Detective Danny Cavanaugh 01 - The Brink

with a healthy body. His heart beat faster, and he imagined that whatever amount of adrenaline inside his worthless legs was surging now.
    “Are you tracking them?” Nathan asked Taber.
    “They are on Highway 83. They have passed through McAllen, Texas. I believe that they are probably headed for—”
    “Houston,” Nathan interrupted. “They’re heading to Houston. Not only does Cavanaugh’s mother live there, but it’s the hometown of someone else that his father undoubtedly knew well.”
    Taber didn’t ask who. He simply stared at Nathan, waiting for him to fill in the blank.
    Nathan wheeled over to his laptop. He hit the mouse key to wake up the screen and then turned the computer toward Taber.
    “Senator Booker Halsey is the reason why we’re here. Phoenix Oil owns him as well as this place. One of my people found out that Phoenix Oil had ties with Venture Pipeline. Danny Cavanaugh’s father was Venture’s founder and CEO.”
    Taber walked over to Nathan. He sat down next to him and analyzed the data on the screen.
    Nathan continued. “Cavanaugh knew about the passageway in the library. It’s obvious that he spent time here in the past. He must know Senator Halsey is tied to the monastery. There is little doubt in my mind that Cavanaugh will make every effort to confront Halsey ASAP.”
    Taber pointed to the information at the bottom of the screen. “It says here that Halsey will be in Houston this weekend.”
    Nathan looked over Taber’s shoulder. The Group’s administrators always knew where their members were at all times. Their researcher had gone to the liberty of providing Nathan with Booker Halsey’s information. He explained the senator’s current schedule to Taber.
    “He’s got meetings with some of his benefactors before the president’s State of the Union address this Sunday. I’m guessing that he will want to quote some of them when he issues the opposing party’s rebuttal after the president’s speech.”
    Taber looked at Nathan like he was speaking a different language. Nathan didn’t have the time or the patience to explain how American politics worked to a military grunt.
    “You’re sure that Cavanaugh and Sydney are on their way to Houston?” Taber asked.
    Nathan nodded. “There’s no doubt. Cavanaugh’s a cop. He wants answers. If he knows that Booker’s in Houston, he’ll want to talk to him. I’d bet my life on it.”
    “Then I’ve got to get to Houston.” Taber shut Nathan’s laptop. He began stacking all of the papers on the conference table. “My men will stay here to take care of the bodies.”
    “What the hell are you doing?” Nathan asked. He grabbed at the papers in Taber’s hand, but Taber snatched his wrist. Suddenly, Taber’s last words registered in his brain.
    Take care of the bodies.
    Taber moved around behind Nathan and gripped the wheelchair’s handles. “Your services are no longer needed, Mr. Broederlam.”
    Nathan spun back and forth wildly in his chair. “What are you doing?”
    Taber gently backed Nathan away from the table. Nathan tried gripping the wheels to stop him, but Taber was too strong.
    Your services are no longer needed .
    Nathan knew what that really meant. The Group no longer needed him. For the first time in years, he felt an overwhelming force surge throughout his entire body. It was unrelenting fear.
    Taber capsized the chair, spilling Nathan’s body out on the floor. Nathan immediately tried willing his legs to work, to carry him away from Taber as fast as they could. But they wouldn’t. He channeled all his energy into his arms, as he scraped himself along the floor toward the conference room door.
    Don’t look back! Don’t give up!
    Nathan managed to pull his handicapped carcass only a few feet before he felt Stefan Taber grab a handful of his hair. Taber yanked back Nathan’s head and put a blade to his throat.
    “Being a cripple sucks doesn’t it, Nathan?” Taber lulled into Nathan’s ear.
    As Taber swiped the blade across his throat, Nathan prayed that, like in his legs, there would be no feeling. But Nathan Broederlam was not that lucky.

Chapter 34
    Sydney stretched the sleep out of her body. Her eyelids cracked open. She first saw only darkness and felt the familiar aloneness trying to engulf her. She turned her stiff neck and saw Danny next to her. He was in the exact same sitting position that he was when she fell asleep, with one hand draped over the steering wheel of the Toyota Camry he