Part 42 (2/2)

Grace looked at him in surprise. 'I don't know. I've never met her.'

His face reddened. 'You said you knew her.'

'I mean-everybody knows her. She's very famous. Isn't she beautiful?'

'You have no idea where she is?'

Grace said thoughtfully, 'I do have kind of an idea.'

'Where?'

'I saw a woman who looked like her get on a bus this morning. She was travelling with someone-'

'What bus was it?'

'It was the bus to Vermont.'

'Thanks.'

Vince Carballo hurried away.

Tanner threw the pile of faxes and e-mails to the floor and turned to Pauline. 'Do you know what those b.i.t.c.hes have done? We can't let anyone see Prima.' He was thoughtful for a long moment. 'I think Prima will have an accident the day before the party and blow up.'

Pauline looked at him a moment and then smiled. 'Prima II.'

Tanner nodded. 'That's right. We can travel around the world, and anytime we're ready, we'll go to Tamoa and start operating Prima II.'

Kathy Ordonez's voice came over the intercom. She sounded frantic. She buzzed into Tanner's office. 'Mr. Kingsley, the phones are going crazy. I have the New York Times, the Was.h.i.+ngton Post, and Larry King, all holding for you.'

'Tell them I'm in a meeting.' Tanner turned to Pauline. 'We have to get out of here.' He patted Andrew on the shoulder. 'Andrew, come with us.'

'Yes, Tanner.'

The three of them walked over to the redbrick building. 'I have something very important for you to do, Andrew.'

'Anything you want,' Andrew said.

Tanner led the way into the redbrick building and walked over to Prima. Tanner turned to Andrew. 'Here's what I want you to do. Princess and I have to leave now, but at six o'clock, I want you to turn this computer off. It's very simple.' He pointed. 'You see this big red b.u.t.ton?'

Andrew nodded. 'I see it.'

'All you have to do is press it three times, at six o'clock. Three times. Can you remember that?'

Andrew said, 'Yes, Tanner. Six o'clock. Three times.'

'Right. See you later.'

Tanner and Pauline started to walk out.

Andrew looked after them. 'You're not taking me with you?'

'No. You stay here. Just remember: six o'clock, three times.'

'I'll remember.'

As they walked outside, Pauline said, 'What if he doesn't remember?'

Tanner laughed. 'It doesn't matter. It's set to explode automatically at six o'clock. I just wanted to make sure he's there when it happens.'

CHAPTER 45.It was a perfect day for flying. KIG's 757 was speeding over the Pacific Ocean under an azure blue sky. Pauline and Tanner were snuggled together on a couch in the main cabin.

Pauline said, 'Darling, do you know it's a shame that people will never know how brilliant you are?'

'If they ever found out, I'd be in big trouble.'

She looked at him and said, 'No problem. We could buy a country and proclaim ourselves the rulers. Then they can't touch us.'

Tanner laughed.

Pauline stroked his hand. 'Did you know that I wanted you from the first time I saw you?'

'No. As I remember, you were very impertinent.'

'And it worked, didn't it? You had to see me again, to teach me a lesson.'

There was a long, erotic kiss.

Far away, lightning flashed.

Tanner said, 'You'll love Tamoa. We'll spend a week or two there and relax, and then we'll travel around the world. We're going to make up for all the lost years when we couldn't be together.'

She looked up and grinned impishly. 'You bet we will.'

'And every month or so, we'll come back to Tamoa and put Prima II to work. You and I can pick our targets together.'

Pauline said, 'Well, we could create a storm in England, but they wouldn't notice.'

Tanner laughed. 'We have the whole world to choose from.'

A steward approached. 'Is there anything I can get you?' he asked.

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