Tim typed in a concluding sign off, and pushed the satellite laptop over to Nick. “He’s going to meet us personally with a detachment of agents. That’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Rachel and Jean arrived with Deke, who followed food no matter where it went, or originated. The short time it took for the snack food and veggie plate to disappear bore witness to how much the appetizer plate hit the spot. The two Marshals finished up, said their goodbyes, and promised to not be strangers when they had to stop in the Pacific Grove area. Nick walked them to the door.
“I’ll be waiting for your call in. Don’t keep me waiting.”
“Don’t be so bossy, you… never mind. Thanks for not killing us earlier, Nick. Tim and I have decided to leave you alone completely from now on.”
“Well that goes to show you there really is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow… or cluster fuck… depending on the circumstances. Okay then… you two are off my fave five list.”
Grace waved, and Tim shook Nick’s hand. “Sorry if we appear to be off our game with espionage. We’ll call you the moment we touch down and get met in DC.”
“No problem, Tim. I have a feeling you’ll be calling me before then anyhow.”
“Damn it, Nick… what the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Grace stared at the closing door, hearing Nick’s chuckle as it shut. She then turned on Tim. “What the hell did he mean by that, Tim?”
“I don’t know. Whenever I talk with Nick, I have to remind myself we’re in Pacific Grove and not the Berlin Wall circa 1965. Let’s get the hell out of here. The sooner we get rid of that ticking time bomb you have, the better. I’m hoping we don’t have to hear Sorenson bitch and moan about insubordination all the way to DC.”
“Maybe you could get Lassie to give him a blow job on the flight,” Grace suggested with perfect dead pan delivery.
“I’m hoping she takes care of all that before we pick them up,” Tim replied, following her out to the rental van.
“What kind of treats do you give her?”
“Lassie’s a Butterfinger freak.”
“Figures.” Grace put a hand on Tim’s chest before they reached the van. “Let me do all the talking with Sorenson. Let’s keep this trip back civil, Tim.”
“Fine with me. I’ll brief Lassie so she doesn’t chew your ear off.”
“Deal.”
*
At the motel room, Tim stopped Grace. “The door’s ajar.”
“Shit!” Grace drew her weapon, as did Tim. “Wait until I get on the left, Tim.”
Grace moved over to the left side of the door, weapon at the ready, and nodded at Tim. He pushed the door open. Grace went in across to the right, while Tim went left. Inside the small room, it took only moments to make sure there wasn’t anyone alive in the room. The dead cried out in their own silent song. Sorenson’s wide agonized eyes stared sightlessly into Grace’s as she hovered over him. Securely plastic tied naked to the arms and legs of the motel desk chair, Sorenson’s throat had been slit from ear to ear. The electrical burns to his body revealed a hellish journey to death’s final release.
Tim closed and dead-bolted the motel room door before kneeling next to the mutilated body of Sally Oculus. She had been hogtied painfully with her legs and arms together behind her back. Her torturer had eviscerated Oculus, a pile of bloody small intestine spilled in a macabre pool under where she lay on the floor. Tim brushed his fingertips over Sally’s eyes, closing them to the focused horror filled sight of her own entrails. A ball had been inserted into her mouth, and held in place with a gag.
“Jesus… God in heaven,” Tim muttered, placing a shaking hand on Sally’s head. “I’m sorry, kid.”
Grace was already using her phone, with weapon still in hand. She put it on speaker. Nick answered on the first ring. “Both Sorenson and Oculus were tortured to death after we left them off at the motel, Nick. Give me something… anything.”
“I’m sorry, Grace. I confess when you told me Sorenson wanted to take over the transfer from you and Tim, I thought something was wrong, but I didn’t foresee that move. Their buyers arrived, and found Sorenson and Oculus in bed together, but without the ‘Hack Chip’. They must have been pissed off enough to not wait for an explanation. They’ll be back. They’re watching you now, wondering if you’ll call in hordes of police, and federal agencies. If you don’t, they’ll figure you and Tim not only have the chip, but you plan on doing the same thing with it Sorenson had planned to do. They left the two bodies like you found them to draw you out, make a statement, and find out what you two have in mind one way or the other. Would you like my help?”
“I’m listening.”
“You have two options. You can launch the forces of law and order, or wait for the rats to come and trigger our trap.”