“But it’s not much. Our satellites picked up what
you have. The cover of trees makes it impossible to see Captain
Olivas. Heat imaging shows something moving fast through the
forest. Once the house explodes, everything is hot. You probably
have the same thing.”
Alex nodded. They turned at the landing and
continued up the next flight of stairs.
“ And the house?” Alex
asked.
“ Nothing,” James
said.
“ Shit. I thought there
would be something on the night-vision,” Alex said.
“ He must have set up the
explosives some other time,” James said. “Have you gone back in
time?”
“ Just a couple of days.
That’s a good idea,” Alex said.
“ He could have set the
explosives a week or more before,” James said. “I watched a few
days of video. They kept a very regular schedule. It wouldn’t have
been hard to set everything up in advance. You know, you should ask
my brother Cian. He might be able to see something we
haven’t.”
Alex opened the door to a bedroom. The
gorgeously appointed room had a Queen-sized bed, its own bathroom
and balcony.
“ This is lovely,” James
said. “The nicest place I may have ever stayed in.”
“ It’s gorgeous,” Alex said.
“We’re having breakfast in a half-hour or so. Why don’t you get
cleaned up? I’ll go wake the runners.”
“ The police are coming for
Olivas in an hour or two,” James said. “Early. They want to throw
him off guard.”
“ Thanks,” Alex
said.
“ He’s lucky you put
Dahlia’s house on the watch list,” James said. “I had the entire
month put in your account. If you need more, I just have to call.
We wouldn’t have anything if you hadn’t flagged the
house.”
“ That’s cold comfort to his
boys,” Alex said.
“ Johnny and I were orphans
a lot younger than these boys,” James said. “Look at how we turned
out.”
Alex raised her eyebrows and gave him a
“that’s what I mean” look. He laughed. With a nod, she turned to
leave.
“ One more thing,” James
said.
Alex stopped at the door and turned to look
at him.
“ We’re missing an entire
team,” James said. “Very hush-hush. They were on loan to NATO.
September 22, they’re tracked by GPS and satellite; September 23,
they vanish.”
“ That’s why you were in the
Falklands?” Alex asked.
“ I went to where they were
last seen,” Jimmy nodded. “And when I say vanished, I mean there
was not one bit of evidence they’d ever been there.”
“ Not even physical
evidence?” Alex asked.
“ Nothing. It’s like the
Bermuda Triangle or an alien abduction.”
“ Can you leave the details
for me?” Alex asked. “I’ll check into it.”
“ I sent the folder to your
Intelligence account,” James said.
“ See you in an hour,” Alex
said.
She pulled the door closed and wandered down
the hall. She knew John was already moving through his pre-race
routine. She tapped on Vince’s door and was greeted by Amelia. She
was wearing pajama bottoms and one of her dad’s big Navy
shirts.
“ I’m running too!” Vince
and Emily’s daughter said. “Dad, Leena, and I have been
practicing!”
“ I wondered when I saw your
grandmother,” Alex said. “She loves to watch you being so
liberated.”
Amelia beamed a mouthful of braces. She was
a stunning cross between her delicately made mother and Vince’s
rugged power. At fourteen, she was both strong and beautiful.
“ Mom and Dad are next
door,” Amelia said. “He’s already hogging the bathroom. Hey, how
come Leena isn’t here? I thought she was running with us. Plus,
she’s Dad’s partner. She’s supposed to go where he
goes.”
“ She wanted to see her mom
while she was in Washington,” Alex said. “Turns out her mom is
pretty sick. She’s looking into putting her into a nursing
home.”
“ That’s awful,” Amelia
said.
“ I know,” Alex said. “I
think Leena’s hoping to move her mom to Denver so she can keep an
eye on her.”
“ I’ll go visit her mom
too,”
you have. The cover of trees makes it impossible to see Captain
Olivas. Heat imaging shows something moving fast through the
forest. Once the house explodes, everything is hot. You probably
have the same thing.”
Alex nodded. They turned at the landing and
continued up the next flight of stairs.
“ And the house?” Alex
asked.
“ Nothing,” James
said.
“ Shit. I thought there
would be something on the night-vision,” Alex said.
“ He must have set up the
explosives some other time,” James said. “Have you gone back in
time?”
“ Just a couple of days.
That’s a good idea,” Alex said.
“ He could have set the
explosives a week or more before,” James said. “I watched a few
days of video. They kept a very regular schedule. It wouldn’t have
been hard to set everything up in advance. You know, you should ask
my brother Cian. He might be able to see something we
haven’t.”
Alex opened the door to a bedroom. The
gorgeously appointed room had a Queen-sized bed, its own bathroom
and balcony.
“ This is lovely,” James
said. “The nicest place I may have ever stayed in.”
“ It’s gorgeous,” Alex said.
“We’re having breakfast in a half-hour or so. Why don’t you get
cleaned up? I’ll go wake the runners.”
“ The police are coming for
Olivas in an hour or two,” James said. “Early. They want to throw
him off guard.”
“ Thanks,” Alex
said.
“ He’s lucky you put
Dahlia’s house on the watch list,” James said. “I had the entire
month put in your account. If you need more, I just have to call.
We wouldn’t have anything if you hadn’t flagged the
house.”
“ That’s cold comfort to his
boys,” Alex said.
“ Johnny and I were orphans
a lot younger than these boys,” James said. “Look at how we turned
out.”
Alex raised her eyebrows and gave him a
“that’s what I mean” look. He laughed. With a nod, she turned to
leave.
“ One more thing,” James
said.
Alex stopped at the door and turned to look
at him.
“ We’re missing an entire
team,” James said. “Very hush-hush. They were on loan to NATO.
September 22, they’re tracked by GPS and satellite; September 23,
they vanish.”
“ That’s why you were in the
Falklands?” Alex asked.
“ I went to where they were
last seen,” Jimmy nodded. “And when I say vanished, I mean there
was not one bit of evidence they’d ever been there.”
“ Not even physical
evidence?” Alex asked.
“ Nothing. It’s like the
Bermuda Triangle or an alien abduction.”
“ Can you leave the details
for me?” Alex asked. “I’ll check into it.”
“ I sent the folder to your
Intelligence account,” James said.
“ See you in an hour,” Alex
said.
She pulled the door closed and wandered down
the hall. She knew John was already moving through his pre-race
routine. She tapped on Vince’s door and was greeted by Amelia. She
was wearing pajama bottoms and one of her dad’s big Navy
shirts.
“ I’m running too!” Vince
and Emily’s daughter said. “Dad, Leena, and I have been
practicing!”
“ I wondered when I saw your
grandmother,” Alex said. “She loves to watch you being so
liberated.”
Amelia beamed a mouthful of braces. She was
a stunning cross between her delicately made mother and Vince’s
rugged power. At fourteen, she was both strong and beautiful.
“ Mom and Dad are next
door,” Amelia said. “He’s already hogging the bathroom. Hey, how
come Leena isn’t here? I thought she was running with us. Plus,
she’s Dad’s partner. She’s supposed to go where he
goes.”
“ She wanted to see her mom
while she was in Washington,” Alex said. “Turns out her mom is
pretty sick. She’s looking into putting her into a nursing
home.”
“ That’s awful,” Amelia
said.
“ I know,” Alex said. “I
think Leena’s hoping to move her mom to Denver so she can keep an
eye on her.”
“ I’ll go visit her mom
too,”
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