“Now, there’s something big I’ve saved for the end, something none of you know about yet.” He sat forward. “A teenager by the name of Kim Harbinger was heading back from a camping trip in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky less than an hour ago. She spotted three men in the parking lot, heading into the forest. She believes Manta Ray was one of them. The forest is about a two-hour drive from Pennington Gap, so the timing’s about right. We’re paying attention to her because Kim’s dad is Chief Harbinger, of the Pennington Gap Police Department. She’d seen photos of Manta Ray in his office, thought he looked like a rock star, and that’s why she remembered him. She called her dad immediately. Chief Harbinger called Richmond FBI, and Walt called Mr. Maitland to ask for more manpower. I told Mr. Maitland we’re lucky to have the perfect agent with us to track Manta Ray down in that forest, if he’s in there. As to the number of men who broke Manta Ray out, we still don’t know, but if the teenager is right, it was the two men who went into the forest with him.
“New York SAC Milo Zachery sent down one of his crew yesterday to work a case with the Criminal Division—Special Agent Jack Cabot. I know him quite well. He’s an ex–army ranger with experience in special ops, an expert in survival and surveillance techniques in the wild. He’s perfect for tracking these guys, and I’ve already hijacked him. I was thinking about which of you to partner up with him. Cam, as I recall, you spent some of your formative years hiking around in national parks with your parents. And you hiked and camped throughout college. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, I did, but—you’re picking me, Dillon?” The agents around the conference table would have had to be deaf not to hear the excitement in her voice. She nearly bounced out of her chair.
“Yes, you. Come to my office and we’ll talk. The rest of you, carry on. Text me your ideas.”
4
Executive Assistant Director Jimmy Maitland, Savich’s boss, stuck his head in Savich’s office as Cam was on her way out the door. She gave him a blazing smile. Maitland could tell she was itching to get past him, so he only said, “Welcome aboard, Agent Wittier. Good luck.”
Maitland’s eyebrow went up as he watched her nearly run through the unit. “She’s a good addition, Savich. She looks so happy and excited; if I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d given her a paid vacation to Paris.”
Savich waved his boss to a chair. “Knowing Cam, she prefers this assignment to climbing the Eiffel Tower, as amazing as that sounds. I told you about the teenager who spotted Manta Ray. Cam will be partnering with Jack Cabot, flying with him to the Daniel Boone National Forest. They’ll go in after him and whoever’s with him.”
Maitland said, “Cabot’s a great choice, but that’s quite an assignment for a new agent in your unit. I suppose Agent Wittier’s already had her trial by fire, though, in the Starlet Slasher case in L.A.”
Savich nodded. “I think she has the skill set to handle it, after what she showed us in L.A.” He smiled. “She’ll realize soon enough she’s teamed up with Tarzan-with-brains, and I hope they’ll figure out how to use each other’s strengths, guard each other’s backs. Better than plunking her down at a desk here in the CAU, wondering how she fits in.”
“And knowing you, you wanted to see if you could get Jack to transfer from Milo Zachery’s kingdom in New York to the CAU, right?”
“Of course not, I don’t want Milo after my head. Well, okay, maybe. Milo does owe me one. It’s not a bad idea.”
“You think that teenager really saw Manta Ray? Saw him walking into that forest?”
“I’m sitting at about eighty percent on that, maybe higher because it would be a smart move to get Manta Ray tucked away from the manhunt going on outside. They could be planning to take their time in the forest until things cool off, even have prepositioned food and equipment waiting for them, and a planned meet at some designated pickup point later. It was really bad luck for Manta Ray and his men if they were spotted by a teenage hiker.” Savich grinned. “Now I’ve talked myself up to ninety percent.”
Maitland sat back in his chair, swung his leg. “My real reason for coming is to let you know Detective Aldo Mayer’s captain called me about the Kara Moody incident you were involved in yesterday. Ramirez said he had to promise Mayer he’d call me to calm him down. We agreed there would be no formal complaint from Metro about your, ah, interfering in a local police matter. It turned out well, after all.” Maitland shrugged. “If it had gone down differently I’d have to keep them from hanging you by your feet, but this way, no worries. Hard to bring charges against the guy who walked out of that house helping a pregnant lady in labor. That’s all over YouTube this morning, you know that? One of the neighbors posted the video before the media even arrived. Has Kara Moody had the baby yet?”
Savich grunted. “A baby boy, Alex, born late last night, healthy, six and a half pounds.”
Maitland gave him a big grin. “From what Captain Ramirez told me, your only problem is with Mayer. He’s not too happy with you, thinks you made him look like an idiot. Maybe it’s best to keep your distance from him for a while.”
“No problem, if I can keep Sherlock from taking him down in a dark alley, locking her knees around his neck, and reminding him of the importance of good manners. She isn’t happy with him right now.”
Maitland laughed. “What a visual. You’re going to see Moody and the baby?”
Savich nodded. “Yes, and Mayer’s got no say in that.”
“Do you know if Metro has identified the guy?”
“It’s Detective Mayer’s case, sir; it’s not my business.”
Maitland arched a brow, said nothing. He rose. “Whatever you say, Savich. Keep me in the loop, all right?”
“I have no plans to get involved.”
“Right.” Maitland gave him a salute and left his office, heading over to speak to Shirley.
Savich watched Maitland weave his way out of the unit, speaking to each agent, asking questions, nodding, and he wondered again, Why was that young man so desperate to take Kara Moody away from that house? Why did he call himself an enigma?
5
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE
CAMP SPRINGS, MARYLAND
MONDAY AFTERNOON
Special Agent Jack Cabot finished his preflight inspection by walking around the white FBI Skylane 182 with its distinctive blue stripe. He patted the fuselage, stood back a moment, and admired the shine. The Skylane was as clean as his dog, Cropper, after Jack washed him along with his SUV. He walked to the top of the airstairs and slid on his aviator sunglasses. It was a bright, hot afternoon, with only a slight breeze. The humidity was the killer. He wished he had a garden hose to spray himself down.
He looked out over the busy airfield. Andrews was always hopping, the noise at times just short of mandatory-earplug levels. He looked down at his watch thinking Agent Wittier was now officially late when he noticed a long-legged woman striding purposefully toward him, a banged-up backpack slung over her arm, a fleece sweatshirt tied around her neck. She wore lightweight dark green Polartec pants, a green-checked Polartec long-sleeve shirt, and well-worn hiking boots. So this was Agent Wittier, his partner on the assignment. At least she knew how to dress for their mission.
He wondered why he’d been assigned a female agent, truth be told, rather than an ex–special forces type like himself. There was nothing like field experience in holiday destination spots like Kabul to train for locating and bringing in dangerous hostiles hunkered down in the desolate hills. Maybe she was ex-military, or maybe she was as wily and mean as his ex-mother-in-law.
He had to admit Agent Wittier’s straight-on, take-no-prisoners stride as she walked toward him fit her hard-ass camping clothes and the Glock on her belt clip. But his image of her changed when he saw her short blond wavy hair tangling around her face in the hot breeze. He could tell from twenty yards away she was pretty. He’d bet her eyes were laser-sharp on him behind her aviator sunglasses.