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“Let’s go,” she said, putting the car in park. “Stay close to me.” She opened the door and stood, scanning the street around them. Couples going to the movies, groups of teens out on the town, and families coming home from a late dinner crowded the streets. No one seemed to be paying particular attention to them, so Raven motioned for Beth to come
with her.
Beth joined Raven as she crossed the street. “I think you meant to say, ‘You’re right, Beth. How could I have doubted you?’” Raven scowled at her. “Because this doesn’t seem right.”
“Why not?”
“Why would the signal be dead for days and then suddenly reappear in the middle of a Manila shopping mall?”
“I don’t know. That’s what we’re here to find out.”
The unknown was the worst enemy for someone on a protective detail. Raven didn’t know the layout of the mall, and there was no explanation for the abrupt renewal of the signal. She would have called this off if she didn’t think Beth would have gone in anyway. At least they were in a public location full of witnesses.
Once they were inside, Raven was happy to see that the upscale mall wasn’t quite as packed as it would have been during the day. It would be easier to spot anyone who looked out of place.
The four-story-tall central atrium was awash in light, its pristine white walls complementing the stone floor’s colorful rectangular pattern. Raven guided them to a bank of escalators. She wanted the advantage of height.
When they reached the top level, they had an expansive view of the atrium, and they also had multiple escape options if it came to that, Raven having already identified several emergency stairways.
“Where exactly was the signal?”
“Juan told me it’s only accurate to fifty feet,” Beth said, “but the last time it was activated, it was coming from somewhere in this atrium.”
They looked down at the many clusters of chairs that had been placed there for the convenience of weary shoppers. In one cluster, a couple of dazed parents watched their toddlers running around in circles. In another, college-age kids were laughing and fiddling with their phones. Some isolated patrons were even napping on the seats.
In all the groups, one man stood out. He sat alone in a corner cluster of chairs, alert, and watching each passing customer as if he were a leopard sizing up which prey was worth taking down. His suit couldn’t hide the muscular build that Raven had noticed in the rest of Locsin’s men, and his bald head reflected the lights like a shiny Christmas ornament.
She nudged Beth and nodded to the man.
“Is that him?” Beth wondered.
“Does he look like he’s shopping for bath towels?”
“It looks like he’s waiting for someone. You think he’s expecting us to show up?”
“I don’t know,” Raven said. “We’ll keep an eye on him, but let’s get some cover by that pillar in case he glances up this way.”
They sidled over to the pillar and leaned against it so that only a small portion of them was visible from the main floor below. While Beth was focused on the man downstairs, Raven kept checking the people approaching them from either side. She felt so exposed that the back of her neck itched.
Beth patted her on the shoulder and urgently pointed at the man. He had shifted in his seat, and now a metal case was exposed behind his legs.
“He’s got the same case Tagaan had in Bangkok,” Beth said, barely able to contain her excitement. “The eagle finial from the Gardner Museum must be inside. That explains why we’re not getting a signal right now.”
“Maybe” was all Raven said.
A minute later, the man picked up the case and opened it for a brief moment. Beth checked her phone and said, “I’ve got the signal. The finial is still in there. What do we do now?”
“We wait to see what he does.”
“If he leaves, we have to follow him. He might not open the case again, once he goes, and then we’ll lose our lead.”
Beth was right about that, but Raven knew following him was a big risk. If they were spotted, Raven would have to work fast to get away. And Beth would just slow her down. Not to mention Beth’s scarlet hair, which would make tailing the man undetected even more difficult.
“If he leaves, I’ll follow him on my own,” Raven said.
“Oh no you’re not,” Beth protested. “I’m not letting him out of my sight.”
“You’re not trained for this. I am. No offense, but you’ll be a liability.”
