Running Off Radar, page 11
“Right?” Stu asked.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“I said, shitty way for them to repay us for saving their asses. These are the same guys that Maydayed out on the Sound a couple weeks ago. Coast Guard hauled them out, even salvaged their boat.”
“They came in by boat?” Not a plane or the ferry. Or a sub. “What kind?”
“Fishing trawler registered to some holding company up on the Bering Strait,” Officer Joe replied over the speaker. “Didn’t say anything about diplomatic immunity then. What kind of official state business has you sport fishing and shanghaiing women?”
Stu shook his head. “You know they’ll never tell us. And they probably won’t pay the salvage fees, either. Diplomats.” He spat the last word out like an epithet.
“Not real ones,” Joe corrected. “Just some corporate goons in bed with the Politburo, or whatever it’s called now. I think they got sent to scout out a factory site. They’ve been all over the old industrial park since…when did the cable go down?”
“Sixth. No, fifth. Yeah, the fifth. Anyway, can we get them out of town, or what?”
“You know the rules, Stu. No harassing or intimidating or interfering with…whatever they get up to that’s legal.” There was a pregnant pause on the line. “Doesn’t mean we can’t keep a close eye on them, though.”
“Thanks,” Maji said. “Can you print me out their passport scans?”
“Sure,” Joe replied. He typed as they listened, seeming to be talking more to himself than them. “Ruslan Anasenko, coming through. Oleg Petrov, transmitting.” The printer by Stu’s desk started to spit a page out. “You want the third guy too? The one who sprung them?”
“Yes, please.” Hallelujah for professional courtesy. “Also any updates you have, should you spot them around town the next few days. Please.”
“Roger that. I trust you’ll return the courtesy. If you see them or your people, you know, have any information to share. From Interpol or whatnot.” The printer continued spitting out pages as Joe spoke. “Just watch your six, okay? They know they have immunity, remember.”
Maji wasn’t sure what these two guys thought Diplomatic Security did beyond protective duty. But their instincts were solid and she admired their willingness to pool resources. “Roger that,” she echoed. “Will not approach without backup.”
* * *
Stu dropped Maji at a little parking area by the trailhead for the Sitka National Historical Park. “About a dozen totem poles in there, pretty cool stuff. Just stay on the trail, or the devil’s club will scratch you up good.”
“Thanks.” She climbed out and headed toward the trail. As Stu pulled back on to Sawmill Creek Drive, a little bus with The Ride on its side pulled in. The driver gave her a wave, and she waved back before plunging into the forest.
Maji glanced at the trail map and skipped the close loop, crossing a footbridge over the Indian River instead. She wanted a few minutes under the green canopy, a chance to digest this bombshell and get her game face on. Rose might be up by now, and there was still Bubbles to call. The pounded earth of the trail felt soft underfoot, compared to the hard road and sidewalks of town. Where the Indian River fed into the Sound, the tree line thinned and she saw trailer homes on the far side, beyond the park’s boundary. She smiled to herself and added them to the list of mundane structures with the best view in the country—more to tell Rose about.
Sparing just a glance at the totem poles interspersed along the looping trail, Maji noticed the quickly passing view at eye level, the lush growth and the chunks of giant old fallen logs now covered with moss and ferns. A fishy smell let her know the pebbled beach was near, as well as the main entrance to the park. She slowed as the beach came into view, not wanting to scare off the host of seagulls and tiny pipers eating from the rocks and pools. Apparently, When the tide is out, the table is set applied just as much to wildlife as to humans.
At the turnaround by the Visitor Center, the bus sat idling with the same friendly guy at the wheel. Maji jogged up and asked, “You heading into town?”
“Sure am. Hop on.”
“Um, how many minutes to someplace near Crescent Harbor?”
“About seven. But I got to load everybody first.” The driver nodded toward someone behind Maji, and she turned to see an old woman with a walker being helped slowly forward by a younger woman.
“Think I’ll race you, thanks,” Maji said and started following the road along the water toward town. She could see the harbor in the distance, so no worries about getting lost. And the thought of Rose getting up and dressed and leaving the hotel on her own made her put on some speed.
Maji reached the hotel seven minutes later, barely registering the quaint stone churches and lovely houses with water views along the way. Maybe her assignment would be a quick consult, and she could stroll around the historic sights and photo ops later with Rose. Yeah, and maybe Bubbles wouldn’t care that she’d been AWOL when she needed her support. She sighed and checked her watch. Just a few minutes left to call.
* * *
Rose woke alone and rolled to Maji’s side of the bed to peer at the clock. The radio alarm clicked on to KCAW in the middle of the weather forecast. Dry and climate-controlled in the conference center, she thought to herself. Rose stretched and clicked the news off, inhaling the scent of sex on the sheets. Another shower was in order. Maybe she could fit one in and grab two plates of breakfast from the complimentary buffet before Maji returned from her run. That could become a nice normal routine, making breakfast for her early morning runner. She made a mental note to ask Maji if she kept this schedule all year or only in the warmer months. Rose found a robe on the floor and slipped it on, walking barefoot into the living area.
She spotted Maji standing out on the little balcony with the view of Mt. Edgecumbe, the door closed and muting the sound of her voice. Had work reached her already today? Would she leave now? Rose pushed back against the apprehension that welled up, tightening her chest and making her breaths shallow. She didn’t want fear or sorrow to overshadow their time together, whether it was only a few hours more or stretched to a few more days.
As if feeling Rose’s presence, Maji turned and gave her a little wave, then a hold on signal. She slid the door open and held the phone out. “Bubbles wants to say hi.”
“I told you she’d make it,” Bubbles said by way of hello. She sounded happier than Rose had heard her in weeks.
“No, you didn’t.”
“Well, I hoped she would,” Bubbles countered, undeterred as usual by mere facts. “You really did take her back, right?”
Rose laughed. “She admitted to being an idiot, and I accepted her apology.” Rose eyed Maji, who looked a little uncomfortable at being talked about. “So what does that make me?”
“Happy?” Bubbles suggested.
Rose slipped an arm around Maji’s middle. “Yes. Really, truly happy. Thank you.”
“Hey, I’ll tell the brat she’s an idiot anytime you need me to.” There was a clatter in the background. “Gotta go. I’m back at work, and it’s FUBAR as usual. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Rose said, just before Bubbles hung up on her. She handed the phone back to Maji. “She sounds so much better. Is it for real?”
The look on Maji’s face was guarded. “She’s been through worse. She’ll be okay, but it would be great if you’d check in every couple days, if you can.”
“Because you’re going to be out of touch again?”
“No. Maybe? But either way, she needs you.” Maji eyed Rose almost warily. “Did you ever get to meet Rey?”
Rose felt a flare of anger. “You know I did—and didn’t know it.” Bubbles’s husband, an FBI agent, had managed never to be available for social occasions last summer, or even for Angelo’s funeral. Later, when Bubbles emailed a photo of the two of them, Rose understood why. She had recognized Rey as the caterer for the big party at the Benedetti estate. Clearly he had been undercover, spying on her family. She sighed. “I’m sorry. Of course you couldn’t tell me.”
Maji gave her a sideways squeeze. “I’m glad you know now. You didn’t tell Bubbles, did you?”
“No. I did not. Bubbles didn’t mention it, so I assumed she doesn’t know. Though she does talk about his work in general.”
Maji nodded. “I hope they let him transfer soon. Undercover work is too hard on a family.”
Rose sensed that they weren’t talking about just their friends anymore. Well, she hadn’t been up long enough to play the What can I ask? game with any patience. “I’m showering. Join me?”
That seemed to jolt Maji from the funk she was heading into. She hesitated, then grinned. “Do you have time?”
Rose felt a flare again, but not anger this time. “I do if you do. It’s still early.”
“Yeah.” A flash of regret swept the grin away. “I was trying to let you sleep in.”
“Well, sometime try waking me up instead. I think I’d like that.”
“As you wish,” Maji replied, stripping off her fleece top as she headed for the bathroom. Rose remembered their shower together the night before and quickened her step.
Chapter Ten
When they left the hotel, Maji realized she was about to hand Rose over to someone else’s protection. She would trust Dev with her own life, and Rose had a valid point about the power dynamic, but still. She just plain didn’t want Rose out of her sight.
“Did your orders come this morning?” Rose asked, clearly not having forgotten either.
Maji shook her head. “Not yet. Soon. And then…I might not get to say good-bye.”
“Oh.” Rose stopped abruptly and kissed her, right there as they stood. When she let Maji go, Rose stepped back. “Just in case,” she said, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Just in case,” Maji echoed, collecting her wits back up off the sidewalk.
Rose held out her hand, waited for Maji to take it, and started toward the conference center again. “How was your run? Tell me about it.”
Maji was happy to accept the diversion from the myriad things she couldn’t discuss. “This is a great town for running. I wanted woods, so I headed back to the totem trail.”
“Lovely.”
“Yeah. Every way you look it’s gorgeous. I passed a McDonald’s with the best view in the country, and stopped in at the grocery store with the best view in the country. Oh, and there’s a trailer park here with—wait for it—”
“The best view in the country,” Rose chimed in, laughing. “I was thinking the same thing yesterday about the conference center. No wonder the tourists flock here.”
Maji thought of her stop at the Academy. She would absolutely tell Dev. Should she worry Rose? Well, she did have a right to know, to be part of her own protection. “Um, I also stopped in at the state police. I have bad news.”
“Oh no—Heather’s sister?” Rose stopped midstride and turned to her.
“Fine. Doing great, they said. But the guys who assaulted her are out on the street again.”
“What? How could they?”
“Diplomatic immunity. Now, it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, and I don’t want you to worry…”
Rose glared at her. “Do not patronize me. Spit it out.”
“My money’s on Sirko. He has the juice to send guys here with protection like that. And the cops can’t touch them unless they actually see them in the act of trying to hurt someone. It’s a fucked-up situation, but it is the law.”
“That’s terrible. But I don’t even know Heather’s sister. He can’t want revenge on her too. It makes no sense at all to me. Does it to you?”
Odds are it will soon. For now, she could answer honestly. “Nope. Just my gut. Of course, Hannah’s checking on who owns the holding company that sent Javi here to bug you. Maybe that will rule Sirko out.” For you, at least. “I really hate to leave you now, besides just missing out on our chance at normal people time.”
“I know.” Rose walked on, rubbing Maji’s hand. They crossed at the light, which now had a few cars to obey it. Rose stopped again. “What is it you think normal people do?”
Maji laughed in surprise. It was a serious question, but at least a happy one. Hang out without worrying about mobsters, wander the street on vacation without a gun. “Um, cook together and watch TV? Sleep late, laugh at the Sunday comics?”
“Oh. I’m sure we can manage that. But even if I have to keep up the non-normal hiding and fighting sorts of things, I find I don’t mind them so much when you do them with me.”
Maji struggled for words. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Then don’t. What did you do after the police ruined your day?”
“Then I headed back most ricky-tick.” She caught the slip into Army lingo. “Sorry. In a hurry. Anyway, the streets in Sitka aren’t on a proper grid, but I’ve just about learned my way around. Got home by dead reckoning.”
“Dead what?”
“Reckoning. It’s a sailing term, means navigating by known landmarks.”
“Ah. You forgot to bore me with sailing stories last night.”
Rose clearly wanted to lift her spirits, so Maji played along. “Nah. I realized they were actually fascinating stories, but if I unraveled all my yarns at once you’d have nothing left to look forward to.”
The conference center loomed just across the street. “Then it’s a good thing you saved them for next time,” Rose said.
Maji’s spirits soared, knowing Rose had faith they would have a next time. “Yeah, I’m crafty that way.”
“Crafty like a raven,” Rose replied with a smile.
Inside, Maji left a message for Dev at the registration desk and tagged along to Rose’s morning session. The first speaker had the curtains closed, eliminating the stunning view of mountains and water. Within minutes, Maji’s head bobbed forward. “Just go ahead and lay your head down,” Rose whispered.
“Poke me if I snore,” Maji mumbled back at her.
An hour later the panel sessions changed over, and they milled about getting coffee and cookies in the lobby. Once again, no sign of Javier. Whatever his purpose here, it didn’t appear related to his academic career. Maybe he’d gone. Then Dev will get the vacation I came for. Well, better that than confronting an actual threat to Rose. Get over yourself, Rios.
They settled into another meeting room, Maji feeling more alert and less grumpy. The speaker, a woman who identified herself as Tlingit, was quite entertaining. Her slides had lots of photos and her wit was dry, catching the audience off guard. Showing off a clever coloring book used to teach children the words for local sea creatures, she even got the academics to listen and repeat some of them after her.
The door at the back of the room creaked open, and Maji turned to see if Javier was finally showing up. Instead, there was her old teammate Dev, looking handsome as ever but also incongruously nerdy. She almost laughed at the sweater vest. The glasses were a nice touch too. And a diffident air replaced his normal self-confidence. He might be a regular-issue Reserve now, but she had to hand it to him—he could still inhabit a cover. Hannah had made a wise call, hiring him on. Maji scribbled a note and passed it to Rose. “My replacement is here now. You don’t know him. He’ll introduce himself to us.”
Rose read the note, her brow wrinkling. Then she turned and spotted Dev, who saw them and raised a hand in greeting. At the change in speakers up at the podium, he slipped into the open seat next to Rose.
“Hello,” she said, offering her hand. “I’m Rose.”
He shook her hand enthusiastically, squinting at her name badge. “Yes, yes—Dr. diStephano! I so look forward to your talk tomorrow.” Then he blushed, which looked totally wrong on Dev but just right on this adorkable professor. “So sorry. Prabhu Dev, from Allahabad University.”
“In India?” Maji asked, leaning across Rose to join the conversation. His accent strongly suggested the answer was yes, and his bronzed skin and shiny black hair supported the impression. Even in his cover role, it was hard to mask how pretty he was. His looks drew a little more attention than was prudent in most field assignments. But nobody was perfect.
“Yes, I am an Indian. Ha-ha. The kind Columbus thought he found. And now here I am, in your Indian Country, far from home.”
The final presenter got his PowerPoint working properly, and twenty minutes later they worked their way out to the hall together. “It’s so good to see you,” Rose said sincerely. “How is your family?”
“Very well, thank you,” Dev said with his consistent accent and a little head bob to go with it. He turned to Maji. “And for you, I have something to give,” he said earnestly. “At registration. Under your name.”
“Thank you, Dr. Dev,” Maji replied. “Do you have everything you need for the conference?” Like a photo of Javier, for instance. And a heads-up about Tom and the not-pretend Sirko thugs. She handed him one set of the passport scans.
“Yes, yes. All set.” He pocketed the papers and shook her hand a little too vigorously to be one of the cool kids. “Come back and see us if you can.”
“Thanks. You can bet on it.” To Rose she added, “I’ll try to call, no matter what.”
Rose looked like she wanted to say more or kiss her good-bye again. “Do what you can.”
As promised, the women at registration had the expensive, high-tech, encrypted and satellite-enabled laptop under their folding table, out of sight beneath the white tablecloth. In its fuchsia neoprene carrying case, it looked anything but military issue. Maji thanked the staff for watching it and headed back to the hotel to find out just what her assignment might entail.
