Page 58 of Passion's Wicked Torment

Rogers was not used to operational work. It had been years since he had been in the field, preferring instead his duties as a high-level administrator and Washington liaison. This mission was considered so important, though, that he had insisted on being in on it Hunter knew that adventure was not Roger’s motive. The man simply wanted the prestige that would be attached to nabbing such a high profile criminal. Hunter did not begrudge him this.

“Well, where’s Ironman?” Rogers asked in a low, nervous voice. “He should have been here by now. You sure he’s going to fall for this?”

“I don’t think he has any choice,” Hunter answered, keeping his eyes on the entranceway through which Ironman would come. “So long as he thinks Kristin can testify against him, he’s got to destroy those records before the tax people come for them.”

“And you made sure he knows the tax people are coming in the morning, right?”

Hunter nodded. “I let it leak out through the usual channels. And then, just to be sure, I made a point of letting it slip out while I was talking to that informer of Ironman’s. That way, word of it is sure to get back to Ironman.”

“Yes,” said Rogers, pursing his lips judiciously, “that certainly should have done it.”

The informer they were talking about was one of the federal agents who had very recently turned corrupt after succumbing to a large bribe Ironman had offered him. The man relayed back to Ironman information from within the department. Hunter and Rogers knew about him due to surveillance they had started as a result of Hunter’s suspicions about the man’s weakness for money. But instead of arresting the turncoat, they had decided to use him. Whenever they wanted false information fed to Ironman, they just discussed it when the spy was present in the room. The spy then relayed it, believing it to be genuine information.

“As soon as we bust Ironman,” Rogers said bitterly, “let’s take this turncoat out, too, and put him in jail where he belongs. It rankles me to have a man like that in my department, even though he’s useful at the moment.”

Hunter glanced at him, then turned his eyes back to the front. “I’ll go along with that. We won’t need Joel once Ironman’s out of the picture.”

“Joel,” repeated Rogers, with disgust. “Lee Joel. The damn turncoat!”

Hunter looked at his watch. He was becoming restless too. Where was Ironman? He should have been here by now. Hunter had a command post outside, hidden away in a storefront across the street. He debated whether to go out to check on recent intelligence reports. Crossing the street was a risk, since Ironman might have a plant in the area, watching to see if there was any unusual activity near the warehouse. Finally he decided it was worth the risk.

“Stay here,” he said to Rogers. “I want to check across the street. I’ll only be gone a minute. If our boy does show up, though, you just stay put. Don’t try anything fancy until I get back. Right?”

“Sure, boss,” said Rogers with good-natured sarcasm.

Hunter left the warehouse, glanced up and down the street and crossed over to the storefront. Six heavily armed men were inside, waiting to assault Ironman, if needed, at the first sound of gunfire.

“Any news?” Hunter asked Sampson, his man in charge of the command post. Sampson had earlier been planted aboard the Kristy as a blackjack dealer. When Kristin had left the ship to McShane, though, Sampson was recalled to active field duty.

“A call is coming in right now,” Sampson said, jerking his head to one of his men who had just picked up the receiver. “Probably nothing important. Usually isn’t. Other than that, no news at all. I don’t know what’s holding him up. Maybe he stopped at an orphanage along the way to donate some poisoned candy to the little kids.”

Hunter was about to respond, when his attention was attracted to a pockmarked man in the corner. The man was eagerly eyeing him, anxious to speak. His face was sweaty and distraught.

“Peters!” Hunter said, astonished. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been trying to get to you, Dallas!” the man exclaimed with relief. He came out of the corner and went up to Hunter, now that Hunter had noticed him and it was all right for him to speak. “I got here about fifteen minutes ago, when I found out from headquarters where you were. But Sampson wouldn’t let me go in to talk to you.”

“Sampson did right. I left orders that no one was to come in unless it was with information about Ironman’s arrival.”

Sampson repeated to Peters what he had told him earlier. “We can’t have people going back and forth across the street. They could have a plant out there. It would risk blowing the whole operation.”

Hunter asked in an urgent voice, “Peters, what are you doing here? You were supposed to be on the train with Kristin. I put you on there to protect her, to make sure she got to California safely. How’d you get back so quickly?”

“Dallas, she ditched me! At Chambers! I tore that train apart trying to follow her when she tried to lose me. Then I saw her outside the train, but the train was going too fast for me to jump! The conductor told me later that she’d been asking about getting a ticket back to New York.”

Hunter gritted his teeth with sudden anger. The anger was not directed at Peters, whose pockmarked face already showed his guilt at having failed. Hunter cursed. So Kristin was on the loose. She was not safe and secure in California. She was not out of the picture. There was only one reason she’d leave the train and return to New York. She intended to strike back at Ironman herself.

Hunter drew in a deep breath through his gritted teeth and shook his head at his own stupidity. He should have known. She was somehow involved in this ... in Ironman’s not falling into his trap as planned. He could feel it in his bones.

“Hey, Dallas,” said Sampson.

Hunter looked at him.

“New info.” He gestured at the bespectacled man who had answered the telephone. “Tell him, Quail.” “Sir, I’ve got Antonio Georgio on the line. The agent you stationed at the dock to watch the comings and goings aboard the Daisy? he says Ironman pulled up with Riggio and two men. He didn’t go to the Daisy though. He went over to the old amusement park on the pier.”

Hunter lunged for the receiver and grabbed it out of Quail’s hand. “Georgio? This is Hunter. Did a girl show up and go over to that amusement park? A blonde, very sharp-looking?”

“No, sir,” came the tinny voice over the line. “Only ones gone over to the pier is Ironman and three goons, like I told Quail. The pier’s closed down at night.” “Listen close. You stay right there, at your post. You see a blond girl go into that amusement park, or anywhere near it, you call back here right away. Understand?” He hung up and turned to Sampson. “If Georgio calls back and says Kristin is there, you send every man you’ve got out to that pier on the double. I’m going down there right now.”

Sampson looked confused. “Why don’t we just come with you now?”

“If she’s not involved in this, there’s no need for it. We’d blow this whole operation by showing up in force. Ironman would know we’re scheming on him. No, you and the others stay here. There’s still a good chance Ironman will show up here after he leaves the pier.” “What do you think he’s doing down there?” Sampson asked, scratching his chin.

“That’s what I’m going to find out. You tell Rogers everything I said.” Hunter started for the door, then turned back swiftly and pointed a finger toward Sampson’s chest. “Just make sure that if Georgio calls and says Kristin is at the pier, you send down everyone you’ve got. I don’t want her to get hurt. Understand? We take no chances on this girl’s life, even if it means blowing the whole mission.”

“Got you, boss.”

Hunter ran down the street to the black Ford parked at the curb a few stores away. He screeched off toward the waterfront.

CHAPTER 31

When Kristin arrived at the deserted amusement park on the pier, she did not leave her taxi. As per the instructions Agent Joel had given her, she remained inside, hunkere

d down low in the seat so she could not be seen from outside. She waited. Soon, another taxi pulled up alongside. She watched as Joel disembarked, paid his cabby and sent the taxi off on its way.

He held her door open for her. Kristin looked about cautiously before getting out. The pier was bathed in a misty fog. There were no lights of any kind, but the moon was full, and it diffused through the fog, illuminating the ramshackle amusement park nearby. She stood with Joel, watching her cab depart. She put her hands into the pockets of her fur coat, which was belted tightly at her waist.

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