ break some rules.”
CHAPTER 42:
Ben exited the highway and pulled the van into Forest Park then moved with the flow of traffic until he could swing into the zoo parking lot. He hadn’t been particularly forthcoming with answers to any of our questions, so both Felicity and I had eventually given up and simply rode along in silence. It was obvious to us where we were going. What our taciturn friend had in mind, however, remained a mystery.
He slowly pulled around the lot, bypassing several empty spaces until he came back around and located one with a halfway decent view of the zoo entrance. Nosing in, he shut off the lights and engine then cracked his side window to keep the windshield from fogging over. He simply stared through the glass, watching the entrance without saying a word.
After about a minute, I said, “I take it we aren’t getting out.”
“Nope. Not yet, anyway,” he replied then glanced over his shoulder and said, “Felicity, hand me that bag that’s in the seat next to ya’.”
My wife felt around in the dark and then passed a paper bag forward. I twisted in my seat and took it from her then handed it to Ben.
“Dinner?” I asked with a note of sarcasm, as he took it.
He opened the top of the bag then pulled out a handheld walkie-talkie and switched it on.
“No. It’s stuff,” he grunted as he ramped up the volume into the audible range then started clicking through the preset channels.
“…ear so far,” a familiar female voice crackled from the speaker. “How’s my signal?”
He stopped and listened intently.
“Reading you loud and clear,” a male voice replied.
“Okay, I’m approaching the entrance,” Constance’s voice came back across the air.
“Lawson has a visual on you,” the man told her.
Ben upped the volume on the walkie-talkie a bit more then laid it on the console between us.
“Okay, I see you,” the man responded a few seconds later. “Washburn will pick you up once you’re inside. He’ll hand you off to Frye at the Bayou Bullfrog display.”
“Good. Any sign of her yet?”
“Negative.”
The radio crackled with a burst of static then fell silent for the moment. I looked over at Ben who had directed his stare back out the windshield.
“Where did you get that?” I asked.
“It’s police stuff,” he replied.
“That isn’t your regular radio, Ben.”
“I got a new one.”
“In a brown paper bag?”
“Recycled packaging,” he returned.
“That’s not police stuff. It’s FBI stuff,” I said.
“Real cops got ‘em too,” he said, verbally hinting at his selective lack of respect for the federal agency.
“Yeah… Why am I not buying that?”
He gave me a half shrug but didn’t avert his gaze from the entrance. “Hey, she wasn’t gonna be usin’ it.”
“You stole that from Constance?” Felicity asked.
“Borrowed,” he replied. “There’s a difference. Besides, ain’t you the one who wanted us ta’ break the rules?”
“So we came here to listen?” she asked.
“We came here so when they take ‘er down, I can get ya’ a few minutes with ‘er before they throw ‘er in a really dark hole.”
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“Look, Constance’ll try ta’ make it happen, just like she said she would. But, I ain’t countin’ on it. Once the Feebs got their hands on ‘er, things are gonna get real tight. She off’ed a federal judge, remember?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“So, the real deal is this might be the only chance ya’ get. I’m just evenin’ the odds.”
“So, how much trouble is this going…”
The radio crackled and he held up a hand to shush me.
“Mandalay is in line at the gate,” the earlier voice announced.
“Ten-four,” another voice responded.
The device hissed then settled back into silence for the moment.
“What?” Ben asked, glancing over at me.
“How much trouble is this going to cause for you?” I repeated.
“Didn’t ya’ say this’s what it’s gonna take ta’ get rid of the ghost bitch?”
“In theory.”
“Well, then let’s hope your theory’s right.”
“You’re still going to get into trouble though, aren’t you?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “I’m pretty much already suspended.”
“The phone call earlier?”
“Yeah. S’posed ta’ have a meetin’ tomorrow mornin’. But, that’s just a formality. Unless I’m completely off base, it’s pretty much all over except the paperwork. Lookin’ like thirty days, no pay.”
“I really appreciate this, Ben,” Felicity said.
“Yeah, I’ll remember that.”
“Just remind me if I try to bite you again,” she quipped.
“Uh-huh,” he grunted. “What was that you told me? Oh yeah, like that’d work. Why don’t ya’ just make sure ya’ invite me over ta’ dinner a lot for the next month. And, maybe get me somethin’ real nice for Christmas too.”
