CL Hart -From A Distance (36 page)

"Okay," Cori said with tired sigh, "And thank you, Heather." She reached for the gun and slid it back into her waistband. It was a struggle, but the two managed to carry Kenzies unconscious body into the next room and onto the x-ray table. Kenzie mumbled and moaned several times, but never woke up.

Heather was more relayed as she took the x-rays. This was part of what she did on a routine basis, and it didn't hurt that she no longer had a large gun pointed at her. With the developed films in her hand, she returned to the room where Cori was standing over a semi-conscious Kenzie.

"I have the x-rays," she said as she held them up.

Kenzie nodded as she blinked hard several times, trying to focus.

Heather slid a film into a slot on the x-ray viewer and then flicked on the box light. Leaning in to study the film, Heather squinted in question as Cori stepped forward for a better view.

"What is that?" Cori asked, looking at a long, thin shard contrasting brightly against the dark of the negative.

Heather stepped back, tilting her head back and forth. "It looks like a sliver of wood, maybe."

Then Cori spotted something else on the x-ray that should not have been there. "What the hell is that?" she asked, her eyes focused on the abnormality.

Heather slid another film up next to the one in place and looked to see if the item in question was on both pictures. It was. "I have no idea."

Kenzie struggled to sit up, placing most of her weight on her left elbow as she studied the film. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the small dot on the x-ray. "I do," she said angrily.

Chapter 16

The sun was setting on the West Coast and Winston Palmer was out on his sundeck enjoying an expensive, albeit illegal, Cuban cigar. Soaking in his pricey waterfront view, he did his best to relax
Life is good,
he thought as he drew deeply and blew out the sweet-smelling smoke. He heard the phone ring. Not wanting it to intrude on his quiet time, he chose to ignore it. The second ring was cut short, and he knew that his driver had probably answered it. Moments later, the young Asian appeared with the phone in his hand.

"It's for you," Derek said.

As he accepted the phone, Palmer snapped, "Did you think it would be for anyone else?" He waited for Derek to leave. When the driver delayed, Palmer inquired brusquely, "Is there something else, Derek?"

"No sir." He bowed slightly and turned away. "Rat dung " he whispered under his breath as he returned to the house.

Once Derek was out of earshot, Winston spoke into phone.

"Palmer''

Ennis Nelson was at his desk in the office next to Winston Palmers, on the top floor of the Palmer Building, one of Seattle's tallest and most glamorous office towers. He had been Mr Palmers executive assistant for just over seven years. He enjoyed his job, despite the fact that there were times it required him to cross lines both illegal and immoral. "Good evening sir. I wanted to let you know that the last of our protestors will be arriving next week in Davos, Switzerland, for the WTO demonstrations. I have a meeting scheduled with them and will make sure everyone is on board with what will be expected."

"Very good, Ennis. Its essential that they understand what theyve been hired to do.

"They do sir. I don't think it will take much to ignite this group into a riot. They're quite passionate about their cause.
"

"I don t give a rat's ass about their cause. I just want a riot as big as the one in Seattle in '99. The riots, not the World Trade Organization, should be the lead story in European and Asian markets, as well as around the world."

"Our reporters and insiders have been advised what is to be mentioned and what is to be buried, but unfortunately, sir we have no control over what is on the Internet."

"Well, thankfully, most people don't pay that much attention to the news on the Internet."

"Not yet, sir, but I think the time is coming."

"Ha. That's what people said about television. 'No one will read newspapers anymore,' they said. 'They'll be glued to their TVs for the morning news.' Bullshit. John and Joan Public still like to drink their morning coffee while they read their newspapers, filled with stories that are made of half-truths and glossed over media events. Trust me, Ennis. You get that riot big enough, and most people won't read anything more than what is under the headlines. Now, is there something else?" Palmer asked, anxious to get back to enjoying his cigar.

"No, sir. That was it. Will I see you in the morning?"

"At some point," Palmer replied with dismissal. He ended the call and placed the phone on the table, then leaned back and took a puff. The phone rang again.

"Palmer," he answered gruffly, annoyed at the new interruption.

"Calvin is on his way to retrieve the body," the caller said.

"Finally."

"Not her. Cobra." Bucannon sighed heavily into the phone. This was not a call he had wanted to make, but he had no choice.

"For Jesus..." Palmer slammed his hand down on the arm of the chair, knocking expensive ash all over his clothes. He jumped to his feet and attempted to brush it off, but only succeeded in rubbing the dark ash into his khaki pants. "Do you people not understand what's at stake here? How hard is it to kill these women?"

"Calvin set the explosive, Cobra confirmed it, but somehow they got away."

"Call Manuck. This is his mess, and he needs to clean it up."

"Yes, Senator."

"On second thought, don't bother. I'll make that call myself."

"Yes, sir."

Palmer seethed for several long seconds before he dialed the number. It rang twice and then a low, unhurried voice answered the phone.

"It's me." Palmer knew he didn't need to identify himself further. "It appears San Diego was unsuccessful, and we've lost Cobra."

"I know. Viper will be there shortly to pick up where Cobra left off." There was no immediate response but Manuck knew the senator was still on the line because he could hear him grumbling.

"You do realize the ramifications if Maquinar were to become public knowledge? Covert is supposed to be just that, covert.'

"You don't have to tell me. We're all in this together."

"Jesus Christ, Manuck, I can't keep burying this. If the wrong person even gets wind of this, we're all going to jail...or worse." Palmer sat down in his chair and reached for the ashtray.

"Relax, Senator, no one is going to jail. Once we've eradicated the problem, everyone will lie low for a while, then we can reorganize and be back in business. Nothing has to change."

"Well obviously something has to, or we wouldn't be in this mess to start with. I told you we should have gotten rid of that woman in the beginning. If she has put it all together, we're all going down." Palmer bit hard into his cigar.

"That's not going to happen, Senator."

"You said that before, and look at the mess we're in now. The body count is rising and the collateral damage is out of control. And we have no damned clue as to where those two are!"

Kenzie's eyes narrowed as she stared at the small white mass that stood out so sharply on her x-ray. It was the size of an apple seed, though more rectangular in shape.

Heather and Cori turned to look at her, and Cori asked, "What is it?"

"Get it out of me," Kenzie said as she laid back in exhaustion.

"But what is it?" Cori persisted as she moved to Kenzie's side.

Her eyes were shut and her features were drawn. "It's the reason we've had someone on our ass at every turn."

Heather leaned closer to the x-ray. She had seen something like it before, but never in a human.

Cori felt the small hairs on the nape of her neck tingle "Kenzie...what is it?"

"It's an identity chip," Heather said as she glanced from the x-ray to the women. "Isn't it?"

"In a manner of speaking." Kenzie opened her eyes to look at Con. "It's worse than that. It's a tracker. This means they know I'm here." Kenzie felt defeated and betrayed.
When the hell did they put that in me, and why? Or do we all have one?
"Shit," she muttered regretfully as she closed her eyes. "We should' have checked Cobra...to see if he had a reader." She took several breaths and then continued. "That's how they keep finding us." Kenzie opened her eyes and stared at Heather. "You need to get this out...now."

"I-I can't," she stammered. "I can't cut into you. I don't have the training for that."

"You have to. And do it quickly." Kenzie blinked several times as her consciousness began to fade. "Cori..."

"I'm right here." She settled a gentle hand on Kenzie's arm.

"She has to get it out...destroy it...crush it..." Kenzie's voice faded.

"Cori, I can't cut into her," Heather pleaded.

"We don't have a choice."

Heather looked down at the unconscious woman and then back at the x-ray. The device did not look as if it was very deep into the subcutaneous tissue, but still, she had never taken a scalpel to an animal, never mind...

"Now, Heather," Cori said.

Quickly, yet methodically, she gathered what she would need to excise the small tracking device, as well as the instruments she needed to remove the sliver of wood and stitch up Kenzie's wound. She was shaking on the inside, but her hands were steady. Flushing the wound first, she removed the wood before she sutured Kenzie's side and bandaged it. She and Cori then carefully turned Kenzie over so Heather had access to her back. They pinpointed the location of the device and Cori noticed it was under the small scar she had seen on Kenzie's back the night on the fishing boat.

"You're doing fine," Cori said as Heather hesitated, scalpel in hand.

Taking another deep breath, Heather slowly drew the blade across Kenzie's skin. A few moments later she pulled the electronic device out of Kenzie's lower back with a set of forceps and dropped it into Cori's waiting hand.

It was the size of a small vitamin caplet, but clear, and in the bright light of the operating room, Cori could see some of the electronics. Big Brother was indeed always watching. She dropped it to the floor and raised her foot to step on it.

"Wait." Heather held up her hand.

"Why? She said destroy it."

"But if you destroy it here, this will be the first place they'll look."

Cori shook her head at her own lack of foresight. Heather was right. She plucked the capsule off the floor and held it between her fingers. "Any suggestions?"

"Well...ah...let me think for a sec." Heather looped the suture twice around the tip of the needle driver and knotted another stitch into Kenzie's back. "Where are you heading from here?"

With everything that had happened, their eventual destination was the last thing on Cori's mind. They had nowhere to go and no means of getting there. She had a little bit of money in her American bank account, but something told her the moment she withdrew it, someone out there would know.

Heather watched the defeat wash over Cori's face. "You have a plan, dont you?"

"We did." She held the capsule in her palm and closed her fist over it, squeezing it tightly.

Heather watched for a moment and then returned her attention to finish Kenzie's bandaging. "I'm done, we can roll her