The Templar Reprisals (The Best Thrillers Book 3) by James Best (free ebook reader for ipad .TXT) 📗

her shoulder. In case that’s too subtle, we’ll get stories out the following week that you directed Standish in her investigation. And there you have it, a major publicized strike at the heart of the Templars.”

“If Night Work can prove that they paid Rockbrook Enterprise taxes, then the case won’t hold up. It will only cost the Templars legal fees.”

“I thought the goal was to get the bounty off your heads so you can get on with your lives,” Wilson said.

Evarts laughed. “Crap, you’re right. I got lost in the process and missed the point. Thank you. Great work.”

“A lot of the credit belongs to Commander Standish. I brought her an outline, and we ran down the details.”

Baldwin asked, “How long can you keep a case alive?”

“We should be able to tie them up for eighteen to twenty-four months. We’ll leak disinformation along the way about how you infiltrated an underground organization to build a case against Rockbrook Enterprises. Played right, the Ikhwan’s interest should wan, never to be rekindled.”

Evarts felt ill at ease. This was too easy. “How did the two of you discover so much so quickly? You had only hours.”

Wilson took a long swallow of beer before answering. “Once we had the Rockbrook name, I called General O’Brian. He had unearthed this lead months ago and their research had turned up the other properties. They had recently concluded that the Rockbrook club and the Templars were one in the same and were putting together a surveillance plan when the attack on Washington distracted them.” She paused dramatically. “He gave us permission to pursue the tax ploy to help you and Patricia out of this mess.”

“Bullshit,” Evarts said instantly. “No matter how much he owes me, that intel is far too valuable to throw away on trumped up charges. If he surveils those properties, he’ll discover the Templar membership. What’s his angle?”

Wilson took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He told me you’d catch on. The Rockbrook Lodge was bought seventy years ago. All the other properties were purchased in the last twenty years and are operated under a different name: The Hildebrand Club. His idea is to file liens against the Hildebrand properties only.” Wilson gave him a long look. “There are other aspects of the operation I’m not authorized to share, but I can tell you that the objective is to drive the Templar leadership into the Poconos to plan their defensive moves.”

“And once corralled at the Rockbrook Lodge, arrest them all in one fell swoop?” Baldwin asked excitedly.

“Possibly,” Wilson said uncommittedly.

“Possibly?” Baldwin said. “What does that mean?”

Evarts finished his beer and softly settled the bottle on the table. In a matter-of-fact tone, he said, “It means the real goal is to turn the Templars. Capture them as a weapon to augment the United States anti-terrorism arsenal.”

Baldwin was perplexed. “But why?”

“To kill Ikhwan.” Evarts said.

Chapter 79

After a dinner of grilled steaks, corn, baked potatoes, and salad, the three of them went to their respective rooms. They were all tired. Evarts didn’t mind O’Brian’s plan to co-opt the Templars, but he didn’t think it would work. Templars outside the country wouldn’t abide it, so it would need to remain clandestine. With Masons all over the government, secrecy wouldn’t last. He was sure O’Brian had a good plan, but it would need to be ironclad.

The next morning, Evarts went down to snitch a newspaper at the mailboxes. The article appeared in the left column of the front page. They used his name in the headline, so the Egyptians shouldn’t miss it if they bothered to scan local news. He read the full article over coffee while sitting on their balcony. The piece should send the Egyptians south, but it also served the newspaper’s purpose of starting a feud between the mayor and police chief. After setting it aside, he gazed off into the distance where a sliver of ocean could be seen above the trees and buildings. It was a perfect Santa Barbara Sunday morning. Still and bright.

Wilson wandered out with a cup of coffee and took a seat at the round balcony table. When Evarts woke, she had been up, groomed, and on the internet. He handed the newspaper to her and tapped the article. She read in silence as they sipped coffee and enjoyed the morning.

“Think they’ll buy it?” Wilson asked.

“They should. They’ve been searching here for nearly a week. They’ll be anxious to follow a new lead.”

“If you return to the station, they’ll know.”

“So, I’ll hunker down here until your plan succeeds or fails.” He thought about what he would do, and then suddenly said, “I need a surfboard.”

“Come again.”

He laughed. “I was thinking out loud. I surf and Hope Ranch has good waves. I need to find a way to get one of my boards without alerting anyone in town.”

“Buy a new one,” Baldwin said as she came onto the balcony. “Get it in Oxnard.”

“Splendid idea. Want to go shopping today?”

“For a surfboard? You must be kidding. No thank you. There’s nothing in a surfboard shop that interests me. I’ll help Diane. You go. And take your time, by the way.”

“In days gone by, you weren’t so dismissive when I bought you a bikini in a surf shop to use as underwear.”

Baldwin laughed. “That was an emergency.”

“What kind of emergency?” Wilson asked with a smile. “Sounds like this could be an interesting story.”

“It is, but it can wait until cocktail hour. Believe me, it will be funnier.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Wilson said.

“Breakfast?” Evarts asked.

“Toast,” Wilson and Baldwin said almost together.

“Then I’m going. If I leave now, I can find a decent board off the rack and be back to try it out before the wind comes up.” Evarts stood. “I’ll get a breakfast sandwich at a drive-thru.”

“Yuck,” both women exclaimed.

Evarts ignored them, grabbed his car keys and heading down to the garage. For the first time in weeks he felt energized and excited. Hell, hunkering down in this