Orchid Blues (Holly Barker 2)

"John told me there are three affiliated groups in Florida, and hundreds around the country. I hope they'll find some records there that will lead them to the others."

"I'd better call Harry about that right now," Holly said, producing the scrambled cell phone. She tapped in the number and waited.

"Crisp," Harry said. "Who's bothering me?"

"It's Holly."

"What's wrong?"

Silence.

"Where are you, Harry?"

"At the Lake Winachobee compound."

"And?"

"And there's nobody here."

"They're all gone?"

"All of them."

"Ham has just told me that John says there are two other compounds in Florida and more around the country."

"About three thousand members," Ham said.

"Three thousand members nationally. Did you find any records there?"

"No, nothing, only a few empty ammunition boxes in what was, apparently, an armory. The place has been stripped, our smoke detector bug is in tiny pieces and I can't figure out how they did it all so fast."

"They're all gone?" Ham asked.

"Yes."

He held out a hand. "Let me speak to Harry."

"Ham wants to speak to you." She handed him the phone.

"Harry?"

"Ham, are you okay? Is it bad?"

"Like a hangnail, nothing more. Listen, John told me there were groups in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, as well as Winachobee, and others in something like twenty states. Is there nothing there that would tell you where they are?"

"Not so far," Harry said. "Of course, we've got to work this place like a crime scene, so we might come up with something. Telephone records ought to help. What I can't figure is, how did they get out so fast? We were here in no time."

"I think I know," Ham said.

"Tell me."

"After we took off from Winachobee for Opa-Locka, John made a phone call from the airplane, and he was on the phone for several minutes. I think he arranged our transfer to another van in Miami, and he must have given some orders about Winachobee, too."

"I can check that phone record, too. What kind of phone was it?"

"Looked like an ordinary cell phone, mounted on the pilot's yoke, but he kept his headset on when he was using it, and he flipped a switch that cut me out, so I couldn't hear what he said. If he gave orders about Winachobee, then they would have had, what, fifteen, eighteen hours to get out?"

"You could be right. When are they letting you out of the hospital?"