nailed it up onto the bare
studs, creating an enclosed space inside. The room was apparently intended to
be a living or dining area and was roomy enough to hold them all as well as the
heavy crates they had offloaded from the truck.
Storch and Moon had taken the truck back to
the mainland, leaving the four men--Blake, Worth, Phillips and Barstow—and
Montrose to wait. Phillips was seated on the floor, near the brick fireplace,
reading a book. On the cover was a picture of a blonde woman in high heeled
boots and leather, holding up a gun. Blake and Montrose were hunched over a
laptop computer set on top of one of the crates.
“Where’d you
get this?” Montrose said. “I’d heard they were working on something like this,
but…damn.”
“Like I said,”
Blake answered, “friends in high places.”
“No shit. This
is military grade software.”
“You think you
can figure it out?”
Montrose
smiled for the first time. “Not a problem.”
Blake just
nodded. “Okay. Let’s run over the plan again. Barstow.”
Barstow shut
off the iPod. “When the last boat leaves, Worth and I hike down to the junction
where the power and phone cables from the mainland come in. We make sure the
power and phone lines are cut.”
Worth spoke
up. “I hope you’re right that those power lines won’t be live.”
“That’s what
our friend in the front office tells me,” Blake said. “The power company cuts
the juice as soon as the last boat clears the dock. We’ll be monitoring
communications to make sure.”
Phillips put
down his book and spoke up. “I egress to the lighthouse and provide overwatch . Anyone approaches the island, I notify Blake as
mission commander.”
Blake nodded.
“I make the call on whether to abort or to have Phillips neutralize the
intrusion. Montrose and I move the gear to the Senator’s house and begin work
on the safe.”
“What do we
use for power?” Montrose asked.
“The house has
a generator,” Blake said. “A big one.” He grinned.
“Man that important can’t let his beer get warm if the power goes out.”
“It better be
a big one. If this little toy of yours doesn’t work, I’m going to need to use
the plasma cutter.”
“It’ll work,”
Blake said. “Worth. What happens after you and Barstow
do your thing with the cable?”
“I fall back
to the house, Barstow joins Phillips at the lighthouse
and keeps an eye on the weather.”
“Ah yes,”
Phillips said. “The weather. You’ve heard the latest I
assume? We’re looking at a bloody Category Five hurricane? Wrath
of fucking God and all that? And please don’t say, ‘not a problem’
again, because it fucking well is.”
“How about if
I just say ‘don’t worry’? Look, that lighthouse has been here over a hundred
years. It’s been through worse storms than this. By the time it gets really
bad, we’ll have what we came for and all be snug and dry.” He grinned. “All we
need’s a deck of cards to keep us entertained until the pickup.”
“Which reminds
me,” Worth said. “What exactly is in this damn safe that’s so important?”
Blake’s smile
vanished. “Need to know basis, Worth .”
Worth’s gaze
didn’t waver. “If I’m going to be risking my life for it, I think I need to
know.”
“You’re not
risking your life for what’s in that safe, Worth ,”
Barstow said. “You’re risking it for the money. A payday like this one, I can
do without knowing what the package is.”
“Some people’s
money I can do without.”
“Christ, not
this again,” Blake said. “I already told you, it’s no one working against
American interests. I can tell you this much. Our employer’s always been a
friend to people like us. And besides,” he went on, “the risk is minimal. Sure,
it’ll be hairy for a while. But that lighthouse is solid. It’ll keep us safe.”
Worth muttered
something under his breath.
“What was
that?” Blake snapped. “I didn’t hear it.”
Worth looked
up. “I
studs, creating an enclosed space inside. The room was apparently intended to
be a living or dining area and was roomy enough to hold them all as well as the
heavy crates they had offloaded from the truck.
Storch and Moon had taken the truck back to
the mainland, leaving the four men--Blake, Worth, Phillips and Barstow—and
Montrose to wait. Phillips was seated on the floor, near the brick fireplace,
reading a book. On the cover was a picture of a blonde woman in high heeled
boots and leather, holding up a gun. Blake and Montrose were hunched over a
laptop computer set on top of one of the crates.
“Where’d you
get this?” Montrose said. “I’d heard they were working on something like this,
but…damn.”
“Like I said,”
Blake answered, “friends in high places.”
“No shit. This
is military grade software.”
“You think you
can figure it out?”
Montrose
smiled for the first time. “Not a problem.”
Blake just
nodded. “Okay. Let’s run over the plan again. Barstow.”
Barstow shut
off the iPod. “When the last boat leaves, Worth and I hike down to the junction
where the power and phone cables from the mainland come in. We make sure the
power and phone lines are cut.”
Worth spoke
up. “I hope you’re right that those power lines won’t be live.”
“That’s what
our friend in the front office tells me,” Blake said. “The power company cuts
the juice as soon as the last boat clears the dock. We’ll be monitoring
communications to make sure.”
Phillips put
down his book and spoke up. “I egress to the lighthouse and provide overwatch . Anyone approaches the island, I notify Blake as
mission commander.”
Blake nodded.
“I make the call on whether to abort or to have Phillips neutralize the
intrusion. Montrose and I move the gear to the Senator’s house and begin work
on the safe.”
“What do we
use for power?” Montrose asked.
“The house has
a generator,” Blake said. “A big one.” He grinned.
“Man that important can’t let his beer get warm if the power goes out.”
“It better be
a big one. If this little toy of yours doesn’t work, I’m going to need to use
the plasma cutter.”
“It’ll work,”
Blake said. “Worth. What happens after you and Barstow
do your thing with the cable?”
“I fall back
to the house, Barstow joins Phillips at the lighthouse
and keeps an eye on the weather.”
“Ah yes,”
Phillips said. “The weather. You’ve heard the latest I
assume? We’re looking at a bloody Category Five hurricane? Wrath
of fucking God and all that? And please don’t say, ‘not a problem’
again, because it fucking well is.”
“How about if
I just say ‘don’t worry’? Look, that lighthouse has been here over a hundred
years. It’s been through worse storms than this. By the time it gets really
bad, we’ll have what we came for and all be snug and dry.” He grinned. “All we
need’s a deck of cards to keep us entertained until the pickup.”
“Which reminds
me,” Worth said. “What exactly is in this damn safe that’s so important?”
Blake’s smile
vanished. “Need to know basis, Worth .”
Worth’s gaze
didn’t waver. “If I’m going to be risking my life for it, I think I need to
know.”
“You’re not
risking your life for what’s in that safe, Worth ,”
Barstow said. “You’re risking it for the money. A payday like this one, I can
do without knowing what the package is.”
“Some people’s
money I can do without.”
“Christ, not
this again,” Blake said. “I already told you, it’s no one working against
American interests. I can tell you this much. Our employer’s always been a
friend to people like us. And besides,” he went on, “the risk is minimal. Sure,
it’ll be hairy for a while. But that lighthouse is solid. It’ll keep us safe.”
Worth muttered
something under his breath.
“What was
that?” Blake snapped. “I didn’t hear it.”
Worth looked
up. “I
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