Page 90 of Good Enough

“Still working on that. The trident was stuck through the corner of a piece of paper. Just a corner of it. Looked like some kind of advertisement, like what you’d find on a public notice board. I’m working on trying to match it up with others I can see on public cameras, but it’s slow going. Steel is looking around on foot, trying to see if he can find something as well, but he’s hampered a bit by the fact that it’s clear someone knows we’re poking around.”

“Okay. Keep looking. Any word on Jacques’ accident?”

Midas rolled his eyes. “Accident, my ass. No truck barrels through a major intersection in midafternoon without trying to hit the brakes unless the driver is in some sort of distress. I broke into the interrogation feed at the local police station. He claims his brakes failed, and the police wrote it off as a terrible tragedy and let the fucker go. Now he’s in the wind, but Steel is on the lookout for him, too. Somebody had to pay the guy off.”

“Other casualties?”

“A warehouse maintenance guy was caught in the blast. Jacques’ car exploded on impact. The blast from that took out two other vehicles and their occupants. Some bystander injuries.”

“What about Jacques’ family?”

“Here’s where it gets interesting, Boss. They’re missing, too. Shortly before Jacques went into the safe, they were escorted out of the main residence and put into a car. That car was found about six miles out of Cairo on a deserted road. Looked like it caught on fire, but not like it had been run off the road. I’m thinking it was torched purposefully, and they caught another ride.

“Or they were taken,” Midas grumbled. “No bodies or remains found, and nothing to suggest struggle, though, so the first assessment is probably accurate. And finding what ride they caught is pretty unlikely. There are no cameras out that way, as it’s a relatively unused highway. No way to know if the car they switched to came from the same direction. I’m looking, but I’ve only got so many monitors I can watch at a time. Which route do you want me to take?”

Waters pulled at his bottom lip as he considered. “Follow the trident. While I hate the thought of that family being in the wind, it’s doubtful that they know anything about Ka-Bar. We’ve got to stick with what we know. Keep facial recognition running and all other SOP for them, though.”

“Copy that.” Midas was already clacking at keys to pull up camera footage. “I’ve also got facial recognition working on all transportation cameras I can that exit off that highway, but it’s a longshot.”

“Understood.”

“Also, both your tablet and Kubrick’s laptop are dead ends. They flared to life briefly, then went deader than dead. I’m guessing someone destroyed them.”

“Why take them if you’re just going to destroy them?”

“No idea. Maybe they realized they could be tracked through them?”

“Doesn’t make any sense,” Waters pondered.

“So…” Midas started, clearing his throat. “You get everything worked out with the missus? No more pillow bombs?” He tried to keep from laughing but failed miserably. “She’s got good aim.”

“Erase that footage,” Waters threatened.

“Too late. God was online at the same time. Priceless.”

“I’m serious. Erase it.”

“Fuck that. It’s going on the BTS of the DVD from your original meeting with Kubrick.”

“I’m warning you, if that doesn’t get erased, I’ll set TB on your ass, and I will look the other way when he whales on it.”

Midas looked at Waters through the screen. “I was only teasing. No worries, Boss. It’s already scrubbed.”

“Thank you.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not going to continue to get shit about it.”

“That’s fine. I don’t want to take the chance that she learns this room is under constant surveillance. Don’t want her to be self-conscious.”

“Got it. Beep you when I’ve got something.” With that, Midas signed off, and the screen went back to black.

Waters sighed, putting both hands behind his neck and lacing the fingers together.

What a fucked-up mess.

His eyes went to the door of Kubrick’s room, and he couldn’t help but smile. A quick glance at his watch showed it was quarter after four. Just enough time to wake her up and enjoy the process.

33

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