Merry Christmas, Alex Cross

CHAPTER 81

They rushed both officer Carstensen and Jasper out on stretchers from the Union Station terminal. They took Hala Al Dossari to Captain Johnson’s office on a stretcher too that Christmas night. Plastic ties bound her wrists and ankles. Straps pinned her flat to the board. She’d be kept in Johnson’s office until the roads were clear enough for the Feds to transfer her.

As the EMTs worked to clean up my cuts, I called home. Bree answered.

“Hey,” I said. “It’s done. I’m good. Couple nicks, but good. Well, a lot of nicks, but still good.”

I heard my wife exhale gently. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day, Alex. When will you be home?”

“Before midnight,” I promised. “Just a few things to take care of now.”

“You gonna tell me what happened?”

“Full disclosure,” I said. “After I open that present you were telling me about at dinner.”

“Hmm,” she said, a bit skeptically. “Unless you’re a superman, I don’t think you’ll be ready or able to unwrap something like that tonight.”

“There’s always tomorrow.”

“We’re celebrating Boxing Day now?”

“That too. Christmas has twelve days, you know.”

She laughed, said, “I love you.”

“I love you too. Before you know it, I’ll be snoring in bed next to you.”

“Perfect,” she said, and she hung up.

Eventually, the EMTs finished cleaning and bandaging my cuts. They said I needed to go to a hospital to have the wounds checked by a doctor. Instead, I headed to Captain Johnson’s office. Hala was probably still there, but soon the roads would be good enough for her to be transferred; she’d be taken to the Alexandria detention center, where she’d be held until her arraignment in federal court.

The office door opened before I got to the FBI agent guarding it. Mahoney came out of the room, his face flushed. “She won’t say a damn thing in English, Alex, and seems to find the entire situation laughable. That’s not right. Someone like that’s just not right in the head.”

“I think there’s not a doubt about that,” I said.

“Yeah?” Mahoney said. “Well, I’ve got an idea that just might get her thinking right. I’ve got to go wake up some important people.”

“Mind if I try talking to her in the meantime?”

“They’re starting the transfer in five minutes,” Mahoney said, distracted. “But sure, go ahead, knock yourself out, Alex.”