Deadly Games - Cate Noble [99]
Rocco’s hands shook as he picked up the composite again. “I can’t believe this is Harry.”
“Obviously, he’s had surgery,” Max said. “Damn good, too.”
“He has Gena,” Rocco said. “I hope she doesn’t realize who he is until after I’ve killed him.”
“Can I help?” Dante moved in close. “If this is Harry, he sold Max and me out.”
“The bastard sold all of us out,” Max said.
“We need to lean harder on Ian,” Rocco said. “He has to know something that can help us track them down.”
“We could get Ian to send Harry a message regarding Rufin,” Travis suggested. “Try to lure him out.”
“That’s too obvious,” Rocco said. “Look, Harry claims that all he wants is Rufin’s drug formulas. Tell Ian to send a message that the chips have been retrieved intact, from Taz.”
Chapter Forty
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
October 7, 5:30 P.M.
Harry knew better than to celebrate too soon. He also knew to expect a trap. Always expect a trap.
When he’d gotten an urgent message from Ian Brown early this morning with news that Taz had been located and the data chips recovered, Harry had been cautious.
But when Harry had called him, Ian had expressed disappointment and apologized. “I contacted you prematurely. I thought they’d bring Dr. Rufin out of hiding to meet Taz. Instead they downloaded the data and will take a copy of it to Rufin. I’ll keep watching.”
“Can you access the data they downloaded?” Harry had asked.
“That depends on how many layers of security they have it buried under.”
“Check it out,” Harry had said. “I’m willing to pay a lot for a copy.”
It had taken Ian two hours to get back to Harry.
The next time they spoke, Ian had been a nervous wreck. “I found the data, but I’m afraid they’ll know it’s been compromised.”
“How?”
“I logged on with one of Erin Houston’s passwords. She works at the hospital where Taz is. I’ve used her password before to get info for Abe Caldwell. But this time I barely finished downloading when the server kicked me out and wouldn’t let me log in again. Do you know what that means?”
“It may mean nothing,” Harry soothed. “Now did you get a copy or not?”
“Oh, I got it all right. The whole freaking thing. It’s a gold mine. And a death sentence,” Ian had said.
That meant Ian had looked at his copy and realized the value of what he’d stolen. Ian had also realized he couldn’t return to work.
“I have to leave town,” Ian had gone on. “I sabotaged the server so they couldn’t trace it right away, but by tomorrow, I’ll be CIA toast.”
In the end, Harry had convinced Ian to part with the data for a half-million dollars. Which in the big scheme was nothing. In addition to scientific formulas, the data chips had details of Zadovsky’s business transactions. As blackmail, those alone were priceless.
It had taken some persuasion, but Ian had flown to Texas this afternoon on a private charter. He’d crossed the border to Nuevo Laredo an hour ago, expecting to meet with Edguardo tomorrow morning.
But Edguardo was on his way to Ian’s motel now. If the data Ian had was as good as Harry hoped, there was no need for Rocco to get to Rufin. And Gena’s last purpose in life would be to even an old personal score. With Rocco.
Harry wished he could have snapped a photograph of the look on her face last night when she had realized who he was. He had maneuvered her right in front of the bathroom mirror for the big moment. And for once in her life, Gena had not disappointed Harry. She’d been horrified.
He went into the living room, where Gena was tied to a chair.
“Miss me, honey?” He yanked the tape off her mouth, then cut the ropes at her ankles and wrists.
“I figure you’ve got to pee again,” he said. “And if you’re nice, I’ll feed you.”
She snatched the lapels of her bathrobe together, then rubbed her wrists to restore circulation. “How long do you intend to keep me here?”
Harry grabbed her arm and jerked her to her feet before shoving her toward the bathroom.