“So dramatic.We’ll need Warden to authorize a team to watch the Museum of Fine Arts.That has to be the next step.”
“Fantastic.So let me get this straight,” Bryn said.“We’ve got an impending war between Russian mobsters and Russo’s Italian mafia.Russo wants to suck my brain out of my ears and launch an army of gene-enhanced killers on the street, and a sadistic serial killer wants to torture me to death for shits and giggles.On top of that, my boss is probably going to put flogging in the staff handbook as a permissible punishment.This day just keeps getting better.”
“Look on the bright side,” Giles said.“At least the Russians will want you dead quickly.”
“That’s not comforting,” Bryn replied.“At all.”
“So what now?”Gunnar asked.
“For tonight?Nothing,” Giles responded.“We need more intelligence before we move and I need to go see Warden.”He glanced at the Chinese takeout.“Is there enough food there for one more?I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
“There’s always enough Chinese food,” Emmett said, pulling containers out of the bag.“I got extra of everything.”
“Bless you, Emmett,” Bryn said, “you’re officially my favorite person today.I’m starving.”Bryn swayed.“Also, my blood sugar is probably in the basement thanks to the reading hangover.”
Gunnar was at his side, steadying him with a hand on his elbow.“Easy.”
“I’m fine,” Bryn said automatically, then caught the look on Gunnar’s face.“I’m fine-ish.Better with food.”
They gathered around Emmett’s desk, which was transformed into an impromptu dining table.Emmett distributed containers of all their favorites and various entrees.
“So,” Bryn said around a mouthful of food, “how do we go about stopping an escaped serial killer from completing a freaky murder ritual?Because that wasn’t covered in my ‘How Not to Get Slaughtered’ training manual.”
“Carefully,” Giles replied.“Templeton isn’t some random madman.He’s intelligent, methodical, and he enjoys what he does.He’s a master manipulator because he seems to have a network of people willing to carry out his instructions at great personal risk.”
“What if we take the last dagger and deny him a full set.Won’t he call it a day?”I can hope.Bryn grabbed a spring roll.
“I think he’d adapt.He has an end game in mind and won’t want to be denied his fun.”
“What about the museum?”Emmett asked.“Should we warn them?”
“They need to know someone is coming after it, but we need to let it happen.”
“What?Why?”Bryn sputtered.
“Because if he follows the pattern, someone will be fearing for their loved ones if the robbery isn’t a success.He needs to think he’s succeeded.”
“We track the thief to Templeton,” Gunnar said.
“That sounds like a horrible idea,” Bryn said.
“Gunnar’s right,” Giles said.“Finding Templeton and taking him down before he gets anywhere near you is our only option.We need to be subtle.Controlled.Not something you three thrive on, admittedly.”
“Hey,” Emmett protested.“I can do subtle.”
“You brought cookies to work because you spent the night at your boss’s place,” Bryn pointed out.“That’s many things, but subtle isn’t one of them.”
Emmett’s cheeks turned red.“I thought we agreed not to discuss that.”
“We agreed I wouldn’t tease you about it.Stating facts isn’t teasing.”
“That’s absolutely teasing,” Gunnar said.
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“Children,” Giles interrupted.“Perhaps we could save the relationship gossip for a less potentially fatal moment?”
