The group was unimpressed. Once he was dead, they would take control of all of his assets, a fact the Imperator made sure he knew just before the brass door was sealed.
Mornay and Carrol cast each other a quick, uncertain glance. There was just such a device on the premises. They’d both seen it in passing while on a tour of the compound.
“We won’t make any decisions without consulting you again,” Carrol said sheepishly.
Mornay said nothing; his silence revealing that he understood the gravity of the situation.
“Good.” Lindsey turned around and walked towards the door.
“Alex,” Mornay spoke up.
He turned and looked back at the snooty character.
“Any word from our mole in the Justice Department?”
Alexander stood thoughtful for a moment, considering the man he’d had thrown from the helicopter earlier that evening. When he spoke, it carried a cryptic tone. “I don’t think we’ll be using him anymore.”
Chapter 16
Tommy and Will had what they needed, though Tommy’s friend had had to die for it. Both men tiredly strolled out of the lab and towards the exit of the building and simultaneously noticed some kind of movement at the end of the corridor. The other detectives had already left the premises leaving only two policemen to guard the crime scene, both of whom were nowhere in sight.
“Did you see that?” Tommy spoke just barely above a whisper.
Will nodded and pulled his gun out of its holster. A flash and short pop burst from the dark shadows where they’d seen the motion, pinging a bullet off the wall nearest them. Both men ducked into the alcove of the opposite doorway to take cover.
“Didn’t the police check this whole building for suspects?” Schultz wondered out loud.
“Yeah. They did.” Will turned around then edge and squeezed off two quick rounds. Two more shots replied from the other end, one shattering a door window behind them. “Whoever killed the professor must have come back for what they were looking for.”
Tommy looked skeptical. “To a fresh crime scene?”
“I’ve seen dumber things done by criminals. It’s the only thing that makes sense here. I guess he figured we’d be less likely to suspect such a move.”
“True. Or maybe the guy never left the building.”
“We’re going to have to change plans, Tommy. My guess is they figure you have what they’re looking for.” He looked at Schultz with a serious eye.
Tommy knew what that meant. They were willing to kill whoever got in their way to get what they wanted. “What’s the move then?”
Will thought quickly. “My car is out back. I’ll lay down a little covering fire while you go. I’ll meet you out there.”
“I can’t let you do that.” Tommy shook his head.
“It wasn’t a question.” He gave a sly grin. “Now go.”
The young cop swung around the corner again on one knee letting off a series of shots in the direction of their attacker. Simultaneously, Tommy took off towards the door closest to their end. He could hear Will’s weapon laying down a steady barrage of hot metal as he barged through the door and out into the Atlanta night. He kept running until he saw what he believed to be Will’s silver Dodge Charger. Though it was unmarked, he recognized the similarities between that and other more obvious police units.
More muffled shots rang out inside the building. Tommy wasn’t sure what to do. He wished he could help the young officer but he was unarmed. What if Will was shot? Then the assailant would surely come out the way he had exited a moment ago. He noticed a fairly large rock near the front of the car in the landscaping bed and grabbed it quickly then stepped around the back of the car and ducked behind the trunk.
A few more shots popped then suddenly the door flew open. Will sprinted from the building as fast as he could. He unlocked the doors with his remote key while slowing to a halt.
Tommy stood up, rock still in hand. “Whew. I’m glad it was you.”
“I think I may have got him.” Will noticed the stone and raised an eyebrow. “What were you gonna do with that?”
The rock dropped to the ground and Tommy held up his hands to the side. “Not a clue.”
“Get in the car. We better get out of here.” Will jumped in the front seat and gunned the engine.
Tommy slid into the passenger’s side and looked back up at the building as the detective jerked the car backwards. “Here we go again.”
Chapter 17
There was a crisp feel in the air that always seemed to come with late autumn. Eric Jennings took a deep breath of the fresh early air as he strolled along the downtown sidewalk.
It had been an uneventful morning thus far. He’d sat through a few meetings and listened to various reports.
Some of the other agencies had been inquiring about some funding that seemed to be missing from his budget, a fact he promised he would look into. At the same time, Jennings had warned them to monitor their own agencies. What he did with his money was not their concern. How dare they.
Fortunately, the careless agent with the loose lips had been discovered before too much damage could be done. Jennings had questioned using Gary Holstrum from the beginning. He was ambitious and eager yet lacked discipline, something that had been apparent. It seemed, however, the young, pudgy agent had been a little too mouthy about a few things. Thus the ongoing questions arising from the other bureaus. A bump in the road easily fixed.
Agent Holstrum been unwittingly lured to Las Vegas, told he was being sent to a tech conference going on at the Palazzo. Like pretty much any young go-getter, he didn’t need to be asked twice about an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas. He’d arrived a few days before, more than likely excited about four days of gambling, drinking, and debauchery in “Sin City.” What he’d not expected was to be pulled out of his penthouse suite in the middle of the night by two men dressed as bell hops. Their tranquilizers worked quickly. Jennings had suggested them personally when the plan had been orchestrated. After the unconscious Holstrum had been delivered to The Prophet, Jennings didn’t need to know anything else. Lindsey would handle it how he deemed fit. Though, if Jennings had to guess, he’d say the man had probably suffered until the moment of his last breath.
The phone in his left jacket pocket startled him, ringing loudly. He checked the screen then answered. “I trust you enjoyed the package I sent you?” he said into the device.
“Yes, Eric. It won’t be giving us anymore trouble.” The voice paused. “Is everything going according to plan?”
Jennings thought for a moment. Lindsey was no fool. By this time, news of the shootout had been posted all over the news and there was too much carnage to cover up. The press had been fed a story about one man acting alone, firing on federal authorities. The gullible and always hungry press seemed to love it and ran the story, almost without question. Even without all the media attention, Jennings knew Lindsey was probably fully aware of what had happened before anyone else. “We hit a snag,” Jennings said, carefully.
“A snag?” the voice asked.
“We lost several assets. My two points are handling it.” He wondered where Collack and Weaver were at the moment. They’d not reported in yet.
“Yes. I’m aware of the incident in Las Vegas. It’s quite the mess,” he sounded irritated “I hope I haven’t misplaced my trust in you, Eric.” The line held an unspoken threat.
Jennings understood the statement. Failure was not an option. “It will be handled, sir. I assure you.”