Part 38 (1/2)

”Yours.” He handed Kanan a bulging sack from Wendy's. ”This too. Eat up. You need the fuel.”

As soon as he opened the sack, voracious hunger overcame Kanan. How long had it been since he'd eaten? He pulled out a cheeseburger and dug into it. He'd never tasted anything so good.

Diaz caught his eye. ”Boss, I've been thinking. You may have left the sample at San Francisco General. We should check.”

”Good. Yeah-Diaz, absolutely.”

He had no memory of going by San Francisco General Hospital, but if Diaz said so, he believed him.

He tore into the burger. Dumped out the sack on the desk, grabbed a fistful of fries, and stuffed them in his mouth. He didn't think he'd ever felt so hungry. He pulled the lid off the large coffee Diaz had brought and drank it down.

”Thanks, bro,” he said. ”Need this.”

Diaz looked at the desk. ”Where'd this phone come from?”

Kanan looked at the phone. ”No idea.” He patted his jean jacket. ”Pocket, maybe.”

Diaz picked it up and read the display. ”Christ. Boss-look at this.”

Kanan wiped his hands and took it. His vision sparked white. ”Jesus.”

He and Diaz looked at each other.

Diaz grabbed the rifle. ”My truck's out back.”

Kanan strapped on the ankle sheath and slid the Kbar into it. He finished the coffee and jammed two pistols in the small of his back.

”Let's go get them,” he said.

The Chevy Tahoe rolled along Palm Drive, heading toward the center of the Stanford campus. Jo gazed out the window. Palm trees picket-fenced either side of the road. Beyond the palms, the landscape darkened to chaparral and live oaks and towering eucalyptus groves. The huge campus had originally been a farm, and much of it was still undeveloped.

”Speed limit,” Calder said.

Vance lifted his foot from the accelerator. He was a restless driver and tended to speed up without provocation. They'd gotten from San Francisco to campus in record time.

Traffic on Palm Drive was light. It was a Friday night. Most students were elsewhere on campus-studying, partying, losing their virginity, inventing fabulous new tiny technologies that could blow up the world or the inside of your head. n.o.body was paying attention to a single blue Chevy Tahoe heading for the quad.

In the front pa.s.senger seat, Calder couldn't stop sighing and squirming, peering at other vehicles and turning to check on Jo over her shoulder. In the blue light of the phone display, Calder's fas.h.i.+on-forward face was drawn. Her nerves and eagerness were getting the better of her. She finger-combed her sleek hair and put on fresh lipstick.

Too bad Ian Kanan would notice the nasty Sta-Prest burn on her forehead, Jo thought.

Vance stopped at the intersection with Campus Drive. Half a mile ahead, through the palms, was the quad. Its sandstone arches were warmly lit. The mosaic on the facade of Memorial Church glimmered under spotlights.

Riva punched in a phone number and put the phone to her ear. She raised a finger, demanding silence. Murdock, sitting across the back seat from Jo, simply looked her way and adjusted the barrel of the gun to point in her general vicinity.

”New schedule,” Riva said. ”The bidding is now open.”

She was silent for a minute, listening. Without saying good-bye, she put the phone away.

”Slow down,” she said to Vance. ”Campuses are speed traps. The cops are always out to get you.” She turned on him. ”I said slow down, you stupid son of a b.i.t.c.h.”

Shrugging away from her like a scolded dog, Vance slowed again. They drove toward the end of Palm Drive. The trees gave way and the vista opened wide. The road split into a loop that curved up to the front steps of the quad and circled back. The landscaped lawns and flower beds in the oval's center were black in the night.

Vance crept along. There were parking slots along either curb, mostly empty this time of night. Just off the right edge of the road, a curtain of oaks camouflaged academic buildings.

”Slow,” Calder said, leaning forward and peering out. ”This is reconnaissance.”

Jo glanced at her watch. Nineteen minutes to the rendezvous. She thought of Alec Shepard, struggling to stay above the surface of Stow Lake. She thought of his strength ebbing with every breath.

”Please, call in a rescue for Alec. You can't possibly count on him treading water for an hour with just his arms. Find a pay phone and do it anonymously.”

”No,” Calder said.

Jo clenched and unclenched her hands. She saw no sign of the police. And they were running out of time to pick up Misty and Seth.

”Make a loop,” Calder said.

”What's Ian going to do when he sees you?” Jo said.

She threw out the question as bait. Information, especially information that included unconscious self-revelation, was power. She needed to learn as much as she could. Calder could not rationally imagine that she was about to win Kanan's love. But when it came to Kanan, Calder was not rational.

”What's Kanan going to do?” she said again.

”What makes you think he's even going to see me here?” Calder said.

”He doesn't know you're behind all this, does he?” Jo said.

”You're a nosy b.i.t.c.h, you know?”

”You say that like it's a bad thing.”

Calder snorted. Jo decided it was as much respect as she'd ever get from the woman.

”How did you do it?” Jo said. ”Did Murdock and Vance deliver the threat to him? Text, video, digital photos of Seth and Misty held prisoner? Did you talk to him at all before he took off to get Slick back and bring it to you?”

”None of your business.”

Calder had stayed in the background, Jo thought. Delivered the threats via proxy.

”Who are these guys, anyway? Your cousins? Your puppets?” Jo said.

No reply.