Falling: A Novel by T. J. Newman

Author:T. J. Newman [Newman, T. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Published: 2021-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THEO WATCHED BRAVO UNIT PULL into a parking spot at the twenty-four-hour burrito joint across the street from the strip mall. They were far enough away from the Hoffmans’ vehicle, but had direct line of sight. Everyone waited for their assessment.

“Nothing,” a voice finally reported through their earpieces. The lights in the vehicle were off and no one was visible. But the windows were tinted so dark, it was hard to be sure.

Liu chewed on a fingernail while Theo watched the only storefront in the plaza with lights on. A minute later, a plainclothes agent walked out the door. Her voice filled their ears a moment later.

“This store and one other are the only open properties in this entire lot,” she said. “Only one has a surveillance system, and it hasn’t worked in months.”

Theo hung his head.

If the family wasn’t in the SUV, they needed to move on. They were running out of time and wasting what little they had by just sitting there.

The suspect set the stakes with the explosion at the first site. Following FBI protocol in situations like this was vital to ensuring the second location didn’t hold any more surprises. The bomb squad needed to perform a complete sweep before they could even approach the vehicle.

But FBI protocol didn’t take into account the aircraft’s ETA. Every second the plane got closer to its destination. Every minute counted. Theo checked his watch at the same time Liu did.

They locked eyes. He knew they were thinking the same thing.

“Comms, how long until the bomb squad’s here?” Liu asked into her radio.

“Seven minutes, ma’am,” said a voice.

“And once they’re here, how long to set up, sweep, and clear the car?”

“Probably half an hour.”

The agents looked at each other.

“How long?” Liu asked Theo, meaning until the flight was scheduled to land.

He glanced at his watch again. “About an hour twenty. But the captain will have to gas the cabin before that.”

Liu seemed to measure his words as she stared at the Hoffmans’ SUV. She spit a piece of fingernail out and moved on to another.

“If we wait for clearance and then find out they’re not in the car?” Theo said. “We’ll still have to find them.” Left unsaid was that they’d have no time to do so.

Theo knew he was right. He knew the agents knew he was right. And he knew Liu knew he was right.

She grabbed a helmet.

“No one’s to follow until I say, is that clear?” Liu buckled the chin strap. “I want it on record that I made this decision on my own and I accept full responsibility for whatever happens.”

Theo warmed with fear. It was one thing to be reckless with his life. This was someone else’s life. Theo thought of the politician nodding his head, trusting him.

Since the explosion, excruciating pain had radiated out of his injured left arm, up and down his body, nearly nonstop. He’d blocked it out, a well-honed mental toughness he’d developed over many years of his coaches preaching mind-over-body.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.