Nowhere Safe

CHAPTER 48



“Might have to shut down the airport,” Josh told Sabrina through his Bluetooth. He spun the wheel on his Porsche, taking a sharp left.

Ryder rode shotgun with the briefcase open on his lap.

“Can’t do that without a clear threat,” Sabrina said. “What if we send people fleeing and that’s exactly what someone wants?”

The two right tires lifted up a few inches then dropped down. Josh whipped between two cars, passing through with no more than a hand’s width of clearance. “I didn’t say we do it yet, but it’s on the table. See if you can get someone in the tower. I sent Nick for now.”

“He’ll get in.”

“Maybe.” Or he’d start a riot. Never knew with Nick.

“Call you back.”

Ryder dictated another turn to watch for.

Josh slowed enough this time to keep all four wheels on the pavement.

Dingo flew overhead in a helo. His voice came through Josh’s commo unit. “I have eyes on you.”

“Copy that,” Josh answered, in communication with the other three by radio. The minute Josh and Ryder confirmed whether this “test” was definitely a threat and not some hoax, Josh would alert Nick who would rally airport security.

If they didn’t arrest him.

Nick had a tendency to bring out the wrong kind of reaction from law enforcement.

“ETA?” Sabrina asked when she called back on Josh’s cell phone.

Josh said, “Ryder?”

Eyes locked on the small monitor, Ryder said, “ETA five minutes.”

Josh relayed that information then told Sabrina, “You find someone with the FAA to get Nick in that tower.”

“I’ve got someone with better resources working on it.”

Just the way she said that told Josh she was talking about Gage. “This op has FUBAR stamped on it already. Think involving the agency is a good idea?”

“He was right about the container and Rikker picking up the packages,” she tossed back, confirming Josh’s guess about Gage.

With the team hearing Josh’s side of the conversation and Dingo knowing what Josh meant by the reference to agency, Dingo spoke up. “I don’t like it none better, mate, but we don’t have many choices left now do we?”

True. Josh told Sabrina, “He f*cks us over again, I’m going after him.”

“You won’t have to.”

“Slow down,” Ryder said, putting his phone away and focusing on the briefcase.

Josh ended the phone call and eased his car down to forty miles an hour. He kept slowing as Ryder gave him directions into what looked like an attractive middle-class neighborhood.

“One of those houses down on the right.”

Josh pulled to the curb. It was just after six, the dinner hour in many neighborhoods like this one. Older homes, but well maintained. A few kids and dogs played in yards and along the street. Real estate signs poked out of three yards. “Sure this is right?”

“This is where the signal is coming from. I’m betting it’s that house with the realtor’s “For Sale” sign. Fifth one down on the right.”

Hell of a place to run an attack out of so maybe this was only a hoax. Josh told Ryder, “We walk down to the house. You cover the front. I’ll insert through the back.”

Ryder did a weapon check, and reached for a lightweight black jacket in the backseat.

Josh had the flannel shirt Sabrina had given him at the hospital to cover his weapon. The shirt made him think of Trish, who he couldn’t be thinking about right now.

I love you. She deserved someone to love.

Not a man who had lived so long in the dark that he would extinguish the light around her.

He hadn’t been happy about her going to Chicago, but with this new development around the airport he was glad she wasn’t arriving for another two hours. If he didn’t have answers by the time she called to say she was leaving, he would either convince her to stay there or have security pull her aside.

She was not coming near this airport until he knew it was safe.

When they headed down the sidewalk, Ryder grumbled, “Kids everywhere. They keep popping out from behind bushes and cars. F*cking nightmare if we have a situation in that house.”

Josh agreed, but had no words of advice beyond protect the civilians at all costs. Nothing Ryder had to be told with his military training.

At the corner of the yard with the realtor sign, Josh peeled off from Ryder, walking as if he were considering the house. Ryder took the front walk, easing up to the windows to look in. He gave Josh a shake of his head. Nothing obvious.

Josh continued around the house to the tall privacy fence that surrounded the backyard. In his ear bud, he heard Nick’s voice. “I’m in the tower, but I may need help getting out. All clear right now.”

That didn’t sound good.

Since Ryder would know Josh couldn’t make a sound right now, Ryder answered softly. “Copy.”

Jet engines rumbled overhead with incoming flights.

Josh peeked through a crack in the wood fence. He could see a figure squatted in the backyard, focused on something his body shielded from Josh.

Nick’s voice boomed in Josh’s ear. “A flight on approach is having major electrical problems. The pilots say the plane is losing control. The engines are powering down.”

At that moment, the figure in the yard turned enough for Josh to ID him. Rikker.

Josh tested the latch on the wooden gate. Unlocked.

He opened it and stepped into the yard, wanting to kill the bastard, but he had a duty. “Get away from whatever that is, Rikker.”

The former CIA agent glanced calmly over his shoulder while he kept his hand on the strangest looking mechanical device Josh had ever seen. “Hello, Carrington. Willing to risk killing millions by shooting me?”

Was it a f*cking bomb or what? “Get up.”

“Blood’s on your head. I’m moving slowly.” Rikker kept a hand on the backside of the unit as if he couldn’t let go. “If I move my hand, everything goes boom.”

Shoot him? Knock his hand loose? Would either of those choices kill people?

Josh told Ryder, “Keep the front covered.” He walked over to see if Rikker pressed a button.

Rikker used that moment to yank up a hand that held a 9mm Browning Hi-Power. Josh dove away, rolling and firing up at Rikker to keep from sending a stray bullet into the next yard.

Kids screamed out front.

Rikker dove away, too, and he was up on his feet as quickly as Josh, but Josh got a kick in that sent Rikker’s weapon flying. Rikker made a counter move that knocked Josh’s away.

At least that should take care of any stray bullets.

“The airplane is on a collision course,” Nick said in the ear bud, pounding the words in a low voice. “They say something is screwing with the plane’s electrical system. Won’t be able to control the landing. Six minutes.”

Rikker was throwing chops and hits.

Josh deflected, hit, jabbed, and kicked, knocking Rikker back.

“Stop whatever the f*ck is killing that airplane,” Nick shouted this time.

“Getting there,” Josh snapped and took a hit to his back. He spun and dove at Rikker. Shooting him would be so much easier, but Josh couldn’t put a personal vendetta ahead of the lives of millions and he needed Rikker to stop that damn machine.

“We got company out front,” Ryder said, calm but tense.

Rikker collided with Josh, slamming hits against his ribs. They hit the ground and Rikker came up with a decorative rock he bashed against Josh’s temple.

Stars burst behind his eyes. Josh shoved up, but that had given Rikker the extra second he’d needed to escape.

Josh grabbed his weapon and started after Rikker.

“The f*cking plane is going to crash!” screamed in his ear bud.

“Eight men out front with an armored truck...no open shot,” Ryder called through the ear bud. “F*ck, f*ck a f*cking duck. Rikker grabbed a kid to shield himself to the van. Dropped the kid. He’s gone.”

“Four minutes,” Nick yelled.

Josh roared and unloaded a full magazine of 9mm hollow point rounds into the mechanical device that popped and squealed then stopped making any noise.

Ryder came running into the yard. He looked at the gut-shot machine and shook his head. “Remind me to never go on bomb detail with you.”

The machine started ticking.

They both dove for the exit just as it exploded.