Death Echo

fastened his own seatbelt. “You’re the only one who thinks so.”
    She flashed him a look out of dark eyes that made him wish he was alone with her. In bed.
    â€œThat’s because I know you so well,” Grace said.
    He smiled slowly. “I love you.”
    â€œSame goes. And the light of your life is chewing on her restraint.”
    He looked over at Annalise. “Gumming it, actually.”
    â€œBleh.”
    â€œGood for her immune system,” Faroe said.
    Grace rolled her eyes. “Give her a cracker.”
    â€œShe’ll just turn it into mush and smear it over everything in reach, including her loving daddy. They’ll bill us extra for cleaning the plane. Why don’t they make kids’ chewies as tough as the ones for dogs?”
    â€œDo you know what dog chewies are made of?”
    â€œPig ears.”
    â€œAnd bull pizzles.”
    â€œWhat?” Faroe asked.
    â€œPenises. From male bovines.”
    â€œTell me you’re joking.”
    â€œNot.”
    â€œCover your ears, sweetie,” Faroe said to Annalise as he reached into the bag beneath her seat. “Your mama’s talking dirty. Here you go, beautiful.”
    Chubby fingers wrapped around the thick cracker Faroe held out. She shoved a corner of it into her drooling mouth and gummed blissfully.
    â€œYou strapped in?” he asked Grace.
    â€œThe instant I got back from the head.” She finished the document page and went on to the next as the pilot announced the upcoming landing. She had one more recommendation to file beforeshe could devote her full attention to the brushfire presently burning St. Kilda’s ass. “Someone should just blow that place to the darkest reaches of hell.”
    â€œWhich place?”
    â€œSilnice hanby.”
    â€œThe Highway of Shame,” Faroe said.
    â€œWhere young girls sell themselves to old men and sadists for a handful of rotten food,” Grace said wearily. “Then there are all the weapons, nuclear and otherwise, that trundle along that freeway to hell. Not to mention the traffic in children destined for foreign whorehouses.”
    Faroe looked at his daughter and silently vowed it would never happen to her.
    â€œIt’s why we keep working bad hours,” Grace said, understanding her husband.
    â€œIt’s never enough.”
    â€œNo,” she agreed. “It’s never enough. But it’s all we have.”
    â€œI still want you the hell away from Seattle.”
    â€œWe’ve been over this so often I feel like a digital recording. If you’re here without me and Annalise, it’s news to anyone who’s watching you. Deal with it, Joe. A lot of bad people care about where you are and what you’re doing.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œAs the unforgettable Alara said, if we go in soft, we have a fallback position.”
    â€œI don’t like it having you and Annalise here. If Alara is right, it’s too damn dangerous.”
    â€œYou think I like having Annalise here?” Grace looked at their sleeping child. “But liking it doesn’t matter.” She let out a long breath. “I believe in St. Kilda. So we do what we can do. If that goes to hell, we do something else.”
    â€œFast,” Faroe muttered.
    And pray that fast was quick enough.

17
    DAY TWO
ROSARIO
5:30 P.M .
    E mma kept one eye on her watch and the other on Blackbird. It was still crawling with techs, but there were a lot less boxes waiting on the dock to be installed on the boat.
    Damn it, Mac. Where are you?
    She sensed he was out there, somewhere, watching as she was watching. But she couldn’t keep an eye on Blackbird and MacKenzie Durand at the same time.
    I’ll be nearby.
    She grimaced as she remembered his words. Yeah. Right. We have an appointment, big boy. You don’t know where or when.
    Her cell phone rang. Faroe. She picked it up.
    â€œHe’s not here,” she said.
    â€œBut he kept his promise,” Faroe said. “He’s nearby. You can’t see him from where you are. I can. Come toward the second marina ramp. He’s talking with the lady in the shrimp shack. Which is a boat. When Captain Di of the No Shrimp is lucky, she sells fresh prawns off the back deck to locals who know how to find her. You’re going to buy some.”
    â€œYou’re telling me to leave Blackbird uncovered.”
    â€œGrace can see into the marina from our motel