“Change of plans.We have another body.Metro Transit Authority depot on H Street.Same methodology as the previous attacks.”
Miles felt ice water flood his veins.He literally found it hard to breathe for a moment.“Another fluorine poisoning?”
“That's what the first responders are reporting.Bus driver found dead beside his vehicle about twenty minutes ago.The entire depot has been evacuated and cordoned off.”
Vic was already looking for a place to turn around and redirect when Miles put Hayes on speaker.“Sir, this is Agent Stone.Are hazmat teams on scene?”
“Fire department hazmat specialists are en route, but they haven't cleared the area yet.I need you two there immediately to assess whether this connects to your previous attacks.”
“We're fifteen minutes out,” Vic said, making a sharp turn toward H Street.“Has anyone identified the specific bus or location of the gas release?”
“Bus 479 in the maintenance bay.The victim was apparently conducting his pre-route inspection when the attack occurred.Scene is secured, but I need federal eyes on this before it turns into a media circus.Based on the location, in that busy part of the city, news crews will be there any minute now.”
Miles looked out the window and realized they were already too late to avoid the media’s attention.News vans were already visible in the distance, their satellite dishes raised and camera crews setting up for live broadcasts.The story of chemical attacks in Washington was going to be national news before lunch.
“Sir, we'll be there in ten minutes,” Vic said.
“Good.And I’ll get a team on that footage for you.That’s secondary right now.Thanks, agents.”
The call ended as Vic accelerated through a yellow light.Miles was so bowled over by yet another victim that he’d barely even noticed Hayes referring to him asagent.
“This is getting out of hand,” Vic said as she laid down on her horn while passing a stalled garbage truck.“Another victim already…”
Miles agreed but didn’t know quite how to process it.He’d never been in the field for a case that moved this fast before.It was easy to feel that they were losing control, that the entire case might very well be hopeless.It was a feeling that clung to him as Vic sped to the destination, her eyes like steel as she bared down behind the wheel.
The Metro Transit Authority depot occupied several city blocks, its main building surrounded by rows of parked buses and maintenance bays.As they approached, Miles could see the controlled chaos of an active crime scene.Police cars lined the street with their emergency lights flashing.Fire trucks and hazmat vehicles created a perimeter around the main building.News crews were indeed already there; they were clustered behind yellow tape, their cameras capturing every detail for morning broadcasts.
“This is going to be a nightmare,” Vic said, pulling up to the police perimeter.“Three attacks in less than seventy-two hours.The media's going to be all over this.”
Miles surveyed the scene as they showed their credentials to the perimeter officer.At least twenty emergency responders were visible, from uniformed police to hazmat specialists in protective gear.The depot's employees had been evacuated to a parking lot across the street, where they stood in small groups discussing the morning's events.The entire block resembled the controlled chaos of an anthill, bodies swarming everywhere.
“Agents?”
They both turned and saw a fire captain approaching them as they entered the secured area.“Feds, right?
“Yes,” Vic said, making quick introductions as they kept moving.
“I'm Captain Morrison.We've got the scene contained, but the bus interior is still showing elevated chemical readings.”
“Was anyone affected other than the driver?”Miles asked.
“Doesn’t seem like it.We got lucky on that one.”
“What kind of readings are we looking at?”Miles asked.
“Trace amounts of fluorine gas, consistent with your previous crime scenes.The concentration has dropped significantly since the initial release, but we're maintaining protective protocols until the area is completely clear.”
Vic opened the trunk of their car and pulled out two oxygen masks.“I put these in here last night… yanked them from the office,” she said, handing one to Miles.“Figured we might need them if this killer struck again.”
Miles was impressed by her foresight.Vic's experience with serial cases was showing in the details, her ability to anticipate needs before they became critical.They donned the protective equipment and followed Captain Morrison toward the maintenance bay where Bus 479 sat with its doors open.The vehicle looked normal from the outside, just another city bus waiting for its morning route.But the body beside it told a different story.
Robert Hahn lay crumpled on the concrete floor near the bus's front door, his Metro uniform still neat except for the coffee stain spreading from an overturned thermos.His face was pale and his eyes were closed, but there were no obvious signs of violence or struggle.Like the previous victims, he appeared to have been overwhelmed by the gas before he could escape or call for help.
“Same pattern as the school and flower shop,” Vic observed, photographing the scene.“Sophisticated gas delivery, victim found alone, no witnesses to the actual attack.”
Miles frowned as he stepped around the body.He climbed aboard the bus, his breath loud and warm in the mask.The interior looked exactly like any other city bus—rows of seats, handrails, destination signs, advertising placards.But the faint chemical smell lingering in spite of the ventilation suggested the presence of something deadly.
He found the delivery device quickly, tucked beneath the driver's seat exactly where he'd expected it to be.The ventilation system on a bus wouldn’t quite work due to the small, constrained space.The metal cylinder was identical to the systems they'd found at the previous crime scenes, complete with timer mechanism and remote activation capability.Wires led to a small digital display that was currently blank.
