Anton and another lackey was waiting for him. Anton stood there, menacing even while still. His expression was inscrutable.
"What have you found out about that jet." Alex asked.
"Nothing, they disappeared. No sign of them reported on any radar or at any airport. I TOLD you we should plant a tracking device on them." Anton said.
"What difference does that make if they crashed?" Alexander said angrily.
"How do you know that they crashed? Mr. Booth is very good. His pilot friend and him may have been smart enough to disable the transponder on their plane, then avoid radar."
"That's highly unlikely, Anton! They would have to know blind spots and corridors on military and civilian radar systems across half the continent and two countries! Mr. Booth may have been a good soldier, and an able FBI agent, but he was relatively low ranking in both, and he'd hardly have been privy to such information. No, I fear the worst. But keep checking, we'll give it a few days before we give up."
Alexander finished with a heavy sigh, and he suddenly looked weary.
"What do you mean to do if this all goes to pieces, if they did crash and die?" Anton asked, glaring at Alexander carefully.
"We let her go. We take her to some safe place near here, the closest town, and let her go...Dammit,this isn't supposed to be how it went!" Alexander said, looking even more weary, and even exhausted.
He looked at Anton. "Keep checking, see what you can find out. Check local news services, tv and radio stations, listen to radio chatter on shortwave, military and civilian bands,airline and cargo flights... anything. Listen for anything unusual, rumors, guesses,unusual air traffic, ANYTHING! Be thorough!" With that, he stalked off.
Anton watched him go, and grunted angrily. The other man with him said, "What's on your mind, Anton?"
"This whole thing was a ridiculous venture from the start. Why he wanted that woman, I know not. Why he wanted that man and her here,in this ridiculous palace of nowhere, is anyone's guess. I think he is losing his mind. Whatever the reason, he put ME, you, and the rest of us on the hook for assault with violence, , kidnapping, and god knows how many other crimes."
Anton chose to forget that his team's bungling and the unnecessary violence of their actions put them in that very position.
"Now, he means to just let her go? So she can identify us all?"Anton scowled unhappily.
"Just what are you thinking Anton?"
"Alexander has enough cash and other forms of currency and liquidable assets stoked away here to make us all very comfortable for a long long time. I've seen it. He trusts me too much."
"I still don't understand." the other said.
"I could go to jail for 30 yrs for what I have done for him so far. Maybe more. Maybe I'd get life. No telling what the rest of you would get, probably the same. We're all in this together. A few more crimes won't make much difference. My thought is, THEY disappear"...He jutted his jaw out, first where Brennan was, in the direction of The Library, then in the direction Alexander had taken, " then WE, and the riches disappear and WE all live happily ever after! I know several countries with no extradition treaties with the U.S. or Canada where we could all settle with no problems, especially with money to pave the way."
The other man, who had worked with Anton ever since their army days together, nodded and smiled mercilessly in agreement. "It would be nice to be on the other end of the money for a change."
"We'll play along with that crazy old man for now. But if things look like they've fallen completely apart, I mean to take action." He gazed brutally at the door to The Library. " Decisive, profitable action..."