“Are you saying I need a bodyguard?”
“Probably. But that’s not what he does. I don’t know exactly what he does myself. I know he fixes things. They send for him when everything goes to hell. When a government is crashing. When a cartel needs to be taken down. When someone needs to be found who people don’t want to be found. I don’t know what else. I don’t know if I want to know. But he fixes things.” She punched her index finger on his chest. “And you need to be fixed.”
He blinked. “Indeed? Not only is that humiliating to me, but there appears to be a problem with the rock star accepting the gig.”
Yes, there did, and she was probably doing this all wrong. But she was tired and worried, and her arm was beginning to throb. She whirled on Lynch. “Look, I know I’m asking a lot of you, but Charles is going to go off on his own and set up a lab to finish the Night Watch Project. He got scared off by some of the potential players whom Griffin’s boss brought into the debriefing yesterday. He thinks that he could be drawn into the same nightmare he went through with Dyle. He’s not going to allow it. He believes he has to go on the run.”
Lynch’s face was totally without expression. “Do you think he could be right?”
“Yes, Charles has been through it all before. He knows the signs.”
“And what do you want me to do?”
“He needs a place that’s totally safe, where he’s protected, where no one will ask questions.”
He smiled crookedly. “What? In this world? You’re dreaming, Kendra.”
“I don’t think so. You have so many enemies, Lynch. You built that gorgeous house here that has every security device known to man and could repel a small army. You did that because you wanted to be able to relax within those walls.” She paused. “But you’re not a man who takes anything for granted. You’d prepare for the day when you might have to leave that house and go on the run yourself. You’d have a place set up for yourself that’s everything I described.”
“Would I?”
“Yes. And I need you to lend it to Charles for a while, then set up everyone surrounding him as if you were the one in hiding.”
“If there was such a scenario, you’d be asking for a lot.”
“I know.” She moistened her lips. “He’s worth it, Lynch.”
“Is he? I really only have your opinion on that. I always like to make judgments for myself.”
“But you know what he’s—”
He held up his hand to stop her. “I’m thinking about it. But I have to know everything connected to the problem. Am I going to have to arrange protection for you there, too?”
She frowned. “No, of course not. Why would you have to do that?”
“It was a possibility. How long will he need to be in hiding?”
“He’s not sure. Possibly a year, maybe longer.”
“Is Griffin going to be involved in a search for him?”
“Charles thinks it likely that—”
“I think that I should speak for myself,” Waldridge interrupted. “This is all judgment calls on my part, too, Lynch. I believe a certain amount of pressure will be applied on the pretext that I could be in danger. Griffin might feel he has to find me. I don’t know about the extent of that search.”
“Griffin doesn’t drag his heels. Your cover would have to be perfect.” His gaze was fixed absently on the airport tech filling the Cessna. “There would be a hell of a lot of loose ends to tie up…”
“Will you fix it?” Kendra asked. “Is there a place?”
His gaze shifted back to her. “It’s a big favor. You’d owe me.”
“Of course I would.” She asked slowly, spacing between each word. “Is there a place?”
He turned on his heel and started toward the Cessna. “There’s a place.” He was striding quickly across the tarmac. “Get on the plane, Waldridge. From now on, you do everything I tell you to do without question. Understand? You may be a god in your particular universe, but from now on your universe is limited to your lab. But if you manage to make it through this mess and win the Nobel Prize, I might even bow down and worship at the altar like the rest of your fans.”
“Not bloody likely,” Waldridge murmured as he fell into step with him as Kendra followed behind. “But I’m not a god, and I’m certainly not a fool. If Kendra says I need fixing, and you can do it, who am I not to cooperate?”
“Kendra needs to do some fixing herself.” Lynch was looking over his shoulder at Kendra. “I take it you went AWOL from the hospital?” When she nodded, he said, “When you leave here, you go back to your condo. Leave Waldridge’s rental car at a metered spot downtown. It’ll be towed and the rental car company will get a call once it hits the impound lot.”