The Wolf smiled and regarded the syringe in her hand. “It’s a rush, isn’t it? An oldie but goodie from your early agency days, I believe.” She set it down on the portable table next to the chair and picked up another. “This one’s newer but I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Fire and Ice?”
Helen tried to keep her face blank. Fire and Ice was not the drug’s official name, but that’s what most in the know called it, and for good reason.
When The Wolf moved the syringe toward her, Helen couldn’t help but flinch.
“Relax,” the woman said. “It won’t kill you.
She stuck the needle into Helen’s arm.
For a few moments, nothing happened. Helen even started to think maybe the woman had been playing her, but then every vein and capillary in her body ignited.
All thought stopped, her brain unable to process anything but the blaze under her skin. Never in her life had she considered dying an option, until now.
Finally, the burn began to recede. She knew from reports she’d read that a subject’s temperature remained unchanged throughout the drug’s interaction. Yet the fire had felt real, as did the cold she sensed coming on now.
“If you’re lucky, you’ll black out before you reach the bottom,” The Wolf said. “But don’t count on it. Now tell me, where are they going?”
Helen kept her lips pressed together.
“Where are they going?”
The cold. Oh, God!
“Where?” The Wolf demanded.
Helen screamed.
CHAPTER 20
Quinn saw the helicopter twice more as they continued south on I-82—the first time when they’d left Yakima, the aircraft hovering over the town, and the second time when they were almost to Richland as it raced by and disappeared to the southeast.
He decided a change of course was in order, and instructed Nate to exit the interstate when they reached Kennewick and take US 12 east to Walla Walla.
Once they were on the country highway, they had no more sightings of the helicopter. By no means did Quinn feel they were out of trouble yet, though. From Ananke, via Orlando, they had learned one of their pursuers was a hunter named Ricky Orbits. Quinn seldom dealt with hunters so he had no personal knowledge of the man, but Ananke had told Orlando that Orbits was more than competent at his job. The information Orlando had pulled together and e-mailed to Quinn seemed to back this up.
Walla Walla came into sight just after six p.m. Though they could still reach Idaho before dark, one look at Nate told Quinn his partner was as tired as he was. They needed rest, not all night but for a few hours at least, or else they were liable to make mistakes.
He checked the Internet and directed Nate to a motel near the airport on the east end of town. There, he arranged for a first-floor room on the backside as far from the office as possible. While Nate moved the car, Quinn walked through the building, listening for other guests. TVs were on in four of the rooms, but the rest, including those surrounding the one they’d be staying in, were quiet.
He went outside through the exit closest to their room, and studied the parking lot as Nate pulled into a nearby spot.
When Nate joined him on the sidewalk, Quinn said, “We’ve got three cameras.” With subtle nods, he pointed out their locations. The cameras were mounted to the building, two at either end and the third above the door Quinn had come through.
They retrieved jammers from the Audi’s trunk and placed them within twenty feet of each camera to scramble their signals.
“Our room’s two doors down on the right,” Quinn said, flipping Nate the room key. “Take the bags in, then come back and give me a hand.”
While Nate took care of the luggage, Quinn opened the car’s rear door and leaned in. “We’re going to stop here for a bit. I could give you another shot but I’d rather not. And I don’t think you want that, either.”
The look in Danielle’s eyes confirmed this.
“Can I trust you to be quiet?”
She nodded.
Quinn checked the lot to make sure no one had appeared, and then helped her into a sitting position. When Nate returned, they cut the ties around her ankles and helped her out. True to her promise, she made no attempt to try anything as they led her inside.
Their room was more than serviceable — two queen-size beds, a counter/desk that covered most of the opposite wall, a TV, and a couple of padded chairs.
They sat her on the bed farthest from the door.
“I’m going to take your gag off, but the same rule applies if you try anything,” Quinn said. “Understand?”
Another nod.
He unwound the first rag and then removed the one lodged between her top and bottom teeth. As soon as this last was gone, she coughed. Nate handed her a bottle of water and she downed almost the whole thing.
“Are you okay?” Quinn asked when she was finished.
“Go to hell.”
“I think she’s all right,” Nate said.
“I need to use the bathroom,” she told them.
Quinn looked at Nate. “Check it.”
His partner disappeared into the bathroom for a moment before coming back out. “No way out.”
“Go ahead,” Quinn said to Danielle. “But leave the door open.”
She raised her cuffed hands and stared at him.
He knew he should leave them on, but he pulled out his knife and cut the ties. He didn’t expect thanks, nor did he get any, as she walked into the bathroom.
“Maybe we should just let her go,” Nate said.
“How long do you think she’ll last out there? We know one hunter’s looking for her, and there’s probably more. With us, she at least has a chance.”
“True,” Nate said slowly. “And I know helping her is the right thing to do, but I feel I should point out that’s not our job.”
“You’re right, and you don’t have to stay,” Quinn said. “I can do this on my own.”
Nate snorted. “Right. Did you hear the part where I said it’s the right thing to do? I was just making sure we were on the same page. I’m not going anywhere.”
Though Dani was acting all tough while she walked into the bathroom, what she really felt was exhausted and scared. She had been lying down the whole trip but hadn’t been able to fall back to sleep since the sedative had worn off.
Initially, she’d been fueled by anger toward the one called Quinn for putting a gag in her mouth and then reneging on his promise to remove it, but that had soon turned to fear as she listened to talk of helicopters and hunters.
She heard a hushed voice from the other room. She pressed up against the doorjamb and listened as Nate and Quinn talked. Their words confused her. Sure, they could have been trying to trick her, knowing she would overhear them, but she didn’t really believe that. Despite the fact they had tied her up and gagged her and drugged her — twice — they had not treated her unkindly. If she were honest with herself, she’d have to admit they had been very respectful, even concerned.
You can’t trust anyone, her sister had often said. People will tell you anything to get what they want.
She knew she should heed Marianne’s words, but something Quinn had just said replayed in her mind, too.
“With us, she at least has a chance.”
When Danielle exited the bathroom, Quinn pointed to the bed by the window.
“You can use that bed. My friend and I are going to take turns sleeping, so try to get some rest and don’t waste your time thinking about making a run for it.”