Without questioning him, she took the next exit, pressing the gas pedal. Shots fired?
“No,” Monty said. “Just a couple of 911 calls and nothing else.”
Huck set the phone on his leg. “Shots fired in Forest Ridge. Call Walter.”
Laurel swiftly hit a button on the dash and the phone dialed loudly.
There was no answer.
“We’re about twenty minutes away from Forest Ridge if we break all speeding laws,” Huck said, glancing at the sign as Laurel drove back down the other lane of the interstate.
She clutched the wheel and drove faster, her mind spinning. “We need a location for those shots.”
Huck nodded.
Raised voices sounded in Monty’s background. He coughed. “Uniforms are five minutes away from the scene.”
“Send everybody,” Huck said. “I’m not waiting to find out. I want our team out there and now.”
“You’ve got it. I’ll meet you there,” Monty said. “I’ll phone when the uniforms call in.” He disengaged the call.
Laurel swerved around a minivan, her heart racing. “I sent Walter there with Dr. Franklin. Just the two of them. I should’ve had the local police provide backup.” What had she been thinking? Had Walter fired his gun? If so, why wasn’t he calling in? He had to be all right.
At least she knew that Abigail was at the school, so she hadn’t been shot. “This is my fault,” she muttered.
“You sent an armed FBI agent with a witness in the middle of the day,” Huck countered. “This killer has struck at night—only victims who were alone and vulnerable. Shooting at people hasn’t been his MO.” He looked down at his phone as if willing it to ring. “This could be nothing. We get more calls about morons hunting out of season near homes than you can believe.”
She wanted to think the shots were unrelated to her case. Yet Walter wasn’t answering his phone. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d let the battery on his phone die. The agent seemed to miss the days when cell phones didn’t exist. “Huck? I texted a picture from Christine Franklin’s phone to mine, so her phone number would be in my received texts.”
Huck grabbed her phone off the dash and scrolled through. “Here it is.” He pressed a button and then pressed the phone against his ear.
Laurel held her breath.
Nothing. Seconds ticked by as if in slow motion. Finally, Huck spoke. “Dr. Franklin, this is Captain Huck Rivers from Washington Fish and Wildlife. I need you to call me back as soon as you get this message.” He rattled off both his and Laurel’s numbers. “Please. This is an emergency.” He set the phone back in place.
Laurel shook her head. “Her phone might be off. Just in case she thinks the stalker can track her.” A hollow feeling dropped into her stomach.
Ten minutes passed. Huck’s phone buzzed and he clicked a button. “Monty?”
“Yeah, Huck. We’re en route and the uniforms called in an officer down. FBI agent,” Monty said, his tone tense.
Laurel’s chest compressed. “Status?”
“Don’t know yet,” Monty said. “Officers are there performing first aid, and the ambulance should arrive any second. I’m just pulling into the subdivision now and will call you.” He clicked off.
Laurel floored the gas pedal, already driving beyond the speed limit.
“You need to get a siren for your car.” Huck grabbed the handle above his door.
Laurel concentrated on the road. Her ears rang as she took the exit, zipping through a red light and weaving between vehicles toward the subdivision. The gate was open, so she drove through and caught sight of emergency vehicles down the road to the right, on the opposite side from where Abigail lived. She lurched to a stop behind two police cars and jumped out, rushing toward the melee.
Two paramedics were lifting Walter into the ambulance. Blood covered his shirt, and an oxygen mask had been placed over his nose. His eyes were closed and his body unresponsive. Another woman was shouting orders. The second he was loaded, the paramedics continued compressions with one squeezing in breaths on an Ambu bag. His shirt was open so they could monitor his heart.
Huck grasped Laurel’s arm and she halted.
Tears welled in her eyes and she sucked in the frigid air, forcing her brain to take control.
Aeneas barked and ran toward them with Monty right behind the dog.
