Deadly Games - Cate Noble [11]
“This”—clearly furious, Travis held up the recorder—“suggests you knew in advance to expect the call. Exactly how long have you been meaning to call me?”
“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Rocco glanced at the two watchers who’d taken up positions next to the door, uncertain how freely he could talk in front of them.
While Travis had been largely incommunicado the last several days, Dante Johnson, Rocco’s coworker and closest friend at the Agency, had suggested Travis wasn’t happy to be hamstrung with the mysterious shadows whom Dante had jokingly dubbed Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Whoever they were, Rocco didn’t like them any more than Travis did. Both “Things” were big guys and each packed a small armory beneath their identical black suits. Clearly they were more than overseers. And they definitely weren’t spooks. NSA perhaps? Or bodyguards?
Travis nodded almost imperceptibly when Rocco frowned, indicating he should speak cautiously. Interesting. Given that the Things had already heard the recording, they now knew about as much as Rocco did.
“I got an e-mail from Minh Tran this evening,” Rocco said. “It had been sent yesterday to my personal account but got flagged as spam.”
“I want to see it. And anything else you have from Minh Tran.”
Rocco retrieved his laptop from where he’d left it charging on the small dinette table. He tapped in his password, opened a browser, and retrieved the e-mail.
Your eyes only. Call this number or your girlfriend dies.
Travis read the message. “Jesus! Maddy was abducted because Tran thinks you two are still involved?”
Rocco nodded. “And I’m damn sure not going to correct him.”
“Let me see the picture.” Travis stepped closer as the photograph of Maddy in the crate appeared on the screen. He groaned at the image. “Enlarge it.”
Rocco complied. “You can see Tran’s symbol here.”
“Can you forward a copy of that to my Blackberry?”
“Sure.”
“Any chance the crate is a ruse, to make us think she’s overseas when actually she’s still in the U.S.? Tran’s got strong connections in San Francisco.”
Rocco shook his head. “He knows we’d expect that. The best way to secure a hostage is to keep her close to his home turf. Which explains why we haven’t heard anything before now.”
“Transport time.” Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “What else do you know?”
“That this will ruin your claim of plausible denia-bility when I disappear again.”
Travis snorted. “Trust me; it was ruined earlier by a tip that the Thai government is circulating your photograph with REWARD printed on it. It doesn’t sound like Minh Tran is the only one expecting you.”
Shrugging, Rocco shut down his laptop and slid it in his rucksack. “I wouldn’t read too much into that. It’s no secret Tran keeps a few officials on his payroll.”
“This time it’s different. Tran and the government have a conflict of interest. The Thai government wants Dr. Rufin, too. They’ve tripled the reward for Rufin’s capture. Consequently, we’ve got bounty hunters springing up like mushrooms after rain.”
“Great,” Rocco muttered. “Guess I’ll have to be extra sneaky.”
“You can’t go after her.”
“I have to. The official investigation’s been bungled from the get-go. And we both know the Agency’s policy on hostage negotiation.” The CIA didn’t negotiate. Period. “I’m Maddy’s only chance at a rescue.”
“Do you really think I’d abandon her, too?” Indignation flashed in Travis’s eyes and quickly disappeared. “She’s been part of the team since Dante’s return. Some of her research has been invaluable.”
“But I feel personally responsible,” Rocco said. “It’s my fault she was targeted to begin with.”
“No, it’s Minh Tran’s fault. Maddy will get help. Just not from you.”
“Then whom?”
“Someoneweboth trust. Someone who can follow up other leads as well.” Travis’s eyes slid to his watchers. “There are other developments you’re not aware of.”
“Like?”
“Tran’s hedging his bets by going after others he thinks you care for. Your sister’s place was broken into earlier