Page 55

CHAPTER 55

R ose’s plan was solid, so I made some calls and then right after breakfast, I gathered the troops in Ecstasy—Pike and Luke for firepower and Jackie as our medic—and Rose went to talk to the Ferrells. Her distraction plan was brilliant; its only real weakness was that it relied on their cooperation. But if anyone was up to the task of turning them from the dark side to the light side, it was Rose.

I gave Rose a kiss goodbye, something I’d never done before any mission in my long career, hoping it wasn’t the last. I figured we had a fifty-fifty chance of success. I’d gone in with worse odds but never as much at stake personally.

“See you soon,” Rose said.

“Absolutely,” I said with as much optimism as I could muster and with what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

She didn’t seem reassured. Possibly due to my failings in the smile department, or maybe just her realistic approach to what was coming. One thing I loved about her was that she was realistic once she gave up on the Cheery Boost.

My team took Luke’s minivan to Betty’s. The van was dull tan with wood paneling, which you don’t see much anymore. With good reason. However, it held some secrets. It was a 1993 Chrysler Town and Country that Marley and Reggie had rebuilt and made into an EV. I’d made fun of the old vehicle the first time I saw it, but subsequent events had shown me the error of my ways. Plus Luke’s admonition that if I poked any more slurs at it, he’d take it personally. The electric power meant it ran relatively silent and had great acceleration. More importantly, it had a locker full of weapons and other goodies in the back that were going to come in handy.

I knew we—meaning Luke, Jackie, Pike, and me—were seen by the CCTV as we got inside the van in front of Ecstasy and tracked by the static cameras out of town heading toward Betty’s. That was what we wanted. I’d already texted Betty earlier and let her know we were coming. Her reply was familiar and made me smile:

SHIT

We pulled up outside the white picket fence. We were no longer under surveillance since the drone wasn’t getting launched for several hours. The G63 was parked there along with the pickup truck and the snowcat. Behind the fence, two llamas eyed us suspiciously. At least I thought the look they were giving us was one of suspicion. They were llamas, they always looked suspicious.

But then Tanke showed up behind them and walked between the two. He put a big hand on their necks, rubbing affectionally, and their heads turned toward each other. Tanke, the mute llama whisperer.

Tanke pointed to the cottage. Pike, Luke, Jackie, and I trooped through the gate and then into the cottage. Jackie had her black bag, and the rest of us sported combat vests and automatic weapons. Betty had her dining room table set for tea and the pot was on the stove. Dmitri was seated facing the door and the treasure chest was against the wall.

“Welcome,” Dmitri said as Betty asked us how we took our tea. She had one arm in a sling and Dmitri hustled to help her serve as we sat down. We stacked weapons.

After everyone was seated in a civilized manner with a cup of tea, it was time to discuss violence.

Dmitri beat me to the plan. “I take it from the various accessories you are carrying and your cryptic text to Betty earlier that this is not purely a social visit.”

“Herc is coming today,” I said, leading with the headline. “The Ferrells will be launching the drone at fourteen hundred to provide him with overhead surveillance.”

“Are you sure he will be here?” Dmitri said.

“He told me he’s coming,” I said. “I’m sure he’ll be bringing gunslingers. Dogs.”

“So there will be a fight,” Dmitri said.

Betty wasn’t looking pleased at the prospect.

“I would like to avoid that,” I said.

“And how do you propose doing that?” Dmitri asked.

The door opened and Tanke came in. He moved to a position where he could watch all of us.

“Give Herc the treasure,” I said.

Dmitri sighed and shook his head. “I cannot do that.”

“You can,” I said. “There’s nothing you can do with the damn treasure anyway. You don’t have Herc’s connections. Let him have it and sell it to some billionaire. You’ve told Betty you’d like to live here. The treasure won’t help you do that.”

“It has nothing to do with Herc,” Dmitri said. “Nor money. I told you that Herc has a counterpart in Moscow. He wants the treasure also. More so than Herc. Tanke and I will never be free unless we send it to him. And I assure you, that counterpart can just as easily hire a team of dogs to come lay waste to this town to get the treasure. He will also send people to our Gulag and murder our friends. It is not just our freedom we will be buying.”

Betty spoke up. “You know better than this, Max. Giving Herc what he wants is appeasement. He wants more than the treasure. He wants Rocky Start. And he’ll take out anyone who stands in his way. It’s been building up to this. That’s what I finally see.”

“I had to give it a try,” I said.

Betty nodded. “You know Herc has to go down. So what’s the plan?”

I’d known my Plan A, giving the treasure to Herc, wasn’t viable, but I’d felt duty-bound to float it. “All right. Rose had a really good idea. And if it’s going to work, we need to get going now.”

“Going where?” Betty asked.

I pointed at the chest in the corner. “Herc knows the treasure is here. He followed us back with it via the drone yesterday. His CCTV has the roads out of town covered and he knows it hasn’t left. Nor you,” I added, nodding toward Dmitri. “So he’s coming in heavy. He’s going to take it by force. We need to make that happen on our terms. In a place of our choosing. And it needs to surprise him and his dogs.”

Jackie spoke up, concerned. “We’re going to fight dogs?”

“It’s a term,” Betty said, “for mercenaries.”

Jackie nodded. “Right. Mercenaries.”

Betty smiled at her. “You’re jumping in the deep end, aren’t you?”

Jackie shrugged. “I’ve worked in some of the toughest emergency rooms in the country. Three times there were shootings in the ER while I was trying to save a patient.”

“That was your work,” Betty said. “Why are you doing this ?”

“My daughter wants to live in Rocky Start,” Jackie said.

“And you?” Betty pressed.

“And me,” Jackie agreed, not able to stop herself from taking a quick glance at Luke. “For a while.”

“Good enough,” Betty said. “What’s the plan, Max?”

I noticed Pike had yet to say anything, just following the conversation.

I continued. “We make them think the treasure, and we, are someplace we aren’t.” Seeing their confused looks, I gave them the details. “The Ferrells launch the drone now but keep Herc out of the feed. He won’t be looking for it until fourteen hundred.” I pointed up. “They put it overhead and start recording. We load the treasure in the G63. We convoy to Pike’s cabin with the drone following our movement. Off-load the treasure in Pike’s cabin. Prepare an ambush there. All of this is recorded by the Ferrells. Then they bring the drone back, turn it off, and recharge it for Herc’s use later. They download the footage and then?—”

Pike was nodding as he finished the plan. “Play it when Herc orders the drone up. He’ll think he’s seeing a live feed.”

“Right. And he’ll head to Pike’s cabin, thinking we’re there. But we’ll ambush him along the forest road. Surprise him and his dogs.”

“I like it,” Dmitri said, “but there is much that can go wrong.”

“Every plan goes to shit once contact with the enemy is made,” I said. “You have a better plan? Other than giving Herc the treasure?”

Betty pointed out the weakest part. “Can we count on the Ferrells? What if they go live with the feed when Herc wants it? Betray us?”

“Rose is dealing with the Ferrells,” I said.

“If anyone can get them to flip,” Pike said, “it’s Rose.”

Betty, Jackie, and Luke nodded.

I liked how everyone had such confidence in Rose. I did, too, but I was also worried about all the unknowns. The variables that would pop up once we came into direct conflict with Herc.

“She’ll text me when the drone is ready,” I said.