Book 1 of the H&K Series : Path of Knowledge

Chapter 13

Hank and Sarasin sat at a far table in the darkest part of the historic building being used as a bar now. The cell phone they had taken from Billings buzzed as Samantha Craig called. They looked around to observe a young woman standing at the entrance. It was not Samantha Craig. The two stood up and made for the door to leave. They passed by the woman who was looking around the bar for those she was to meet.

As the young woman exited the bar, Sarasin followed closely behind. Hank stood off at a distance to cover her, watching all the parked cars. The young woman tried to use her phone, but Sarasin had a handheld signal jammer keeping her from making the call. The woman opened the driver's door of a silver Toyota Camry. Sarasin got into the passenger seat.

"Excuse me, who are you?" the woman asked.

"Billings sent me. He's a little indisposed," Sarasin told her, jamming her Browning Hi-Power 9 mm pistol in the woman's ribs. "Now who are you?"

"I'm Ms. Craig's legal secretary, Adrian Smith. I was supposed to meet Mr. Billings and two others here as Ms. Craig instructed."

"Where's Ms. Craig?"

"She's overseeing some project concerning a witness in Buckingham and the fugitive Officer Bob Roy." The woman was white with fear.

"Got all that?" Sarasin said into her earpiece.

"Got it. Take Craig's secretary with you. Squeeze her. Follow whatever avenue you see fit. Reach out to Officer Roy. He has the third burner phone you gave me. Let him know their location is general knowledge now. Give him the location of the safe house in Phoenixville where his family can be safe," Hank said. "I'm going to meet Ms. Craig."

"Your wife will be with them?" Sarasin asked.

"Yes," Hank said as he raced to the other car to make his way to Karen's house.

Sarasin smiled at the young woman, producing a syringe that rested in her right hand. She jabbed it into the young woman's leg. A moment later, the woman was unconscious. Sarasin pulled the unconscious Adrian Smith into the passenger seat, fastening the seatbelt about the young legal secretary before producing two sets of zip tie restraints. She bound the woman's hands and feet and then produced another single zip tie. She lifted the young woman's arms to the hand hold over the door, securing the young woman's hands to it. Sarasin exited the passenger side of the vehicle, closing the door behind her. She walked to the driver's door, climbing behind the driver's seat. Sarasin headed back to the safe house where Jerome and Sanchez waited with Martin and Johnson. She would leave the interrogation to Sanchez this time knowing that he had a way of eliciting information without getting physical. Besides, she had a rendezvous with Officer Roy and his family.

Hank appropriated a black Cadillac from a train car holding area for new vehicles. There were hundreds of brand-new Cadillacs of all makes and models in the train yard waiting for delivery. Sanchez had "borrowed" an old pickup from a Philadelphia Impound Yard a few days earlier, which Hank used to drive back to Philadelphia in. He had brought with him a variety of toys and accessories that he may need. He transferred them to the trunk of the Cadillac.

Hank approached Karen's home near midnight. All the streetlights were out along the street. Parked in the driveway were several cars. The house had lights on in almost every room. An uneasy feeling came over him. He pulled his newly acquired Cadillac into the driveway of a house down the street from Karen's, one he knew to be vacant. He waited a few minutes, scanning Karen's home and perimeter. Two dark figures were standing guard outside the house. His intuition had come in handy once again.