53
Hearing the voice mail, Seamus hung up. For the third time.
Kevin said, “You want me to send the chat request? The room’s open.”
“No. Not yet. You sure this VOIP thing is working? I’m getting nothing trying to contact Braden.”
Kevin said, “Yeah. If he’s not answering, it’s because he’s got the app turned off or he’s out of digital 3G or 4G coverage. Call him direct.”
“I don’t want to taint the phone. Right? If I call on the cell network instead of VOIP?”
“Yeah, but if you’re that worried, what’s the big deal? It’s a single call. You’ve been using VOIP for Braden since we started.”
“Because if I’m that worried, it’s the exact wrong time to do it, jackass.”
Kevin retreated to his computer screen, saying, “Well, do you want to send the request or not? I got the room open.”
“No, damn it. We need the new Snapchat video. I want to hit them with the Bitcoin request, then when they stall, hit them with the death of their hostages.”
Sitting aside, listening to the back-and-forth, Colin finally said, “What’s the holdup? Where’s Braden?”
“I don’t know. I keep getting his voice mail.”
“He called before, right? Saying the diversion was going down?”
“Yeah, but I can’t get him now. I don’t know about the robbery.”
“Why does that matter? Call the team sitting on them. Tell them to make the Snapchat. They can execute.”
“I don’t trust them,” Seamus snapped. “They fuck it up, and they’ll have the world coming down on their heads. A hornets’ nest. Then it’ll be coming to us.”
Colin said, “I thought that didn’t matter to the mighty Seamus.”
Seamus looked at him and said, “You dumbass, of course it matters. I don’t want to give them a road map to find us, and it would take one mistake for the NSA to grab.” He paced around the room, running his hands through his hair. Feeling the pressure.
Kevin interrupted his thoughts, saying, “Seamus, got something out of Paris. You ought to see this.” He pointed to a separate laptop, streaming with live news. A breaking story appeared.
Seamus said, “Turn it up.”
The sound came on, the announcer speaking French. Seamus said, “Shit. Can you find one in English?”
“By the time I search, the story will be over.”
The screen showed a broken-down apartment complex, the area out front blockaded with all manner of emergency vehicles, the blue lights flashing like a circus. As the man spoke, the camera zoomed in to the fourth floor, grimly framing a blackened window, the drapes, stained by flame, fluttering in the breeze.
Entranced, Seamus stared at the screen, not believing he had created the chaos. The picture flashed back to the news desk, and the anchor spit something out in a rapid manner, looking flustered and holding his hand to an earpiece. The screen cut to a picture of a jewelry store called Bulgari, then to a picture of a necklace, a thick gold chain encrusted with diamonds, a heavy ruby in the center.
Colin whooped and said, “The robbery! It went off.”
Seamus smiled and said, “Looks like it.”
One of the cell phones on the windowsill went off. Not the one he held, so it wasn’t Braden. Still looking at the laptop, he waved his hand and said, “Someone get that.”
Colin moved to the window, and Kevin said, “You want to start the chat?”
“I’m not sure. You think you could talk the team through the Snapchat procedures? Make sure they send it in such a way that it can’t be tracked?”
“Yeah, it’s really not that hard. I can send them step-by-step instructions.”
“Seamus,” Colin said. “You need to take this call.” His face was drained of color, and his hand that held the phone was trembling.
“Who is it?”
“Ratko.”
Seamus took the phone, cleared his throat, and said, “Ratko?”
“Where is your shit of a brother? Where are my jewels?”
“How did you get this number?”
“Never mind that. Where is your brother? He won’t answer the phone.”
“I thought he was meeting you in Brussels tomorrow? What’s the big deal?”
“He was supposed to call, letting me know he had gotten away clean. He never did, but the news is talking about the robbery and not saying a damn word about anyone getting arrested.”
Seamus said, “Okay, okay, look, I don’t know where he is, but I don’t think it’s time to panic. Give him a chance.”
Ratko’s voice went cold. “You and that brother had better not be double-crossing me. You wondered how I found this cell number, remember that. Braden doesn’t show in Belgium tomorrow, I’ll find you the same way.”
The line went dead. Seamus put his hand down, and Colin said, “What’s wrong? Why is Ratko pissed?”
“It’s nothing. He’ll calm down.”
“Seamus, I can’t have him hunting me. He’s worse than the law. You hear what those guys do to people? This thing is breaking down.”
Seamus ignored him, turning to Kevin. “Can you call the team with VOIP?”
Kevin nodded.
“Do so. Give them the instructions.”