Black Run by Karen Traviss

Author:Karen Traviss [Traviss, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Karen Traviss
Published: 2017-02-15T22:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

We didn't have enough time to search the place thoroughly, but we removed the bugging device. Just keep quiet, stay off the radar, and make some preparations for being out of the country for a while until any fallout disperses.

Derek Barton, updating Shaun Weaver on the search of Charles Kinnery's house.

WASHINGTON D.C.: FRIDAY EVENING, MID-SEPTEMBER.

"Did I ever show you the rat?" Rob asked, sliding his phone across the restaurant table. "That's Voltaire. The EOD sniffer rat we were talking about. Morrigan did demining around Kajo with them."

Ian studied the video. "Wow, I thought you meant an ordinary rat. He's enormous."

"African pouched rat. They're about three feet long, counting the tail." Rob could hear the faint audio of Mike telling him to stop being a wimp and pick up Voltaire. The rat was built like a brick shit-house, complete with a miniature pit bull harness and a long lead. "Yeah, he was a big boy. All muscle. You could have stuck a green beret on the bugger. Friendly enough, though."

Ian spent some time pausing and playing the video. He looked a lot older than nineteen tonight. If this had been the first time Rob had met him, he'd have taken a guess that he was mid to late twenties. Maybe it was the suit. It definitely changed his bearing.

"So who's the woman?" Ian asked, still watching the video.

"His handler. Marie. I was only making a fuss of the rat because I fancied her."

"Is this some sort of parable about showing courage where women are concerned?"

"No, I'm just showing you a ginormous mine-hunting rat."

"Rob, don't feel obliged to entertain me. I know you're worried about Tom. I'm worried about him too."

"I just hope he's okay." Rob kept trying to work out what Tom would be doing right now. He'd be asleep after a grim day at the hospital. At least Stoat was on hand if things got too much for him. "I know he's sensible, but that doesn't make him immune to stress."

"He'll cope. You know he will."

"There's no fixing this, is there?"

"No. I don't think so. You have to leave him to sort it out with his mom."

"Okay, I'm going to give Kinnery a bell. I'll use the public phone, just in case. If the waiter comes back, pick a dessert for me."

Rob went out to the lobby and called Kinnery's burner number, but it went straight to voicemail. The conference should have been over hours ago. He'd probably gone for a beer with some of the other boffins, so it was nothing to worry about. Rob tried his registered number but that was turned off as well, and the call went to voicemail again. Kinnery had probably taken out the batteries.

It didn't matter. They were meeting at the conference hotel tomorrow morning, 1100 hours sharp, and Kinnery knew he could always reach Rob if he needed to. Rob went back to the table to find Ian tucking into what looked like a glorified apple pie.

"I ordered profiteroles for you," Ian said.

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