Brothers in Arms

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Hayden stepped out of the new HQ for a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, she stepped straight into the path of Sarah Moxley, pain-in-the-ass news reporter extraordinaire.

“What do you have to say about the random murder in Vermont?” The redhead thrust a mic in Hayden’s face. “The similarities to Senator Turner’s attempted shooting are uncanny.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We know your bloodhound was on site when the shooting happened, Miss Jaye. We know more than you think.”

My bloodhound? Hayden wondered. Then she thought of Alicia and gave the woman a pitying glance. “Piece of advice — I wouldn’t say that to her face.”

Moxley blinked. “Point taken. I’ve met her. Colorful to the point of garish.”

“You won’t get me talking, Miss Moxley. If you’ll excuse me—”

Hayden stalked back inside. She’d forgotten about the goddamn reporter who’d made it her life’s mission to harass the new agency. What the hell had Alicia been saying to her?

The control room was full of conversation for a change. Mano and Dahl were discussing the poor insurance salesman and tracing the route he’d recently taken up and down the east coast. Problem was, it didn’t overlap with Senator Turner’s — at least not yet.

A senator and an insurance salesman, Hayden thought. What on earth connected them?

Ben and Karin were delving into the background of the shooter. A man of thirty-one — Calvin Torrance was a bus driver and a loner, a respectable member of a nearby Vermont community who had never put a foot wrong in his life.

“Juvey record’s locked,” Karin commented. “Just like Markel’s.” The blond turned toward Hayden. “I think we should bring some pressure to bear. That’s two out of two and pretty much our only link.”

“There’s a reason they lock a kid’s record, sis,” Ben said. “It’s to protect them.”

Hayden agreed with Karin. They had found a link and it needed pursuing. Trouble was, their own agency didn’t have any clout yet. “I’ll call Jonathan.”

But then Karin’s eyebrows shot up and she started to stare oddly at her screen. “That’s odd.”

Half a minute passed. Hayden tried not to throttle her. “What’s odd?”

“Sorry, boss. Senator Turner’s name just jammed up the airwaves. Our red flag system has gone friggin’ crazy. I can’t—” Karin tapped furiously, like a woodpecker on speed. “Can’t pinpoint the source. Give me a few.”

Hayden moved behind her. Dahl looked across from his perch. “I’m smelling some action.”

Karin isolated the source in less than a minute. “Crap,” she said. “Unbelievable. There’s a bank robbery in progress. In D.C. Something’s fucked up ’cos there’s reports of live fire. And the shooter…” She started to chew on a nail. “To quote a police officer from the scene: another one of those freaks who tried to kill Senator Turner…”

Hayden felt a chill deeper than fear, deeper than terror, something that ran through her bones and into race memory. She managed two words. “Mount up.”