Sally blocked the camera feed and showed me on my heads-up what was happening. The two guys started to panic but didn’t activate the team. They began fiddling with wires and equipment.
“Right, add the music.” I said, which she did. Pippa was confused.
“Okay, bounce me in.”
“Wait!” Sally was alarmed.
“What is it?”
“The team’s been called.”
“Where?”
She put it on my display. Four, heavily armed men were running down the corridor to Pippa’s condo.
“Shit!” I watched as they used a key to open the front door, at least they didn’t break it down. Pippa must be scared to death.
They entered the foyer, two had the drug darts and two had canisters, no doubt the tear gas, but they didn’t use them. Pippa ran to Billy and was smothering him, she was screaming at the men, who ignored her. I watched with anger rising inside me, I felt helpless. They searched each room then returned to the main living area where Pippa held Billy tight to her body.
“Do you want me to knock them out?” Sally asked.
“No, let’s see what they do? Kill the music.”
One of the men was speaking on a radio attached to his shoulder. Then three left, leaving just the one man. He removed his helmet and addressed Pippa.
“I’m sorry if we frightened you or your son. I’m under orders to arrest the man, Jo-el.”
“Get out of my house!” Pippa screamed. “You have no right to come in here. Get out, get out.” She sniveled and pulled Billy away to the kitchen. Billy was crying. Pippa was shaking but you could see she was trying to keep herself calm.
All four men had retreated to the condo next door. The two watching and listening were still fiddling with their equipment.
“How can I get a message to Pippa? I’m sure they’re monitoring her cell phone. I don’t want to knock them out and go in now, I’ve got nowhere to take her and Billy.”
“Why don’t you go in as a service man?”
“They’re not going to trust anyone who meets with her, anywhere. I just need to get her a message.”
“Write it out, then bounce there and leave it away from the camera. They can’t see inside the bathroom or bedroom.”
I thought about that for a while and couldn’t see any reason not to try it. I typed out a note to Pippa on my laptop, as follows.
Pippa,
They have two cameras that can see into your living room and kitchen and a listening device. I will fetch you at six p.m. if it’s safe. Pack a bag for you and Billy in the bedroom. Bring cash only, no credit cards or your phone. Destroy this note.
“No lovey-dovey stuff?” Sally remarked.
“Leave it alone, Sally. Okay where is she?”
“The kitchen.”
“Bring the video back on, that will distract them.”
We watched the two engineers light up when their monitor came to life. For a while they watched Pippa, who was making coffee in the kitchen. She was probably trying to figure out what to do.
“Okay, bounce me to the bedroom, straight in and out, I’ll leave the note on the pillow.”
“Touching.” Sally smiled, I grimaced at her.
For five seconds I was just a few feet from Pippa. I so wanted to walk through to the kitchen and hold her in my arms, but I resisted and returned home.
We watched for a while longer. The head of the team reported back to his base of the false alarm. The two engineers were laughing and chatting again. Pippa sat in the living room, drinking her coffee and watching Billy who was playing with a tablet computer. I could see tears in her eyes.
I bounced to the airport in Norfolk, Virginia and used my new debit card to rent a car at Hertz. No problem, they took a one-thousand-dollar charge and would refund the balance when I returned the car. For good measure I added all the insurances. The East coast weather was cold but cooperating. The March storms and driving rain held off even as the clouds darkened ominously on the horizon. It would be almost dark by the time I reached Rodanthe. The drive was uneventful and I met Mrs. Greelitch at the cottage at a little after five. I’d stopped for groceries on the way and picked up a coloring book with markers for Billy. I was excited at the prospect of seeing Pippa. Mrs. Greelitch had turned up the heating in the cottage and explained where everything could be found. I made coffee and settled comfortably on the sofa. The cottage was exactly per the pictures, two bedrooms, a small kitchen with yellow tiles and a living room equipped with a decent size flat screen TV. I turned on the ice-maker and sorted out the groceries.
During the drive Sally informed me that Pippa had found the note. She’d read it six times, I think Sally exaggerated, and had then torn it into small pieces and flushed it down the toilet. A small bag was sitting on the bed. She was ready.
A little before six I reviewed what was happening at Pippa’s condo. No change with the six guys, they were sitting around looking bored. Inside, Pippa was watching TV with Billy on the sofa. I watched while keeping an eye on the clock over the mantelpiece. Nothing untoward.
At two minutes to six Pippa took Billy into the bedroom, one of the engineers made a note of the time when they’d lost visual.
I wasted no time and bounced to the bedroom. Pippa was startled but made no sound. Billy, on the other hand screamed. Shit!
“You ready?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Jo-el, they’ve sensed a change in the condo,” Sally warned me.
I had no time to discuss why.
“Hold Billy in your arms,” I picked up the bag and grabbed Pippa’s right hand.
We bounced to the cottage. Billy screamed again. I put my arms around Pippa and held her tight, she began to cry.
“Ahhh!” Sally.
“You okay?”
“Yes, sorry, it’s been horrible. I feel violated. They’ve no right.”
I squeezed her to me once more and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Billy started to cry, she put him down and calmed him. I fetched the coloring book, which distracted him.
“Where are we?” asked Pippa.
“Rodanthe, the Outer Banks.”
“Is this where you live?” She said, beginning to take in the small cottage with all the knickknacks.
“No, I rented it for a week, starting today.”
She looked anxious. “Why didn’t you take me to your home?”
“Safety,” I replied.
“Oh, right!” she smiled at me and kissed me on the lips.
Chapter 35
THE TRUTH
I made spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce, straight from a packet. It was right up there with ‘okay’. The bottle of Pinot Grigio mellowed the food disappointment. Pippa gave Billy some spaghetti with cheese, which did the trick.
“What’s the plan?” Pippa asked as we cleared away the plates.
“For you, or for me?”
She stopped and looked at me. “Both of us.”
“Well, you’ve just pissed off the CIA big time, that’s for sure and I’m a wanted man. So we can’t be seen in public in the US. You’ve seen the TV news, the FBI are rounding up pedophiles by the bus load, next they’ll be arresting kidnappers and rapists and for good measure there’s seven serial killers who’ll be behind bars in the next day or so. The paperwork will keep them busy for a year. The Brits are doing the same,”
“How did you do that?”
“Me, I just told Sally what I wanted to do, she did the rest.”
“How?”
I paused and considered my decision. Do I tell Pippa everything? Would she believe me? Would I be putting her at risk? Seemed to me she was already at risk.