rear floor of the Mercedes, behind the driver’s seat.
They drove down the dirt road to the gate, on the other side of which
they had parked the Ford.
As they had hoped, on the same ring with the car keys, they found a key
that fit the padlock on the gate.
Benny brought the Ford inside, and as he edged past her, Rachael drove
the Mercedes out through the gate and parked just beyond.
She waited nervously with the 560 S.E.L, her thirty-two in one hand and
her gaze sweeping the surrounding forest.
Benny went down the road on foot, out of sight, to the three vehicles
that were parked on the lay-by near one of the driveway entrances they
had passed earlier on their way up the mountainside. He carried with
him the two license plates from the Mercedes-plus a screwdriver and a
pair of pliers. When he returned, he had the plates from one of the
Dodge Chargers, which he attached to the Mercedes.
He got in the car with her and said, “When you get to Vegas, go to a
public phone, look up the number for a guy named Whitney Gavis.”
“Who’s he?”
“An old friend. And he works for me. He’s watching over that rundown
motel I told you about-the Golden Sand Inn. In fact, he found the
property and turned me on to its potential. He’s got keys. He can let
you in.
Tell him you need to stay in the manager’s suite and that I’ll be
joining you tonight. Tell him as much as you want to tell him, he can
keep his mouth shut, and if he’s going to be dragged into it, he should
know how serious this is.”
“What if he’s heard about us on the radio or TV?”
“Won’t matter to Whitney. He won’t believe we’re killers or Russian
agents. He’s got a good head on him, an excellent bullshit detector,
and nobody has a better sense of loyalty than Whit. You can trust him.”
“If you say so.”
“There’s a two-car garage behind the motel office.
Make sure you put the Mercedes in there, out of sight, soon as you
arrive.
“I don’t like this.”
“I’m not crazy about it, either,” Benny said. “But it’s the right plan.
We’ve already discussed it.” He leaned over and put one hand against
her face, then kissed her.
The kiss was sweet, and when it ended she said, “As soon as you’ve
searched the cabin, you’ll leave? Whether or not you’ve found any clue
to where Eric might’ve gone?”
“Yes. I want to get out before the feds show up.”
“And if you find a clue to where he’s gone, you won’t go after him
alone?”
“What did I promise you?”
“I want to hear you say it again.”
“I’ll come for you first,” Benny said. “I won’t tackle Eric alone.
We’ll handle him together.”
She looked into his eyes and was not sure if he was telling the truth or
lying. But even if he was lying, she could do nothing about it because
time was running out.
They could delay no longer.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, Benny. And if you get yourself killed, I’m never going to
forgive you.
He smiled. “You’re some woman, Rachael. You could rouse a heartbeat in
a rock, and you’re all the motivation I need to come back alive.
Don’t you worry about that.
Now, lock the doors when I get outkay?”
He kissed her again, lightly this time. He got out of the car, slammed
the door, waited until he saw the power-lock buttons sinking into their
mountings, then waved her on.
She drove down the gravel lane, glancing repeatedly in the rearview
mirror to keep Benny in sight as long as possible, but eventually the
road turned, and he th sappeared beyond the trees.
Ben drove the rental Ford up the dirt lane, parked in front of the
cabin. A few big white clouds had appeared in the sky, and the shadow
of one of them rippled across the log structure.
Holding the twelve-gauge in one hand and the Combat Magnum in the
other-Rachael had taken only the thirty-twhe climbed the steps to the