Quinn focused his penetrating stare on Kiley. “The director tells me you might have insight into our bombers.”
“It’s possible, but it’s likely you can tell us more.” Kiley tipped her head at the window. “What happened here?”
Quinn grimaced. “As you can see, the engine was destroyed, but we believe the target was the chlorine gas tanker, and the bomb detonated prematurely.”
“How’s that?” Evan asked, as he couldn’t see how they could possibly know the bomb’s timing.
“We compared fragments to a video recorded at the time of detonation.”
Kiley’s eyes widened. “Someone got the explosion on video?”
Quinn nodded. “A kid was working on a school project and was filming the train from a safe location on the hill above. We’ve already recovered enough of the timer to tell it went off a minute before the scheduled detonation. Engineers did the math and tell me if it had detonated at the programmed time, it would have been the precise moment the chemical tanker reached the bomb.”
“Did the kid capture the suspects on video?” Kiley sounded so desperate for information her tone put an ache in Evan’s gut.
Quinn shook his head. “Kid arrived after the bomb had beenset. The image he caught of the device prior to detonation should help our team in reconstruction efforts, though. Maybe allowing us to connect it to known bomb makers.”
“Any potential suspects yet?” Kiley asked.
“Yes and no. Two men of obvious Arabian or Middle Eastern heritage were seen earlier today walking along the road by the tracks. Both men are around five-foot-ten, medium build, and sporting thick beards. Witnesses to the explosion didn’t see them at the scene.” Quinn looked at Kiley. “I know the descriptions are vague, but are these the men you’re seeking?”
“Right build, but...” She paused as if she was considering what information to share.
“What else do you know about these men?” Evan jumped in to give her time to decide.
“Unfortunately nothing yet, but we’re checking for CCTV in the area.”
If these men were the same ones with the special LED lights in the port video, Evan doubted they’d be dumb enough to be caught on camera.
“Our suspects could be targeting chemical plants or shipments like this one,” Kiley said, “and I have reason to believe our investigations are linked.”
Quinn worked the muscle in his jaw. “The reason the country’s threat level was raised.”
Kiley didn’t acknowledge his statement, and neither would Evan. This wasn’t a two-way street here. As a RED team investigator, Kiley held the upper hand and didn’t have to tell Quinn anything, whereas his job was on the line if he didn’t cooperate.
“Anything else we need to know?” she asked.
He stared over her shoulder as if the weight of the investigation was already taking its toll on him. “We’re sending the recovered bomb fragments to TEDAC in Alabama.”
“Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center,” Kiley said, explaining the acronym that Evan was already familiar withas he trained at the Hazardous Devices School located in the same facility.
Quinn nodded and looked at Evan. “BAU is located there, and they’re our best bet in recovering prints from the device.”
Evan might be an ICE agent, yet he knew involving the FBI’s Biometrics Analysis Unit Latent Print Squad would be critical to their success. “Did anyone report seeing white smoke or sustain burns from falling shards?”
Quinn shook his head. “Sounds like you’re looking for something specific.”
“White phosphorus.”
Quinn narrowed his eyes. “I’m not familiar with that.”
“We consider it highly unlikely that you’ll find the phosphorus here,” Kiley explained. “Still, you’ll want to warn the forensic and recovery staff to be on the lookout for it.”
“If it was deployed,” Evan said, “it could be stable in water or buried under rubble. It’ll ignite again when it hits air.”
Quinn grimaced. “As if this wasn’t bad enough.”
Kiley took out a business card and handed it to Quinn. “I need you to keep me up-to-date on developments as they break. Call any time of day. And I’d like the teen’s video within the hour.”
