He looked up at her, startled. Jenny was usually unwaveringly proper.
“What?”
“You heard it. You need me to say it again? Okay, here you go: bull crap.” The word still sounded uncomfortable on her lips, but she said it with definite conviction.
“What’s bull crap, Jenny?”
“This. This talk about quitting. It’s absurd.”
“What are you talking about, Jenny? I thought this is what you wanted.”
“Look, Dan, it might be what I want. I might even have thought it was right. But I don’t anymore. They came into this house and took me away to be killed. These people deserve justice, and you’re the one who can bring it to them.
“But if it weren’t for me,” he said, looking down and trailing off. “If it weren’t for me, and what I do, you wouldn’t have been targeted.”
“If it hadn’t been you, then they would have attacked someone else. And that person probably would have died, because she wouldn’t have had you to protect her.”
“Jenny . . .”
“Don’t baby me, Dan. This is who you are, this is what you can give to the world. And it’s right for you to do it. So quit moping. It’s not like you.”
He smiled. God, that woman. “I guess I’d better go, then,” he said, standing up. Before he could take a single step, she approached him and kissed him deeply, and passionately.
“My hero,” she said. “Go to it. Oh, and Dan? Kick his ass.”
Morgan made it down to Zeta headquarters in fifteen minutes flat. He arrived to find Bloch at the war room table with Bishop, Shepard, and Barrett.
“Come join us,” said Bloch. “We were just having a strategy meeting, but I’ll fill you in. Our contacts tell us that the FBI has located the man who is behind the attacks. Shepard.” A surveillance image of a man appeared up on the screen. “He goes by Edmund Charles. The FBI has their sights on him. He has a safe deposit box at the Regency Trust here downtown, and he’s set up an appointment for tomorrow. They intend to run an operation and catch him in the bank. But we are going to snatch him right out of their jaws in the parking garage.”
“Uh, can I just come in with the obvious here?” said Barrett. “Why not let the FBI take care of it?”
“No,” said Morgan. “I’m not trusting a government agency with this. This guy sent Novokoff after my family. We are the ones who are going to take him.”
“The FBI has its rules and regulations,” said Bloch. “They won’t have the ability or will to use him to get to Novokoff. And that’s what we desperately need right now. The plan is that we catch him. We’ll have a van at the ready in the garage, and the tac team will make a quick extraction before he goes into the bank.”
“What if he gets away?” asked Morgan.
“He won’t,” said Bishop. “He won’t be expecting us. We know the location. We know exactly what to do. We’ll have live surveillance footage so we’ll see when he comes in. He won’t slip away.”
“I’d rather I was there, acting as insurance,” said Morgan. “In my car. If for some reason you don’t succeed, I’ll get him.”
“What makes you think you’ll be able to?” asked Bishop. “He got away last time.”
“I have better wheels this time around,” he said. “This time, he won’t be so lucky.”
CHAPTER 57
Boston, March 10
It was a clear and sunny day as Morgan waited on the street in his Shelby Cobra for Edmund Charles to arrive. He had a clear view of the exit to the garage of the building that housed the Regency Trust. It was half past seven in the morning when he saw the Audi TT Roadster approaching, and inside, Edmund Charles, still recognizable in a black wig. The car turned into the garage.
“Rabbit is in the hole,” Morgan said. “Repeat: rabbit is in the hole.” He turned the ignition key. He wasn’t going to get caught with his pants down.
“In position,” said Bishop.
There was a pause as Morgan listened for the others’ communication.
“He’s parked,” said Diesel. “Visual contact established.” A few seconds elapsed. “Why isn’t he coming out of the car?” asked Spartan.
“Something’s wrong,” said Bishop. “Look. He’s backing out. All units, move in! Don’t let him get away!”
“He’s gotten past me, moving toward the exit,” said Diesel.
“Cobra, heads up, he’s coming out!” said Spartan.
Morgan heard the rumble of the engine first, and then the Audi burst out of the entrance, breaking the barrier and squealing a tight curve at an exaggerated speed.