The Escape (John Puller, #3)(131)

“When did you get the tip?” asked Robert.

“About four months before all hell broke loose at DB and the attempt was made on your life.”

“So that was the catalyst,” said Robert.

Puller interjected, “I think it might have been Niles Robinson. Guilty conscience.”

“As I told Puller, unfortunately, we were probably the ones who almost got you killed. We obviously had a leak at INSCOM. Word got out we were looking into your case. We believe that prompted the assassination attempt on you.”

“Well, it also gave me the opportunity to escape.”

“So we decided to lay a trap for Reynolds. I was with INSCOM. I was possibly damaged goods. I could be helpful to them. It took two months, because she was very cautious. Then she made contact. A phone call, an email, a text. A face-to-face in an out-of-the-way place. Then things started to heat up quickly. I had no idea about the hit at DB on you, Robert. I wasn’t in the circle on that one. I already told Puller that. But when it happened and you escaped, Reynolds met with me again. She needed me to be part of the investigation.”

“Why not just pull the plug on her right then?” asked Puller.

“Because we might get her but no one else. And we still didn’t know what the endgame was. It couldn’t just be the murder of your brother. We needed to know what they were after. If we pulled the trigger too soon, we’d never find out what that was.”

“So you became part of the investigation,” said Puller.

“And from there I teamed with you, which she loved because she was convinced that your brother would seek you out. And the sooner they nailed him the better.”

“But why was I so important to them?” asked Robert.

“First, she loathes you. I think you represent for her every promotion she didn’t get. Every superior she didn’t impress. Every opportunity that went to someone else. She thinks she’s smarter than you. And she will do anything to prove it. You were the golden child wherever you went. And when your career carried you to her part of the world, you made a very dangerous enemy. When they needed to get you out of the way before you transferred to ISR, she was more than happy to do it. And that was the second point. They had Daughtrey in hand. He needed to get the job, not you. And we now know he was blackmailed.”

“Any idea what they’re up to now?” asked Puller. “Reynolds said we hadn’t seen anything yet. When she said what they were planning would be memorable, I took the woman at her word.”

“That’s the rub. Not a clue. I was hoping to learn more about it last night. But she outmaneuvered me. I underestimated the woman, and I guess I overestimated my own cleverness.”

Robert said, “Do you think they’ll go forward with whatever they’re planning?”

“We can’t assume that they won’t,” said Knox. “In fact this might accelerate their hand.”

“But Reynolds can’t operate in the open anymore, not after last night,” said Puller.

“We haven’t talked to the police,” said Knox. “They’ll eventually ID Schindler’s remains through DNA. But I have no idea whose apartment that was, or who was firing the shots through the window.”

“And I can’t talk to the police, for obvious reasons,” added Robert.

“But we can, Knox,” said Puller.

“It would be our word against hers. We don’t have proof. And if they bring Reynolds in she’ll tell them about Robert being with us. Then our choice is either to lie or tell the truth, neither of which is a good option if we don’t want to go to prison. And knowing her she’ll come up with some quite plausible tale that we orchestrated her kidnapping and had a hand in killing a prominent member of the NSC.”

“This is ridiculous,” snapped Puller. But then he drew a long, calming breath. “If that’s the case then we need to focus everything we have on finding out what they’re really planning.”

“Reynolds has to be intimately involved in whatever it is, because they’ve taken such great steps to protect her,” pointed out Robert.

“That’s true,” said Knox. “But is it in her official capacity with DTRA, or in her capacity as a spy?”

Puller and Robert looked at her blankly for a few moments. Obviously none of them had the answer to that question.

Knox said, “They only had two motel rooms available. This one and the one next door. I thought you and your brother could have this one, and I’ll take the other one.”

“I’m going to grab my duffel from the car,” said Robert.

After he left, Knox turned to Puller. “She beat me, Puller.”

“She kicked my butt too. Again. I’m starting to get a real inferiority complex.”

“She took it to one more level. I wasn’t anticipating that.”

“Then we have to take it to a level she’s not anticipating.”

“But my cover is blown, Puller. We have no way in.”

“The three of us will get this done.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Without a doubt,” said Robert, who had come back in and overheard this part of the conversation.

He put his duffel down and sat on the edge of the bed. “They gave us some real intelligence without meaning to do so, of course. They thought we’d be dead by now, so my seeing her meeting with Malcolm Aust didn’t trouble Reynolds too much.”