The Greatest of These by Greg Wendleton (booksvooks txt) 📕

into the baggage claim area. They stood together as they waited for their luggage to arrive. It didn’t take very long for the Texan’s bag to arrive. He lifted it from the carrousel and nodded his head as he said, “Good luck with the baby.”

“Good luck with your surprise.”

The Texan walked away as The Red Assassin’s bag arrived. He quickly grabbed it and followed the man down the escalator and out the glass doors. At a casual following pace, they both crossed the roadway and entered the parking garage. The Texan maneuvered through rows of cars until he came to a stop at a red Ford F-150 pickup truck with a cover over the bed. He set his suitcase and computer bag down at the tailgate area and unlocked the cover.

The Red Assassin had slipped in behind the Texan as they made their way to his truck and waited while he removed his keys and unlocked the bed cover. That’s when he quickly moved up behind him and wrapped his left arm around the shorter man’s neck and his right hand on the man’s forehead. Twisting in opposite directions he snapped the Texan’s neck, feeling him go limp in his grasp. Quickly, he lifted the man onto the tailgate and shoved him into the covered cargo area. He threw the dead man’s luggage in behind him and then closed the tailgate.

Casually looking around to insure he had not been seen, The Red Assassin opened the truck’s suicide door and placed his belongings behind the driver’s seat. Then he climbed behind the wheel and brought the engine to life. He located the parking ticket in the cup holder and backed away from the parking spot and drove toward the exit. He paid the parking fee and made a hasty exit, heading west on the airport road toward I-35W where he would head south toward San Antonio.

Once he was clear of the metroplex, The Red Assassin pulled into a rest area and found an isolated location partially covered by some scrub trees. He backed into the parking space and placed the truck in ‘Park’. Making sure no one could observe him, he quickly exited the truck and opened the tailgate. Looking around one more time and seeing no one looking, he pulled the Texan out and carried him to a nearby picnic table. He set him on the bench and rested his head on his arms, making him look like he was napping. He would dispose of his luggage somewhere else later, on Sunday, February 28.

No one would be looking for the Texan or his truck for a few hours, at least. So, The Red Assassin could focus on getting down to San Antonio and finding a secure place to bed down. Once in the metro area, he would park the truck behind some business, lock the doors and bed cover and throw the keys in a dumpster. Then he would use the burner phone in his backpack to call a ride who could take him to a motel.

He needed to make contact with Conrad and initiate an escape plan, once he had dispatched the American traitor.

CHAPTER FIFTY

The authorities detaining Bobby Wang kept working him for information while they waited for notification that a public defender had arrived to represent Bobby. It was very late, Saturday night when his lawyer arrived at the Maui County police station in Kahului where Bojing “Bobby” Wang had been held since earlier that afternoon. So far, he had kept his mouth shut.

The Public Defender, Lester Chun, no relationship to the Hana Police Chief, stormed into the interrogation room, acting like Perry Mason. “Stop talking to my client!”, he bellowed, surprising everyone in the room. The small stocky man with dark, receding hair and black rimmed glasses, slapped his business card on the table between the FBI agent and Bobby.

Already standing off to the side of the table, was a Maui County police detective. The local police detective chuckled and shook his head. “Well, if it isn’t Lester Chun. Took you long enough to drag yourself down from the hills of Maui.”

“Shut up Danny, I came as soon as I was notified.” Danny, was Detective Daniel Ho, a cousin of famed Hawaiian entertainer, Don Ho.

“No worries, Lester. This is FBI Special Agent James Mueller. We’ve just been babysitting your client while killers and thieves move freely about our island.”

“What have you said to these men, Bojing?”

“It’s Bobby, and I haven’t told them anything.”

“Good, keep your mouth shut. Can you officers fill me in on why you are holding Mr. Wang?”

“We aren’t officers”, stated Special Agent Mueller.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Well, counselor, I’m a Special Agent and Daniel is a Detective. We’d appreciate you respecting our positions and calling us by the appropriate titles.”

“Oh geez, whatever. Would you fill me in?”

“We’d be happy to. Your client says he lost his blue, Ford van, on Wednesday and has been too busy to report it as stolen. We discovered it was being used in Kihei by an unknown Asian man.”

“Is that all? I want him released immediately.”

“I don’t think so. We can hold him for twenty-four hours before we have to charge him or release him. You should know that. In the meantime, we are going to continue looking for the van and the driver.”

“Where are you planning to hold my client?”

“I think the Maui County jail has some beds available.” That tidbit of information was offered by Detective Ho.

“That’s uncalled for. That’s a rough place for a man like Mr. Wang.”

“Okay, maybe so. We can hold him right here in this room then. We’ll check in on him from time to time and maybe give him some crackers from the vending machine.”

“What would it take to let my client go home tonight?”

“Information about the man would be a place to start.”

“Let me talk to Mr. Wang in private.”

“You got it counselor. We’ll be relaxing in the conference room, having a cup of coffee and