Unwitting Alliances - Hunter Blake Series by Peggy Lea Baker

Chapter Sixteen

  A frantic tap at his door startled Hunter awake from a sound sleep. He waited a moment trying to clear his head then heard the tapping again and Janet’s anxious voice.

  “Hunter!” she whispered excitedly.

  Still in his T-shirt and boxers, he climber out of bed and hurried to open his door. “Something wrong?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I heard something outside my window.”

  He walked to the front window and parted the drapes slightly to look. “What do you think you heard?”

  “Just a sound of some kind but it didn’t sound right. I thought I heard something in the bushes.”

  Hunter went to her room and cautiously looked out her window. The breeze had picked up tossing the tops of trees gently about as well as the wind chime. “I don’t see anything,” he whispered. “Maybe it was just the wind or a cat I saw earlier.”

  “I suppose,” she said, still uneasy.

  He was about to pull away when he noticed something moving out in the yard. This time, however, it wasn’t a cat. It looked like a man and he was staying close to the main house. Hunter watched as he made his way toward the side gate then disappear from view.

  He stepped back. “Try to describe what you think you heard,” he said.

  “I went into the bathroom to get a drink of water, but didn’t turn the light on. Then I got back in bed. That’s when I heard this... scraping sound or something. It scared me. I watched the window and thought I saw a shadow against the curtain, but that didn’t make sense because there’s not a lot of light out there.” She paused. “Did you see something just now?”

  He looked at her thoughtfully. “Yes. Someone was skulking behind the house trying to stay in the shadows. Whoever it was, headed to the front using the path and side gate.”

  “Now I really am scared,” Janet said wrapping her arms around her torso.

  “What time is it?” Hunter asked looking at his wrist. “I left my watch next to the bed.” He walked into the living room. A clock on the wall over the television read three thirty.

  Janet followed. “What should we do?”

  “If you’re still sleepy, go back to bed. I’m going to get dressed and stay up until it gets light out.”

  She shook her head. “I’m too upset to go back to sleep. I think I’ll get my clothes on and stay up with you.”

  “Okay but keep the lights off.”

  Janet hurried to dress, brought her few things out to the living room and handed Hunter his T-shirt. He shoved it in his bag then walked to the front window again and parted the drapes to take another look. A breeze was still tossing treetops and the wind chime. On impulse he went to his bedroom. Janet was right behind him and watched as he parted the curtains of a window facing the woods behind.

  “Do you see something?” Janet whispered.

  Hunter shook his head. “No, but it would be real easy for someone to come onto the property through these trees. There’s no fence between here and the narrow beach out there.” He made sure the window was locked then went to Janet’s room and did the same.

  “Do you think we were followed somehow?”

  “I don’t know,” he said walking back into the living room to sit down. Janet sat next to him. He draped his arm around her shoulders. “I suppose someone could have managed to slip some kind of tracking device onto the plane.”

  “Like... Brian maybe?”

  “Possibly.”

  “But how?” she asked. “He didn’t have anything with him when he jumped onboard the plane in Arizona.”

  “He had pockets and tracking devices don’t necessarily have to be big to transmit a signal. You know... it is possible that whole scene was exactly that. A scene… staged to get him onboard the plane.

  Janet put her head on Hunter’s shoulder. “Now I think I don’t like him again.”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusion just yet. Even so, I’d sure like to know what happened to him. Finding his bloodied shirt and vest was troubling, to say the least.”

  “Yes... but why leave it where it could easily be found?”

  “Another good question and I don’t have a good answer.”

  “I wish Buster was here,” Janet said. “He would have started barking if someone had been outside.”

  Hunter kissed the top of her head. “I know. I miss him. I hope he’s okay.”

  “I’m sure he is.” Janet fidgeting with her hands in her lap. Hunter put his hand over hers. “We’ll be okay.”

  She nodded but a few stray tears crept down her cheeks which she wiped away then let out a sigh. “I want to apologize,” she said.

  “For what?”

  “Last night. For suggesting we...”

  Hunter kissed the top of her head again. “Don’t worry about that. There was a time, a few years back I might have happily taken you up on that offer. I’m changing, I guess. Besides, I’m old enough to be your father. It just didn’t seem right. But that’s nothing against you. I care about you and I’ll do everything I can to protect you. You can count on that.”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything, wiping her face again.

  Hunter looked at the front window. “It looks like it’s getting lighter out. Things always seem better in the daylight.” He’d barely spoken when there was a soft tap at their door. Cautiously, he approached and looked through the peep hole then opened it and let Mr. McKinney in. “What is it?” Hunter asked noticing the look of concern on his face.

  “Don’t know for sure,” Mr. McKinney said in his soft Scottish brogue, “but Mildred and me thought you should know that this nice looking couple showed up in the wee hours this morning. Right now they’re sitting in the dining room having breakfast,” he said. “Woke us up, they did.”

  Hunter frowned. “Is that unusual?”

  “Well... not necessarily,” he said rolling his ‘r’s, but they were asking about you and your young friend here.”

  “Us?”

  “Aye.”

  “What do they look like?” Hunter asked.

  “Like I said, nice looking. Nicely dressed.”

  “What are their names?”

  “I heard the woman call him Zachary,” Mr. McKinney said, “but I didn’t catch her name.”

  “Zachary,” Hunter repeated.

  “Yes, and they said they wanted to surprise you and that I shouldn’t tell you they were here.”

  “But you did anyway,” Hunter said. “Why?”

  “Because they just walked right in the door and sat right down, like they owned the place” he said. “That alone troubled me wife.”

  “But that doesn’t explain why you’re telling us about them.”

  “Oh, well, there’s just something about them Mildred doesn’t like. And with all the news reports lately. After all these years of being married to the woman, if she’s wary about something, I pay attention. She has good instincts, I can tell you that.”

  Hunter smiled. “I’m inclined to agree with your wife.” He thought for a minute. “Is there any way I could get a look at them, but without being seen?”

  “Well... let me think,” Mr. McKinney said rubbing his chin. “I suppose if you come through to the kitchen with me. Ya might catch a glimpse through the dining room door cracked a wee bit.”

  “Okay. I’ll do that.” He turned to Janet. “You stay here.”

  She nodded but with obvious concern.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, trying to reassure her. “Just have everything ready. We may have to leave in a hurry.”

  Hunter accompanied Mr. McKinney to the back of the house and in through the kitchen door. Mrs. McKinney was surprised to see them both but said nothing as Hunter crept to the dining room door. The door swung either way, so he was able to push it open slightly.

  A man and woman sat at a small table across the room. He could see the man’s face but didn’t recognize him. The woman was a br
unette with her hair pulled up and sat with her back to the kitchen door. They were chatting quietly. Suddenly the woman let out a laugh at something the man had said. Hunter bristled and stepped back.

  Putting a finger to his lips, he quickly left the kitchen and ran back to the bungalow. Janet pulled the door open for him and quickly closed it.

  “What did you see?” she asked.

  “A man I did not recognize. The woman, however...”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t see her face and her hair was dark, but I know that laugh.”

  “Who was it?”

  “Let’s go!” he said.

  “Hunter! Who was it?” Janet demanded.

  “Tiffany Miles.”

  There was another light tap at the door. Hunter and Janet both reacted with a start. He pressed his fingers to his lips. Janet nodded. Taking a look, he quickly opened the door for Mr. McKinney, who stepped back inside.

  “Did you recognize them?” he asked Hunter.

  “Not sure, but can you keep them occupied for a while and away from the front windows?”

  “Of course,” Mr. McKinney replied.

  “Thanks. Just keep them talking and eating until we can figure something out.”

  “We surely will,” Mr. McKinney said then headed for the door. Peeking out cautiously, he left and hurried across the back lawn to the kitchen door. Hunter locked the door then parted the drapes to watch. Once Mr. McKinney was back inside, he grabbed his bag. “Time to go.”

  “It was Tiffany Miles? The actress?” Janet said.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know who the guy is. Never seen him before.”

  “Now what are we going to do?”

  “Get out of here!” Hunter said. “Come on!”

  He hurried to his bedroom with Janet right behind him. Opening the window he looked around then dropped his bag to the ground. “I’ll climb out then help you.” Soon they were making their way through the trees behind the cottages.

  “When we get to the parking area,” he whispered, “you get behind the wheel, turn the key one click, and set the gear in neutral. I’ll push you out the front gate. Guide the car so we can line up with the road then I’ll push you further down the lane,” he said.

  “Okay, but it’s going to be hard to steer without the engine running. No power steering, you know. But I’ll do my best,” Janet replied.

  Hunter nodded. “Let’s just hope the McKinneys can keep them entertained long enough for us to get out of here.”

  Although it was still gray and damp due to the marine overcast, they were able to watch the house as they made their way through the trees. A few birds were about, chirping and singing as Hunter and Janet carefully made their way along. Her sandals didn’t help matters much but she kept moving without complaint.

  They made their way to the lane a few feet away from the entrance to the estate. Both stayed low and close to the shrubbery and trees as they crept to the main gate.

  Peeking around the wide stone gatepost, Hunter watched the front of the house, and in particular, the front windows. All the drapes were drawn shut. Without a word he and Janet made their way to the car and noticed another car now parked in front. Janet quietly got in behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition one click to release the gear and steering, then set it in neutral and released the emergency brake. Hunter stood ready at the front of the car then began to push.

  The vehicle’s dead weight, combined with the loose gravel beneath the tires, was a challenge, but he eventually got it rolling, wincing at the noticeable crunching sound. Janet worked hard to turn the wheel to get the car lined up with the road then gently applied the brakes to stop. Hunter hurried to the rear and began to push again. Now on a hard surface the car moved more easily.

  He continued to push while Janet gripped the steering wheel. He didn’t stop until they had cleared the front entrance and were nearly out of sight of the house when he heard a commotion.

  “I’m sure they will be here for breakfast shortly,” he could hear Mrs. McKinney say in a loud voice. “You might as well wait inside where it’s much warmer.”

  “That’s okay,” a man’s voice replied. “Hey, wasn’t there a car parked here?”

  “I’m sure I wouldn’t know,” Mrs. McKinney replied. “Folks come and go and park wherever they like.”

  “What about these tracks!” he asked in a demanding voice.

  Hurried footsteps on gravel told the story. Hunter raced to the side of the car. Janet applied the brakes and opened the door. “Move over to the other side,” he ordered. “Hurry!” Janet climbed over the console and belted up in the passenger seat. Hunter, in the meantime, already had the engine running and took off, keeping his eye on the mirrors. “This isn’t good,” he said.

  “Did they see you!” she asked, turning part way around in her seat to look behind.

  “I hope not,” he replied as he attempted to maintain a dangerous rate of speed on the narrow lane. Soon they were at the main road and he wasted no time racing back toward the airport.

  “So we have to go through customs again?” she asked.

  “No. But we’ll need to turn the care in.” Checking his mirrors, he could see another car in the distance behind them and obviously driving at a fast rate of speed. “They’re catching us,” Hunter said.

  “Can we take another route?”

  “Not really. There aren’t any other good routes. I just want to get in the air as quickly as possible.” Reaching the city limits, they were forced to slow down and likely to be stopped by traffic lights. The first two intersections were clear and the lights green. At the next intersection, however, the light turned red before they could move through. Hunter had to brake hard to stop and allow a car to pull out onto the main road. Frustrated, he kept an eye on his mirror. “Who in their right mind would be up this time of morning?”

  “You mean besides us?” Janet said still half turned around in her seat. “Can you see them?” she asked as a few more cars began spilling out onto the street here and there.

  “I think so. If it’s them, they’re stopped at the last signal. Maybe a little extra traffic isn’t so bad after all.” The light ahead was green and Hunter hurried on through. “Keep an eye open for cops,” he said. “We can’t afford to get pulled over.”

  They managed to make their way through Courtenay and then north of Comox to the airport. The main road was now straight but began to climb. A few more cars were pulling out, forcing Hunter to slow down again.

  The sky continued to grow lighter as the sun began its slow climb, in spite of the cloud cover, but at least there wasn’t any ground fog this time. A few drops of rain fell instead and the breeze was picking up.

  “It’s raining,” Janet said.

  “It’s always raining here. Either that or fog,” Hunter replied.

  “All year?” she asked.

  “Well, no, but more days than you’d probably like.”

  The road continued on a gradual climb finally cresting at an intersection where several vehicles were making their way through. Hunter was able to increase his speed for about another mile before encountering more traffic and another signal light that had just turned red.

  “Damn!” he muttered slamming his fist on the steering wheel.

  “I thought traffic was a good thing,” Janet said.

  “Now there are too many cars out and they’re in my way.”

  The light turned green and the cars in front of them slowly began to move. “Come on!” Hunter shouted. “The damned light is green!” They now had two lanes in their direction and he began swerving between cars trying to gain ground hoping their pursuers were having as much difficulty as he was.

  The lane narrowed back to one lane again and they ended up following a small caravan of cars and trucks that seemed to be in no hurry. Hunter’s frustration continued to mount until he saw an opportunity coming up. At the same time
he noticed a car about a quarter mile behind them making unsafe lane changes.

  “I see them, the idiots. They’re gonna get themselves and someone else killed driving like that.”

  “And we’re not?” Janet asked.

  “Hang on!”

  At the next intersection, he made a tight right turn and accelerated at the same time. Tires squealed as they took the corner and sped down the road. Moments later, Hunter began to slow down, still checking his mirror. A small lane was ahead on the left and he took it as quickly as possible then raced down the lane praying no one pulled out or ran out in front of them.

  The lane continued for less than a quarter mile then doglegged to the right. Taking care to negotiate the tight turn, he accelerated once again. Luck was still with them as there were no cars coming or going.

  Another quarter mile and they intersected with the road leading to the airport. They could see the perimeter of the airfield but he wasn’t confident they were safe yet.

  “We still have to turn in this car.”

  Janet looked over her shoulder, as Hunter pulled into the airport parking lot.

  Without wasting any time, they grabbed their things and hurried inside the terminal. Hunter took care of the car and then led her to the airport manager’s office. “I need to pay for our parking space,” he said, “but stay with me.”

  Soon they were quickly heading for the plane, he looked around nervously. “You see anyone?”

  “Not yet,” Janet replied.

  Onboard, Hunter started his engines in sequence while Janet sat at a window in the cabin watching the small terminal for anything unusual. Just as the second engine came alive, she called out. “I see something!”

  “What!” he asked.

  “A man and a woman acting very excited and pointing this way. There are two airport security men detaining them.”

  “Keep watching,” Hunter ordered as he monitored his screens and readouts. “Let me know if anything changes.” Watching his display he was finally satisfied all was ready. “We’re leaving!”

  Janet quickly belted up, still watching the side show. Hunter communicated with the tower then began to move the plane out of the parking area and onto the taxiway.

  “I can’t see them anymore,” she said. “How soon before we take off?”

  “As soon as we get clearance.” Minutes later they were racing down the runway and finally airborne, soon clearing departure airspace.

  Janet breathed out a sigh of relief. “That was too close.”

  “Yeah,” Hunter agreed. “Too close.”

  “Can I come up there?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  She moved forward and got settled before asking, “Now where are we going?”

  “I want to get back to the U.S. and I’ll have to call Frank again and tell him what happened. He told us to stay put until we heard from him, but I wasn’t about to stick around any longer… not once I realized Tiffany was there.” Hunter maintained his climb rate before leveling off and letting out a tired sigh. “How did she know? And who was that other guy?” He exhaled. “I’m getting too old for this.”

  For the next half hour they flew in silence. Once they crossed into United States airspace, all he could think to do was head back to Idaho.

  Janet had dozed off but was now waking up. “Where are we?” she asked.

  “Over Washington. About thirty minutes, give or take, from Coeur d’Alene.”

  “Is that where we’re going?”

  “I guess. I don’t know where else to go. I’m tired and fed up with all of this. We need help and the only person I can think of to ask is Frank.”

  “Who is he again?”

  “One of my attorneys. He’s done some work for me in the past. He even helped me with the purchase of my ranch property. And he’s a pilot. We just seemed to click when we first met a few years ago.”

  Janet nodded. “It’s good you have someone you can trust.”

  “Yeah.”

  Janet looked at her clothes, now rumpled and wrinkled from three days of continuous wear. “Do you suppose I could get some other clothes when we get to wherever we’re going?”

  Hunter grinned. “Yes.”

  They were about fifteen minutes from their destination when Hunter pointed out the city of Spokane, Washington not far ahead. “We’re going to skirt the town to avoid any busy air traffic lanes from both the International airport and Fairchild Air Force base. Just a few more minutes, though, and we’ll be on the ground in Idaho.”

  “Okay,” she said then pulled out her burner phone.

  “Planning to make a call?” Hunter asked.

  “No. Just checking the time. There’s no one I can call.” She looked at Hunter and impulsively took his picture.

  “What did you do that for?” he asked.

  “A memento... of our adventure together. I can delete it.”

  “No. That’s okay,” he said.

  Janet stared ahead. “I’ll be glad to be on the ground again so I can walk around.”

  As promised, Hunter eventually began his approach to the Coeur d’Alene airport and easily set down. He taxied toward his private hangar and eventually stopped and shut down his engines. The airport was relatively quiet at this time of the morning as he sat back and gazed out the windows. “We’re home.”

  “It’s lovely here.” Janet looked out at their surroundings. Some clouds were moving in but the mountains stood glistening in the early morning light. “Everything is so pretty. It’s almost like a fairyland,” she said admiring the snowy views.

  “Yeah. I like it,” he said then eased out of his seat. “Let’s get out and stretch while I make that call to Frank.” He opened the cabin door and set the steps then climbed down and used his new burner phone. Janet stood in the doorway admiring the view, but shivered, then joined him.

  “Karen,” he said when she picked up. “You’re up early. It’s Hunter. Hey, I need to talk to Frank. Is he home or at work already?”

  “Jody, Hi!” Karen replied. “It’s been a while.”

  Hunter was confused. “No. Karen. It’s me, Hunter. I need to talk to Frank.”

  “Yes, it has been a while. It’s good to hear from you again.”

  Hunter hesitated. “What’s going on?”

  “Oh, just the usual stuff. We’ve been busy around the house and Frank... well he’s been traveling a little more than usual these days. It’s his work, you know.”

  “Where’s he been traveling to?” Hunter now sensed she was trying to tell him something.

  “Don’t know for sure,” she replied then whispered quickly, “Don’t try to contact Frank. It isn’t safe. I can’t explain right now, but don’t call back.”

  “I don’t understand,” Hunter said hoping she’d tell him more.

  “Where are you?” she asked, still whispering.

  “Pappy’s.”

  “I need to talk to you, but not here.”

  “Where then?”

  Karen was quiet and Hunter could hear other voices in the background. “I’ll come to the airfield. One hour. What number are you calling from?” she asked. “There’s no ID.”

  “It’s a burner,” he said then gave her the number. “But Karen?” he began.

  “I can’t talk. One hour.” The line went dead.

  Hunter stood staring at his phone, feeling very confused and concerned at the same time.

  Janet could see the concern on his face. “Everything okay?”

  “Not necessarily,” he said and gave her a short recap of his conversation. “Karen sounded frightened and I’m worried.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “She’s going to meet us here in an hour so we won’t have any time to do anything else before then, like get you some new clothes.”

  “I’ll survive a few more hours,” she said. “No rush.”

  “Okay, well I want to get
the jet into the hangar and out of sight.”

  He walked to a side door of his hangar and stepped inside. Soon the large door began to open. Bright overhead lights illuminated an impressive and very clean interior. Inside sat his helicopter and a nice sedan was parked in the back facing a smaller rollup- garage door. In the opposite back corner was a metal spiral staircase leading to an enclosed upper area.

  “What’s up there?” Janet asked.

  “Go take a look,” Hunter said. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

  Janet climbed the stairs and stepped inside the enclosure. She stopped and stared at the elegance of what looked like an apartment. There was a seating area with a sofa and two side chairs, end tables and a coffee table. A full sized kitchen and table were in a corner and another door was adjacent to that. Curious, she walked to the door and took a peek inside. “Wow,” she said opening the door wider. She stood gazing at a nicely furnished bedroom and an open door leading to a spacious bathroom beyond.

  “What do you think?” Hunter asked.

  Janet spun around in surprise. “You startled me.”

  “Sorry.” He stood looking at the bedroom. “I’ve had to stay here a few times when the snow was so bad. It was better than risking driving or flying the chopper up to my ranch.”

  “So... we wait?”

  “Yes. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

  Janet walked to a window that looked down into the hangar. “This is quite a place,” she said.

  Hunter stood next to her. “Yeah. It’s just better for the aircraft to keep them out of the weather.” He continued to stare. “I know it seems a little over-the-top, and everything, but...”

  “Are you apologizing for being wealthy?” She grinned at him. “You don’t need to. You work hard for your money. You should be able to spend it however you want.”

  He nodded but looked away. “You hungry?” he asked, changing the subject. “There should be something in here to eat. I keep it pretty well stocked.”

  Opting for frozen waffles and sausages, they waited for them to cook and watched the minutes tick by. Hunter was restless and eventually went downstairs and out the side door to wait for Karen. Minutes passed.

  Janet came looking for him. “The food’s ready.”

  “Okay. I’ll be up in a minute. You can go ahead and get started.”

  “Something’s wrong isn’t it?” she asked.

  He looked at his watch. “We’ll give her a couple more minutes.”

  “You could always call her back.”

  “No. She was pretty adamant about not doing that,” he said when his phone rang. He quickly answered. “Karen?”

  “Hunter. I can’t make it. I’m...” She hesitated. “I think I’m being followed so I drove into Rathdrum to the local grocery store and bought some things instead of coming to you. But I still need to see you. I’m just not sure how.” She began to cry. “Hunter, I’m scared and I don’t know what to do.”

  “Scared?”

  “Yes, and...” she got silent. “I have to go,” she whispered. “I’m sitting in my car in the parking lot but I think I’m being watched. I’ll call again as soon as I can.” She hung up.

  “Karen?” He stared at his phone before shoving it in a pocket. Rubbing his forehead, he looked at Janet. “She’s in some kind of trouble but didn’t have time to tell me what’s going on. Somehow, though, it sounds like it involves Frank.”

  Janet stiffened. “Your trusted friend?”

  Hunter looked at her but didn’t respond.

  “Now what do we do?” Janet asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said then stopped. “Or...” He dialed another number.

  “Hello?” a voice answered.

  “Jim? It’s Hunter.”