If I Should Die_ A Novel of Suspense - Allison Brennan [120]
He called Candela, who was now the liaison between the FBI, ATF, and local police.
“ETA?” asked Noah.
“Fifteen minutes to first explosion site by team Bravo, twenty-two minutes by team Charlie.”
Noah and Omar were apparently team Alpha. “We need all available agents at the site of the abandoned Kelley Mining Company.”
“Negative. I can send Team Delta your way. Twenty to thirty minutes.”
“Sir,” Noah said, “we have the alleged bomber’s vehicle in sight. We believe he has a hostage who is a minor: Paul Richard Swain, Junior.”
“A hostage or an accomplice?”
Noah wanted to give the Swain kid the benefit of the doubt, but he had to respond truthfully. “I can’t say for certain, but we believe he’s a hostage who has sympathy for his kidnapper.”
“Understood,” Candela said. “I’ll see if I can reroute anyone your way, but the lives and safety of the local citizenry are our priority. There are four separate structure fires, and a small forest fire they’re hoping to contain quickly. The main road into town has been roadblocked—no one is getting in or out.”
Omar could hear the conversation and said, “There are a dozen ways to get off this mountain without even setting a wheel on the main road.”
“Sir,” Noah began.
Candela said, “Give me a few minutes to set it up. But you’ll still be dark for fifteen minutes, minimum.”
“Understood.”
Noah hung up.
Omar said, “You know we can’t just sit here on our butts for fifteen minutes.”
He knew, but he didn’t like strategically planning with only a hotshot ATF agent as his backup.
“And we don’t have time to talk about it,” Omar continued. “Callahan knows we’re here. It’s pretty damn obvious, don’t you think?”
Noah put aside his dislike of Omar Lewis and made swift decisions. “We exit the vehicle. You go left along the perimeter, I’ll go right and engage. You said he was the only person who knew you were undercover, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Stick to the shadows and focus your sharpshooter skills on the bad guys. I’m trusting you on this, Agent Lewis.”
“You can.”
Omar squelched the indoor lights before they opened the doors. He disappeared quickly, blending into the dark of night. Noah took the direct approach.
“Jon Callahan,” he shouted, “this is Special Agent Noah Armstrong with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I just want to talk.”
He put his hands up to show he came in friendship.
“Jon, I’m here to help you.”
He surveyed the surroundings. He didn’t see anyone, but could feel eyes upon him.
He walked toward the building at the base of the hillside, near the mine entrance. The moon gave only a little light, but the fires to the northeast made the sky glow a deep orange.
The door was open; the place had been emptied. Whatever C-4 and equipment was inside was now either set to detonate or hidden elsewhere by Callahan.
Noah cautiously skirted the outside of the building. In his left periphery, he saw movement. It could have been Omar, but it didn’t feel right. The ATF agent was too skilled to be spotted.
“Jon, I’m a friend of Sean Rogan. You know Bobbie has him, right? We don’t know where she is or what she’s planning to do to Sean. She sent someone to kill both me and my partner, Lucy Kincaid. You met her already. Sean’s girlfriend.”
Noah passed the building and glanced into the truck. The C-4 wasn’t inside.
“Jon, you don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Hold it.” The voice was to his right, just on the other side of the truck. “Keep your hands up,” said Jon. “I don’t want to shoot you, Agent Armstrong, but if I have to I will. Bobbie is on her way, and this ends tonight.”
“Correction,” a female voice came from the hillside above them, “Bobbie is here, and you’re going to give me my money and my C-4 or die.”
Patrick had studied the area earlier in the day and decided they’d approach the mine from the