Part 22 (1/2)

Carly scrunched her face up and gave Reed a doubtful look. ”I don't want to eat things that aren't good for me, I might get sick and die, like my real mommy.”

Reed frowned, ”Did Julia tell you that honey?”

Carly shook her head, ”No, I figured that out myself. She told me that you and mommy went to some place called Afghanistan and that now mommy is living with the Angels. Is that right daddy?”

Looking out at the traffic for a long time Reed finally looked at his daughter, smiled and said, ”You know I don't like talking about all that kind of stuff honey, it all happened such a long time ago. I know it's hard for you right now, but maybe when you are older you will understand.”

”Oh, I understand,” said Carly, her voice matter of fact. ”And I don't mind, not a single bit. I like Angels, I like them a lot. When they come and visit, they help me tidy my room.”

Reed looked out into the traffic, saw it beginning to move, so he slid his foot off the break and let the big SUV roll forwards. Jeez he thought, kids say the craziest things sometimes.

54.

Oahu, Hawaii Donald Mlama didn't look surprised to see her. Sure, he stopped dead on the quayside for a double- take second while he processed the scene, but he corrected so seamlessly, the untrained observer might have taken this pause as the prelude to some kind of delighted welcome.

”This is a pretty nice boat you got here Donald,” said Karyn, her feet resting on the stern.” ”I thought I might b.u.mp into you Ms. Kane.

You will have to excuse me, but I have a busy day ahead of me. If you have any further questions regarding the Johnston case, I suggest we meet up in my office at a more mutually convenient time-” ”Cut the bulls.h.i.+t Donald and climb on board. I want to talk to you now.”

Donald Mlama looked nervously over his shoulder, like he was making ready to run off down the quayside. ”I don't know that would be such a good idea Ms. Kane. I understand there were a series of unfortunate events last night, events that fall outside my jurisdiction.”

”Have you heard yourself Donald? You sound like Lemony Snicket. Now climb aboard right now, or I am liable to get all cranky and you better trust me when I tell you that you don't want that to

happen.”

Mlama paused, his lips working like he was going to let rip with some smart a.s.sed comment, then suddenly thought better of it. He made as though he was going to climb aboard, but Karyn held up her hand, ”Hold it. Stop right there.”

The Chief paused, one foot riding the quayside, the other reaching out for the boat, ”What in the h.e.l.l are you talking about Kane? You want to talk to me, so I am coming aboard.” His foot wavered mid air and he said, ”It is my G.o.dd.a.m.n boat after all, you shouldn't even be here.” The words came hollow, like he was trying to believe them himself.

”Can the righteous indignation Donald. Save it for someone who gives a d.a.m.n and while you are about it, take your left hand and very carefully reach out that snub nosed .38 you have got nestling down the back of your pants. I wouldn't want you to blow yourself a new a.s.shole before I have had chance to pipe you aboard.”

”I am the Chief of Police, I have a license for that weapon, d.a.m.n you.”

”Real cute Donald. You sound like you got yourself a halo to polish. Now, do as I tell you-do it slow and easy and once you are done reaching it out, I want you drop that bad boy into the ocean.”

”I have had this gun for close to twenty years d.a.m.n you, it was a present from Daryl Gates.”

”You ever shoot anyone with it Donald?”

”No, I never had to,” said Mlama. ”But that's hardly the point, the weapon has sentimental value.”

”I can understand why a family man such as yourself would get all sentimental Donald. You got your pretty wife to think about, your kids and career too, I could understand you getting all weepy about something like that, but crying over some hunk of oily metal? You got to be kidding me right?”

Mlama gave her a nasty look. He opened his mouth like he was going to argue some more, then his eyes ranged down and saw the Sig Saur with the black suppressor sitting in her lap.

Karyn gave him a pleasant smile, ”What's the matter Donald, are you thinking I can't take you out right here and now? Perhaps you think you can pull one of those fast little gun fighter moves they teach you down at the Police Department pistol range? Well, be my guest. But, it would all be rather messy wouldn't it, you bleeding out, all over this lovely white upholstery?”

Mlama looked sour faced. He reached out the gun as directed, holding it gingerly between finger and thumb and dropped it into the soft lapping ocean that played against the dockside. The water swallowed the gun whole, with barely a sound. ”You don't know what you are dealing with Kane,” he said gruffly.

Karyn nodded and said, ”So step aboard Donald. Sit yourself down and tell me all about it.”

Donald Mlama climbed stiffly aboard. His face taught and grey. He looked like a man who was about to take a long walk into d.a.m.nation. Karyn rose up out of the big white reel chair and directed his pa.s.sage with the tip of her gun. ”No, not there, over here.” She pointed towards the wheelhouse with her gun.

Mlama looked at the captain's chair, then back at Karyn, his mouth working open and shut, like a puzzled guppy. ”You have got to be kidding me.”

Karyn raised her gun. ”Do I look like I am joking?”

He looked at her then, looked at the gun and gathered his thoughts very carefully, ”No, I don't suppose you do,” he said.

Karyn smiled, gave a quiet nod then said, ”So, be a good boy, and hop in the chair, we are going on a little sightseeing trip.”

He looked alarmed then, just the briefest hint of desperation flas.h.i.+ng across his face. He tried to correct, tried to make out things were copacetic, but Donald Mlama's world was in turmoil, every safe little convenience he had taken for granted in his life thus far swept away by a wave of growing horror.

”There isn't enough fuel to go anywhere,” he stammered, his guppy lips working open and shut.

”Yes there is,” said Karyn flatly. ”We are going on a little fis.h.i.+ng trip Donald and I better catch the answers I am looking for, or you and me are going to have a little fall out.”

”You can't do this-what about regulations? There are rules to be followed-Laws-If you think you are going to intimidate me into making some kind of spurious admissions Kane, I will report to your superiors at the Justice Department-They will throw your a.s.s in a sling when they get to hear of this.”

Karyn scrunched her face. ”That little statement right there Donald is an indication of just how much trouble you are in.”

He paused then, his guppy mouth falling slowly wide, as the implications. .h.i.t home. ”You are not from the Justice Department at all, are you?”

Karyn gave him a dead look. ”You ain't the Chief of Detectives for nothing are you Mlama? He stared back at her. She could see the pulse in his neck pounding, he licked his lips and said quietly, ”You cannot kill me-you would never get away with it.”

”You would be surprised what I can get away with,” said Karyn. ”Now, get this boat into gear, we are heading, up the coast.” Mlama moved wordlessly into the Captain's chair and started the boats engines. As they roared into life, foaming water boiled at the stern. Karyn popped her switchblade and cut the mooring ropes, all the while keeping her gun carefully trained on Mlama. Released from its moorings, the powerful boat cut out into the channel, quickly moving towards the open sea. Karyn stood right behind Mlama, pressing the hard black barrel of the Sig into his spine, letting him know who was in charge; letting him understand that if he tried anything- anything at all-this was one sailing trip he would never come back from.

55.

The Pacific Buchanan moved up the ladder first, climbing high over the top of the bridge, then moving higher onto the spine of the s.h.i.+p. Kellerman followed after him. Together they began winding their way around the communications antenna and the satellite navigation boxes. There were a dozen bullet holes in the Sat-nav boxes; high-velocity rounds had torn into the complex electronics leaving a spew of blackened wires shorting into each other. No wonder the electronic systems had been unable to cope, thought Kellerman darkly.