“Something in this wall is attracting our little friend there. Hang onto him while I find out what.”

He lifted the sledge and swung it sidearm at the wall.

8.

8.

The phone rang just as Kemel was finishing his evening prayers.

“Someone’s in the house,” Baker’s voice said. “We think it’s that guy the broad hired. I’m goin’ over there now.”

Alarm shot through Kemel like a jolt of electricity. How could this be? Just yesterday she had offered to sell and he had agreed to her price. Why would she send someone to invade it tonight? Unless…

Unless she knows something… unless she has guessed why the house is so valuable and has sent her man to find it.

Kemel closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. The air duct! Someone had been in there after all—Alicia Clayton’s man. And he must have heard something.

“How did this happen?”

“He used some kind of knockout gas on my guys. They just woke up and called me. They think he’s still in there.”

“I’m glad you called.”

“Not like I have much choice.”

Kemel could hear the hurt pride in Baker’s voice, but that was too bad. After last week’s abduction fiasco, Kemel had put the mercenary on a short leash. He was to keep Kemel apprised of every development as it happened and was to take no action—do absolutely nothing—without first clearing it with Kemel. The operation was too close to successful completion to risk a setback from Baker’s heavy-handed tactics. In fact, if Kemel had not needed ongoing security for the house, he would have fired Baker last week.

“But time’s a-wasting,” Baker said. “I’m headin’ over now. If it’s the same guy from the van, I want to be there.”

“I want no action taken until I arrive.”

“I may not have a choice.”

“Nothing until I am present. Is that clear?”

“Clear,” Baker said in a tight voice. “But I won’t take responsibility for anything this guy does before you get there.”

“I don’t think that will be an issue since you are going to pick me up and we will arrive together.”

“You’re up in the Seventies. That’ll take too long.”

“I will be waiting out front,” Kemel said, and hung up.

9.

9.

Jack used the sledge gently at first, for fear that he might damage whatever was hidden inside. But he quickly discovered that this was an old, solid, wet plaster wall, and he was going to have to put some muscle into it. It took a lot longer than he’d planned, but finally he had a good-sized hole clear through to the other side.

Alicia peered over his shoulder. “Find anything?”

“Nothing inside this wall but… wall.” He turned and looked at the toy in her hand. “But then, why…?”

And then it hit him.

“Oh, hell.”