She had no more hope.

She had no more faith.

She allowed her eyes to close, and began accepting what to her was now inevitable.

Eighty-Four

Since Lucien’s hands would not come up past his chest due to his restraints, he bent forward so he could scratch his nose.

Taylor had swerved her chair around to face him, while Hunter still kept his facing forward.

‘OK,’ Taylor said. ‘So we’ve entered New Hampshire’s airspace. Where do we go from here?’

Lucien took his time. ‘Damn, these are uncomfortable. You wouldn’t be so kind as to scratch my nose for me, would you, Agent Taylor?’

She scowled at him in silence.

‘Yeah, I didn’t think so.’ Lucien finally sat back up. ‘Tell the pilot to fly due north. Let me know when he is over White Mountain National Forest.’

The White Mountain National Forest is a federally managed forest that totals an area of 750,852 acres. About 94 percent of it is located in the state of New Hampshire. It’s so vast, no private aircraft flying over it could miss it.

Taylor passed the instructions to the pilot and returned to her seat.

They Hew for another twenty-seven minutes before the pilot’s voice came through the speakers again.

‘We’re just about to reach the south border of the White Mountain National Forest. Shall I keep on flying north or is there a new piece of this puzzle?’

Taylor faced Lucien one more time and waited.

Lucien was staring at the back of his hands.

‘Now it gets good,’ he said, without lifting his eyes. ‘Tell the pilot we’re going to Berlin.’

Taylor stared at him in disbelief. ‘Say that again.’

‘Tell the pilot we’re going to Berlin,’ Lucien repeated, casually. His gaze lingered on his hands for a while longer before moving to her.

Taylor didn’t move, but her expression went from surprised to angry in record time.

‘Relax, Agent Taylor,’ Lucien said, ‘I’m not referring to Berlin, Germany. That would’ve been too far-fetched even for me. But if you check the map of New Hampshire, you’ll find that just north of the White Mountain National Forest, there’s a small town called Berlin. Its municipal airport, interestingly enough, is located eight miles north, by another small town called Milan.’ He laughed. ‘How European, isn’t it?’

Taylor’s expression relaxed a little.

‘Tell the pilot we need to land at Berlin’s municipal airport.’

Taylor used the plane’s intercom to pass on the new instructions to the pilot.

Hunter had been thinking about this for a little while, and he could hardly believe how well prepared Lucien was. How long has he been planning this for? he asked himself.

The state of New Hampshire was one of the few that did not have a specific FBI field office. Its jurisdiction fell under the Boston field office in Massachusetts – way too far for Director Kennedy to have a backup team dispatched. Even though Lucien had given them detailed instructions that no one was to follow them, by land or air, Hunter knew Adrian Kennedy wouldn’t simply comply with the requests of a serial murderer. Kennedy would no doubt be extremely careful because he knew the life of a kidnapped victim was at stake, but he would also want to have a plan B in place. With no FBI field office in New Hampshire, that meant if Adrian Kennedy wanted a second, local team tagging Hunter and Taylor, he would have to contact the county sheriff’s department, or the local police department. Neither would be trained in high-profile surveillance, and that was a risk too far. Lucien had factored all this into his sick equation.

‘I’ve just contacted the municipal airport in Berlin.’ The pilot’s voice came through the cabin speakers one more time. ‘We’re clear for landing, and we’ll be starting our descent in five minutes.’

No one could see how much Lucien was smiling inside.

Eighty-Five

After being airborne for just under two hours, the Lear Jet touched down at the small landing strip in Berlin’s municipal airport in New Hampshire. It quickly taxied to a spot at the end of the runway, away from the other small planes, and waited. The pilot had already alerted the airport’s traffic control center that the plane was an official FBI aircraft on federal business, and not to be approached.

‘So what now?’ Hunter asked Lucien even before the plane came to a complete stop. This was the first time Hunter had addressed him since Quantico.

‘Now we get a car,’ Lucien replied, and pulled a dubious face.‘But this isn’t LAX, Robert, there are no car-rental companies in the airport’s foyer. Actually, there isn’t even a foyer.’ He jerked his head toward the window. ‘You’ll see. You’ll be lucky if you find a vending machine somewhere around here.’

Taylor threw a questioning look at Hunter.

‘You can call a rental company if you like,’ Lucien proceeded. ‘I’m sure you can get a number for one either in the town of Berlin or Milan, but it will take them about twenty to twenty-five minutes to get everything arranged and a car out here. If you don’t want to wait, I suggest you improvise.’

‘Improvise?’ Taylor said.

Lucien shrugged. ‘Commandeer a car or something. Like in the movies. You’re the ones with FBI badges. I’m sure the folks around here would be very impressed by them.’

Taylor considered what to do.

‘Remember that every second counts for poor Madeleine,’ Lucien added. ‘So feel free to take as long as you like.’

‘You stay here with him,’ Hunter said, already moving toward the plane’s door. ‘I’ll go.’

Taylor agreed with a nod. Right now she really didn’t want to leave Hunter alone with Lucien.

‘Let’s go,’ Hunter said as he stepped back into the plane.

‘We’ve got a car already?’ Taylor asked, jumping to her feet. Hunter had been gone for less than three minutes.

He nodded. ‘I sort of borrowed it from the guy who runs air traffic control here.’

‘Fair enough,’ she said. She didn’t need any more explanation. Taylor then unholstered her weapon and pointed it at Lucien. ‘OK, we’re going to do this nice and slowly. When Robert presses the release button to the door to your cage, the floor chain loops will also disengage. You will then stand up, slowly, step out of the cell, and stop. Do you understand?’

Lucien nodded, unimpressed.

Taylor gave Hunter a head signal. He hit the button by the door to the pilot’s cockpit before also unholstering his weapon and placing Lucien dead in his aim.

An electronic buzzing sound echoed loudly throughout the passenger cabin. Lucien’s cage door clicked open and retracted. The metal chains that kept his ankles and hands shackled together were also released from their floor and chair restraints.

‘Up slowly,’ Taylor said.

Lucien complied.

‘Now step forward and outside the cage.’

Lucien complied.

‘Walk toward us and the exit, nice and slowly.’

Lucien complied.

Taylor moved over and positioned herself behind Lucien. Hunter stayed ahead of him. He came down the steps first. Lucien and Taylor followed shortly after.

A red Jeep Grand Cherokee was parked just a few meters from the plane. Hunter walked over and opened the back door.

‘Nice car,’ Lucien commented.

‘Get in,’ Hunter replied.

Lucien paused and looked around him. There was no one about. Berlin’s municipal airport was nothing more than a landing strip of asphalt built next to a forest. There was no airport foyer, or lounge, or anything. Two mid-sized hangers, large enough to fit maybe a couple of private planes each, were located east of the runway. Just south of them were a few smaller administrative buildings. That was all there was, nothing else.