Merciless

Luck was on my side because no one was using the restroom. Once inside the single stall, I ditched the trench coat and dug out the folded duffel bag. I snapped the AR-15 together, shoved it and the rest of my equipment into the bag, and zipped it shut. I’d just finished changing my shoes when I heard four knocks. I unlocked the door, and Naomi stepped inside.

“Thanks for doing this, Naomi.”

“What am I doing?”

“First off, you should know this is a covert government operation. You’ve heard the phrase ‘plausible deniability’? That’s what’ll happen if you ever tell anyone about this, understand?”

“Yes, you can trust me.”

“Good. Here’s the plan. We’re swapping identities.” I pulled off my hat and tugged it onto her head. “Next, coat and shoes.”

As we faced each other, I had the first hope this switcheroo would work. We were close to the same height, and the buttoned-up trench coat would mask our physical differences. I wrapped the scarf around her neck.

“Here’s the tricky part. Listen very carefully. Stay in the store for ten full minutes after I leave. Buy something simple. Once you get outside, keep your head down so your scarf covers most of your face; that way if my suspect has his binoculars on you, he won’t know you’re not me. Walk quickly, but do not run. Do not look around. Act like you’ve got something weighing on your mind and you cannot be bothered to pay attention to your surroundings. My truck is the black Ford F-150 parked in the center row, the second spot facing the exit. The keys are on the floor.” I paused and studied her. “You all right so far?”

“Yeah, go on.”

“Drive back to the rez. Go directly to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Park as close to the front entrance as possible and leave the truck keys in the ashtray. There’s mass tonight. First thing you do after you’re inside? Find the coatrack. Hang up this coat and shove the scarf and hat in the sleeves. Then go into the bathroom and switch my boots for your shoes, and put on your coat, both of which will be stashed in this purse.”

“Okay. What do I do with your boots and purse?”

“Leave them hanging on the back of the door hook in the bathroom stall.”

Naomi nodded. “Then what?”

“Then you return to the sanctuary, sit in the back pew, and catch the last of the sermon.”

She wrinkled her nose.

“After the service ends, you’ll pin this folded note”-it read: Find me before I find you-“on the front of the coat and exit the church. Walk over to the Pizza Barn, order your favorite food, and take your time enjoying it.” The note was the biggest gamble. Would he find it before someone else got snoopy and read it?

“That’s it?” Naomi asked.

“Two other important things. You’ll have to walk home after eating.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Here was the trickiest part. “And in the morning? You’ll have to report your car as stolen.”

Naomi’s mouth dropped open. “What? You didn’t say anything about taking my car! I need it! It might be a piece of shit, but-”

I put my finger over my lips to signal for quiet. Then I reached into my purse and pulled out a stack of bills. “There’s twenty-one hundred bucks here. After the tribal cops find your car, there’s enough to get it repaired, or enough for you to buy a different one. You just need to report it missing. But not until morning.”

She looked torn.

“If the maroon Chrysler out there is your van? Then I’m being more than generous in replacement cost.”

“I know, but…” Naomi looked at me thoughtfully. “Is there a chance the cops will contact me tonight about my car?”

“Slim. But if that happens, tell them the last time you saw it, it was parked in the driveway or on the street or wherever you normally park it.” My eyes searched hers. “And if you really want to be a dick, you can bring Mackenzie Red Shirt into the conversation as a possible suspect. She’s been harassing you after you brought her name up with the Shooting Star case. Harassing you to the point you had to change your cell phone number. Officer Ferguson can back you up on that.”

Naomi’s eyes gleamed. “That would be sweet payback.”

“Can you do that? But only if it comes to that?”

“Yes.”

“Remember. This is a covert op. The tribal police have no idea what the FBI is doing, and we need to keep it that way.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Now run through this for me one more time so we’ve nailed down every detail.”

She ran it down in perfect order, with the same type of clinical detachment I used. I knew there was a reason I liked this girl.

“All right. Let’s do this.”

Luck was still on my side that no one had moved my cart with the 150 pounds of dog food. I set the duffel bag in the cart and rolled the bags on top of it, hiding it completely.

I picked the young cashier I didn’t know. When my turn came, I struggled to heft the first bag onto the conveyor belt. Since it was unwieldy, she didn’t take the next two bags out of the cart, she just rang up the first bag three times. I paid cash, secured the scarf around the lower half of my face, and left the grocery store.