“On Cliff Road, a hundred yards or so north of my house. This night is unbelievable.”
“Let me speak to Rowan, buddy.”
She came on the line. “What?” she said, sounding distracted.
“Rowan, you’ve got to get it together. Listen, I know you don’t work for me, but I’m asking you to get over to Courville’s place and get eyes on the wife. I think she’s in danger. After what they did to him, they might be gunning for her …”
The phone went dead. Again. Thank God for redial.
Si picked up, saying, “Nat, Rowan’s a little shaken by all this. What do you need?”
“Get over to the senator’s place and make sure his wife is safe.They fucked up her husband big time, and I bet they’re coming for her. Can you do that? Tell Rowan.”
“Got it, Nat. We’re already here. I’m standing in the front yard. Rowan went back inside. There was a shootout, and she killed some terrorists.”
CHAPTER 60
Atlantic Ocean
The Mark V SOC patrol boat pulled to our port side. The Navy master chief had called my cell shortly after I finished with Tristan, and like clockwork they were here, tying their boat to the yacht and climbing aboard much more gracefully than my earlier insertion.
The master chief seemed to have a vague understanding of the team’s involvement in national-security operations, so he didn’t ask too many questions. We exchanged debriefs while Meg and JP showed them to Harrison’s body.
The Navy was better equipped than Team Rhino to deal with a high-profile casualty—beginning with preparing Harrison’s body for extraction. Their plan was to carry him a few miles due east and rendezvous with a Navy helicopter, which would transport the remains to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Rescue operations had ended; we were now in recovery mode. All local emergency services had been deployed to the Nantucket ferry docks, and the Navy had dispatched a mobile surgical ship that would arrive soon. Several more Mark Vs were en route from the Cape to patrol the waters immediately around the island.
Security on the island was in seriously short supply. The sleepy downtown and the Nantucket Boat Basin were locked up pretty tight and the airport was still shut down, but patrolling all of that was more than the local police could handle. Once Team Rhino got resupplied with food, water, and ammo, we could help. I planned not to involve the local authorities any more than necessary, and their operation in the harbor was not my concern.
As the chief and I finished our chat, my team emerged from below. Not all smiles, given the activity of the past few hours, but as if he had read my mind, Oliver piped up that he was mission-ready.
“Hey, Chief, hate to be a bother, but is there any way you can drop us on the beach by Sconset?”
“Aye, Mr. Phillips, hop in and we’ll take you right over.”
The Mark V was eighty feet long and had a max speed of sixty-five knots (about seventy-five mph). I’d never been in a boat like this, and I was impressed. The ride to Siasconset seemed over in minutes.
With a half-assed salute and a wave, we jumped into the shallow surf and headed for the trail leading to my house. I still urgently needed to speak to Rowan and figure out what the hell was going on. If she had been kidnapped along with Harrison, how the fuck had she ended up back at his other house? And who did she kill?
“Okay, boys and girls, get some ammo and get back in the car. We need to cross the island and check on Harrison’s wife, Si, and Agent Anderson.”
“Already done, boss,” Wolf replied as he holstered his pistol and headed toward my new front door.
CHAPTER 61
Courville Estate
Si Wilson recognized the woman standing at the door as his neighbor Elise Courville, Senator Harrison’s wife. Her face was bruised and her blouse ripped.
“Hello,” she managed as if in great pain.
“Hello, Mrs. Harrison. I’m Josiah Wilson. I live just over there.” Si pointed.
“Yes, I know who you are. I know your parents too, though not well.”
“Rowan and I—that is, Agent Anderson and I—are here to keep you safe until my boss arrives with more security people.”
“Thank you, Josiah. That makes me feel better. How much danger is there?”
