Pure Dynamite (45 page)

He nodded toward the bed. "We took an oath. Not to be taken alive. We take him to the hospital, it'll be as good as turning him in."

"I took an oath, too. To save lives. He's your brother. Doesn't that mean anything? Even if he went back to prison he'd still be alive."

Burt laughed. "You've never been in prison, have you?"

She didn't answer.

"Lyle told us some pretty bad stories about what they did to him. You've seen the marks. Has any one tortured you, Doc? Any scars under here?" Burt inched closer, his hand moving to her sleeve. "Or is it all just creamy skin?"

Renata slapped his hand away and stepped back. "Don't touch me. Ever."

Burt smiled. One of those smiles that didn't hit his eyes. "That was the wrong thing to do, Doc."

The trip was uneventful. The chopper pilot had a car waiting where they touched down in Wyoming. They drove the short distance to the diner, a hole-in-the-wall most people would pass by.

Adam wondered if Zach had made it. He'd spent the helicopter ride second-guessing his choices; now it was too late. He went inside, a stocking hat pulled low on his brow. He scanned the small crowd, not certain what to expect.

The man in the second booth removed his sunglasses and met his gaze. Adam did a double take, scarcely recognizing his own brother.

The blue eyes they shared were hidden beneath brown contacts. Zach also sported a bleached-blond goatee that matched his close-cropped hair. Except for their similar builds—Adam was two inches taller—it was impossible to tell they were brothers.

He shoved aside the twinge of guilt. By nightfall, his brother would be in as much danger as Renata.

"You don't look so bad" Zach said. "Perhaps prison was good for you."

"You'll pay for that crack later," Adam promised. "We don't have long. How's Stan?" "Unchanged but stable."

Adam pointed to the duffle bag on the seat. "Anything in there that can't stand scrutiny?"

"It's mostly toys, meant to dazzle. The good stuff's hidden. The C-4's en route to a warehouse in Idaho."

"At this rate, I'll have to include you in the bust."

"News flash: It's not mine. You want to know why Stan had such an easy time creating a believable partner for you? Daniel Montague is the alias Ethan Falco used in the past to front arms deals and further his cause by boosting some of the militia groups. It also made him a little money on the side. Guess he's still up to the same old tricks. Stan had even tracked down a warehouse of stuff Falco has cached. The man could have supplied a small army. I helped myself to everything I thought we could use."

"Nothing surprises me anymore. Guess I owe you an apology. Did you hear from Chris Tashley? Did he get the files?"

"He got them and confirmed a few of the facts Stan gathered. Enough to convince him it's all legit. He's working through the proper channels to assemble a team in private. But he wants you to locate that first shipment of C-4 before taking the McEdwins down."

Adam didn't like the thought of one hundred pounds of C-4 floating loose either. "I'll try to find out tonight, but I'm prepared to close it down without that info. Lyle needs a hospital and Renata's in constant danger. Besides, the longer we wait, the greater the chance of one of the McEdwins slipping away." The fact that Willy had disappeared already bothered Adam. What if the old man didn't return?

Adam kept quiet as the waitress approached. He waved her off. "We're leaving."

Zach stood. "Where's the woman now?"

"At the compound. That's why I'm in a hurry to return." Adam threw a twenty on the table.

When they approached the car, Nevin climbed out and pointed to the bag Zach carried. "Tell him to drop it."

"He drops it, something's liable to break," Adam said. "Or explode."

Nevin eyed the bag with undisguised interest. "I'll still need to search it."

"No problem," Adam said. "But let's get away from here first. Being out in the wide open makes me nervous."

Renata backed away. Her foot brushed a stool. She glanced down, checking the path for other obstacles.

"You're a spunky little thing," Burt taunted. "I see why Duval's been so hot to keep you for himself."

Without warning, he rushed her. Renata had a split second to react. She swung her fist, but only grazed his chin.

They crashed to the ground, Burt on top. He easily pinned her.

She screamed and kicked, fighting.

"Yeah, that's it," Burt snarled. "Remember to buck just like that when my dick's inside you—"

His words were cut off as he was physically lifted off her. Renata saw Willy McEdwin standing over them.

"You idiot! Leave her be!"

Burt snorted. "What's the bitch got that everyone's so concerned about? A fucking golden pussy?"

"I gave Duval my word she wouldn't be harmed. Besides, your brother still needs her."

Renata scrambled backwards and climbed to her feet. She knew by the contemptuous look Willy gave her that the only reason he'd intervened was because he didn't want to risk jeopardizing his deal with Adam.

"She claims Lyle wants to go to the hospital," Burt said.

"I don't believe that," Willy said. "Take her downstairs,
tell Tristin to get her some decent food. I'll stay with Lyle until Nevin and Duval get back."

It was almost comical how friendly both Nevin and the pilot became once they searched Zach's bag and saw the weaponry. Even Adam was impressed. Most intriguing was a mini-machine gun with a grenade launcher. The compact grenades came in incendiary and fragment models.

The pieces had all been customized and looked state-of-the-art. Where in the hell was Ethan Falco getting this kind of hardware and what was he doing with it?

"Are these the Star Wars prototypes I keep hearing about?" the pilot asked.

Adam knew the man's question was sincere. He also knew a stupid question when he heard one. That the government was secretly developing futuristic spy satellites and revolutionary weapon systems was a favorite conspiracy theory.

"You think I'd carry those around in a bag like this?" Zach joked. Then he winked, leaving just enough doubt to fuel the pilot's imagination.

It was late afternoon when they returned to the McEdwins' compound.

Willy met them at the door. He eyed Zach's gold hoop earrings quizzically before extending a hand. "You must be Daniel Montague."

Zach shook it. "My partner says you have an interesting proposition."

"All business, eh? I like that. Come in."

Nevin nodded toward the staircase. "How's Lyle?"

"Not good. His kidneys may be shutting down. The
doctor thinks it's as easy as loading him into a car and taking him in for dialysis." Willy shook his head.

"Is she with him now?" Adam asked.

"Tristin's with her, too. She and Burt had a little tussle earlier; guess she got a little mouthy. You need to speak to her about cooperating."

Adam scowled. He'd be eager to hear Renata's version of what happened. "She's okay?"

"Yep." Willy motioned them to the table; then set a large pot of coffee in the center. "How soon can I get my hands on that C-4?"

"Within hours," Adam said. "We have it ready for pickup."

"After payment, of course," Zach added.

Willy turned to Nevin, who left the room. He returned moments later and set a cardboard box on the table.

"Count it for them," Willy said.

Nevin withdrew stacks of worn hundred dollar bills. Twenty-five of them. "There's a hundred bills in each one. Ten grand per stack."

Zach reached forward and thumbed through the stacks. "Looks like a quarter million to me."

Willy met Adam's gaze. "I need to check on one thing first, then we'll discuss specifics on delivery. You can take half the money now, with the rest on receipt. Fair enough?"

Adam nodded. "I need a little notice myself, to make a call."

"That settles that," Willy said. "What about my proposal on other items?"

Zach looked from Adam to Willy. "At double what we were getting before? I'm interested, but I won't yank your chain. A lot depends on what kind of merchandise you're looking for." "And the time frame," Adam said. "Getting the C-4 on such short notice was a miracle. That can't be the norm."

Willy agreed. "As far as resale opportunities go, I can use any kind of weaponry. Nevin mentioned Montague's brought some fancy hardware along. Naturally, the high tech stuff gets top dollar. I have a personal interest in remote relay systems if you can get any fast. The ones I get from overseas are crap."

Zach frowned. "Are you talking about remote detonators for the C-4 we're getting?"

"Guess it's no secret that I've got an ax to grind."

"Remote relays are a dime a dozen," Adam said.

"Not the kind I want," Willy said. "These have to trigger simultaneously, at five different locations."

"What kind of distance are we talking?" Zach asked.

"Several hundred miles."

"You
've
considered cell phones that could be auto-dialed by a computer?"

"The reliability's spotty. Damn dropped calls."

"What about satellite phones, from a secure tower?" Zach continued. "With locations transmitted by GPS coordinates?"

Willy shook his head. "That sounds complicated."