“We don’t know what the anonymous caller said to Nathan Costner,” she said. “But my guess is he died trying to corroborate the information we just found. Now it’s our job to do it without getting caught.”
Detective Flint, who had been silent for the past several minutes, weighed in. “Sledge might have already taken measures to destroy any evidence that would prove what’s in these files.”
“Whatever steps he took would leave a trail of its own,” Wu said. “Making him guilty of obstruction and other crimes.”
“Speaking of other crimes,” Dani said. “I figured out how he orchestrated the hit on his chief of staff.”
Wu took the chair beside hers. “Explain.”
“Toro knew this was a high profile hit,” she began. “He mapped out an elaborate escape plan complete with backup contingencies in case he was spotted.”
Flint nodded. “He also knew the city cams would be able to follow him and planned ahead with a change of clothes.”
“And he’s probably the one who called in the bomb threat at the courthouse,” Wu added. “How does that lead to Sledge?”
“Toro would need a location to lie in wait for Costner,” she said. “He needed a choke point, and the senator provided it.”
She waited, giving Wu and Flint time to consider the logistics involved. The Army had trained her to be on high alert around any choke points, and she naturally spotted them in this scenario.
She gave them a hint. “Sledge mentioned it during his press conference.”
Wu brought his hand down on the table. “The coffee.”
“Affirmative,” she said. “According to Sledge, Costner always bought coffee for the whole staff on Monday mornings.”
“Sledge has offices all over the state,” Flint said. “So he must start the week at his Manhattan location. That way, Toro would know exactly when and where his target would be.”
She smiled. “Sledge has no idea his comments about Costner’s generosity gave us one of the missing pieces as to how he was set up.”
“That’s excellent circumstantial evidence,” Wu said. “But it’s not proof.” He shifted his gaze to Johnson. “A solid money trail would go a long way toward a conviction in court.”
“If the trail hasn’t disappeared,” Flint said.
“I don’t think even a senator could get a foreign country to purge their banking records,” Johnson said from her cubicle. “But I’ll look into it.”
“Be discreet,” Wu said. “Let’s not set off any alarm bells in the Caymans.”
“There’s one way to get some solid information,” Dani said. “We find Gustavo Toro and make him talk.”
Flint nodded. “He’s the key to this whole thing. If we get him to turn state’s evidence, we can—”
“What judge would sign an affidavit accusing a US senator based on the testimony of a hired assassin?” Wu said, frustration evident in his tone. “For that matter, what jury would believe a killer over someone they probably voted for?”
Dani agreed. “We need more than anonymous documents and the word of a hit man. It’s going to be a challenge for him to find usable evidence.” Aware of the potential fallout, she chose her next words with care. “Someone will have to infiltrate the senator’s staff.”
Wu bristled. “Absolutely not.”
The conversation ground to a halt. Dani had inadvertently stumbled over a line the SAC was not willing to cross.
Johnson cut through the awkward silence. “The video squad sent me a notification,” she said, glancing at her screen. “They got a face rec hit on Toro.” Her eyes drifted up to meet with Wu’s. “He just walked out of the Golden Chrysanthemum Hotel.”
Dani jumped out of her chair. “We can catch him if we hurry.”
The hotel was in Chinatown near the intersection of Canal and Mulberry Streets. She could run there in about five minutes.
“Slow down,” Wu said, getting to his feet. “Let me get a few agents together so we can take him down without anyone getting hurt.”
“NYPD can get to him faster,” Flint said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll request a black-and-white and give them a description.”
“We never put out a BOLO,” Dani said. “We’re trying to keep the arrest low key so we can take him to one of our off-site facilities for interrogation. That means no patrol units.”
Wu addressed Flint. “Ask them to respond to the area. I don’t want to use them unless we have to, but I’d like them nearby in case this goes to hell.”
“He’s on the move,” Dani said. “Let me get eyeballs on him so he doesn’t vanish. I’ll keep him under observation until we can box him in.”
“Go.” Wu pointed at the conference room door. “And take Flint with you.”
She raced into the hallway before he could change his mind.
“I expect constant updates,” he called after her.
CHAPTER 13
Minutes later, Dani sprinted across Lafayette Street while Flint’s heavy footfalls pounded the pavement a few steps behind her.
“Where the hell are you going, Vega?” he called out. “We should turn right on Walker Street to get to the Chrysanthemum. We’ll lose Toro if we stay straight on Lafayette.”
She had no intention of allowing Toro to elude her a second time. He was cunning, but she was strategic.
“I’ve got a plan,” she called over her shoulder.
Minutes ago, Wu had cobbled together eight JTTF members to bring Toro in. Breaking up into four teams of two, they kept in constant communication while one pair cut through Columbus Park to approach from Mulberry Street. Another team went down Baxter Street, and a third circled around to cover the far side of Centre Street in case he went west on Canal. Dani and Flint, who had a head start, were supposed to use Walker to pick Toro up as close to the hotel as possible. Each pair would move in closer, incrementally tightening the circle until Toro was trapped.
At least that had been the plan.
“How about you clue me in,” Flint said, slightly out of breath. “Because we’re not where we’re supposed to be.”
She slowed enough to let him run beside her. “You requested marked patrol cars to report to the area. Toro will see them and get spooked.”
“We’ve given up our position,” Flint said, still panting as he raced to keep up. “Our part of the perimeter is open.”
“He’ll run,” Dani said. “But we’ll be waiting for him.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
There was no time to explain. Her specialty was recognizing patterns, and she now had a baseline example of his behavior to work from.
“Trust me.”
She really hadn’t given Flint much choice. He could have stayed where he was, but she knew he would not desert his partner on such a critical operation. She held up her creds and raced across Canal Street, heedless of the screeching tires, blaring horns, and obscene gestures around her. She reached the sidewalk and dodged a woman pushing a stroller, hurdled over a display of knockoff designer handbags, and made a sharp right turn.
Despite his sweat jacket with the hood pulled down low, she spotted Gustavo Toro, legs and arms pumping as he ran into her field of vision from the right. Putting on a final burst of speed, she launched herself at him.
“Stop, FBI!”
Toro’s head spun in her direction an instant before he let out a grunt that was equal parts surprise and pain as Dani’s shoulder slammed into his, knocking him to the ground. He flailed beneath her, struggling to throw her off.
She latched onto his midsection and withstood desperate punches and kicks, never easing her grasp as he fought to free himself.
Seconds later, she felt the force of another body thudding down on top of them as Flint added his weight to hers.
They each pinned an arm and a leg to the sidewalk, immobilizing him.
While Flint used his free hand to slide out his cell phone and call Wu, Dani slapped cuffs on Toro’s wrists. “Do you have any poison on you?” she asked him.
When the investigation began, they had all agreed that anyone taking him into custody would immediately restrain his hands so he couldn’t deliver a fatal dose of frog poison.
“What are you talking about?” Toro said through unsteady gasps.
“That’s how you want to play this?” she said to him. “Fine.”
An oversize black van screeched to a halt by the curb as the other pairs of agents converged on their position. The group surrounded Toro, obscuring his face while they hustled him into the waiting transport vehicle and hopped inside. The driver took off as soon as Flint slammed the side door shut, and Dani was satisfied that the whole operation had been completed with minimum attention. Unfazed by the scuffle, passersby had paid them little attention.
As soon as Wu had agreed to convert Toro into an asset, he had arranged for a driver and a van to stage near 26 Fed. When he sent the teams out to intercept Toro once he’d been spotted leaving the hotel, he had dispatched the driver to circle a five-block radius until the suspect was in custody.
After they finished searching Toro, whose pockets contained only a cell phone and a wallet, Flint looked from her to Toro. “Either one of you injured?”