Whitewash (61 page)

EchoEnergy

Eric hoped Sabrina wasn’t waiting for him. He had spent a good hour of their road trip from Pensacola to Tallahassee with a penlight and a map of EchoEnergy’s park, trying to commit it all to memory. He was dead tired, getting only a few hours’ sleep after his gigging with Howard’s buddies. He wasn’t sure how much had stuck in his memory. Now as Bubba drove up to the guard hut, Eric stared out at the expanse of buildings and trucks where his sister used to work. This place was a hell of a lot bigger than he imagined.

The security guard checked Bubba’s ID, then asked for Eric’s. Russ had done an excellent job with the fake employee badge, whipping it together from a file the Mayor’s friend had e-mailed. The same friend who managed to get Eric the last-minute substitute job. No clue what pull the Mayor or his friend had. Eric sure hoped he wouldn’t be sorry he’d trusted the old man.

The ID had passed Bubba’s inspection, which hadn’t been more than a dismissive glance. The guard, however, fingered the ID and turned it around. Was there something on the back Russ had missed? Eric figured he could play stupid and say he didn’t know it was fake.

Damn! The guard slid his window shut and was picking up the phone. Maybe they were on a special alert because of the murder. And Eric had no way of letting Sabrina know. Russ had tried to talk him into wearing a wire. He had compromised by agreeing to a GPS tracking device instead. Okay, so at least Russ could notify Sabrina when they took him away from the park to a jail cell back in Tallahassee.

“They do this crap all the time,” Bubba finally said. “You’d think they housed the Holy Grail here or something.”

Bubba pulled out a package of gum and popped a couple of pieces, then offered the package to Eric. He’d scored big on the Coke BlaK comment. He thanked Bubba and helped himself to a couple of pieces. He wondered whose side Bubba would be on if the guard announced the badge a fake.

The guard slid the window open and handed Bubba Eric’s badge, waving them through without a word while he kept the phone tucked between his shoulder and ear.

Paranoid, Eric thought. He was way too paranoid.

They drove around the corrugated-steel building that Eric knew was the processing plant. From the parking lot he could see a slice of the river between the trees and brush. He couldn’t see the boat. He couldn’t see Sabrina. That was a good thing.

“So what do they make here?” Eric pretended he didn’t have a clue or interest.

“Supposedly they take chicken guts and compress them or something and then they get oil.” Bubba didn’t really sound interested, either.

“No shit?”

“No shit. Just the guts.” And this time Bubba squawked out another laugh at his own joke. Eric joined him. For the next hour Bubba was his best friend.

They parked in a loading zone between the plant and one of the administrative buildings. Eric tried to visualize the map he’d left in his head.

“It’s a hell of a big place,” he told Bubba. “Every building have machines?”

“At least one. They’re on the main floors. No stairs or elevators, at least, to slow us down.” He shoved a clipboard at Eric and got out of the truck.

Eric followed, pretending to study the order form. From a glance he knew he’d be here a while. But he still wasn’t sure how he was going to persuade Bubba to let them stock the EchoLab building first. Then he’d need to lose him long enough to find Sabrina and let her in.

He looked around as they got their hand trucks out. There wasn’t anyone else in sight except the tanker trucks and drivers. Not much of a chance to load up his crate and wait by the right door for someone to come along and play Good Samaritan. He’d be stuck following Bubba.

Eric checked off options in his head. He needed to get Sabrina in early or she’d risk getting caught. He was deep in thought when Bubba tapped him on the shoulder.

“You’ll need this to get in.”

Eric stared at the security key card Bubba was handing him. He barely heard the rest of what his partner said.

“I’ll take the plant, fitness center and café. You take the rest. You think you can handle that?”

“No problem,” Eric said, restraining a smile and a sigh of relief.

EchoEnergy

Eric hoped Sabrina wasn’t waiting for him. He had spent a good hour of their road trip from Pensacola to Tallahassee with a penlight and a map of EchoEnergy’s park, trying to commit it all to memory. He was dead tired, getting only a few hours’ sleep after his gigging with Howard’s buddies. He wasn’t sure how much had stuck in his memory. Now as Bubba drove up to the guard hut, Eric stared out at the expanse of buildings and trucks where his sister used to work. This place was a hell of a lot bigger than he imagined.

The security guard checked Bubba’s ID, then asked for Eric’s. Russ had done an excellent job with the fake employee badge, whipping it together from a file the Mayor’s friend had e-mailed. The same friend who managed to get Eric the last-minute substitute job. No clue what pull the Mayor or his friend had. Eric sure hoped he wouldn’t be sorry he’d trusted the old man.

The ID had passed Bubba’s inspection, which hadn’t been more than a dismissive glance. The guard, however, fingered the ID and turned it around. Was there something on the back Russ had missed? Eric figured he could play stupid and say he didn’t know it was fake.

Damn! The guard slid his window shut and was picking up the phone. Maybe they were on a special alert because of the murder. And Eric had no way of letting Sabrina know. Russ had tried to talk him into wearing a wire. He had compromised by agreeing to a GPS tracking device instead. Okay, so at least Russ could notify Sabrina when they took him away from the park to a jail cell back in Tallahassee.

“They do this crap all the time,” Bubba finally said. “You’d think they housed the Holy Grail here or something.”

Bubba pulled out a package of gum and popped a couple of pieces, then offered the package to Eric. He’d scored big on the Coke BlaK comment. He thanked Bubba and helped himself to a couple of pieces. He wondered whose side Bubba would be on if the guard announced the badge a fake.

The guard slid the window open and handed Bubba Eric’s badge, waving them through without a word while he kept the phone tucked between his shoulder and ear.

Paranoid, Eric thought. He was way too paranoid.

They drove around the corrugated-steel building that Eric knew was the processing plant. From the parking lot he could see a slice of the river between the trees and brush. He couldn’t see the boat. He couldn’t see Sabrina. That was a good thing.

“So what do they make here?” Eric pretended he didn’t have a clue or interest.

“Supposedly they take chicken guts and compress them or something and then they get oil.” Bubba didn’t really sound interested, either.

“No shit?”

“No shit. Just the guts.” And this time Bubba squawked out another laugh at his own joke. Eric joined him. For the next hour Bubba was his best friend.

They parked in a loading zone between the plant and one of the administrative buildings. Eric tried to visualize the map he’d left in his head.

“It’s a hell of a big place,” he told Bubba. “Every building have machines?”

“At least one. They’re on the main floors. No stairs or elevators, at least, to slow us down.” He shoved a clipboard at Eric and got out of the truck.

Eric followed, pretending to study the order form. From a glance he knew he’d be here a while. But he still wasn’t sure how he was going to persuade Bubba to let them stock the EchoLab building first. Then he’d need to lose him long enough to find Sabrina and let her in.

He looked around as they got their hand trucks out. There wasn’t anyone else in sight except the tanker trucks and drivers. Not much of a chance to load up his crate and wait by the right door for someone to come along and play Good Samaritan. He’d be stuck following Bubba.

Eric checked off options in his head. He needed to get Sabrina in early or she’d risk getting caught. He was deep in thought when Bubba tapped him on the shoulder.

“You’ll need this to get in.”

Eric stared at the security key card Bubba was handing him. He barely heard the rest of what his partner said.

“I’ll take the plant, fitness center and café. You take the rest. You think you can handle that?”

“No problem,” Eric said, restraining a smile and a sigh of relief.

Sabrina struggled out of the rubber waders, finally sitting on the ground, safe ground, no snakes. She yanked and rolled the rubber hip waders over her sneakers to free her feet. She kept watch on the tree branches above her. Her T-shirt was soaked with perspiration and clinging to her so that she felt like she had been swimming.

“Eric just left the gate.” She jumped from the sudden voice in her ear.

“He’s early,” she whispered, her head swiveling around to make sure no one was within listening range. She wasn’t sure Russ could hear her over the rumble of engines, though the trees muffled the sounds and hum of gears. “Can you hear me okay?” she asked just a bit louder.

“I can hear you fine. How you holding up?”

“Hot and sweaty.”

“Just the way I like my women.”

The comment surprised her and she smiled. Both Russ and Howard were trying their best to keep her calm and steady.

“And dressed in sexy rubber waders, right?” she joked.

“You betcha.”

She rolled rather than folded the waders, hoping she had made it difficult for anything to crawl inside while she was away. Then she tucked them into the crook of a tree, the whole time her eyes darting around, above and below. She’d need to stay out of sight until Eric was able to get into the building that housed EchoLab.

From where she stood she could see only a piece of the boat through the trees. On the other side of the brush was the parking lot. Somewhere close by was where the clogged water pipe had been. That seemed like ages ago, instead of days. How did she ever get to this place? Two people were dead, dozens, maybe thousands, sick, and all because one man decided to take advantage of making a few extra million dollars. It seemed inconceivable to Sabrina.

The idea, the mission behind EchoEnergy, had inspired her move from academia to the corporate sector. When she’d decided to be closer to her father she had contemplated a position at Florida State in the same department where her father had been. But Dr. Lansik wooed her with promises of scientific breakthroughs. Breakthroughs he claimed would change not only the environmental landscape, but the political landscape, as well. But William Sidel had taken it all—promises and breakthroughs—and exploited it all for his own greed.

“He’s almost in place.” Russ’s voice startled her again.

“That was quick. Do we have any idea if he’s alone?”

“Can’t tell. Remember, he didn’t wear a communication system. Don’t worry. He won’t open the door unless it’s safe.”

Or he has a security guard with a gun at his back. She couldn’t stop thinking about the guard during the thunderstorm outage who’d acted like a manic Robocop.

“I’m on my way,” she said. Then slowly, hesitantly, she ventured away from the safety of her temporary hiding place.

Sabrina struggled out of the rubber waders, finally sitting on the ground, safe ground, no snakes. She yanked and rolled the rubber hip waders over her sneakers to free her feet. She kept watch on the tree branches above her. Her T-shirt was soaked with perspiration and clinging to her so that she felt like she had been swimming.

“Eric just left the gate.” She jumped from the sudden voice in her ear.

“He’s early,” she whispered, her head swiveling around to make sure no one was within listening range. She wasn’t sure Russ could hear her over the rumble of engines, though the trees muffled the sounds and hum of gears. “Can you hear me okay?” she asked just a bit louder.

“I can hear you fine. How you holding up?”

“Hot and sweaty.”

“Just the way I like my women.”

The comment surprised her and she smiled. Both Russ and Howard were trying their best to keep her calm and steady.

“And dressed in sexy rubber waders, right?” she joked.

“You betcha.”

She rolled rather than folded the waders, hoping she had made it difficult for anything to crawl inside while she was away. Then she tucked them into the crook of a tree, the whole time her eyes darting around, above and below. She’d need to stay out of sight until Eric was able to get into the building that housed EchoLab.

From where she stood she could see only a piece of the boat through the trees. On the other side of the brush was the parking lot. Somewhere close by was where the clogged water pipe had been. That seemed like ages ago, instead of days. How did she ever get to this place? Two people were dead, dozens, maybe thousands, sick, and all because one man decided to take advantage of making a few extra million dollars. It seemed inconceivable to Sabrina.

The idea, the mission behind EchoEnergy, had inspired her move from academia to the corporate sector. When she’d decided to be closer to her father she had contemplated a position at Florida State in the same department where her father had been. But Dr. Lansik wooed her with promises of scientific breakthroughs. Breakthroughs he claimed would change not only the environmental landscape, but the political landscape, as well. But William Sidel had taken it all—promises and breakthroughs—and exploited it all for his own greed.

“He’s almost in place.” Russ’s voice startled her again.

“That was quick. Do we have any idea if he’s alone?”

“Can’t tell. Remember, he didn’t wear a communication system. Don’t worry. He won’t open the door unless it’s safe.”

Or he has a security guard with a gun at his back. She couldn’t stop thinking about the guard during the thunderstorm outage who’d acted like a manic Robocop.

“I’m on my way,” she said. Then slowly, hesitantly, she ventured away from the safety of her temporary hiding place.