Page 32 of Beachcomber Danger

“Damn you. Do not take those sunglasses off again.”

“If you keep it up, I’m going to accidently drop them where they’ll get stampeded by the crowd.”

That quieted the agent.

Shana said, “What’s the ETA?”

“We still have fifteen minutes,” Andrews said in a reasonable, even pleasant voice.

She nodded to Dane. That would give Acer plenty of time to get to them.

“See anyone?” Andrews asked.

“I see lots of couples, mostly older, or with kids or in groups, not fitting the profile.” Dane scanned the crowd along the perimeter. That was their best guess of where the couple would be, but if it were him, he’d take high ground and a sniper rifle. But then that’s why the Secret Service had all the rooftops within half a mile covered.

“I think we should flush them out before Air Force One lands.”

Shana looked at him as if she knew what he had in mind and gulped down her apprehension.

Their comm units buzzed to life with Andrews’s voice.

“What the hell are you talking about, Blaise? Don’t you do anything—”

“Hear me out.” Dane paused to make sure Andrews and whoever else was on the line was listening. After two beats of calm, he proceeded.

“We stage an altercation with a couple of Secret Service agents, get everyone’s attention, including our two assassins. Let them see us, let them see that we’re armed, and that we’ve been escorted out.”

“What the hell good will that do?”

“They’ll know who we are. They’ll assume we’re plan B.”

“Why would they?”

“Because it’ll fit with the rest of the breadcrumbs you left for them.”

“So how will it help today?”

“One of them will need to follow us to make sure we’re locked up. But they’ll see that we escape—we might need to knock one of your agents on the head—”

“No violence—not real violence. You can fake it.”

“So you’re on board.”

“Play it out for me. They see you escape and follow you, then what?”

“We disappear and they need to divide their time worrying about us rather than the President. But most importantly, it allows you to identify them.”

“We’ll be able to identify at least one of them. But—”

“You’re taking film of the crowd—you can back it up and find the second one if need be.”

Andrews didn’t say anything. Dane heard some commotion and low voices in his ear. He watched Shana’s face while he let the seconds go by. He loved her face. The pinch in his chest came and went quickly. He didn’t reach out to her. They stood together but apart enough for him to feel naked.

She gave him a bland smile, then she turned her head toward the sky like the others in the crowd, watching for the plane. He heard it in the distance. The crowd murmured. They had to act now.

“It’s go time, Andrews. No more time for your conference. Alert your agents, the two in suits about ten yards to the east of us.”

“Hang on. I need to coordinate it on our end. I’ll count it down for you.”