The Secret of Fatima (36 page)

“Again, Katie, I'm so happy for you.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Now, tell me, where are you sending me?”

“Fredericksburg, Virginia. You'll be in a small house with security, but since no one will know you're there, you needn't worry. My friend Toby has arranged everything.”

“Good so far,” said Katie.

“It is.” Kevin remembered Toby telling him that Fredericksburg was the kind of small town that defined America. Its historic district was part of American nineteenth-century history. George Washington's family had roots in Stafford County and the first president's mother lived in Fredericksburg until her final days.

“You'll be in an attractive, single-family, brick, ranch-style house with green shutters and a grass lawn on a tree-lined street in a residential neighborhood near the center of town. A Norman Rockwell painting.” Kevin smiled. “You and little William will fit right in.”

“A dull, picturesque town where nothing much happens,” Katie said, smiling. “Since you're staying in my apartment, you must be expecting somebody to be coming after me, right?”

“Something like that,” Kevin replied.

“And I assume they want to get at me in order to get to you, right?”

“Hey, counselor, I'll plead the Fifth.” Kevin managed a smile.

Katie raised her hands. She wore a red cotton sweater and tight jeans. Kevin felt a moment of weakness, remembering how she'd lingered with the hug when he arrived at her apartment.

“Okay,” she said. “I won't ask any more questions.”

“That's great. I appreciate it,” Kevin said.

“Let me show you where everything is, and how to work the techie stuff,” Katie said as she took Kevin through the apartment. She explained how the appliances worked, her timers for the lights, and home security. She pointed to the garbage chute down the hall, which he remembered from the dinners they'd enjoyed there together.
Sweet memories. Hot, passionate memories. Shut up
, he told himself.
Good God! Think about something else!
She had a small washer/dryer and Comcast internet service, which Kevin had in his own apartment.

“No dirty movies, OK?” Katie grinned as she tossed the remote to him.

“I'll try,” he said as he caught it with one hand.

“I've got wine and beer and a little food in the refrigerator,” she said. “You're welcome to whatever I have.”

“Thanks, Katie. Your hospitality hasn't changed a bit.”

“I remember that once upon a time my reward for hospitality was some physical affection,” Katie said.

Smiling, Kevin looked away.

“One last question,” she said. “How long will I be gone?”

“Can't say for sure, but not more than a week.”

“Good. That's what I told them at work.”

“You ready to go?” asked Kevin.

“Yes, let me get the baby,” she said.

Katie went into the baby's room, picked up William, and placed him in a portable baby pouch affixed over her shoulders. He smiled and gurgled and nodded back off to sleep. Grabbing the suitcases, Kevin and Katie went down the stairs and out to the sidewalk.

“Your building doesn't have an elevator?” he asked.

“Well, even though it's a modern apartment, the building itself is old,” Katie mentioned.

“Isn't it difficult getting the stroller in and out on the three floors?” “Yes,” she said. “My fiancé helps out.”

Ouch! That hit a nerve
.

Katie's BMW was nearby in a parking garage. Katie fastened William into his car seat, then settled into the driver's seat. Kevin put the suitcases in the trunk, then joined her in the front seat to give her instructions while Katie punched the Virginia address into her GPS.

“Take this cell phone.” Kevin offered her a black nondescript phone. “It's a burner phone, can't be traced. I'll take yours; they can trace your whereabouts with it.”

“Kevin, are you putting yourself in danger by staying here?” She reached over and took his hand.

“Not that much,” he lied. “No one expects me to be here. And Toby's my backup.”

“You sure?”

“Sure. Thanks for caring,” he said, pressing her hand in his.

“That's never been the issue, has it?” Katie said, as she slowly withdrew her hand.

Kevin repeated the instructions he'd given Katie earlier. First, she should drive to Baltimore, the opposite direction of her destination in Virginia. Be on the lookout for a vehicle following her, and if she sees one, turn around and head back to D.C. If she sees someone tailing her, she should return home, not go to the safe house. Otherwise, go directly to the safe house in Fredericksburg. Any problems, call Kevin.

Katie noted the instructions with a nod, turned back, and smiled at William, who was gurgling with slobber dribbling down his mouth. Then she turned back around and kissed Kevin on the cheek. He got out of the car, stood there for a few moments, and watched her drive away.

Once Kevin was back and alone in Katie's apartment, he unpacked his things. He placed one of the pistols in the top desk drawer, ready to grab at a moment's notice. He assembled the shotgun he'd purchased, putting it under the bed. He'd keep the Glock on him at all times—this reminded him he was glad he had a carry permit for the District of Columbia.

Toby arrived in the early afternoon with a bag of hamburgers.

“How'd you know I was hungry?” asked Kevin.

“You're always hungry,” Toby said. He dropped his duffle bag on the floor. “Nationals on at one o'clock,” he said.

Kevin had been watching CNN. “It's amazing,” he said. “Not a word about Marini. The Vatican is keeping it on ice.” He retrieved a few beers from Katie's refrigerator.

“Isn't that standard protocol for the Church?” asked Toby.

“Well yes … and no,” said Kevin.

“Do you blame them?” Toby and Kevin both sat down on the sofa, and Toby took out the burgers, placing them on the coffee table.

As the men settled in with their burgers and beer for what they'd hoped would be a quiet Sunday afternoon, Kevin was thinking about Katie. He hoped he'd done enough to ensure Katie and her son's safety. No one knew where she was going.
Check
. She had a cell that couldn't be traced.
Check
. She was drilled in some basic precautions against being tailed.
Check
.

His mental checklist reassured him. He'd now wait until word came that Katie and William had arrived safely.

Chapter Fifty

Washington, D.C.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened on Sunday or Monday. Kevin and Toby occupied themselves with reading, watching TV, cleaning their weapons, and taking short walks in Dupont Circle, where the bustle kept their minds off their mission.

On Monday night, it all changed. Around ten p.m., Kevin heard something unusual while watching TV. He motioned for Toby to be quiet and lowered the volume on the TV. Then the lock on the front door started jiggling.

Kevin signaled for Toby to turn off the lights. Each of them retrieved their pistols. Kevin motioned to Toby to get on the far side of the front door, while Kevin positioned himself on the other side. They waited until the lock clicked open.

From his vantage point, Kevin could see the hand on the doorknob as it opened into the room. The light in the hall framed the silhouette of a man. Kevin didn't wait. He grabbed the intruder by his arm and yanked him into the room. The man stumbled to the floor and Kevin whacked him with his gun on the side of the head.

Toby looked out into the hallway to see if the intruder had friends. No one. He slammed the door shut and joined Kevin, pointing his gun at the man on the floor.

“Get up!” Kevin ordered, kicking the man in the legs.

The man rolled over, his eyes full of fear. “Who … who … are you?” he asked.

“Funny guy,” Kevin said.

“Kevin?” Jimmy stammered. He stared at two gun barrels poking in his face. “I'm … I'm Jimmy Stein, Katie's boyfriend.”

Kevin and Toby looked at each other, shook their heads in disbelief, and put their guns away.

“Get up, Jimmy,” Kevin said, exasperated. “Now tell me what brings you ‘unannounced' to Katie's apartment?”

“What kind of priest are you?” Jimmy asked, rubbing his head where Kevin had struck him.
It hurt like hell
.

“The kind that hits people who break into apartments,” Kevin said. He pointed at Toby. “And this is Toby Beck. He doesn't like intruders, either.”

Toby exaggerated a fake smile.

Jimmy got up and brushed himself off with his hands. He looked nerdy, wearing a dark gray suit and yellow bowtie. “I came to check on Katie,” he said. “I haven't been able to reach her. I was concerned.”

“She's fine,” Kevin said. “She's gone out of town.” “Why?”

“None of your business.”

“I'm engaged to her, for Chrissake!”

“We know that, dufus,” said Toby.

“Sit down, Jimmy,” Kevin said. “It's my turn to ask some questions.”

Toby pushed Jimmy down on the couch, then sat in a chair across from him. Kevin sat down in the other chair and said, “Who do you work for, Jimmy?”

“I'm an account executive as Wellesley Ferrer, an investment firm. I told you that in Sarajevo.”

“Not what I meant, Jimmy. Tell me what you know about Greg Maggio and Opus Mundi.”

“Opus Mundi? What's that? Maggio is a client of mine. He was a walk-in at my firm.”

“Don't play games with me,” said Kevin. “I'm in no mood for fibbing. Think again. What do you know about Opus Mundi?”

“Something about it being the right-wing Catholic group that wants to take over the Church … If I'm not mistaken, I read about them in the
New York Times Magazine
and—”

“Cut the crap!” Toby said loudly.

Startled, Jimmy jumped in his seat. “I don't know why you're asking me about Opus Mundi. I have nothing to do with them. I only know what I've read!”

“Let me try something else, then,” Kevin continued. “Have you been spying on me and digging up dirt on my background?”

Jimmy Stein's jaw dropped. He stammered before realizing that lying would do no good. “Yes,” he whispered.

“Now, why would you?”

“I love Katie,” Jimmy said softly. “And I … I … guess I was jealous. She loved you, Kevin. Now she loves me, but there were times … I don't know. I'm sorry.”

“What did you find out about me?”

“That the U.S. Army whitewashed your record, covering up your killing of an American soldier who'd assaulted an Iraqi girl, not an al Qaeda terrorist who you said you'd killed. I just wanted Katie to know you're not as wonderful as she thinks.” Jimmy looked pathetic, really.

Kevin glanced at Toby. At this point he didn't know what to do.

“Let him go, Kevin,” Toby said. “He can't help.”

Kevin motioned for Jimmy to get up.

Leaning over, Toby whispered in Kevin's ear. “I meant to tell you I finally got word from my investigative contacts. They looked into this guy. He's clean. There's almost no chance he's working with a foreign group. And it's true that Maggio just walked into his firm and asked for him. Maggio used him to get to Katie. And we'd know if he had any overseas contacts. He didn't.”

Kevin nodded and followed Jimmy to the door. “I'm sorry, Jimmy,” Kevin said. “I know Katie loves you, not me anymore. But don't try to contact her for a few days, okay? This is a safety thing. She'll explain more in due course.”

Jimmy nodded and opened the door. As he left, Kevin called out to him. “And Jimmy, you were right. I'm not so wonderful.”

Chapter Fifty-One

Washington, D.C.

Another uneventful day passed for Toby and Kevin. They woke up, had breakfast, and hung out in the apartment.

In midafternoon, Toby's phone buzzed. He checked the caller ID and took the call. He nodded a few times, asked a couple of questions, and hung up.

“We have visitors, buddy,” Toby said.

Kevin put down the
Washington Post
he was reading. “Who?”

“According to U.S. Customs, one Carlos Alameda and two male travelling companions arrived at Dulles last night. We have no trace of where they're staying. They lied about where they're headed.”

“That means we have to cancel our dinner reservations,” Kevin said. “We wouldn't want to miss anything.”

Toby plopped down on the couch with the TV remote in his hand. “No problem, I'm getting kind of attached to this soap opera,” he said. “Let's order in pizza.”

“Okay, but none of that squiggly stuff you like on it, okay?”

“They're called ‘anchovies' and every pizza connoisseur savors them.”

Kevin grimaced. “How'll we track Alameda and his gang?”

“You've got to assume they have fake U.S. identities, like South Dakota drivers' licenses or something,” Toby said.

“Probably.”

“Kevin, let's go through the instructions you gave Katie.”

“Sure.” Kevin explained that he'd given Katie a quick lesson in anti-tailing strategies; he replaced her cell phone and gave her a secure one; gave her instructions not to contact anyone, and Kevin was certain she'd comply.

“Shit!” Toby stood up.

“What?”

“Those guys have cohorts here. Did you sweep her car for a GPS tracker?”

Kevin's face turned white. “My God.”

“Likely Maggio took care of that. We've got to get to Fredericksburg,” Toby said.

“Anyone with her at the house?”

“She's got security—but it's all electronic; they can get there in minutes if needed.”

“Looks like we need it now,” Kevin said.

Toby grabbed his jacket. “Get the weapons,” he said. “We need to get on the road.”