The tech agent held up an audio transmitter that was about the size of a wallet with a small whip antenna. “It’s a five-watt body wire. Has a line-of-sight range of about three miles.”
“Thomforde will be looking for a tail,” Harry said. “This will allow us to run surveillance teams parallel to your location. Just tell us where you’re going. We’ll be close enough to intervene if necessary, yet far enough away to avoid detection.”
“I thought you rigged my car for that.”
“We are big believers in redundancy at the FBI,” the tech agent said.
“Besides, there’s no guarantee that Thomforde will let you stay with your car,” Harry said.
The tech agent fixed the transmitter to my chest using white surgical tape.
“This is going to hurt coming off,” I said.
“Let’s step into the bathroom,” he said.
That’s something a guy has never said to me before. “I’m not sure I know you that well, Agent,” I said.
The tech agent held up a sturdy plastic box about the size of a pack of cigarettes. “Real-time GPS transmitter, in case you leave your car, like we said. This one we’ll put between your legs.”
“Is that wise?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, McKenzie,” Harry told me. “It’s waterproof.”
When I returned, Harry was hiding a second GPS transmitter under packets of twenty-dollar bills in one of the aluminum cases. “You never know,” he said.
“We’ll also be able to track you using your cell,” Honsa said. As he said it, the tech agent motioned for my phone. I gave it to him.
“Looks like you’ve thought of everything,” I said.
“We’ll have several teams of agents following you,” Honsa said. “Don’t look for them. They’ll know where you are. Also, our SWAT team, as well as the St. Paul Police Department’s SWAT team, has been alerted. Listen to me, McKenzie. Are you listening?”
I took my cell from the tech agent and dropped it into the pocket of my sports coat. “I’m listening,” I said.
“Don’t screw around. Don’t be a hero. You get Victoria. You get out. Bring her back here. We’ll take care of the rest.”
“What if they pull something like they did with Virginia Piper? What if they demand that we drop the ransom behind a bar somewhere in exchange for telling us what tree she’s chained to?”
Honsa and Bobby traded glances. Apparently they had already made a decision concerning that possibility.
“We’ll deal with that when they call back,” Honsa said.
“Anything else?” I said.
“I don’t know how to say it but to say it.”
“Go ’head.”
“The girl is everything. Her safety is paramount. It’s essential. You must not do anything that jeopardizes it.”
“I won’t.”
“Whatever Thomforde tells you to do, you do. No arguments. No discussion. If he tells you to jump in a lake, you jump. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“The money is expendable, and so, I’m afraid, are you.”
“Yes.”
“It’s a lousy situation.”
“Tell me about it.”
The phone rang. Bobby waited until the FBI was ready before answering it. “Yes,” he said.
“Is McKenzie there?” the mechanically disguised voice said.
“Yes, but you need to understand something first.”
“I need to understand something? You need to understand, I ain’t takin’ no more fucking orders from you.”
Bobby continued speaking in a flat voice as if the kidnapper had never said a word. “This is going to be a straight-up exchange. Victoria for the money.”
“You put the money where I tell ya to put it. Then I’ll—”
“That’s unacceptable.”
“Unacceptable?”
“You want the money. One million dollars in untraceable twenties and fifties. It’s waiting here for you. All of it. Give me Victoria and I’ll give you the money. One million dollars.”
“That ain’t gonna be the way it works. I’ll tell you where—”
“One million dollars. You’ll be a wealthy man. You could live anywhere you want. Do whatever you want. Give me my daughter and you can have the money.”
There was a long pause. For a moment I thought that this time it was the kidnapper that had hung up. Finally he said, “No, no. That ain’t the way we’re gonna deal.”
“Then we don’t have a deal,” Bobby said. I was astonished by how quiet his voice was.
There was a blustering sound, as if the kidnapper couldn’t believe what he was hearing, followed by a shout. “You want your daughter back or don’tcha?”
“I want her back alive and unharmed.”
“Then do what I say.”
“How do I know that after I pay the ransom you won’t kill her?”
“You’ll just have to trust me.”
“Why should I?”
“You got a choice?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Let me talk to McKenzie.”
“No. Not until you agree to my terms.”
“Put McKenzie on the phone.”
“We’ll give you the money at the same time as you give us Victoria. One million dollars. It’s sitting here waiting for you. You can have it right now. Right this minute. One million dollars. Just tell us where you’re holding Victoria and I’ll bring it to you.”