Midnight Sun (34 page)

“
Are
you
sure
about
this
guy?
”
Marcus asked.
“
Maybe
it
’
s
just
someone
who
looks
like
him.
”

“
No.
It
is
him.
”
Hilde
shook
her
head
as
if
expelling
doubt.
“
It's
my
job
to
remember
people
like
him.
I
look
at
that
list
every
day
and
supervise
groups
that
compare
the
images
to
those
picked
up
on
surveillance
cameras.
I
know
the
faces
of
all
the
current
top
fifty
most
wanted
terrorists
out
there,
and
that
man
is
one
of
them.
”

“
What's
he
doing
here?
”
Mike asked.

“
The
president,
”
Marcus said.
“
Your
friend
the
other
day
said
the
president
was
coming
for
the
pipeline
opening
this
week.
”

“
I've
got
to
get
hold
of
Tonia
and
let
her
know.
”
Hilde pulled
out
her
cell
phone
and
thumbed
through
the
contacts
list
until
she
found
Tonia's
number
and
pressed
the
dial
button.
It
rang
four
times,
and then
went
to
voice
mail.
She
tried
again
and
got
the
same.

“
Let's
go
back
to
the
hotel,
”
she
said.
“
Maybe
we
can
find
her
or
her
partner
there.
”

They
paid
the
bill
and
left
the
restaurant.
 
At
nearly
nine
p.m.,
it
was
still
as
bright
as
it
would
be
at
five
in
the
rest
of
the
country.
Darkness
would
not
return
to
the
Alaskan
nights
until
mid-August.
As
they
walked
the
two
blocks
back
to
the
hotel,
Hilde's
phone
rang.
She
pulled
it
from
her
purse
and
answered.

“
Hello?
”

“
It's
Tonia.” Loud
rock
music
pumped
in
the
background. “You
finally
calling
for
that
drink,
girlfriend?
”

“
No,
we've
got
a
situation.
We
just
saw
a
watch
list
suspect
here
in
town.
”

“
You
what?
”
Tonia
shouted
into
the
phone.

“
We
just
saw
a
man
I
recognized
from
the
watch
list.
”
Hilde
cupped
the
receiver.

“
Hilde,
this
connection
is
crap.
I
can't
make
out
what
you're
saying.
You're
watching
a
band?
”

“
No,
a
terrorist!
”

The
others
gave
her
a
look.
Hilde
remembered
she
was
on
the
sidewalk
and
lowered
her
voice.
 
The
sound
of
a
crowded
night
club
filled
the
background
on
Tonia
’
s
end
of
the
line,
and
a
burst
of
laughter
exploded
in
the
phone
speaker.

“
I'll
call
you
when
I
get
to
the
hotel,
”
Tonia shouted
over
the
noise.
“
Or
you
can
meet
me
here
at
Humpy's
Bar.
Bring
your
man. I've
got
Lurch
as
a
date.
”

“
I'll
come
to
you,
”
Hilde said.