“I don’t get it.” He wished he knew what the hell this was all about.

Muhallal pointed through the windshield at the street ahead. “Follow them. But do not let them see you. If he takes her home, we will follow him to where he lives and learn what he knows. If they drive somewhere else, then we must know where they go. We must not let them get away.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Baker said, easing the car into motion. “Where she goes, we go.”

“You are so sure?”

“Yep. Real sure.” He couldn’t help but grin. “That little ride we took her on last week:—you know, the ‘idiotic stunt’ you hated so much? It wasn’t completely worthless. I didn’t tell you at the time, but I planted a tracer in the bottom of that shoulder bag she always carries. No place she can go that we can’t find her.”

The Arab didn’t comment.

What’s the matter? Baker thought. Camel got your tongue?

He picked up the cell phone.

“Who are you calling?” the Arab said.

“The guys who were supposed to keep them out of the house.”

Still no answer. He hung up after the sixth ring.

If Mott and Richards were busy working someone over, it was the wrong guy—the right guy was walking up the street.

This could be bad. Very bad.

Baker dialed Kenny’s number. He might need some backup on this. Ahab the Ay-rab sure as shit wasn’t going to be any help.

But who else in his crew to call? Hell, call them all. Get every damn one of them involved. Have them bring the tracking electronics and come loaded for bear.

Some serious ass gonna get kicked tonight.

12.

12.

Yoshio waited until Kemel Muhallal and his mercenary were at the end of the block before he pulled away from the curb and followed. He had been expecting them, but had hoped the Clayton woman and her investigator would be gone by the time Muhallal arrived.

But the Arab had spotted them and now was following.

Yoshio wondered if he would be forced to intervene again.

He had seen the two guards regain consciousness and stagger from their car—the driver had leaned against a fender and vomited onto the pavement. He watched them call in and knew that Alicia Clayton had very little time left to find whatever she was looking for. As the pair drew their weapons and stalked toward the rear of the house, he’d debated what to do: Allow them to catch her and take possession of what she might have found? Or stop them and let her escape?

He chose the latter.