Page 95 of Fatal Mistake
“Um,” he replied, and tapped his chin. “Not quite yet.”
Tara glanced at June to see her response, but she sat stoically, her emotions tucked away where only she could know them.
“When?” Tara held her breath in wait for an answer she doubted she would like.
“Soon.” Irritation deepened his voice. “First, you must follow my directions. Get back in the car and head up Highway 17 going north. Take this phone with you and stay on the road until you hear from me again.”
“But where am I going?” Tara hated how desperate she sounded.
“It’s a surprise, but it’s worth it. Trust me. I’ve wanted to see you ever since the night of the unfortunate incident between us. And now…” He paused, the time ticking by in excruciatingly painful seconds. “Now we’ll have the chance that we’ve always dreamed of. Oh, and Tara? I know all about you and Secret Agent Man. Unfortunately, he’ll have to die or you’ll never be free.”
Chapter 27
Cal picked up the EOD suit’s cumbersome helmet that resembled a deep-sea diving helmet. He lifted it over his head and slipped it into a padded high-profile collar. He’d already turned off his phone to keep a wayward call from accidentally triggering the device, donned the suit pants and jacket, and now slipped on the gloves.
He gave Frankie a thumbs-up, then he stepped forward in the bulky suit that forced him to walk like a lumbering elephant down the road. Moving this slowly gave him plenty of time to think about the device x-rays taken by the robot. Keeler had used several switches including a collapsing circuit that would trigger the bomb if any wires were cut. To render it safe, Cal needed to know the safe arm, which he didn’t see on the x-ray. So right now Cal planned to only look inside the PVC before taking additional steps.
At the house, he climbed the stairs and entered the dining room.
“I’m here, Hadil,” he called out. “Can I call you Hadil?”
“Yes.” Her tiny voice came from the other side of the tent flap that Frankie had lowered when he’d backed Anne Droid out of the house.
“I’m coming in to join you now.” He bent low and lifted the flap.
Hadil blinked hard before her eyes widened and she gasped.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Remember, I told you this suit is a precaution, so don’t let it freak you out.”
“But I…”
“I know this is hard.” He made sure to use a comforting tone. “But think about the fact that I’ll have you out of here soon.”
“Honestly?”
He nodded, though he still didn’t know if he could follow through on his word.
“I’m going to come closer and put down my tools.” He stepped ahead and set his bag on the floor next to her. “Next I’m going to bring in a chair and lower the flap over both of us.” He backed out to retrieve the chair and positioned it so he could face her. With thick gloves, he opened the bag, removed a light, and clamped it on the back of her chair before aiming it at the device.
“Now.” He sat. “It’s time to get to work.”
She swallowed. “And you’re sure you know what you’re doing?”
He nodded, but the padded collar held his helmet in place, so he had to move his entire upper body. “Besides being trained and certified, I’ve had years of experience with explosive devices. You ever heard of Navy SEALs?”
“Yes, yes, of course. They’re amazing.”
“I was a SEAL for many years and have been in far tighter spots than this one.”
“Oh…okay…good, then.”
He dug a cordless drill from his tool bag. “All I’m going to do right now is drill into the side of the pipe with a very small bit.” He displayed the bit so she could take comfort from the tiny size. “I need you to sit very still.”
“I haven’t moved since he programmed a number into my phone, and I pressed the dial button an hour after he left like he told me to.”
“Good job.” He bent closer. Her face was shiny with perspiration, her mouth and chin trembling. He felt her emotions to his core, but he couldn’t let it get in his way and display any concern or he might unsettle her, exposing them both to an explosion.
He put the drill against the PVC and pressed the switch. Shards of white plastic fell from the pipe like a heavy snowfall, but he ignored it and concentrated on feeling the way as the bit moved through the PVC. He had to make a complete hole in the plastic, but he couldn’t apply too much pressure and drill too deep into the space behind it.
