Page 54 of Exit Strategy
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. And if the shit hits the fan, you haven’t seen how fast I can run.’
Reacher turned to Gilmour and said, ‘Nathan, get on to your buddy in Wiesbaden. Update him. Stress the additional threat the shipment is under. See if he thinks there’s enough to call the cavalry yet.’
Gilmour checked his watch for the time difference with Germany, then said, ‘Sure. I’ll ask him.’
‘Sabrina, is there any way to confirm whether Arlon James is still working today?’
‘Of course.’ Patten grabbed her laptop from the counter and opened it. She clicked and scrolled and after a minute said, ‘He’s supposed to be. Seagirt Terminal. Early shift. James and one other.’
Gilmour looked up. He said, ‘What about tomorrow?’
Patten checked and said, ‘Tomorrow – Seagirt. Late shift.’
‘Did he not act on Kasselwood’s message?’
‘There’s no way to tell. It’s short notice. If he swapped with a buddy or something, that wouldn’t show up on here. It would be an informal thing. It’s discouraged, but it happens.’
Gilmour flopped forward, folded his arms, and cradled his head in them on the bar. He said, ‘Too much wine. Too little sleep. I’m too old for this.’
Reacher craned his neck to get a look at Patten’s computer. He said, ‘Is there a picture of James in there?’
Patten clicked her mouse a couple of times, then swung her laptop around. The screen was filled with a photo of a man with a buzz cut and a round, friendly face. She said, ‘Here he is. Need a copy?’
‘No. I’ll recognize him. Nathan and I will find him. We’ll bring him up to speed, then head to the place where the rendezvous with the shipment should be.’
‘Why?’
‘All we can do at this stage is watch. We have two potential scenarios – one benign, one not. If Kasselwood was using the bogus messages to bail herself out of the mess she was in and send Weaver’s thief on a wild-goose chase, no one will try to steal anything. The CIA will collect their cargo unopposed. But if she sent it to clear the way for herself, she’ll try to steal whatever the CIA’s bringing in. If the CIA can stop her, fine. We’ll leave them to it. If they can’t, we’ll call James. Have him lock down the exit. Delay Kasselwood as long as possible while we summon some kind of reinforcements. Sound good?’
Patten said, ‘I guess.’
Gilmour raised his head and said, ‘Not really. But it’s all we’ve got.’
If the Patapsco River is a finger pointing inland to the heart of Baltimore, the Seagirt Marine Terminal is a callus on the inside edge, between the knuckles. The Francis Scott Key Bridge crosses the river to the south, like a ring, and the Harbor Tunnel feeds under it to the north, like a vein. Gilmour was familiar with both, but that morning he took Reacher through the Fort McHenry Tunnel and approached the terminal from the west, because he had insisted on making a quick stop at his apartment to switch from his own car to the rental. They dropped off I-95, took Keith to Broening, and then Gilmour drove right up to the main vehicle gate. They had agreed on the drive from Patten’s house that this was no time for subtlety. Gilmour coasted to a stop, and right away they spotted Arlon James. His shoulders were broader than his HR photo suggested, and he seemed light on his feet for such a solid guy. Reacher and Gilmour scanned the area around the gate, but they couldn’t see another guard.
‘Come on.’ Reacher opened his door. ‘The iron’s hot.’
Gilmour followed Reacher to the security window. James strolled across on his side of the fence and stepped into the guard booth. He gestured for Gilmour and Reacher to remove their IDs from their lanyards and pass them through. He barely glanced at Gilmour’s, but he took his time with Reacher’s, checking it front and back and examining it for size and width. He finally handed the cards back and opened the gate. Gilmour drove throughand pulled over. They jumped out, and Reacher led the way back to the guard booth. James hopped down from his stool and said, ‘What now, fellas?’
Reacher said, ‘Can we talk for a minute?’
‘About what?’ James stiffened, his voice full of caution.
‘Relax. We’re not offering bribes and we’re not from HR.’
‘If you say so.’
‘You working alone today?’
James nodded. ‘The other guy’s sick. He called in last minute. It’s no biggie. I don’t mind.’
Reacher and Gilmour exchanged a glance.
Reacher said, ‘Okay, I’m going to tell you something now, and it might come as a surprise. Maybe even a shock. So I need you to think first and act second, all right?’
James said, ‘Whatever. Spit it out.’
‘Here’s the thing. We know why you’re here. Not the exact details, but the overall picture.’
