The house got dead quiet, everyone in position. Thirty seconds later, a loud knock practically rattled the door on its hinges. Maggie took a deep breath and nodded at Frank, who nodded back.
She threw the door open and grimaced. “You have any idea what time it is?”
23
Frank drove the little Volkswagen at high speed down the narrow alley, tearing onto the main road too quickly. Thankfully, it was the middle of the night and the streets were empty. If it had been daytime, someone would’ve pulled him over already. The two Russians in the trunk wouldn’t have helped much either.
“You’re over-adjusting, Frank. These little suckers pack a punch,” Ellis remarked from the front passenger seat. “Doubt I could sell many, though. Barely any room in ’em.”
Frank eased off on the gas and fell in behind Cal’s car, which had Maggie and Yushchenko inside — and another two more bound and gagged Russians to boot. That left Frank with Ellis… and the usual advice in his head.
“Hang back another ten feet or so. Give yourself room to react if things turn south,” the Las Vegas gangster whispered in Frank’s head. “If you pass, do it fast and get in front quickly. Have someone else keep an eye on the prize. You watch the road.”
“Just tell me if they make any sudden moves ahead,” Frank told Ellis. “I need to watch the road.”
Frank glanced in the rearview and saw nothing, but now, there, driving through Prague toward an inevitable police checkpoint, he started to worry. Maggie’d told him a hundred times she didn’t think Cal would be able to pull the trigger, not even in self-defense. At the time, Frank had been dismissive; Maggie struck him as gung ho and itching for a fight, and clearly felt anyone who wasn’t was soft. But remembering Cal’s movements in the house a little while before, Frank could see the hesitation, the tentative moves of the overly cautious and uncertain. Cal had been a rock throughout everything else, but knocking out those goons… it was the first time Cal had been asked to deliberately harm someone, and Frank figured it didn’t sit well with him.
So, it made sense to put Cal with Maggie — she was as much a soldier at this point as any of them, and Cal could make sure she wouldn’t get too gung ho. Despite his best efforts to the contrary, Frank had grown attached to him and to Maggie — even to Ellis. They were his team. He wanted them all back in one piece, with Yushchenko in tow.
And maybe they’d get some answers out of the Russki — information that wasn’t exactly forthcoming from the folks at CIA or Area 51.
“…a whole program, just like ours…” Ellis remarked. “Gotta wonder what kinds of Enhancements their Variants got.”
“Could be anything,” Frank said quietly. “So many possibilities, it’s probably not worth speculating.”
“World’s getting a little crowded with superpowered people, Frank,” Ellis remarked. “Makes me think that there could be a whole lot of us out there. And wonder why we’re doing this MAJESTIC business when there are surely more… lucrative opportunities.”
Frank turned to see Ellis smiling slightly at him, his eyebrow cocked. Always the salesman. “Eyes on the other car,” Frank ordered. “Finish the job first. If we get out of here in one piece, then I promise to sit through the entire pitch.”
It was risky to use a telephone at 3 a.m., but Frank was running out of options. He needed to report in, get the team in Leningrad moving, and figure out what to do with four bodies before reaching a checkpoint. The fact that they hadn’t stumbled blindly across one yet was a stroke of good luck they couldn’t expect to last much longer.
Frank eased his car to the side of the street. There was an awning on a building there with a phone number on it. He figured if it had a phone number up front, it had a phone inside. Besides, there weren’t any pay phones in this goddamn city.
The squat, two-story, cinder-block building was next to a fenced-in yard — a repair shop or junkyard of some kind. The awning was ragged, the glass on the windows streaked with filth. Not much chance there was anyone at work at that time of night. It was perfect, really. Well, as good as they were going to get.
Frank got out of the car with Ellis and headed toward the building, stopping first at Cal’s car. “If anything happens, get Maggie and INSIGHT out of here.”
Cal nodded and wisely kept the engine running. Frank turned to Ellis, who was eying the building’s strong wooden door.
“Make it subtle,” Frank said.
The Southerner smiled and reached for the doorknob, screwing his eyes shut for a moment. When he released it, it was soft clay. Ellis put a shoulder to the door, and it opened readily. “After you, Frank.”
Frank walked in and looked around. The room was bare except for a single desk, a threadbare couch, and open boxes of what looked like used parts. No phone.
“There,” Ellis said, pointing to a door labeled in Czech. “Looks like a side office.”
Frank opened the door, and sure enough, it was a private office with a large, clunky telephone on the desk. A minute’s worth of rapid-fire Czech later and he had an English operator. “Amalgamated Exports, Roger-65143,” he said.
It took less than fifteen seconds for the line to connect. “Amalgamated Exports, to whom may I direct your call?” came a prim, female British voice.
“Mr. Hill, if you please,” Frank replied. I’m reporting in, all’s well, but there’s a complication.
“One moment, please.”
A few seconds later. “This is Mr. Hill. How can I help you?”
Frank smiled. Danny had deepened his voice to sound older. “Mr. Hill, this is Mr. Rush,” Frank said pleasantly. “We have your order in hand, but I was wondering if you were interested in a few extra items that are on special.” We have Yushchenko. And a few others as well.
“Interesting. Are they similar to the one I ordered? Good condition?” More useful assets?
“Sadly, they’re off-the-shelf items that may be in need of repair. But they’re quite ready to be shipped.” Goons. Unconscious. Under control.
“Well, that’s mighty kind of you, Mr. Rush. But I think I’m going to have to pass. I’m sure you can find a place for them.” No. They need to be taken care of.
Frank grimaced. “I thought it was worth a try. Also, I wanted to be sure of the other shipment we discussed.” Roger on the goons. Get the Leningrad team moving.
“That shipment is fine, Mr. Rush. It’s being taken care of.” Leningrad team will move.
“Thank you, Mr. Hill. Is your address still the same?” Is the plan still intact?
“You should have the alternate address we discussed. I’d prefer it if you used that.” Shit’s hit the fan. Go to plan B.
“I’ll do that, sir. Anything else?” Please tell me if we’re about to get burned.
“No, Mr. Rush. Looking forward to your shipment, thank you. Have a great day.” No, but you need to get moving. Now.
“You too, Mr. Hill.”
Frank hung up the phone and turned to Ellis, who was busy trying to wipe up an oil slick on the floor, likely from his Enhancement’s side effect. “Leave it. We’re going. Plan B is in effect.”
“Shit. They made us?” Ellis said, dropping the cloth on the floor.