Run: An Emma Caldridge Novella: The Final Episode Read Online Free PDF Page A

to sign any real complaint or testify in court. Apparently, Shaw’s also managed to get the local law enforcement to keep most of the complaints from ever reaching them, so there was never much to act on. But now someone called the FBI and was willing to sign a complaint. It seems the local population is finally done protecting him.”
    “My concern,” Sumner said, “is that they’ve caught Caldridge and she’s being kept under wraps. She knew that I was an hour away, and if she was still free I think she’d be here.” He watched as Consalvo finished his conversation with the negotiator and started back toward the sedan. “I’ll call you back. The lead agent is on his way over.”
    “Call me with any developments. I’ve got some operatives nearby I can send if you need backup, but I hate to step on an FBI mission. If you do decide to use them, I’d appreciate you doing it without FBI input.”
    “Got it. I’m out,” Sumner said just as Consalvo reached him.
    “Negotiator is going to try to open a dialogue,” Consalvo said. “We’ve been calling the house, but no one is answering, so we’ll use the bullhorn. Any news from Banner?”
    Sumner gave him a short version of the conversation.
    “You think Ryan’s alive?”
    Sumner shrugged. “Hard to say. I’m not too hopeful, because if he was, why haven’t they made a ransom demand?” He raised the binoculars and scanned the compound. He saw a boy, about ten years old, walking slowly toward a gate that opened out onto the back. Strapped to his body was a crude device. Sumner noted the electric wires that ran to a bundle of some sort. “You’ve got trouble,” he told Consalvo. “Look.” He handed the other man the binoculars.
    “Oh shit, is that an IED?” Consalvo sounded shocked.
    “Looks that way.”
    Before Consalvo responded, his cell phone began ringing. He stared at the screen. “It’s Shaw,” he told Sumner, and clicked on a separate walkie-talkie. “Steinberg, I got Shaw calling through. Get over here and bring Pringles.” Then Consalvo answered the phone.
    “Agent Consalvo here,” he said. Sumner watched. Consalvo remained silent while Shaw spoke, then told the cult leader: “Tell that boy to return to the house and remove the explosive. Using an innocent child isn’t going to advance your case. You turn yourself in voluntarily and I’m sure the judge will take your cooperation into account, but anything happens to the child, and then it’s capital murder. You don’t want that.” Consalvo listened, then said, “I don’t think—”
    He stopped abruptly and looked at Sumner. “Damn, he hung up. He wants a helicopter escort to the Canadian border and assurances that when he leaves the chopper he won’t be followed.”
    “Can you assure that?”
    “Not a chance,” Consalvo said. “Steinberg!” he yelled.
    Steinberg jogged up to them.
    “Shaw says we don’t get the chopper here in thirty minutes he’ll trigger the IED and kill the boy. Find a chopper ASAP and get the governor on the line. Tell him this thing is heading south fast.”
    Sumner felt the gorge rise in his throat. The boy was standing at the gate’s edge but remained inside the compound. When he glanced at him through the binoculars, he could see tears running down his face.
    “We have to get inside that compound,” he said. “Undercover. And then we have to kill Shaw quietly before he can trigger the IED. You got any SEAL teams that can handle that?”
    Consalvo nodded. “I’m pretty sure we do, but they won’t get here in time. The real question is how to get close without being detected.”
    “Cut the electric,” Sumner said. “If that IED can be triggered by a wireless device, it should kill the router. Might buy you some time.”
    “Might also kill the phones, though,” Steinberg said. “We’re calling him on a landline. Most now require electricity to work.”
    “We have his cell number?” Consalvo asked.
    Steinberg shook his head.