Page 188 - Brokenclaw - John Gardner

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They got a Learjet, and when they said where they wanted to go, they also

got a strange look. ‘Something going on up near Wenatchee?’ the man from
Weatherproof Air Services asked.
‘Not that we know of. This is a mission we’re on. Government business.’
‘Why don’t you get a government a
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‘You know what it’s like.’ Ed became very confidential, very trusting. ‘So
many damned forms. We want to get up there as quickly as possible, not wait
for a week. We put the Learjet on Amex and shove it in for expenses when the
time comes. You know how the old song goes?’

‘Sure.’
‘Why did you ask if something was going on up in Wenatchee?’ Bond asked.
‘Because you’re the second job we’ve had tonight. Same route. Had to use
our one DC-3, the old workhorse herself. Slow, but still flying.’
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‘You couldn’t give them a Learjet?’
The man shook his head. ‘Another government job.’ He dropped his voice.
‘FBI. One agent and a male nurse. Taking a woman back home. She’s been in
some accident. Looked in a bad way. Unconscious. Had to get her on a

stretcher.’
‘How long ago?’ Rushia asked.
‘Why the interest?’
Rushia sighed. ‘If you really want to know, it’s connected to the case we’re

on.’
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‘Well, they left about three-quarters of an hour ago. If we get your flightplan
filed and okayed quickly enough, you’ll be landing within ten minutes or so of
the DC-3.’

‘Let’s go then.’ Bond was not smiling.

The DC-3 was parked near the terminal building at Wenatchee, under the big
floodlights. They saw it as they came in to land, and, as the Learjet taxied in,
both Rushia and Bond craned to see if there was any activity around the
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aircraft.
In the terminal, Rushia went in search of the crew while Bond headed for the
car rental services. He tried Avis first and found they had only just let their last
Range Rover go. ‘Big call for them around these parts,’ the girl said. ‘I can let

you have an almost new Isuzu Trooper. It’ll do the same job for you.’
It was two thirty in the morning when, with Rushia at the wheel and Bond

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