“Let me see what I can do from my end. I’ll be in touch. And I’ll be in touch soon.”
He rose, dropped cash on the table for their drinks, and walked out.
Puller said, “Nice catch on the Miró and the purses and shoes.”
“I didn’t tell you because we already knew she had a lot more money than she should have. It didn’t add anything new to the picture.”
“Right. But meeting with Carter like this was a big risk,” he said.
“But if we can’t make headway in our investigation then lighting a fire in a munitions dump might be the only way to go. In fact, if he hadn’t asked for the nightcap I would have. It’s the reason I had us hanging around in the lobby.”
“We’ll know one way or another, soon.”
“Yes we will.”
He said, “But remember, if the munitions dump does ignite, a lot of folks could get caught in the fireball, including us.”
CHAPTER
49
PULLER dropped Knox off at her hotel before heading back to Quantico. He stopped to get some gas near the base. Another vehicle swung into the fuel bay next to his. Someone got out to pump fuel.
Puller had put the nozzle in and was leaning against the hood of his car when the voice said, “Don’t react, Junior. Somebody might be watching.”
Maybe because he was hoping that something like this might eventually happen, Puller didn’t even flinch. He pulled his phone out and pretended to be checking messages, with not a care in the world. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the pickup truck parked in the fuel bay next to his. A tall man, nearly as tall as he was, stood next to it, pumping gas. Under the light of the overheads Puller snatched a glimpse of the man he knew was his brother. Yet if the man hadn’t called him Junior he might not have recognized Bobby. There were only three people in the world who had ever called him that: his father, his mother, and his brother.
Bald, tatted arms, goatee, totally different nose and ears. There was a rifle rack in the back window and a “Don’t Tread On Me” sticker on the side of the cab.
“You’ve changed a little bit,” mumbled Puller.
“Just on the outside. Same nerd on the inside.”
Robert opened his wallet and drew out a credit card and swiped it through. He hit the necessary keys and then put the gas nozzle into his tank outlet.
“We have a lot to talk about,” said Puller.
“Yes we do, little brother.”
“I’ve found out a lot.”
“So have I.”
“You were set up.”
“Yep.”
“We’ve gotta make it right.”
“I plan to,” said Robert.
“How do you want to do this?”
“Can’t go to your place. Too obvious.”
Puller pretended to make a call and held the phone up to his ear and said, “I can lose any possible tail and then meet you.”
“I was going to suggest that.”
“You staying somewhere close?”
“I will be. Passed it a couple miles back. The Holiday Inn. You know it?”
“I know it.”
Robert sat back down and Puller retook his seat on the bed. Neither man spoke for a long moment.
“How did you manage to find me?” asked Puller.
“I wasn’t following you, at least initially. I was following someone else and picked up your trail at the Army-Navy Club.”
“Who was the someone else?”
“Donovan Carter. I tracked him from Fort Belvoir. Surprised the hell out of me when you showed up.”