Detective Danny Cavanaugh 01 - The Brink

glimpse of what was inside, no amount of training could compensate for the shock that rocked her.
    -
    As he packed up the computer equipment into a separate black duffel bag from the one that contained his clothes, Stefan Taber watched the jerky shot of Grace Styles on the plasma TV. After being nearly pummeled by federal agents, she steadied herself on those gorgeous legs of hers that were reportedly insured for a couple million bucks each and dove back toward the bedlam that surrounded the machine Taber controlled only minutes ago.
    “It appears that the gunman is actually a machine being controlled remotely. The question is from where and by whom?”
    Taber grinned as he faced the TV. “I’m right here in Vegas, Gracie. Why don’t you bring those lovely legs out here, and we’ll spend some quality time together?”
    Satisfied, Taber pointed the remote at the screen and hit the button to access the Treasure Island express checkout screen. He completed the procedure, packed up his gear, and headed for the door. He took one last look behind him at the adequate facilities, as he imagined the superior accommodations that would be waiting for him at the Wynn Las Vegas across the street. Even if someone figured out that the sniper machine that killed President Butcher had been controlled from a computer in Las Vegas, which thanks to encrypted connections and false ID information made that all but impossible, the last thing they would think was that the assassin would stick around to enjoy a few days at one of the city’s most luxurious hotels.
    Although he never got the chance to collect any money from President Butcher concerning the recording of his meeting at Arlington Cemetery, after which he was followed and then kidnapped by four soldiers led by Admiral Howard Fielding, his luck held out. The kidnapping was really a job interview for the task he had just pulled off. The paycheck? A cool $5 million. This time, the two birds in the bush had turned out to be worth way more than the one in the hand.
    Stefan Taber pulled open the hotel room door to find two bulging men with crew cuts standing in his doorway. They found me , he thought. Taber’s gut had told him not to accept this job offer, even if it was the largest paycheck and biggest prize he would ever bag. He thought that even if the old man tried to double cross him, Fielding would never find him. But Taber had made the biggest mistake one in his profession could make: he underestimated his client. Fielding had the world’s most advanced technologies and countless military operatives at his disposal.
    The soldiers rushed Taber. He briefly tasted the leather from the gloved hand that covered his mouth before everything went black.

Chapter 115
    “You’ve got five minutes to say your good-byes,” Fielding said. He turned and walked back into the unmarked hangar at the southern edge of the Baltimore/Washington International Airport to give them some privacy. Even though the four armed government agents were over fifty paces away, Danny felt like they loomed right on top of him.
    “So, what’s in store for Sydney Dumas?” he asked Sydney.
    “I’m going to follow Fielding’s plan, all except for returning to the bench.”
    “You’re resigning from the ICJ?”
    Sydney nodded. “I’m going back to my professor job at the university. I miss teaching very much.”
    “Good for you, Sydney. It’s the only real way to change the world.”
    Sydney smiled. “I’ll have to remember that one.” Her smile disappeared as concern flooded her face. “It doesn’t seem fair to you, Danny. All that you’ve done, and you remain a criminal.”
    Danny shrugged. “Like Fielding said, it’s the only way to make the story stick, for now. They need their scapegoats. Hopefully, he’ll be true to his word and not accuse me of being Butcher’s assassin.”
    Sydney stepped closer to him and gripped his forearms. Her eyes got wet. “You won’t do anything … stupid, will you?”
    Danny chuckled. “Like killing myself? No. I’m over that, Sydney. Trust me.”
    “I do, Danny. With my life. I trust you.”
    “I trust you too, Sydney.”
    They hugged each other for a long time. Danny wanted the moment to last forever. He could tell Sydney wanted the same thing.
    “Will we ever see each other again?” she whispered through her sniffles.
    “Count on it,” he whispered back.
    She took his face in her hands and pulled him to her. They kissed. When they were