What he saw surprised Robie. But it also solved the question of how the people had been able to follow them.
Robie looked at Reel and smiled grimly.
“What?” she said.
“They just made a big mistake.”
CHAPTER
60
SAM KENT WAS AT HOME when the call came in.
“Believed to be dead,” said the voice.
Robie and Reel had jumped off a train going nearly forty miles per hour. It was thought unlikely that they could have survived.
The fail-safe tracker had gone silent.
It was over.
Kent didn’t believe that for a second. But he had confirmation that his greatest fear had been realized.
Robie and Reel had teamed up. And despite the report, his gut was telling him that they were alive.
Kent was sitting in his study in his exquisite home set among many exquisite homes in a sect ion of Fairfax County that was home to the unassailable “one-tenthers,” the people in the top one-tenth of the one percent. Average income per year: ten million dollars. Most of them made far more than that. They did it in myriad ways:
Inheritance.
Gaining the ear, for a fee, of those in power.
And many, like Kent, actually worked hard for a living and provided things of value to the world. Though his wife’s money had certainly come in handy.
Now Kent sat in his castle and contemplated the phone call he was about to make. It was to someone of whom he was understandably afraid.
His secure phone was in his desk drawer. He pulled it out, hit the required numbers, and waited.
Four rings and a pickup. Kent winced when he realized it was the person and not a recording. He had been hoping for a bit of a reprieve.
He reported the latest news in terse, information-packed sentences, just as he had been trained to do.
And then he waited.
He could hear the other person breathing lightly on the other end of a communication line that not even the NSA could crack.
Kent did not break the silence. It wasn’t his place.
He just let the man breathe, take it in, think. The response would be forthcoming, he was certain of that.
“Has a search been made?” asked the person. “If they’re believed dead, there have to be bodies. That will be the only confirmation. Otherwise, they’re alive.”
“Agreed,” said Kent, who let out a nearly inaudible sigh of relief. “I personally don’t think they’re dead.”
“But injured?”
“After that sort of a jump, most likely yes.”
“Then we have to find them. Shouldn’t be too difficult if they are hurt.”
“Yes.”
“Cleanup on the train?”
“The train was stopped. Everything has been removed. All witnesses have been dealt with.”
“Explanation?”
“We can place the blame on whomever we want.”
“Well, I would place it on two rogue agents who have obviously lost their way. That will be the official line.”
“Understood.”
“It’s still an enormous mess. And one that should have been avoided.”
“I agree.”
“I didn’t ask for your agreement.”
“No, of course not.”
“But we’re near the end.”
“Yes,” said Kent.
“So don’t create any more obstacles.”
“Understood.”
“Robie and Reel together. A cause for concern.”
Kent didn’t know if the person was asking a question or stating a fact.
“I would not underestimate either of them,” said Kent.
He hurried over to it.
The message was from the person with whom he had just talked.
It was a text. It was only three words.
But to Kent it proved his superior was indeed a mind reader.
The text read, No going back.