seconds, if that.
“Suzanne? Suzanne Blake?” he called out.
At first it didn’t register. But then she stopped, looked around. If
she saw him, Lee knew she might run. But her stopping had given him
the few seconds he needed. He circled and came up behind her.
Faith almost collapsed when he gripped her arm. “Turn around and walk
with me,” he said.
She pulled at his fingers. “Lee, you don’t understand. Please, let
me
“No, you don’t understand. The FBI is waiting for you at the San
Francisco gate.”
The words made her freeze.
“You messed up bad. You made the second reservation in your name. They
monitor stuff like that, Faith. They know you’re here now.”
They headed as quickly as they could back down the aisle to the
original departure gate. The plane was boarding. Lee grabbed their
bags, but instead of getting on the plane, Lee veered off, pulling
Faith along with him. They went back through security and headed
toward the elevator.
“Where are we going?” Faith said. “The plane to Norfolk is
leaving.”
“We’re getting the hell Out of here before they shut the whole terminal
down looking for us.”
They took the elevator down to the lower level, went outside and Lee
signaled for a taxi. They got in one, Lee gave the man an address in
Virginia and the cab pulled off. Only then did Lee look at her.
“We couldn’t get on the plane to Norfolk.”
“Why not? That ticket was in my other name.”
Lee glanced at the driver, an old guy slumped down in his seat
listening to country western on the radio.
Satisfied, Lee still spoke in low tones. “Because the first thing
they’ll do is check at the ticket counter to see who purchased the
ticket for Faith Lockhart. Then they’ll know Suzanne Blake did. And
they’ll know Charles Wright is traveling with you. And they’ll be
given descriptions of us both. And they’ll check the reservations for
Blake and Wright and the FBI will be waiting for us when we get off the
plane in Norfolk.”
Faith paled. “They move that fast?”
Lee trembled with rage. “Who the hell do you think you’re dealing with
here? Larry, Moe and Curly Joe?” He slapped his thigh in sudden
anger. “Sonofabitch!”
“What?” Faith said frantically. “What?”
“They have my gun. It’s registered in my name. My real name. Dammit!
Now I’ve aided and abetted, and the Feds right on our ass.” In his
despair he rested his head in his hands. “This must be my birthday,
things are going so good for me.”
Faith started to touch him on the shoulder, but pulled her hand back.
She looked out the window instead. “I’m sorry. I’m really, really
sorry.”
She put a hand against the car window, letting the cold from the glass
seep into her skin. “Look, just take me to the FBI. I’ll tell them
the truth.”
“That would be great except the FBI’s not going to take your word for
it. And there’s another thing.”
“What?” Faith wondered if he was going to tell her about working for
Buchanan.
“Not now.” Lee was actually thinking of the other men at the gate,
what he had seen in the hand of one of the men. “Right now I’d like
you to tell me what that was all about back there.”
She stared out the window at the choppy gray Potomac. “I’m not sure I
can,” she said so softly he could barely hear her.
“Well, I’d like you to try,” he said very firmly. “I’d like you to try
very, very hard.”
“I don’t think you’d understand.”
“I can understand with the best of them.”
She finally turned to him, her face flushed, her gaze refusing to catch
his. She nervously played with the edge of her jacket. “I just
thought it would be better if you weren’t with me. You see, I thought
you’d be safer that way.”
Lee looked away in disgust. “Bullshit!”
“It’s true!”
He whirled back around and clutched her shoulder so tightly she winced
in pain. “Listen, Faith, they were at my apartment, whoever they are.
They know I’m involved. Whether I’m with you or not, the danger level