Page 103 of Nobody's Hero
Tas smiled to himself. He’d been listening to the police scanner app on his second cell phone. It wasn’t illegal to listen to the cops in America. Weird country. San Diego PD had found the bodies in the paint warehouse, right when he’d needed them to. He’d have been annoyed if they hadn’t. He’d left enough clues. That bowlegged idiot in New Silloth had watched as he threw the team’s cell phones into the sea, he hadn’t changed registration plates on the truck, and he’d made no attempt to disguise the NorseBoat. SDPD finding the bodies was part of the plan. Temporary misdirection. He’d known what their response would be.
What he needed it to be . . .
He checked his watch. Seven hours until the sun disappeared over the horizon. They hadn’t found him yet, but they would.
Even if he had to make the call himself.
A stab of pain ripped through his stomach, bad enough to wipe the smile from his face. He grimaced and reached for his fentanyl. He shook the box. One patch left. Seventy-two hours of pain relief. He wasn’t worried. One patch was all he would need. He peeled off the liner and pressed the sticky side to his upper arm. He held it there until the pain ebbed away.
He smiled again.
Then he dropped anchor and waited.
Chapter 110
‘Smerconish isn’t convinced,’ Draper said. ‘But hehasreassigned some of his drones.’
‘How many?’ Koenig said.
‘One.’
‘One? That’s nowhere near enough.’
‘One’s all we’re getting,’ Draper said.
‘He’s humouring us,’ Koenig said.
‘He is. He still thinks Tas plans to attack the British aircraft carrier.’
‘How long until we land in San Diego?’
Draper checked her watch. ‘A little over an hour. The pilot will be starting his approach soon.’
‘I’m going to sleep then.’
‘You’re going tosleep?’ Carlyle said.
‘Sure, why not?’ Koenig said.
‘How can you even think of sleep right now?’
‘Don’t worry about it, Bess,’ Draper said, tapping the side of her head. ‘I don’t think there’s much going on in there. Just theSpider-Mantheme tune on a continuous loop.’
Koenig ignored her. ‘I haven’t slept for twenty-four hours. That means I’m cognitively impaired.’
‘You can say that again,’ Draper muttered.
‘My memory and hand–eye coordination are compromised. So is my hearing. My pain receptors are more sensitive. Sleep isn’t a luxury, Bess; it’s a necessity.’
‘Jeez, Koenig,’ Draper said. ‘You’re such a dork.’
Chapter 111
Koenig woke forty-five minutes older. Draper was shaking him by the shoulder. She wasn’t being gentle.
‘We’re about to land,’ she said. ‘And you’ve been drooling on my cushions.’
He felt groggy. Worse than before he’d gone to sleep. He reached for a bottle of water and swilled some around his mouth. Pushed it between his teeth. Sucked it back in. It didn’t help. His throat was dry, like he’d swallowed dust. He needed a shower and a shave. A change of clothes. Definitely some mouthwash.