wouldn’t play ball, even when I told them it was a military matter. I had to put a call through to Admiral Sharp. Only
then did they sit up and take notice.’ Jerry ran a palm over his forehead.
‘You look all in,’ Kate commented.
‘I’ve felt better . . . But, I think it’s time you two explained exactly what is in that bubblewrap package, and why someone should tip off customs.’
Kate smiled for the first time in hours and nodded towards Lou. ‘He’s been wanting to tell you all about it since we were on the boat!’
*
They found Kate’s car in long-term parking where they had dropped it before leaving for the Pacific.
Jerry helped them load the luggage. He checked his watch. ‘It’s 11.45. You have your passes into the base, yeah? Meet there in an hour, my office. I have to drop off some files to
one of my superiors in town.’
‘At this time of the night?’
‘The United States Navy never sleeps, Lou,’ Jerry said with a grin. ‘Catch you later.’ He walked off across the car park, skirting a giant puddle in the middle of the
road.
Although they had only been away for just over a week, to Kate and Lou it felt a lot longer. It started to rain, smearing the view through the car windows, the water splashing against the sides
of the vehicle as it accelerated away through a set of lights, around the airport perimeter, out onto Norview Avenue and then north-west on the freeway.
The traffic was very light on the I64, the six lanes of the highway were swept by gusts of cold rain. Neither of them spoke very much for the first few minutes of the journey, each lost in their
own thoughts about the discovery they had made and the recent experiences at the airport.
Eventually Kate said: ‘Our radio transmissions from the boat must’ve been intercepted. How else could anybody have possibly known we had found anything?’
‘I guess. But why would anybody be monitoring our signal? Sounds a bit far-fetched.’
‘Well, I suppose intelligence traffic is heavier than it would normally be in that part of the world because of the Chinese business.’ She turned to look out at the windswept
landscape, the grassy banks each side of the road, a few bedraggled trees in the distance. ‘I can’t believe that one of the team would have said anything to anyone. Connor or
Gustav?’
‘No way.’
A couple of hundred yards from intersection 278 they saw, coming up directly behind them, blue and red flashing lights.
Lou slowed the car and pulled over to the hard shoulder. ‘Jesus Christ! It really isn’t our damn night, is it?’
He switched off the engine and they sat quietly listening to the crunch of the cop’s boots as he walked towards their car. There came a tap at his window and Lou lowered it. The policeman
was a beefy young Latino with a bleached blond crew-cut who looked a few years younger than them.
‘Your nearside brake light,’ he said, his voice completely expressionless. ‘It’s blinking, about to go.’
‘Thanks, officer. I hadn’t realized. I’ll get it fixed as soon as I can.’ Lou forced a brief smile.
The policeman took in Kate sitting in the passenger seat. ‘Can I see your licence please, sir?’
Lou patted his breast pocket, then realized he had put his wallet in the glove compartment. He reached over.
‘Sir,’ the policeman said.
‘I’m getting my licence.’
‘Slowly please.’
Lou found the licence, handed it to the policeman and sat waiting with his arms folded across his chest. The officer studied the licence, then handed it back.
‘Could you step out please?’
‘What? I thought you said I just had a faulty bulb?’
Lou noticed the policeman’s right hand move down a few inches to hover close to his gun holster and felt Kate jab her elbow into his side. He glanced back at the officer, sighed again and
slowly eased open the door.
The man moved very quickly. The second Lou was out of the car the barrel of a standard-issue .40 Smith and Wesson was
then did they sit up and take notice.’ Jerry ran a palm over his forehead.
‘You look all in,’ Kate commented.
‘I’ve felt better . . . But, I think it’s time you two explained exactly what is in that bubblewrap package, and why someone should tip off customs.’
Kate smiled for the first time in hours and nodded towards Lou. ‘He’s been wanting to tell you all about it since we were on the boat!’
*
They found Kate’s car in long-term parking where they had dropped it before leaving for the Pacific.
Jerry helped them load the luggage. He checked his watch. ‘It’s 11.45. You have your passes into the base, yeah? Meet there in an hour, my office. I have to drop off some files to
one of my superiors in town.’
‘At this time of the night?’
‘The United States Navy never sleeps, Lou,’ Jerry said with a grin. ‘Catch you later.’ He walked off across the car park, skirting a giant puddle in the middle of the
road.
Although they had only been away for just over a week, to Kate and Lou it felt a lot longer. It started to rain, smearing the view through the car windows, the water splashing against the sides
of the vehicle as it accelerated away through a set of lights, around the airport perimeter, out onto Norview Avenue and then north-west on the freeway.
The traffic was very light on the I64, the six lanes of the highway were swept by gusts of cold rain. Neither of them spoke very much for the first few minutes of the journey, each lost in their
own thoughts about the discovery they had made and the recent experiences at the airport.
Eventually Kate said: ‘Our radio transmissions from the boat must’ve been intercepted. How else could anybody have possibly known we had found anything?’
‘I guess. But why would anybody be monitoring our signal? Sounds a bit far-fetched.’
‘Well, I suppose intelligence traffic is heavier than it would normally be in that part of the world because of the Chinese business.’ She turned to look out at the windswept
landscape, the grassy banks each side of the road, a few bedraggled trees in the distance. ‘I can’t believe that one of the team would have said anything to anyone. Connor or
Gustav?’
‘No way.’
A couple of hundred yards from intersection 278 they saw, coming up directly behind them, blue and red flashing lights.
Lou slowed the car and pulled over to the hard shoulder. ‘Jesus Christ! It really isn’t our damn night, is it?’
He switched off the engine and they sat quietly listening to the crunch of the cop’s boots as he walked towards their car. There came a tap at his window and Lou lowered it. The policeman
was a beefy young Latino with a bleached blond crew-cut who looked a few years younger than them.
‘Your nearside brake light,’ he said, his voice completely expressionless. ‘It’s blinking, about to go.’
‘Thanks, officer. I hadn’t realized. I’ll get it fixed as soon as I can.’ Lou forced a brief smile.
The policeman took in Kate sitting in the passenger seat. ‘Can I see your licence please, sir?’
Lou patted his breast pocket, then realized he had put his wallet in the glove compartment. He reached over.
‘Sir,’ the policeman said.
‘I’m getting my licence.’
‘Slowly please.’
Lou found the licence, handed it to the policeman and sat waiting with his arms folded across his chest. The officer studied the licence, then handed it back.
‘Could you step out please?’
‘What? I thought you said I just had a faulty bulb?’
Lou noticed the policeman’s right hand move down a few inches to hover close to his gun holster and felt Kate jab her elbow into his side. He glanced back at the officer, sighed again and
slowly eased open the door.
The man moved very quickly. The second Lou was out of the car the barrel of a standard-issue .40 Smith and Wesson was
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