The Lost Codex Read Online Free PDF Page B

were in various states of construction.”
    Glad they’re doing that after we were in there.
    “We have two in custody?” McNamara asked.
    “Right.” DeSantos leaned forward in his seat and turned to his colleague. “Uzi?”
    Using his tongue, Uzi shoved a wood toothpick to the side of his mouth. “While we were doing a once-over of the bomb factory, the deceased perp’s cell phone rang. The caller ID was in Arabic. I’m fluent in Arabic, so I answered it.” He recounted how they found their way to the apartment in southwest DC and what happened when Alpha Team entered.
    “This hidden room,” Earl Tasset said. “How many were in there?”
    “At the time,” Vail said, “I only saw one—but I never had a clear view. When I pulled open the door, the ass—the perp charged me and ran out of the house. I pursued, but he managed to escape.”
    Knox frowned. “So we’ve got one tango in the wind. Did you get a good look at him?”
    Vail struggled to maintain eye contact. “No sir. Average height, five foot nine or five-ten, about a hundred seventy-five, dark hair, darker complexion. In his twenties. No distinguishing marks that I could see. But in all honestly, I engaged him for only a split second before—before he got away.”
    Knox tilted his head back and sighed.
    Hey, no one’s more disappointed than I am.
    “Another escaped through the adjacent townhouse,” DeSantos said, “and it looks like he had a driver waiting. We shot up their car pretty good, but they both escaped. So that’d be three in the wind. As far as we know.”
    “Get a plate on the SUV?”
    “Just make and model.”
    “That’s just dandy,” Tasset said. “Good work.”
    Uzi, not a fan of Tasset for personal reasons, tightened a fist on his lap. Vail glanced over, then placed a hand atop his.
    “And then?” McNamara asked. “Agent Uziel apprehended the first suspect?”
    “Actually, Agent Vail did,” Uzi said, pulling his hand away. “Which wasn’t easy because he definitely did not want to be captured alive. She put herself at risk to make sure we had an intact suspect to question.”
    “I’ll withhold my applause for now,” Tasset said, eyeing Vail. “You did your job. That’s why you’re on this team.”
    Actually, I’m on this team because I’ve got no choice, thank you very much .
    “The suspect is being questioned,” DeSantos said. “I expect it’ll take a while to learn anything useful from him. He’s been processed but his prints aren’t in any database. I have a request out to Interpol.”
    “What about the other suspect we captured?” Bolten asked.
    “Older, mid-fifties. He hasn’t said much. He’s missing two fingers on his left hand and the side of his face is scarred over from a bad burn, so I suspect he’s the bomb maker and that he’s been at it awhile.”
    Uzi set his water bottle down after taking a gulp. “Based on the clothing and dishes in the apartment, we believe there were four men living and working there.”
    “So,” McNamara said. “What are we doing to find the ones who escaped?”
    “Sir,” Uzi said. “As head of the JTTF in DC, I’m compelled to recommend that in order to effectively pursue these men, and to investigate this case, I need to assign agents and bring Metro—”
    “There is no case ,” Knox said.
    “No case?” Uzi glanced around at the people seated at the table. “All due respect, a suicide bomber exploded in the middle of Washington. We found a bomb-making factory with multiple devices in various stages of assembly—this isn’t going to be a one-and-done. We need to raise the threat level. The public needs to be notified that we’re under attack.”
    “No,” Knox said. “They don’t. Not yet.”
    “Sir. I—”
    “Agent Uziel, who is behind the attack?”
    “We don’t know yet.”
    “What was the target?”
    “We’re still inves—”
    “Are other attacks planned for the district? For anywhere else in the country?”
    “I don’t