Net Force - Tom Clancy [69]
He was ready to blast somebody, anybody who got in his face.
Nothing.
He stepped cautiously toward the bushes.
On the ground in a down position, front legs stretched out and looking up at him, was the little old ladys toy poodle. It yapped once. Wagged its tail.
Michaels shook his head. Jesus H. Christ!
He bent down. Cmere, boy. Here, Scout.
The dog came up and hurried over, head lowered and tail going like crazy. Michaels picked the little dog up. It licked his hand.
Michaels frowned, realized he was breathing way too fast. He blew out a big sigh and tried to calm himself.
What in hell was going on here?
22
Thursday, September 30th, 11:55 p.m. Washington, D.C.
Goddammit!
In her clean-car, driving into the Maryland night, the Selkies smoldering rage flared yet again. She pounded the steering wheel with the heel of her right hand. Shit, shit, shit!
She knew it was a waste of her energy, that it did no good at all. Done was done, and there was nobody to blame but herself. It was her fault. Shed put the damned dog into a down-stay, but she hadnt told him quiet. One of the goddamned cats must have spooked the dog, and naturally, hed barked at it because she hadnt told him not to!
Stupid. An amateurs mistake, so simple it never occurred to her. But even though it was a waste of her energy, it still pissed her off. She beat on the steering wheel again.
It was incredible, but that was how it always went when luck went bad. The smallest thing that could go wrong to screw up things always went wrong at exactly the wrong instant. That bark, just as she was set to strike, had ruined the deletion. A second earlier, and shed have been a smiling old lady hobbling along behind the target. A second later, and the target would have been out cold on the floor, waiting for the final stroke-game, tip over your king.
If the dog hadnt barked. If the target hadnt had a taser in his pocket. If that chair hadnt gotten in her way-
If, if, if.
Damn!
So now they had the dog, her cane, and unless they were all a whole lot stupider than was likely, they knew that Alexander Michaels was targeted by an assassin. Theyd find the place shed rented in the neighborhood quick enough, though there was nothing in it to tie her real identity to it. Theyd know shed been stalking him. She didnt think there was much they could use from what they had, but one thing for sure:
Getting to the target was going to be a whole lot harder now.
That brought a smile, despite her anger. Oh, yes, she was still going to delete the target, no question of that. The obstacles would be bigger, the risks riskier, but she didnt take a contract and not deliver. Never.
Well. Shed wanted a challenge. She sure as hell had one now.
Friday, October 1st, 12:34 a.m. Washington, D.C.
Alex was trying to pretend it was no big deal, but Toni knew better. He was rattled. He looked calm as he stood there, dressed in tan slacks and a T-shirt, with no shoes, holding the toy poodle that had been part of the would-be assassins cover. He petted the dog absently as the cops metaphorically tipped their hats and left. Theyd kept the local cops from lighting up the place with their flashers, but even so, there was a lot of activity around Alexs condo for this time of night. Neighbors peeped through windows or stood on door stoops, trying to puzzle out what was going on.
Toni was relieved that Alex was all right, that the assassination attempt had failed. And she was also gratified that he had called her first, before hed called anybody else. That meant something.
Toni had lost no time in co-opting this investigation. It belonged to Net Force, part of the Steve Day case. The local cops had been called in only to provide a net to catch the woman, and it was probably too late for that. The woman wasnt going to be hiding under a bush a block away or anything. If it was a woman. Maybe it was a small man under the disguise?
Alex?
Hmm?
Well need the dog.