Page 47 of Flash and Bang
Thayne smiled. “You like to jump headlong into situations which is what gets you into trouble. Oh, by the way, I called Chang and she said she went through her notes and couldn’t find the name of the lantern maker.”
Jarrett snorted. “No surprise there. I don’t like that woman. I seriously think she’s either exceptionally incompetent or she’s hidin’ something on purpose. I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her, Wolfe.”
Thayne nodded. “Me either but she sounded completely sincere. Then her baby started crying and she hung up quickly.”
“Damn,” Jarrett said, finally looking over at him. God, the man was beautiful. His eyes were such a light ice-blue, they could almost be silver and with that white hair… shit, Thayne felt a stab of lust wash over him. He smiled as Jarrett smirked and leaned close. “Ya look hungry, Thayne.”
Thayne nodded. “Yeah. It’s time to leave.” He stood up abruptly.
“Did we accomplish everything we were supposed to?” Jarrett said, standing and grabbing his coat off the back of his chair.
“Everything except calling the Mexico satellite ATF office and that can wait until morning, Jarrett.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Right now, I need food, a beer, and you.”
Jarrett grinned. He waved at Sarah and Tim as he walked beside Thayne toward the door to the office. “I like that idea. I guess I’m hungry too. We worked through lunch.”
Thayne shot him a sideways glance. “I’m starving but I wasn’t talking about food when I said I was hungry.” The sound of Jarrett’s laughter was like music to Thayne’s ears. He punched the button as they stood at the bank of elevators. As far as Thayne was concerned, he wanted only two things. Getting Jarrett fed and naked in that order.
Chapter Eleven
“He knows something.”
“What could he possibly know, sir?”
“He’s asking questions about a rogue cell and who’s hunting him.”
“I told you not to worry, sir. I’ll take care of him when the opportunity presents itself again. Please, be patient. I told you I have it handled.”
“Make it look like a damned accident this time. The last time brought an investigation to our doorstep. You should have handled it in the barn like I told you to. It would have been the perfect opportunity to take care of him and no one would have been the wiser.”
“Unfortunately, the bastard has nine lives, sir. There was too much smoke in the barn to get off a clear shot. The only reason I took it was that the opportunity was too perfect.”
“Do you think he recognized you?”
The man hesitated. “No. I don’t think so. Like I said, there was way too much going on. Bodies dropping everywhere, smoke and flames, the whole nine yards. I just… I wasn’t successful. I will be the next time.”
“You better well hope so. He’s the last one who was a part of that operation and the boss wantshim dead. I hope that’s clear. I wouldn’t want to see your career cut short if you know what I’m saying.”
“You couldn’t be more clear, sir. Like I said, I’ll get him next time and I know how important it is. Tell the boss not to worry. Jarrett Evans may be as slippery as a snake but I’m going to cut the head off it if it’s the last thing I do.”
“Good. Make it quick. We don’t think he’s put two and two together yet but when he does, we’re all in big trouble.”
“Noted.”
The line went dead and he pulled the phone away from his ear, replacing it in its cradle. He looked up from the government-issue desk around the white walls of the government-issue office. A picture of George W. Bush hung beside a picture of Barak Obama. Both of them had flags flying in the background. He had no doubt Jarrett Evans was the deadliest of opponents and surprise would be the key to getting the job done. Fortunately, what he was planning wouldn’t only surprise Evans but his erstwhile partner as well. He hoped by tomorrow they’d both be dead. They’d better be… if he wanted to keep his skin.
****
Anthony Revilla and Beth Quinn shared an apartment in San Bernardino, about an hours’ drive from the office, so Thayne and Jarrett decided to drive out and talk to them the next morning. They weren’t sure they were going to get any straight answers from the pair but Jarrett figured it was worth a try. They wanted to talk to Mary Mason again but that wasn’t possible at the moment. When Thayne had called her he’d found out that she was still down south, arranging to have her husband’s body sent back up to Los Angeles where their house was. That interview would have to wait. Until then, Jarrett hoped they’d be able to squeeze some information out of the two interns.
They walked down to Thayne’s garage and got into the Crown Vic with Thayne behind the wheel. It was parked beside Jarrett’s Harley, which he’d parked in the space Thayne’s Mustang usually occupied. The Ford was in the shop getting four new tires and an oil change. Jarrett smiled fondly at the bike as he climbed into the passenger seat. Jarrett loved that damn bike. He’d driven it over after running back to get clean clothes from the room he rented the evening before. He didn’t know why he kept the place at all since he and Thayne had been spending nearly every night curled up in Thayne’s bed since that first time they’d gotten back together.
Jarrett told himself that he needed a place of his own so he could store his footlocker somewhere. Half of his wardrobe, including two of the three suits he owned, was hanging in Thayne’s closet but he just couldn’t accept Thayne’s offer of moving into his Studio City flat. It just didn’t seem right. The last thing he wanted to do was give up his freedom, and he figured even if he spent every night of the week at Thayne’s, when they got tired of each other, at least he’d have a place where they didn’t have to be in each other’s pockets 24/7. It hadn’t happened so far, though. Before they got into the car, they both got onto their hands and knees and checked the undercarriage, a precaution they’d been taking anytime they got into any vehicle since coming back from the border. Neither one of them felt like getting blown up for real. As Jarrett settled into the passenger seat, Thayne put the key in the ignition and turned it. When the engine didn’t start, Jarrett glanced over at him.
“It won’t start?” He watched as Thayne turned the key again and then once more. It made a clicking sound but the engine wouldn’t turn over. Thayne checked to make sure he’d switched off the headlights the night before. He had. He glanced over at Jarrett.
“The battery’s dead.” He got out of the carand walked around to the front of the car as Jarrett joined him. Thayne lifted the hood and Jarrett peered inside as Thayne fiddled with the connections to the battery. He looked over at Jarrett. “Try to turn it over again. Maybe one of these was loose. I don’t get it. The battery looks brand-new.”
Jarrett walked around to the driver’s seat and slid behind the wheel, reaching for the key. When he turned it, the car made a clicking sound; that was all. He got out and slammed the door before walking back to Thayne who was looking over the engine. “Nope. Dead.”