“Fat chance,” said Onions.
I think he was getting a little frustrated. I didn’t want to push him too far. With my newfound respect and total astonishment that Hudson was ‘one of ours’, I knew he must be working the case. That didn’t help wounded Jake and me. I didn’t know how much longer we could hold them off. That knife was sharp as sharks’ teeth.
Onions motioned to Ivan, and the two of them retreated for a conference to the corner of the room out of view of the window. Jake and I exchanged glances.
“Can you get up?” I asked him, taking his arm.
“Hold on, let me try myself. Maybe I can make it to a sitting position on the bed.”
“Don’t try anything funny,” Onions barked at us.
“Wouldn’t think of it,” I said. “Jake is merely trying to sit up.”
Jake pushed and I tugged until he was able to sit on the bed. He rotated his neck. I checked for cuts but found none. He’d have a nice bruise on his neck though from the hand chop. I sat beside him and put my arm around his shoulders, then leaned in for what I hoped looked like a kiss. I whispered in his ear, “Hudson’s waiting at the door. He’s the one who called.”
Onions yelled, “Shut your mouth.”
“I was only giving Jake a little kiss to make things better.”
The two came back to stand before us.
“You both are going to leave with those guys at the door. You will not tell them anyone is in this room, do you understand? You get five minutes to get down the hall and out the main entrance. Do not try to give us the slip because we’re following you.”
He flipped open a cell phone and dialed. “Ratko? Send some of the boys to the front entrance right away. We got two of them, the girl and the big guy, so watch for them. Some guys are here to escort the girl to the airport. Tell the boys to be in front to head them off.”
“All right, let’s go,” Onions said to us.
The only thing Jake and I could do was play along and hope. At the moment my brain wasn’t working fast enough to formulate an escape plan. Jake managed to stand. I grabbed my carry on and his arm, and we shuffled to the door.
“Wait,” Onions said. He positioned the knife at Jake’s throat. Don’t get funny on us. You go with these guys, but if you try anything funny, the girl gets it in the head.” He made a finger gun and pointed it at my head. “Pop, pop. Get it?”
Jake nodded once. We made it to the door, and I opened it. Standing across the hall was Hudson and the short, wiry guy with the buzz cut.
“We’re ready,” I said.
“This way,” said Hudson, pointing to the right, not acknowledging that he knew me. “We’ll go to the elevator.”
As we cleared the door, the one to the room across the hall exploded open, and two guys in suits with guns lunged into our room before the door closed. Hudson shoved us against the wall.
We heard a cry, then another. No shots were fired. Then everything was quiet.
A typical day at your five star hotel.
Chapter 16
Hudson herded us in a half run to the elevator.
“Their friends are waiting to meet us at the main entrance,” I said, trying to catch my breath after we gained the relative safety of the down elevator. As far as I knew, the two attack guys were still in the room with Onions and Ivan. No one had been in hot pursuit.
“I’m pleased to hear that more men are coming,” he said with his usual smile, not even winded, looking very spy in black windbreaker and gray slacks.
I was having a panic attack myself.
“You are?” I said.
“By all means,” Hudson said. “They are coming out of the woodwork now, as the saying goes. We will catch them at their game. You performed your role as bait splendidly. I apologize for the terrible ordeal, but you helped catch two of the gang we’re targeting.”
“We were bait? Hudson, those guys threatened to cut body parts off Jake, if we didn’t tell them where the rifles were. They had knives. Jake got a head chop out of the deal.”
Jake seemed to be coming back to life after the run down the hall. He was rubbing and rotating his neck.
“It was all in the line of duty,” he said. “No permanent harm done.”
Hudson examined Jake’s neck. “You have a nasty welt, but I rather suspect you’ll live. We will need your continued cooperation. Those fellows think you know where the rifles are. We’re going to pretend to take them there.”
“I thought we were going to the airport,” I said. “Alice said we’d be removed from harm’s way. I’m going to Australia. I have the ticket right here.” I tapped my bag. “Jake and Opal are going back to Oregon.”
“Right. But before you do, we need you to be a decoy of sorts.”
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
The elevator door opened before I had more time to protest.
Hudson hustled us to the sitting area of the main lobby done in colors of maroon, yellow and gray with lots of sharp corners and pointy designs in the carpet. I was trying to look cosmopolitan and together, but I felt more like a bag lady.
“I’m sorry,” Hudson said, “I didn’t introduce you to my associate. This is Mike.” Hudson motioned to Mike who didn’t look like he could knock over a flea.
“Mike is going to drive. All four of us will be going together ostensibly to the airport.”
“Hudson,” I said, “some guys are set to kidnap us in front of the hotel right now.”
“No, they won’t,” said Hudson. “We will exit the main entrance so the men can see you. We are trying to force their hand and get them moving.”
“Hold on,” I said. “Those guys said Cody didn’t deliver on the rifles, that half are missing. They think we know where the rifles are. They might kill us.”
“Not if I can help it.” Hudson smiled his warm, comforting smile again.
I was not comforted.
Hudson said, “Cody couldn’t deliver the rifles because I concealed them so these men would come after the rifles. It was a way to draw them out in the open, to make a move, so that we can catch them in the act. We’ll be grateful if you continue to play along. It will be just a matter of one more car ride.”
“Let me understand,” Jake said, “we draw these guys out by becoming targets.”
“Not quite. We have people monitoring your every move who will come to your aid if anything goes wrong. Trust me.”
“That’s asking a lot,” I said.
Hudson took my hand. “I know none of this makes much sense to you. I may never be able to explain everything, but I am asking this one last favor.”
I heaved a great suffering sigh and looked at Jake.
He shrugged and said, “Lead the way.”
Mike peeled off to get the car. Hudson led us out the main entrance, and we stood outside under the portico in clear view, sitting ducks. The morning mist swirled around rush hour traffic already in full swing along Route Seven, although it was barely light.
“Keep smiling,” said Hudson. “Let’s appear a joyous group. Not a care in the world.”
Jake said, “I could use a drink. I’d settle for some strong coffee.”
I said, “I would like to know how you managed to deceive us for so long, Hudson.”
He smiled. “It was my job.”
“Why did you say you needed an alibi?”
“Opal and Jake thought I needed an alibi so I played along. Jake especially didn’t want you to leave.”
We both looked at Jake who kept his eyes on the horizon.
“I had to play along,” said Hudson, “you must understand. These men set the fire. Cody egged them on, telling them about the receipts and the incriminating evidence in Albert’s study. They got carried away and nearly burned the place down. It’s a terrible tragedy to destroy a fine house like that. I must say, I had some anxious moments with the police till we got that sorted out.”