The naked edge

4

A state trooper came over when Garth escorted Cavanaugh from the interview room.

"Did you find any of them?" Garth asked.

The trooper looked at Garth, as if to suggest that they speak in private.

"It's okay. You can talk in front of him."

In the background, Jamie and William listened to the trooper's reply.

"No sign of the shooters."

"They were dressed as campers," Cavanaugh said.

"Which makes them fairly invisible around here," Garth pointed out. "Even so, how do you suppose they got out of the area near your property so fast?"

"When you drove me from the ranch, I noticed that the van that had blocked the lane was gone. Did any of your team move it?"

The trooper shook his head no.

"Some of the shooters probably drove it away. The tires were low from weight in the back, but even so, they could have driven it. As for the rest, I'm guessing a couple of cars picked them up as they emerged from the trees. Using two-way radios, they could have easily coordinated it so they didn't show themselves if there were police cars or emergency vehicles in sight. Plus, you didn't know what you were dealing with and didn't start searching until thirty minutes after the explosion. Plenty of time to get away. They could have been in Jackson by then."

Another trooper entered the room. "A lot of reporters and a TV crew in the parking lot."

"Swell," Garth said.

"We can't assume they're all legitimate," Cavanaugh warned. "That hit team isn't going to fade away. They'll watch the building. They'll try to follow us when we leave."

"Spend the night here."

"There's nothing I'd rather do. But in the morning, we'll still have the same problem. Not to mention, they'll be organized by then. No, the best time to leave is when they least expect it. As soon as possible."

"How? And where will you go? What will you use for transportation?"

"I already made the arrangements," Jamie said.