Flu
Chapter 37
Luca needs no alarm to rouse him at 3 a.m. In the thrall of anxiety-tinged anticipation, he found only the lightest sleep. Reaching the hour to continue his plan comes as a relief. He grabs the two canvas bags that hold the assembled elements of his bomb and makes the short walk to the small garage that holds his car. Just to be safe, he places the bag containing his explosive in the trunk and the detonator in the back seat. His remote control presses against his chest from his shirt pocket.
The drive to the beach below the Castle house isn't long, and Luca pulls his vehicle into a nearby lot, now empty, and begins his climb to the grounds moments later. Scaling the sandy bank was more manageable in the daylight. His feet encounter unexpected rocks and clumps of dune grass. Having his canvas bags on opposite shoulders further complicates his efforts.
It's 3:30 when he pulls himself up to the sprawling lawns, grey under the moon and stars. Taking a moment to orient himself, he strides across the distance to the generator and the fuel tank. As he expected, the generator is in a pool of light, with only fringes of illumination reaching the tank.
The alarm from his hidden camera shocks Jack to full awareness. He grabs for a night scope to view the danger zone. Sonofabitch! It looks like some asshole is assembling an explosive device at the tank. He could shoot him, but at this distance, he would run the risk of hitting the tank. From the size of the bomb, the bastard setting it will have to remove himself from a considerable blast zone before triggering it.
Jack climbs down from his nest. He can take out the intruder away from the tank. He might even capture him alive, but right now, he doesn't care. He'll protect his family and worry about the details later.
Luca heads for the enclosed area holding the pool and the spa. In addition to its distance from the bomb, he can find cover in the poolside cabana provided for donning swimsuits. Immediately deducing where his quarry is going, Jack follows at a silent trot.
Lights shine more brilliantly around the pool, leading Luca to wonder if Castle and his wife go in for midnight swims. It must be nice to experience that kind of leisure.
While on his way to his chosen shelter, magazines lying on a small table near one of the lounge chairs catch Luca's eye. Teen Beat. He knows that rag. Some of the youngsters who accompanied their parents to celebrations at the compound read it. He's seen it at homes where he catered sweet sixteen celebrations as well. Oh, God! Are there kids in that house? Castle and his wife deserve whatever they get, but not kids, never kids. On a dead run, he heads back to the tank to retrieve his deadly device.
Jack can't understand why Luca is moving back toward the house, but at that moment, it's irrelevant. With at least four inches of height and thirty pounds on Luca, Jack tackles him to the ground. "The kids," Luca pants, as Jack's knee finds the small of his back. "I can't hurt the kids."
"Don't worry," Jack assures him, "you won't." As Jack grabs the remote control from Luca's pocket, the would-be bomber feels his temples pound and a virulent cough rising in his chest. Damn! He didn't just almost kill children; he's caught the f*****g plague!
Chief Brady finds an expertly bound prisoner with a carefully defused bomb waiting at just the spot an anonymous tip said he would be. It doesn't take much to identify Luca Arnelli. He catered several parties where Brady's men ensured the security. He was also rumored but never proven to cook for the Scarpellas. Apparently, his interests have expanded outside the culinary realm.
Luca looks up at the cops taking him into custody and hopes his jail cell has somewhere he can lie down. "Don't get too close," he warns, I've got the flu."
A deputy grabs Luca's arm. "We've all already had it."
Rafael's reassurance flows around Johanna like a comforting embrace. "You see, your daughter had another guardian, but in the end, neither of you was necessary. The smallest things can divert someone from evil into The Father's way."
"What about Luca?" Johanna asks. "He made the right choice. What will happen to him now?"
"The Father provides many paths to redemption for those who choose to follow them," Rafael proclaims. "Luca has already taken his first steps."
Jack returns the motorcycle to the company's storage facility and picks up his car. It's Labor Day, and he needs a nap before driving back to the city. He could try taking one in his vehicle, but as an intelligence asset, he knows how to find a decent hotel room, even on a weekend when most accommodations are booked. A few magic words will get him what he wants at almost any hostelry, even the five-star not far down the road. He's getting too damn old to sleep in trees.
His glowing coals finally up to temperature, Rick is ready to grill. He's made hamburgers every Labor Day since Alexis was four, and he's not about to stop now. Kate's in the kitchen unpacking the new milkshake maker he had shipped to the house. The girls, slightly disappointed by the morning's lack of surfers on the beach, are catching a last-minute swim before lunch.
Not everyone is taking time off. Rick received a text from Mark Newhouse that he's observing some potential employees for Castle's pop-up, under pressure on the job. So far, they're on track for opening at Halloween, but according to Mark, Rick still faces a lot of potential potholes in the road.
Holly is working too, preparing for a concert that night. Rick would bet that Mark will be there. Alexis has made Rick reassure her three times that she'll be back in the city in time to attend. Paige is more a fan of Maroon 5 than classical music, but Holly's range reaches into the pop realm, and Alexis convinced her friend to go with her. The promise of a stop for giant sundaes afterward didn't hurt either.
Rick can't believe the relative tranquility of the weekend. So many of his plans with Kate have run into complications of one sort or another, usually involving the unexpected appearance of a dead body. Searching around the grill, he realizes he forgot his custom spice mix at the house. The special Castle burgers won't be very special without it.
Stumbling on an uneven spot in his otherwise perfect lawn, Rick squats to examine the ground. Unlike Alexis, he's picked up his detection techniques entirely on-the-fly. But he knows the signs of a struggle when he sees them, and he's pretty sure they weren't there yesterday. Could something have happened the night before?
Impulse drives Rick to dig his phone out of his pocket and search for local news. Huh! Responding to an anonymous tip, Chief Brady and his team discovered an unexploded bomb and a mysteriously trussed-up man suspected of making it. The story is still developing.
A bomb? An unknown suspect? Rick stares back at the grass. Could there be a connection to signs of a skirmish he perceives? Rick has his suspicions, but he's also acutely aware of his overactive imagination. Maybe an errant pet battled with a coyote.
He checks for clues one more time. Could that be the faint imprint of a shoe? Whoever wears it has big feet and is probably tall. About six-four maybe, like...? Rick shoves the thought to the back of his mind. He has burgers to grill and a few more precious hours left on his holiday.