“Richert had some kind of stroke,” Sorenson said, holding a handkerchief to his wound.
Tim and Grace laughed. It was a few moments before Grace spoke again. “There were quite a few people who disappeared or died mysteriously during that time. Let us know when you decide to come after Nick. Tim and I will get a ticket to the other end of the earth, and hope he knows we didn’t have anything to do with it. Save some lives, and stay the hell away from Nick McCarty.”
“Besides,” Tim added. “Nick is a bestselling New York Times author. You’ve already read what he’s done lately, saving a teacher and a school full of kids. You confirmed he was the one sent after Sheik Abdul Nazari in Iran. Nick’s here, and Nazari along with all of his men are dead. Until now, they couldn’t even get the guy with a drone strike. Let Grace and I go over to his house. He’ll give us the ‘Hack Chip’ and story, along with everyone involved in how we lost it to begin with.”
“Fine! Get the damn chip, and let’s get the hell out of here. You two are trained federal agents. This bowing and scraping to a nobody like McCarty is an embarrassment.”
“You don’t get it. Let’s drop this talk. The less you think about it, the less likely you’ll do something stupid enough to get Nick’s attention. It won’t go well for you. Get in the car, Lassie. Let Tim drive, Mr. Sorenson. We’ll drop you two off at a restaurant somewhere. Once Tim and I get the chip, we’ll return the van, and take the next available flight to Washington with it. I won’t feel right until we have it in the Attorney General’s hands.”
“I’ll take care of that for you,” Sorenson said.
“The hell you will,” Tim said. “When Nick puts that sucker in our hands, no one touches it until we hand it off to the AG.”
“Listen, Reinhold! You work for me. This shit where you all of a sudden have this wallflower with some kind of keys to the kingdom, and you think you call the shots ends right now.”
“The hell it does!” Grace moved right into Sorenson’s face. “Nick will do exactly what he says he’ll do. If we don’t do exactly what we tell him we’re going to do, a lot of people will die. I don’t like you, you sanctimonious piece of shit, but I don’t want them finding your body along the Interstate like Frank Richert either. You and Lassie here better stay the hell out of this, or you’re going to get us all killed.”
“The AG is going to hear about this travesty,” Sorenson said.
“I don’t care if you call your mamma and report us. Make sure you say whatever it is you have to for your peace of mind. Consider them your last words when you do. I don’t think Richert ever did get to say goodbye. Nick’s stepdaughter, Jean, calls him the Terminator. Maybe you better consider her perspective on this.”
“This isn’t over.” Sorenson handed the keys to Tim, and stomped around to get in the passenger side of the van.
“I don’t like it that you and Tim knuckle under to that guy,” Oculus said. “I’ve met him twice. He doesn’t impress me.”
Grace patted her cheek. “Maybe you’re too stupid to be in this business, Lassie.”
“Stop calling me that, Grace!”
“Too late. It’s growing on me. Timmy, control your dog.” Grace entered the van, enjoying her parting shot.
“What the hell is it with this Timmy and Lassie thing?”
“You’re too young to get the connection,” Tim said. “Pull out your smartphone, and key into YouTube under Timmy and Lassie. Now get in the van girl, or I’m going to start bringing along a rolled up newspaper when we work together.”
Chapter Fourteen
Odds and Ends
Gus watched the lightning like draw, when Nick heard the van door slam behind him. He saw Nick grin back at the struggle to keep Sorenson from drawing his weapon. They walked on without Nick looking back again, but Gus did. “There’s a couple of people you’ve impressed enough not to worry about killing. I like Grace and Tim. How did you know it was them?”
“I put an RFID in Grace’s purse long ago. I heard her tell Rachel how much she loved that black one she carries, where she hides her weapon, so I slipped a little tracker into it. For all I knew, she could have been held prisoner in the van.”
“This is the point where I should remind you once again that every cell in your body is rotten, but that shithead Sorenson was going to Tase me, bro.”
“Yeah… Sorenson is someone to be watched. I don’t like that Oculus broad either. She was with Tim and Grace one time a few months after the Tanus debacle when we met to exchange updates from both sides of our situation. She’s screwing Sorenson. I figure he draped that Albatross around their necks.”