Xavier puts a hand on my arm. “Hey, we’re gonna get her back, alright?”
“Yeah.”
“Should I call Ratchford?”
“No. We can’t contact the authorities. Akinsanya said he’d know if we did, and I believe him. We need to figure out what the launch codes are — so at least we have something to negotiate with.”
“How?”
“Let’s start with Fred, see what he can find out. Maybe he can get back in the building. Maybe his people can locate the codes.”
“Jevin, I don’t think that—”
“We have to come up with something, Xav — before we get to Vegas. This is Akinsanya we’re talking about. He will kill her. You know that. If we don’t get him what he wants.”
He quietly taps the dashboard, thinking, then lifts his cell and puts the call through.
Fred doesn’t answer.
As Xavier leaves a voicemail for him to call us back, I try to think of a way to bluff my way through saving Charlene’s life.
While Agent Clay Ratchford waited for his people to contact him with the trace on Turnisen’s phone location and credit card usage, he watched Lonnie work his magic on the laptop.
Obscure computer code scrolled across the screen, and Clay couldn’t help but think of The Matrix.
This kid was amazing.
He couldn’t help but wonder how good the person was who’d taught him — his mom.
When his phone rang he picked up.
And got the news: Turnisen was staying here at the Arête. His Visa card had been used to reserve a room earlier this evening.
Clay stood.
“What is it?” Fionna asked.
“Turnisen. You stay here with your kids. I’ll be back.”
And he strode briskly toward the reception desk to get Turnisen’s room number.
We hear from Fred.
No, he can’t get back into the building.
No, he has no idea what the launch codes might be.
And no, his contacts would never be able to find them out, at least not tonight before the test flight.
I try to keep the speed down on the drive back to Vegas, but it’s not easy. Still no word from Akinsanya about a meeting place.
He has Charlene.
The woman I love.
And you’ve never told her so, not in so many words, not by using the three words that matter most.
No.
No, I haven’t.
“Xav, I took video of a notebook in Turnisen’s desk. I want you to pull it up on my phone.”
He does.
“Hit play, then pause it and read me the numbers listed for tonight.”
“Why?”
“I need to know what they are.”
“You think it’s the launch sequence?”
“I’m not sure. But if nothing else, maybe it’s something I can use to stall with.”
He looks at the screen. “Jevin, this code is at least, I don’t know, thirty or forty characters long.”
“I can memorize a deck of fifty-two cards; I can memorize a list of numbers and letters. Read them off.”
He makes it through the list twice before my phone rings.
He studies the screen. “Unknown number.”
“Let me have it.”
I accept the phone, and as soon as I tap the screen Akinsanya’s voice comes on. “Leave your car in the Arête’s parking garage. Take the elevator to the first floor of the casino. Go past the gaming tables to the escalator that leads down to the green rooms. Someone will meet you there.”
“Who?”
“Be here in fifteen minutes.”
“Let me talk to Charlene.”
But the line is already dead.
I hand Xavier the phone.
“What do we know?”
“We go to the Arête, near the green rooms. He wants me there in fifteen minutes. But I don’t know if they’re aware that you’re with me. He didn’t say anything about you being there, or about what you’re supposed to do.”
We’re less than five minutes from the hotel.
“That could work to our advantage.”
“Yes.” I’m deep in thought. “It could.”
Backstage
Xavier’s warehouse is on the way, and it only takes a couple moments to swing by and pick up the things I have in mind: a radio transmitter patch and receiver, a crossbow, and an indiscreet case for him to carry them in so he can get it into the Arête without being stopped by security.
My conspiracy theorist friend really is a good shot with a crossbow.
I place one of the transparent radio transmitters behind my left ear. It looks like a small piece of thick, clear tape. Hopefully, they won’t find it if they search me.
Using this, Xavier will be able to hear everything I say.
Back on the road, Xavier changes out of his camo clothes as I drive, then he fits the radio receiver into his ear.
“Xav, you need to promise me you won’t make any move or tell anyone where we are until I give you the go-ahead.”
“How are you gonna let me know when you want me to call the cops?”
“I’ll ask to see Charlene before I give them any information. I need to make sure she’s still alive. If I say, ‘What have you done!’ it means she’s dead. We have nothing to lose. Call the cops.”
“Jev, she’s going to be alright. Don’t even—”
“I’m just saying, just in case.”
He’s quiet.
“If I tell her, ‘It’s going to be okay,’ that means I need you to come in alone. I’ll try to give you any other info I can about what we’re dealing with.”
“What about if you want me to call hotel security?”
“I’ll just ask Akinsanya, ‘How did you get past the Arête’s security?’”
“Got it.”
I take a moment to review the random alphanumeric list. With everything that’s going on, I’m having a hard time remembering the last ten digits and letters.
“Review the code for me.”
He reads through it again, and I concentrate on the end sequence.
“Jevin, you can’t give them this code. No matter what happens in there. You understand that, right?”
I glance at him. “You told me the right one, didn’t you? You didn’t change any of it?”
“No. It was the right one. I’m just saying—”
“I got you.” I stop at that, avoiding making a promise I won’t be able to keep.
After dropping Xavier off halfway down the block, I cruise into the Arête’s parking garage.
Before leaving the pickup, I change out of the camouflage and into my street clothes.
As instructed, I ride the elevator to the first floor of the hotel’s casino and walk past the gaming tables, keeping my eyes focused straight ahead, trying not to attract any attention from people who might have seen the billboards of me out front.
I get a few looks of recognition, but thankfully no autograph requests.
I make it to the escalator that leads down to the green rooms. Typically, there are hotel security personnel down here to keep people out of the stage area, but tonight there’s just a police officer.
“Follow me,” he tells me brusquely.
An LVPD officer? So, Akinsanya really would have found out if you called the cops.
I wonder if he’s one of the two men who were staking out my house, but it was impossible to know since I hadn’t been able to get a good look at their faces.
We walk around the corner and through the doorway to the hall that leads to the backstage area. He locks the door behind us, quickly frisks me, takes my cell phone, and smashes it to pieces beneath his heel.