John removed it and held it below his waist.
The flash lit up his face, and for just a moment, the bright light reminded Caitlin of how he had looked in the canyon with the Arizona sun beating down on him.
“You say you already have players?”
“Yeah.” John took the memory stick from his jacket and passed it to Felipe.
“This will take a few minutes,” Felipe said.
“Do you mind if I watch?” Caitlin asked.
“Of course not. Come on.”
She followed him to one of the desks where plugged the memory stick into the computer. With a few clicks of the mouse, he changed programs and called up the stored information. He divided the information between the male and female players and then copied it into another file.
“Hey John, you want passports while you’re here?”
“No, if we end up having to leave the country we’ll need completely new identities. Keep the photos on file; I’ll let you know if we need more material.”
“Sure, John. I’m going to need your signatures for the licenses. Here.” He handed Caitlin a pen. “Practice writing your new name a couple of times on this paper then write it once on a clean sheet. You too, John.”
Caitlin wrote out Charlotte S. Owens until she was comfortable with the appearance, and then signed the clean paper. She passed the pen to John, and he wrote out Robert A. Owens once then signed it below her signature on the other paper.
Felipe took their signatures and fed them into a scanner. With the mouse, he selected another screen and Caitlin saw her image appear above the name and address information. Another mouse stroke and the laser imager purred. Felipe took the photographic paper from the imager, cut it to shape, and then dropped it into a laminator. A minute later he examined the license, nodded approvingly, and then passed it to Caitlin. Felipe reset the equipment, and a minute later, John’s license came out.
“How good is this?” she asked.
“As good as any you’ll get from the DMV. John provided the players, so as long as their address and license numbers are correct, then the license is perfect.”
“Unless someone gets nosy enough to have the file photo transmitted to them,” John said.
“That’s right. Do you want me to insert your new photos into the computer records?”
“No, not for this set, but thanks for the offer.”
“It’s just part of the deluxe package.”
“You can really change the file photos in the state’s computer?” Caitlin asked.
“Lady, if you want to start drawing an old age pension, I can arrange it for you. But it doesn’t come cheap. The more you tamper with the system, the greater the chance someone’s watchdog program will notice the unauthorized access. Then I’d have to change my entry method.”
“I see. What’s all this going to cost me?”
“There’s no point in worrying about that now. Once we get things settled, I’ll give you a bill that itemizes everything.”
“Really? Can I use it on a tax return?”
“Sure, why not? Think of it as the cost of doing business. It’s just one more business expense.”
John checked his watch. “We’d better get moving. We’ll want to get to the airport early enough to check it out.”
“You got what you need?” Felipe asked.
“Most everything. If I need something else, I’ll give you a call.”
“Anything. Anytime. Anywhere.”
They followed Felipe back to the warehouse to a dark green late model Taurus. “Your bags and equipment are in the trunk. The keys are in the ignition.”
“Thanks again, Felipe. I’ll be seeing you,” John said.
“You know it. You be careful. Caitlin, it was nice meeting you. Don’t worry; John is as good as they come.”
“Really? Thank you, that’s good to hear.”
Felipe slapped John on the back. “Don’t make me out a liar, John.”
“Wouldn’t think of it.”
Caitlin climbed into the passenger side of the front seat. John got in, cranked the car, and pulled out of the warehouse without a backward glance.
CHAPTER 21
The Oakland airport was shrouded in a light mist from low clouds when they reached the short-term parking lot. A chill breeze flowed in from the bay bringing the scent of salt with it. Caitlin shivered and pulled on her coat when she stepped out into the mist.
John already had the trunk open when she reached the rear of the car. She watched as he moved some things from one bag to another, then he bent low over the trunk and pulled a handgun from beneath his coat. As she watched, he popped the magazine out, ejected a round from the chamber, and then stored the gun in what looked like a metal tool chest. A couple more magazines appeared in his hands from various pockets, and they were pushed down into the case too. He covered the gun and magazines with a padding of dense foam.
Then he lifted his right pants leg and drew an enormous knife from the top of his boot.
“What, no brass knuckles?”
He looked at her, his brows raised in curiosity.
“Thanks for the reminder,” he said and dipped his right hand into a coat pocket. It emerged a second later with a thick set of matte finished brass knuckles. He added them to the case, locked it, and lifted the bags from the trunk.
Caitlin picked up her bag. “Can you carry a gun on the plane?”
John tossed the car keys into the trunk and slammed it shut. “No, not into the passenger compartment, but you can carry one in your checked luggage.”
They walked toward the terminal. Caitlin noticed John was looking for something. Did he really think that someone might have gotten there before them?
“It used to be that you could just check your weapons and
