Ames was able to call the hideaway on a secure phone and start the power generators by remote control, so that by the time he got there, the main building would be cooler and not so stale-smelling.
The entrance to the hydraulic automobile elevator was an upgrade he’d had installed with a triple-redundant system. There was a mechanical lock that used a magnetic key, an electronic code via a keypad, and a voxax computer chip that not only used a password, but was coded to his voice only. You had to use all three devices or the door wouldn’t open, nor would the lift work. Once inside, the locks could be overridden so they no longer operated from without. The steel door itself was in a reinforced concrete and steel frame that made the average bank vault look puny. Nobody was going to get in that way without enough heavy equipment to knock down a nuclear power plant.
Not that he expected company. Still, it was nice to know no one would be dropping by unexpectedly. He had caught the newscast just before he had landed — an armed man who had broken into the home of Alex Michaels, the commander of Net Force, had been shot and killed by the family’s baby-sitter, a young man whose name wasn’t being revealed because of his age.
Ames had to laugh at that — ace pistoleer Junior Boudreaux shot dead by a juvenile. How galling that must have felt to Junior.
He pulled his car to a stop and got out. Walking over to the override panel, he shut off access to the lift. No point in concerning himself about Junior anymore, he was history, and good riddance.
When he thought about it, there wasn’t any real reason he’d had to leave town. Net Force didn’t have a link to him — and Junior certainly wasn’t going to be providing one now. His exit had been driven by nerves. Not panic, exactly, but, he had to admit, he had been worried.
Well, as long as he was here, he might as well relax and enjoy himself. He deserved it.
He walked down the corridor from the garage, his foot-steps echoing from the tile on floor, walls, and ceiling. Some good wine, a steak and salad, maybe a nice baked potato, then watch a movie, really kick back.
Yeah, he was ready for a little vacation. Then he’d go back to Washington and really turn up the heat on Net Force.
38
Julio didn’t hesitate even a heartbeat. “I’m in,” he said.
“We might not be on firm legal ground here,” Howard said.
Julio laughed. “Since when did that matter?”
“I don’t want you blindsided.”
“John,” Julio said, “you’re my boss, but you’re also my best friend. When that assassin pointed a gun in Tyrone’s direction, everything changed. If this guy Mitchell Ames sent that man to the commander’s house, I want to be part of nailing him.” He shrugged. “Besides, I can always get another job.”
Howard was silent for a moment. Not that he had expected anything else. Still, it was gratifying to hear his old friend say it. “Thanks, Julio.”
Julio nodded. “Okay, so what’s the plan?”
They were in Howard’s office. Nobody else was around. Howard fiddled with the computer controls on his workstation. A satellite view of the Texas desert appeared.
“Okay, here’s what we’ve got… ”
When Michaels called Toni, she was doing a little better — not so much that she was happy, but at least she wasn’t about to boil over.
He explained where they were regarding Ames.
“That’s fine,” she said. “I’m going to sit this one out.”
“Toni—”
“Don’t get me wrong, Alex. When you catch him, I’d like five minutes alone with him, assuming he lives that long. But once this is over, I’m finished with this business, Alex. Done. It’s time to get away from a place where killers come to our house after our son.”
He nodded, then realized that the nonvisual connection wouldn’t show that and said, “I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. And I agree.”
And he did. If something happened to his child because of the work he did, he would never forgive himself. “How is Little Alex?”
“
“I heard you the first time. I’ll turn in my resignation as soon as we have Ames in custody.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
After he disconnected, Michaels reflected on how much he had changed over the years. There was a time when the job was everything. It had cost him his first marriage, and had distanced him from his own daughter. There was a time when an ultimatum like the one Toni had just given him would have put his back up and led to a screaming fight. But somewhere along the way, he had grown up and realized what was really important in his life. His wife and son were irreplaceable. Net Force could find another commander. His family could never replace him.
“Commander?”
General Howard stood in his doorway. “Yes?”
“Lieutenant Fernandez and I have come up with some ideas we’d like to run past you.”
“I’m all ears.”
Howard laid it all out, watching as Michaels took it in. When he was done, Michaels said, “Good. How soon can we get started?”
“ ‘We’?”
“You don’t think I’m going to sit home like I’m supposed to, do you? I never have before, why start now?” He grinned. “Besides, if they fire me, maybe I can draw unemployment.”
Howard grinned back and shook his head. “We’re talking a small unit. A couple of little jets are already fueled up and ready to fly. No reason we can’t get it set up for tomorrow night.”
“Don’t tell me I was right about going after dark.”
Howard smiled again. “Every little bit helps. Besides, it’ll give us more time to plan, and maybe run through this thing a time or two in VR.” He paused. “Speaking of VR. Will Jay be coming along, too?”
Alex shook his head. “I don’t think so. He’ll be staying here, continuing to dig for information on Ames. When we bring him in, we’ll need everything we can get to hold him and make this stick.” He paused, then added, “Besides, when this is all over, Jay might be the senior man left around here.”
Howard grinned. “Now there’s a sobering thought.”
Michaels just nodded.
“Well, sir, I had better get to it.”
Michaels offered his hand, and Howard took it.
“I really appreciate this,” Michaels said.
“Don’t forget, my son was there, too.”
Michaels nodded. “No, I won’t ever forget that.”
Howard met Julio at the air base. The lieutenant was supervising the loading of one of the stripped business jets Net Force’s military used for relatively short-range hops.
