The naked edge

21

"I've got a bad feeling," Cavanaugh murmured to Jamie and William as they followed Rutherford and his men into Iowa City's modest-sized police station.

The noisy lobby was crowded with law-enforcement officers, the overflow from a crammed conference room. Two men in uniforms, one police, one military, pushed through and spoke to Rutherford.

"Not enough room for a briefing," Rutherford said when he returned. "We're switching locations to the National Guard armory."

Time, Cavanaugh thought. Even though, it's eight-fifteen in the morning, we'll soon run out of day.

"For that matter, I'm told the armory might not be large enough," Rutherford said, hurrying with them from the police station. "The current estimate is, we need at least a thousand people to seal off that park. Police officers and sheriffs are coming in from all over the state. We've got FBI agents and U.S. marshals flying from as far as St. Louis, Denver, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Through Homeland Security, we also received permission to use the local detachment of the National Guard."

"Another alert," William said. "Another stress on a severely stressed system."

"Reminds me of New Orleans," Jamie said. "Let's hope for a simpler outcome."

"Damn it." A policeman pointed. "Here comes a reporter."