The Chemist

  "I keep hoping he'll walk through the door," Daniel admitted, opening his eyes and staring down. "But I can feel it in my gut--that's not going to happen."

  "I know. I wish I were wrong."

  His eyes flashed up to hers. "If our positions were reversed, he'd do something. He'd find a way. But there's nothing I can do. I'm not Kevin."

  "Kevin would be in the same position we are. He wouldn't know where they were keeping you. If he did, he'd still be impossibly outgunned. There wouldn't be anything he could do."

  Daniel shook his head and sank down onto the bed. "Somehow, none of that would have stopped him."

  Alex sighed. Daniel was probably right. Kevin would have some secret informant, or another camera angle, or a way to hack into Deavers's system. He wouldn't give up and run. But Alex wasn't Kevin, either. She couldn't even poison Carston while he was still oblivious. He wasn't anymore, she was sure of that.

  "Let me think," she repeated. "I'll try to figure a way out."

  Daniel nodded. "But together, Alex. We leave together. We stay together."

  "Even if that puts both of us at risk?"

  "Even then."

  Alex threw herself back onto the bed, hiding her face again with her arms.

  If there had been some perfect escape for them, she would have tried it earlier. The whole reason she was here in the first place was that the escape option had failed. Now the attack option had failed. It didn't leave her feeling very optimistic.

  It was funny how you didn't realize how much you had to lose until it was gone. Yes, she knew she was in deep with Daniel; she'd embraced that disadvantage. But who would have thought she would miss Kevin? How had he become her friend? Not even a friend, because you chose your friends. More like family--the brother you tried to avoid at family gatherings. She'd never had anything like that, but this must be what it felt like, the pain of losing something you'd never wanted but had come to count on anyway. Kevin's arrogant self-assurance had made her feel almost safe in a way she hadn't for years. His team was the winning team. His invulnerability was the safety net.

  Or used to be.

  And the dog. She couldn't even think about the dog or she'd be incapacitated. She wouldn't be able to make her brain work toward any kind of solution.

  Again, the image of Kevin on her table flashed across the black insides of her eyelids. If only she could know that he was already dead, that would be something. If she could believe he wasn't in agony right now. Surely he was smart enough to have had a way out. Or was he so certain of himself that failure was never part of the plan?

  She thought she knew enough about Deavers from his moves up to this point to be sure he wouldn't waste an opportunity if there were any way to find an edge in it.

  She honestly wished the situation were reversed. If she'd been the one caught, she would have been able to take a quick, painless exit, leaving Deavers and Carston no information about the others. Whatever Kevin had done wrong, however he had failed, he was still the one best qualified to keep Daniel alive. And Val, too, for that matter. Val would have the easiest escape in the short term, but neither Carston nor Deavers seemed like the type to give up on a witness.

  If Kevin were the one in Alex's place, trying to come up with a plan, what would he do?

  Alex didn't know. He had resources she knew nothing about, resources she couldn't duplicate. But even then, running would have to be his only option. He might come back to try again later, but it wasn't like he could keep going after the potential vice president's kill team today. Now was the time to disappear and regroup.

  Or, in her case, disappear and try to stay gone.

  That obnoxious image of Kevin on the table wouldn't leave her head. The problem with being a professional interrogator was that she knew, in intimate detail, all the options for what they could be doing to him now. It was impossible not to mark the passing minutes, imagine how the questioning was progressing.

  Daniel was quiet. The packing hadn't taken him long; they hadn't spread out here, gotten comfortable. They'd known from the beginning that they might have to leave at any moment, whether because of another disaster or simply wearing out their welcome with Val.

  She could guess what he was feeling. He wouldn't want to believe things had gone so wrong. He wouldn't want to believe Kevin could be dead or that death was the best outcome for Kevin now. He would remember how Kevin had come through the roof in the middle of the night to save him and feel guilty that he couldn't do the same. More than guilty--helpless, weak, furious, culpable, cowardly... All the things she was already starting to feel.

  But there was nothing she could do about Kevin. If she and Kevin switched places, there would be nothing Kevin could do, either. He wouldn't know where they were keeping her. The bad guys wouldn't choose a location that either Alex or Kevin would know about. They had thousands of options open to them. And if there were some way to know where their hideout was, they certainly wouldn't be careless about the security there. Kevin would be just as helpless as she was.

  She shouldn't waste time thinking about the impossible. She needed to focus.

  She had to operate under the assumption that Kevin was still alive, and the bad guys would soon know both she and Daniel were also alive, and nearby. They would know Val's name and address. They would know the make, model, color, and probably plate number of the only two cars they currently had access to. It was time to distance themselves from as many of those facts as possible.

  Alex sat up slowly. "We'd better load the car and get moving."

  Daniel was leaning against the wall beside the stack of bags with his arms crossed over his chest. Red rimmed his eyes. He nodded.

  Val was nowhere to be seen as they ventured out into the great room, both weighed down with bags. The space seemed colder, bigger without the dog in it. Alex walked quickly to the front door.

  They didn't speak in the elevator or as they walked to the car. Alex dropped her bags by the trunk and fished the keys out of her pocket.

  A hushed scraping sound broke the short silence. It sounded like it was coming from close beside or maybe underneath the car.

  I'm an idiot, Alex thought to herself as she dropped into a crouch next to the bag that she desperately hoped contained the guns but most likely held medical supplies. She knew how precarious their situation was, yet she'd walked into the parking garage unarmed.

  She'd relied on Kevin to hold out longer. Stupid.

  Daniel had the heavier bags. She could tell as soon as her hand rested on the bag in front of her that it contained first-aid gear--first aid she wouldn't have a use for now. At least she had her rings and belt. So she'd have to be close. No resisting at first. That was, if they didn't just shoot her immediately.

  Not even a full second passed as she made these calculations. The first noise was quickly followed by another, a low whine that definitely came from under the car. The sound took her back to a different panicked moment, by a dark porch in Texas. It wasn't a human sound.

  Alex crouched lower, leaned her head down so it was almost touching the asphalt floor of the garage. The dark shadow beneath the sedan pulled itself closer.

  "Einstein?" She gasped.

  "Einstein?" Daniel echoed behind her.

  Alex crawled around to the side of the car to where Einstein was closest. "Einstein, are you okay? Come here, boy."

  The dog crept toward her until he was free of the car. She ran her hands along his back and legs.

  "Are you hurt?" she crooned. "It's okay. I'll take care of it."

  His fur was matted and wet in a few places, but when she pulled her hands away to check, they weren't red--just dirty. His paws were cut up a bit and he panted like he was dehydrated or exhausted or both.

  "Is he all right?" Daniel asked, close beside her.

  "I think so. It looks like he's had a rough night, though."

  "C'mere, boy," Daniel said, reaching for him. Einstein got to his feet, and then Daniel scooped him up. Einstein licke
d his face over and over again.

  "Get him upstairs. I'll load this stuff in the car and follow."

  "Okay." Daniel hesitated, then gulped a ragged breath. "It's all true."

  "Yes." She popped the trunk without looking up.

  She heard him turn and walk away. The sound of Einstein's panting faded.

  It didn't take her long to get things squared for their departure. The garage stayed quiet and empty of people, as usual. Maybe this was Val's private floor of the parking garage. Maybe all these cars belonged to her. Alex wouldn't be completely shocked if that was the case.

  Shouldn't Alex feel better that the dog was okay? Part of her must have been hoping that she was wrong, that she'd overreacted. That it was just a mistake.

  When she walked back into the living room, Val was on the floor with the dog. Einstein was curled in her lap with his head on her shoulder, and Daniel knelt beside them.

  Val looked up at her, still wearing the hard-doll face. "Now is when you get to say I told you so."

  "Do you need help getting out of here?" Alex asked.

  "I've had to disappear before. It's been a while, but that's not something you forget."

  Alex nodded. "I'm sorry, Val."

  "Me, too," Val responded. "Do you think... are you going to take the dog?"

  Alex blinked in surprise. "Yes."

  "Oh." Val pressed her face into Einstein's fur. "Gimme a minute." Her voice came out muffled.

  "Sure," Alex said. They had a few hours. This location was the last thing Kevin would give up. He'd sent the dog back to warn them. He was fighting for them.

  Besides, she still had one unlikely avenue of information, and she should probably check that out while she had access to a high-speed Internet connection. She went to the computer on the island.

  Carston had been pretty tight-lipped up till now, but maybe he'd finally give something away. At the least, she should be able to construe the approximate time Kevin had been taken. Surely there would be a call to mark that. Maybe some travel. Carston was the expert on this front, not Deavers.

  The tracker was an easy check. Carston's vehicle was at his office, as usual for a workday. He might have taken another car, though. She checked the sound feed--Carston was in the office. She scrolled back to listen to his conversations.

  Here was something telling. Carston had been in the office for a while--usually he got in at six, but there was activity beginning around three thirty a.m. She wanted to kick herself for not checking backward on the recording before heading out this morning.

  His first call was short. Just "I'm here" and "What's the status?" It wasn't hard to draw conclusions from that. Someone had woken Carston up with the news and he'd headed to the office. With zero traffic, it would only have taken him ten minutes to make the drive. Factor in throwing some clothes on, brushing teeth, et cetera, and the call could have come in anywhere from two thirty to three fifteen.

  She looked at the clock on her computer, calculating how long they'd had Kevin. They would have had to subdue him in the beginning, then wait for him to be fully cognizant if they'd knocked him out. Then they'd have to decide on a course of action and bring in a specialist...

  Was that Carston's second call? At three forty-five, Carston had dialed out.

  "What's the play?... I don't like it... Fine, fine, if that's the best option... What?... You know how I feel about it... Like you say, it's your problem... I want updates."

  He never said much, and the words had probably a thousand possible interpretations, but she couldn't help applying her own.

  No, Kevin wasn't dead.

  There was a long stretch of silence. Typing, pacing, breathing; that was all. No calls. It didn't sound like he left the room once. She could almost hear Carston's anxiety and it made her more anxious than she already was. Where were his updates? Was he getting them in e-mails?

  Maybe they were lucky. Maybe the specialist had to be brought in from a distance. Maybe Kevin was just being held, anticipating. That was one face of the game, and she'd played the card before--let the subject wait, visualize, panic. Let him lose the fight in his own head before it began.

  Not likely, in this case. They knew Daniel was alive. They'd suspect he had other help here in the city. They would not want to give Kevin's confederates time to escape.

  The clock was ticking for Carston and Deavers, too. They'd made the call. They'd heard her pick up, then disconnect. She hadn't called back to see if it was an accidental dial. The phone was ditched. They would guess the partner was already running.

  Like she should be.

  Alex came out of her intense reverie, realizing for the first time that Daniel was perched on the stool beside her, watching the reactions play across her face. Val was leaning against the counter by the sink, Einstein at her feet, also watching.

  "Just a little longer," she told them, scrubbing through the long silence in Carston's office. She didn't want to miss anything, but she couldn't afford to listen through the empty spaces in real time.

  She paused when his voice began, and then carefully backed up. He'd dialed out again. The tone of his voice was one hundred eighty degrees from what it had been. It was such a shift it jarred her. She wondered if she'd somehow messed up the program and pulled up an earlier recording.

  It was his kindly-grandpa voice.

  "I didn't wake you, did I? How did you sleep? Yes, sorry, I have a small emergency on my plate. I had to come into the office... No, don't cancel the plans. Take Livvy to the zoo. It's going to get hotter tomorrow... You know I don't have a choice in these things, Erin. I am sorry I can't be there today, but there's nothing I can do about it... Livvy will have a great time without me. She can tell me all about it tonight at dinner. Take lots of pictures... I can't make any promises, but I hope to be free by dinnertime... That's not fair... Yes, I remember that I told you this would be a light week, but you know how the job works, honey. No guarantees."

  A big sigh.

  "I love you. Give Livvy a kiss for me. I'll let you know when I'm free."

  She had chills when he hung up. Carston thought it would be over by dinnertime? Or was he just placating his daughter?

  More silence, more typing. He must be getting the updates electronically. Kevin was in the thick of it, Alex was sure. Was he talking yet? She didn't have a clue.

  There was nothing more until she caught up to the present time. She checked the tracker. Carston wasn't going anywhere. Deavers must be handling his problem.

  Still listening through her earbuds, Alex leaned her forehead against her arms. Carston was typing again.

  She pictured him at his desk, poker face in place as he sent out directions or questions. Would he be flushed with anxiety? Would tension sweat drip off his pale, bald head? No, she was sure he would be cool and precise, no more worked up than if he were typing out a request for paper supplies.

  He'd know the right things to ask, even if Deavers didn't. He could manage the whole operation from his ergonomically correct desk chair. He'd see Kevin tortured to death, then run out for his dinner reservations without a second thought.

  The sudden anger that flared up almost choked her.

  What was happening now had nothing to do with national security or saving lives. Carston was running a private vendetta for a man who was quite possibly the kind of person who actually belonged on an interrogation table. Carston had crossed the line from arguably necessary black ops to purely criminal acts a long time ago, and it didn't seem to have affected him at all. Maybe it had always been this way. Maybe everything she'd done for him, every inhuman action she'd performed in the name of public safety, had been a scam.

  Did he think he was so untouchable? That these hidden choices would never touch his public life? Did he think he was exempt? Did he not realize that he had liabilities, too?

  There were worse things than being poisoned.

  Alex's breath caught. Unexpectedly, a new avenue, something she'd never considered before, opened
up inside her mind. It was a reach, and she knew it. There were a thousand things that would probably go wrong, a million ways to screw it up. It would be almost impossible, even with a year to plan every detail.

  She felt Daniel's hand on her back. Through her earbuds, she heard him ask, "Alex?" in a worried tone.

  She looked up slowly. She stared at Daniel, assessing. She examined Val the same way.

  "Give me ten more minutes," she said, then she put her head down on her arms and concentrated once more.

  CHAPTER 28

  Alex spoke quickly as she laid out her plan, emphasizing the details she was sure of a little more than necessary. She tried to make it sound well thought out, like she was confident about it. Daniel seemed to be buying her version, listening intently, nodding at certain intervals, but Alex couldn't read Val at all. Her eyes were focused toward Alex, but almost like she was looking through Alex's face to the back of her head. Her expression was politely distant.

  Alex talked through the conclusion, which wasn't nearly as fail-safe as she would have liked it to be, and she could tell she wasn't selling the outcome as well as she had the preliminaries. She looked down at Einstein's face resting on her leg instead of at the human faces, petting him more frequently as her discomfort grew. Trying to wrap it up on a positive note, she went on a little longer than she should have. She was still midsentence when Val interrupted.

  "No," Val said.

  "No?" Alex repeated. She said the word like a question, but she was already resigned.

  "No. I won't do that. You're going to get killed. It's nice that you want to go back for Kevin, but be realistic, Alex. This isn't going to work."

  "It might. They won't be expecting this. They won't be ready."

  "It doesn't matter if they're ready or not. There will be more than enough of them to make up for it. So you get off a lucky shot and take one down. The guy next to him will get you."

  "We don't even know how many people will be there."

  "Exactly," Val said in a flat voice.

  "Val, they won't pay attention to you. You'd just be an anonymous aide. These people see hundreds of assistants every day. You'll be invisible to them."

  "I have never been invisible in my life."

  "You know what I mean."

  Val looked at her with a perfectly smooth face. "No."