Evil Deeds (Bob Danforth 1) by Joseph Badal

said, “Then it’s without me.”
    “What’s the matter?” Liz demanded, her fingers drumming nervously against the sides of her legs. “You don’t think I can keep up with you?”
    “That’s not the problem,” George said. “Do you know how to use a weapon?”
    “What the hell does that . . .” After a beat she shook her head. “No, I’ve never held a gun.”
    “We may have to kill people,” George said. “At the border, or getting into the orphanage . . . and getting out. There were always guards there.”
    Liz’s face seemed to sag, but the anger was still there. Her eyes blazed at George.
    “And what happens if Bob and I are captured or killed in Bulgaria?” George said. “It’ll then be up to you alone to work to find Michael.”
     

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
    Janos dropped off the crates of wine in Thessaloniki and drove northeast toward Seres. The only cargo left in the back of the truck were several empty boxes, Vanja, and the kidnapped baby girl. Just south of Seres, the truck’s fuel pump failed. While Janos and Gregorie waited with the truck – Vanja and the infant still locked in the cargo bay – Stefan drove the Mercedes into Seres and arranged for a tow truck. When he returned an hour later, beating the tow truck, he transferred Vanja and the infant to the sedan.
    After eight hours cooped up in the back of the truck, Vanja had a deer-in-the-headlights look. Perspiration plastered her hair to her face and her dress stuck to her body. Her skin looked two shades redder than normal. The baby girl squalled in her arms. It smelled like she’d soiled her diapers.
    “You sonofabitch,” Vanja screamed over the baby’s cries from the backseat of the car.
    Stefan twisted in his seat and raised his arm. Vanja shrank out of reach.
    “Go ahead, hit me,” she yelled. “I’ll walk away from here and leave you alone with this baby.”
    She rocked the infant in her arms, trying to quiet it. “You left us in the truck for hours. We could have died in there. It’s bad enough you get me involved in this baby stealing; must you try to kill me, too?”
    Stefan shot her a hateful look and opened his mouth as though to say something. Instead, he just stepped from the car and walked over to the stranded truck.
     

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
    Bob sat with George under the Campari umbrella at the same table where he and Liz had first met Franklin Meers. They’d left Liz at home. This time when Meers arrived, he stood by the table, barely acknowledging their greetings. Bob assumed from Meers’ rigid posture and clipped speech that he was still pissed off about the death of his informant on the beach at Kaki Thalassa.
    “Please sit down, Franklin,” Bob said.
    After a second’s pause, Meers took a seat. He had barely settled into the chair when George peppered him with one question after another.
    Bob could tell George was not making the intelligence officer any happier.
    “Did you find out if the Bulgarians are planning any military exercises along the border near Petrich?”
    “There’s nothing going on – at least in the next week.”
    “What about trip wires, security lights, or alarms along the border?” Bob asked.
    “Mostly concertina wire and intermittent patrols on the Bulgarian side. Some alarm trip wires. Not very sophisticated. After all, how many people want to sneak into Bulgaria? There are two sets of trip wires on the Greek side, though.”
    George nodded.
    Meers looked at Bob. “Have you thought this through? You get caught and they’ll shoot your ass as a spy. And if you don’t get caught and actually make it back – which I seriously doubt – you’ll probably be courts-martialled. Your Army career will be over.”
    “What’s my alternative, to let those bastards keep my son? Screw my Army career.” Bob knew he had his priorities right, but he also knew giving up his Army commission would be painful.
    Meers nodded, then said, “When are you going across?”
    “I think it would