Desolation (Zack Tolliver, FBI Book 11) by R Lawson Gamble

Author:R Lawson Gamble [Gamble, R Lawson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-30T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The helicopter widened its radius around the burning vehicle while everyone aboard scanned for signs of life. They saw none.

"It's time to give this up," Barroff said. "No one could have survived that."

"Can your infrared detect a body in that truck?" Zack asked.

"No chance. The heat of the fire is too great."

"Then we need to land and see for ourselves."

"Not happening. There may be other snipers at this location. I'll not risk the ship." Barroff instructed the pilot, and the bird lifted and leveled into direct flight.

"Where are we going?"

"To find another place to land where we can talk."

Zack settled back against the bulkhead, feeling frustrated. He exchanged a dark glance with Eagle Feather. They knew Maria had a habit of managing miraculous escapes.

They flew for ten minutes before the helicopter hovered and descended into another expanse of desert, near low hills tufted with green brush and the lavender Panamint Mountains beyond.

The engine noise stopped, the props whipped and slowed above them, and Commander Barroff climbed from his seat and came aft to join them.

"We can talk here," he said. "There are no roads or dwellings near here."

The commander rounded on Eagle Feather, his intense gaze boring into him. "Who just tried to kill me?"

"I think she was trying to kill all of us," Zack said.

Eagle Feather returned Barroff's gaze. "How do we know we can trust you?"

Barroff stared at the three of them. "Okay, I'll give you some background." He hesitated. "I know Eagle Feather, but who are you two?"

"I'm Zack Tolliver with the FBI." He brought his card from beneath his camo suit and passed it to Barroff.

"I'm Tisha Knolls with the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service. I don't have my card, but these men can verify my identity."

Barroff grunted. "How the hell did you two get involved? All of this is Top Secret." He turned a suspicious eye on Eagle Feather.

The Navajo remained calm. "Two assassins tried to kill me and nearly succeeded. I think you need to convince me you did not send them."

"That's acceptable."

Barroff sat on a bulkhead bench and spread his hands. "Someone in Navy Command sent a man reputed to be a top expert in propellent fuels to the base without notifying me. I first learned of this when my aide reported him missing. A short time later, an old Navy friend called to say he had sent the expert to us. When I told him the man had disappeared, he became threatening. I hired Eagle Feather to track the consultant at my friend's urging because civilians are not required to file reports. Later, when I reported his findings to my friend, he insisted the entire affair remain secret as if it had never happened. He is my superior officer with powerful Washington connections, so I agreed, but I wasn't happy. I hoped that would be an end to it. But when men under my command who had been in contact with this civilian had fatal accidents, I drew the line.

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