Sandstorm by Alan L. Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

cream and a couple of sugar packets. At least three other people were waiting for a seat in the crowded coffeehouse when he made his way to a window seat occupied by a slender woman wearing a black and white two-piece dress. If she saw him coming, she made no indication of it, and yet, as he approached, she gathered her coffee and purse and got up to leave.
    “Finished?” Alex asked innocently.
    “All yours,” she responded, brushing by him with barely a look.
    “Thank you.”
    Alex plopped his frame into the seat, took a momentary glance at the hustle and bustle on the street, and then returned to his paper. He pulled out his cell phone and laid it on the table. Dressed in a gray polo shirt and black pleated microfiber pants, Alex was not only comfortable, he also blended into the landscape without drawing any attention. He opened the sports section and headed for the box scores to find the breakdown of the Cubs game. It was early in the season, but seeing them only three games out of first place was encouraging. Thinking about Chicago reminded him he was due to make all the necessary family calls. He hadn’t talked to his parents for two weeks, and his California-sunshine sister had now left a phone message and two e-mails. Her last message started out with, “Where in the freaking world are you?”
    Alex turned a page of the newspaper and in doing so, slid over a napkin that had been lying on the table ever since he sat down. Written on it inside a circle was a simple plus sign. Anyone else would have interpreted it as simple doodling, but to him, it meant all area surveillance cameras were under control and everything else necessary to pull off his plan was in place and ready to go.
    Satisfied, he took one more look around. Grabbing his phone, he sent a text message to several people. It read, Send Bambi into the forest.
    Five minutes later, a taxi pulled up in front of the coffeehouse and Nora emerged. It was startling for Alex to see her this way because with the aid of a blond wig, she now looked like the Nora he remembered. She entered the establishment and got in line, glancing at Alex only as a reference point. She used her debit card to pay for her order. It bore not the alias she was using to travel halfway around the world, but rather her real name. With order in hand, she looked for a seat. A man dressed in construction gear and a Redskins hat dotted with paint drippings motioned her his way. When she arrived at his stool along the countertop, he was happy to get a closer look. He offered his seat, saying it was time to get to work.
    Alex covertly followed her movement. He could tell, even from his vantage point, that her eyes were devoid of contact lenses, revealing a set of green eyes that had once captivated him. The long-haired wig was virtually undetectable as being a fake. Alex wanted more than anything for this charade to end. The next ten or fifteen minutes would provide the answer. He didn’t want to think about what his future would bring should he be wrong about this situation. He wanted to walk away clean, send Nora on her way, and perhaps fly to Chicago to see his parents and take in a Cubs game. After that he’d entertain flying out west to surprise his sister. That sounded like a plan, much better than the one hastily put in place now. He drew some comfort in knowing that quality people were involved and that therefore there was little, except for the unexpected, that could go wrong.

 
    CHAPTER 11
    Even though the bland navy blue sedan had no distinguishing markings, any native Washingtonian could guess with a high degree of accuracy that it either belonged to the feds, District police, or one of the local TV news stations. It essentially was a case of hiding in plain sight.
    Karl Peters was in the back seat, his mind racing. He didn’t usually get to utilize the services of a driver, and he hadn’t really said much of anything to the man, but then he realized they were heading west on