“Nope.” Steve piped up from across the table. “Those three were thick with the security guys that work the night shift. I think I heard them make plans about going to the Snake Pit in Southwold. Not the kind of place I’d wanna hang around.”
Michael’s phone rang. Dani asked questions regarding the Bronco players she cared nothing about while he stepped away to take the call.
He came back quickly and tapped her shoulder. “Hate to cut this off, but we’ve gotta go. I got called into work.”
“Aw, man, you just got here. You didn’t finish a pint yet.” Denny probably didn’t know which glass was his. He turned to Dani though. “You gonna stick around? If your boyfriend don’t mind, I’ll buy you a drink.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks for the offer, but I better stick with him.” She waved goodbye and they rushed out. Once they were on the sidewalk, Michael grabbed her hand and started jogging.
“What’s going on?” She took twice as many steps to keep up with him. “We were getting good intel.”
“Finn called. He needs us. Now.”
“Okay. Why?”
“They found McCord.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Not exactly. McCord’s barricaded himself in a Southwold apartment. In a suicide bomb vest. He’s asking for you.”
Dani skidded to a stop. “Colter?”
“Yes. Let’s go. Before he blows up the building and everyone in it.”
The ride to Southwold barely registered. Michael sped through the one-way streets between the redbrick buildings of downtown until they reached the mud-gray apartment building next to a run-down city park. Every house and business on the block had bars on the windows. Two firetrucks and a police squad blocked the road right in front, and a crowd gathered around them. Michael double-parked on the street and helped Dani out of the car when her legs refused to stand.
“Dani, are you okay? Talk to me.”
“I can’t believe he’d do this. He wasn’t like this when I dated him.”
“We don’t know who is orchestrating this. We don’t know if he’s here of his own accord. Given the right leverage, who knows what he’s capable of? But right now, you’re the person he wants to talk to. Can you do that?” He rubbed her cold hands.
“I have to.” Her words came out in a whisper, but they sparked a fire inside. She needed to get through to Colter before he hurt himself and everyone else in the vicinity.
“I’ll be right by your side.” Michael hugged her tight.
She soaked in his warmth for a moment, relying on it to give her strength. When she released her hold, he grabbed her hand and they moved toward the building.
Police barricades held back a crowd, but Michael forced his way through to the three uniformed officers at the bright-yellow tape. He showed his badge, and they let them through.
“Is Detective Finnigan here?” Michael asked the officer.
“Michael, here!” Finn waved them over from the patch of scraggly grass in front of the entrance. “I’m glad to see you both.” He palmed the back of his neck. “It’s a nightmare.”
“What’s going on?” Michael asked his partner.
“Don’t know much more than what I already told you.” Finn talked as they walked toward the SWAT BearCat vehicle parked on the curb. “McCord called 911 and demanded that he talk to Dani Kim and no one else. He claims he has a bomb, but it hasn’t been confirmed.”
At the BearCat, a group of four men and two women in tactical gear gathered around a blueprint of the building. Finn bypassed them and headed to a woman in a black blazer, who was talking to a firefighter. “Captain Ree, this is Special Agent Dani Kim.”
She turned and looked Dani up and down, then called over to a young uniformed woman. “Brown, get a vest for Agent Kim. Size small.” Then she faced Dani, hands on hips, with a grim expression. “Agent Kim, why does Colter McCord want to talk to you?”
“I wish I knew. We dated years ago, but I haven’t seen him since. Not until a few weeks ago.”
“And at that point, he tried to run us off the road.” Michael stood next to her.
Captain Ree narrowed her eyes. “Normally, I’d never let a civilian do this, but for a federal agent, I’m willing to make an exception. Our negotiator got absolutely nowhere. You might be the only way to get through to him. Are you ready to talk some sense into this man?”
