Free Midas Code by Boyd Morrison Page A

ended. Stacy closed her eyes and saw in her mind a replay of a similar video she’d received this morning of Carol bound and unconscious.
    She shook it off and looked up at Tyler expecting to see rage. To her amazement, he was smiling.
    “That son of a bitch,” he said with a chuckle. “Something tells me he’s not going down without a fight.”

THIRTEEN

    T yler could tell Orr was no fool by the spot he’d picked for the rendezvous. Only fifteen minutes remained until the Wednesday-afternoon baseball game started, and a crowd of fans massed outside the southwest entrance to the stadium waiting to get in to see the hometown Mariners take on the Angels. Street vendors barked “Programs!” every few seconds, and the sweet smell of kettle corn drifted over them. The worst of the rain had passed, but the roof of the steel-and-brick Safeco Field was closed to shield the fans from the occasional drizzle.
    On a normal day, the trip from the ferry dock to the stadium would take just a minute, but the stop-and-go traffic extended the drive by a factor of fifteen. By the time Tyler parked the Viper in the garage, it was 12:30. He bought a couple of hot dogs and some drinks from a street vendor to eat while he and Stacy waited. Neither of them was particularly hungry, but Tyler had learned in the Army that you had to keep up your strength even more than usual in stressful situations.
    “So what’s Orr look like?” Stacy asked between bites. “Dark hair,” he said. “Naturally tan. Brown eyes. A little shorter than I am. Roman nose broken and not put back together right. Missing the tip of his left pinkie. Not the prettiest guy to look at.”
    “Can’t wait to meet him.”
    Twenty minutes went by. They leaned against the wall next to the ticket window, Stacy looking in one direction, Tyler in the other. Twice Stacy pointed out someone that fit the description, but neither of them was Orr.
    Right on time, Tyler saw Orr approach from around the corner. He looked just as Tyler remembered, wearing a bulky Mariners jacket and cap, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. His hands were in his pockets. He fit right in with the fans still streaming past.
    No one was with him. He came to a stop just out of arm’s reach. They appraised each other for a few moments. Tyler fought the urge to strangle the life out of his smug eyes.
    “We came alone,” Tyler said.
    “I know,” Orr said with a grin. “I’ve been watching. You really shouldn’t wolf down your food like that.” His eyes went to Stacy. “You look even hotter in person.”
    “Screw you,” Stacy said.
    “Don’t I wish.”
    “How about we make a deal?” Tyler said. “You release my father and Stacy’s sister right now, and I won’t kill you.”
    “I’m going to have to pass on that fine offer.”
    “Or maybe we’ll make a swap.” Tyler nodded to two patrol officers working the intersection. “I bet those policemen over there would give me a hand.”
    Orr waggled a finger at him. “You know I wouldn’t have come here without thinking of that. Remember that binary explosive? I’ve got about ten pounds of it under this jacket and a trigger in my other pocket. What happened to that truck could happen here if you try something stupid.”
    Stacy gasped and glanced at the crowds of families around her. “You wouldn’t.”
    “Honey, you have no idea what I’d do.”
    “I agree with her,” Tyler said. “If I put as much planning as you did into this operation, I wouldn’t literally blow it like this.”
    Orr pursed his lips. “I don’t know you very well, Locke, but I can already see what your weakness is.”
    “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
    “You think everyone has to be as sensible and logical as you are.”
    “And you’re not?”
    “The brave do what they can. The desperate do what they must. The crazy do what you least expect. Where do you think I fit in?”
    Tyler mulled that over. Orr seemed to be smart, sane, and rational, but he did