Endangered (19 page)

“Foot patrols are almost in place at quadrants one and two. We’ll go there first in advance of their efforts to see what the Infrared can pick up.”

“Will the chief be issuing statements to the press?”

“Yes. He’ll need to inform the public that Stroud is here and that we’re conducting the search. We don’t have a choice. It’s a matter of public safety. And, it might work in our favor. The more people who are looking out for him, the better our chances.”

“What if he finds the boy before we find him?”

“That won’t happen.”

» » »

Stroud sat in the corner of the near-empty diner wearing a baseball cap to aid in his disguise.

“Here’s your coffee, sir.” The waitress smiled, unaware, it seemed, of who she was looking at. “Your food will be right out.”

“Thanks.” He checked the time on his phone. Dawn had just emerged and he still didn’t have a plan on how the hell to get out of here. He’d made it pretty far south, about forty miles from where she escaped. Getting out farther than that would require a highway and he couldn’t risk it. His only choice was to try to stay hidden until they believed he’d made it out ahead of them. He sure as hell painted himself in a corner and this was the only way he could see through the problem.

He sipped on the too-hot coffee and flinched before setting it back down. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a small television mounted on the wall above the breakfast counter. A headline scrolled across the bottom of the screen and although Stroud had youth on his side, his vision suffered mildly, and he struggled to read it. But what he did see was a man standing outside what appeared to be a police station, ready to speak to the crowd of reporters.

Stroud scanned the diner to see if he could spot anyone else watching the TV. A few patrons sat at the counter and cast a brief glance above, but they didn’t appear interested and continued eating, staring at their phones. Of course, whatever this conference was about, it was only a matter of time before it started showing up in people’s news feeds. No one needed to watch television to catch the news anymore and most people didn’t.

He strained to listen, but the volume was down. It wasn’t until a mugshot of him appeared that confirmed his suspicions.

The cameras focused on the police captain or chief, Stroud didn’t know which and didn’t care when he heard a snippet of a question.

“How could this have happened when the man was in prison for a sex crime? Why was he allowed parole?”

“I’m afraid that’s a question for the State Parole board. I’m here to find Lyle Stroud and when we do, he won’t get out again. Thank you and we’ll keep you posted.”

As he looked at the people in the diner, no one turned to him. No one seemed to notice that he was there at all. His stomach rumbled and he needed food, but waiting for the waitress and risking that she might recognize him now wasn’t going to work. Stroud had to leave.

He slid out of the booth and headed toward the door, when the waitress called out.

“Sir? Sir, your meal is here.” She moved in closer. “Sir, you need to pay for this.”

Stroud pushed through the doors and rushed to his car. He pressed the exposed wires together and the engine whined. With the gear shift slammed in reverse, he sped out of the parking lot.

“What the hell?” The waitress shook her head.

Stroud pulled out onto the road and headed west. “Fuck!” He slammed his fist onto the wheel. His brow beaded with sweat beneath the baseball cap and he flicked it off his head. The idea that he was going to have to chance getting out of the state seemed better than having the state on the hunt for him. But either way could be a losing proposition.

He veered off onto a residential side street a few miles from the diner. He had to stop for a minute and think. A train or a bus? He could be at the bus station within minutes. That would get him past the highway patrols. It was possible, assuming he could buy a ticket and board without anyone recognizing him. With this press conference, though, what were his odds?

If they were all searching for him, he needed to get as far away as possible. Hiding out here until it passed no longer seemed a viable solution. By the sounds of it, they were going to search every nook and cranny to find him. “God damn girl.” This was all because he let that girl go free. She’d been his undoing and his rage grew.

» » »

Mid-day came and went and still no signs of Stroud.

“We need to refuel.” The helicopter lurched forward as it headed back to base.

“Either he’s hiding or he’s already gone.” Nick turned to Dwight. “We need to get on the ground and find this son of a bitch.”

“I agree. I feel useless up here.” Dwight turned to the Trooper commander. “We’re going to revise our tactics and try to make better headway on the ground. We’ll still need you in the sky, but we’re doubling our efforts here and we could be more effective on the ground.”

“Ten-four. We’ll be down in five minutes.”

The chopper began its descent toward the Fairfax Springfield District Station, the winds knocking it around a little but eventually landing. The agents exited and made their way inside.

Kate’s cell phone buzzed and she glanced at the caller ID. “Excuse me, I need to take this.” She hung back while Dwight and Nick continued toward the Chief’s office.

“Hey. You doing all right?”

It was Mike’s voice on the other end and for the first time in two days, Kate smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. You must’ve heard.”

“BOLOs are out everywhere and I also caught the press conference. I won’t keep you. I just wanted to know that you were okay.”

“I’m glad to hear your voice, actually. It’s been rough going so far. We aren’t any closer now than we were this morning and tensions are high around here.”

“I’ll bet. Listen, I know you’re going to do what you need to do, and I won’t suggest otherwise. I just want you to stay safe and I’ll be here if you need me. I love you, Kate. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye hon, and thanks for the call.” Kate continued to join the others.

“Everything all right?” Nick asked as she approached.

“Yes. Sorry about that.”

He eyed her with mild suspicion which brought on an awkward feeling that reminded her of what he’d said in his drunken state, but rather than make a thing of it, she brushed it aside. “What’s the plan?”

It was in that moment when a man walked toward them, taking everyone by surprise.

“Jake.” Nick looked to the others and began to walk toward him. “What are you doing here?” He wrapped his arm around Jake’s shoulder and ushered him out into the lobby.

“They told me you were down here. Nick, I’m here to make sure Lyle Stroud doesn’t get away.”

“Man, I know you’re hurting, but you can’t be here. Look around you. We’ve got a damn army behind us. We got this.”

“I can’t sit at home and watch my wife crying every second of the day. My son stays in his room, playing video games and who knows what else. Our lives have been destroyed by this man and I’ll be damned if he gets away with it.”

“He won’t get away, Jake, I promise you that.”

“Just like you promised you’d bring my boy home to me?”

Nick couldn’t look away. Jake’s gaze burned right through him as the words so easily flowed from his tongue. The blame was his and his alone. And Nick would shoulder it—always. “I did promise you that and I have no excuse to give that could ever make up for my betrayal. All I can do now is what you see here. There will be no rest for any of us until he’s caught. Lyle Stroud has nowhere to run this time.”

Kate and Dwight appeared around the corner and began to approach the two men still deep in conversation.

“What’s he doing here?” Kate asked.

“If it had been my kid,” Dwight began, “I’d be here too. Come on, we’d better put a lid on this quickly.”

“Agent Scarborough, we need to get moving.” Dwight turned to Jake. “Mr. Talbot, this isn’t the place for you to be right now, no matter how much you might want to.”

“Tell that to my wife, Agent Jameson. I’m here just as much for her as I am for myself.”

“Then you’ll need to stay put here, if you insist, and please don’t misinterpret my meaning. I’m a father too and I don’t think I’d be any different if I were in your shoes.”

Kate appreciated Dwight’s words. He was the only one out of the three of them who could truly empathize with Jake Talbot. Dwight didn’t talk about his kids often, but Kate knew they meant the world to him. It was something she would never experience. “Agent Scarborough, we’re ready to go.”

“Okay,” Nick replied, then turned his attention to Jake. “Please, just stay here, Jake. I’ll find him, I swear to you.” 

NINETEEN

A
t the Daybreak
Diner, Sarah Hoffman wiped the counter clean of breadcrumbs and soda stains left behind by the lunchtime regulars. The talk show program on the television mounted to the wall behind the counter had been interrupted, and the sound of a “Breaking News” report caught her ear. She took notice of the broadcast and turned up the volume.

“If you see this person, please call 911 and do not approach him. He is armed and dangerous.” A mug shot of a man she immediately recognized appeared on the screen.

“Oh my God.” Sarah reached for the phone beneath the register.

» » »

Detective Mason hurried to find Agent Scarborough after an officer from Loudoun County conveyed the information he’d received from a 911 call.

Kate listened as Mason relayed the news to Scarborough and soon interrupted. “She spotted him this morning. It’s already midday. What can we do now?”

“I want confirmation from this waitress or any of the other staff who thought they saw Stroud eating there. And, someone might have noticed the car he was driving.” Mason waited for Nick to comment. “You okay with this?” He still hadn’t replied. “Nick? You good with this?”

It was as if a switch turned on and Nick returned his attention. “Yeah. We should get down there and talk to the wait staff.”

Kate eyed Mason, who, for the first time that she’d witnessed, referred to Nick so casually. She thought she’d picked up on a vibe the other day when they were at Stroud’s place but dismissed it. “Agent Scarborough, maybe you should hang back and stick with Jake Talbot for a while? We’ve got more than enough people to get a handle on this.”

Fervor ignited in him as he regarded her comment. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that I won’t be the one to find Stroud.” He breezed past her toward the exit.

» » »

The diner was already swarming with media, thanks to an owner who thought it would make for good publicity. Never mind that he and his staff served a wanted killer and didn’t take a lick of notice.

“Get the hell back,” Nick shouted at the reporters as he made his way inside. “Where’s the owner?”

A small man, middle-aged and slender, hiked up his trousers. “I am.” He moved toward Nick, hand extended. “I’m Ronald Hoffman, and you are?” He noted Nick’s suit. “You must be FBI. No one around here wears suits this time of year.”

“Special Agent Scarborough. You mind telling those people outside to get the hell off the property. We have an investigation to run and I sure as hell don’t need them disrupting things.”

The man appeared to suddenly regret his idea of free promotion and began to walk outside.

A young woman noted the exchange and approached. “I’m Sarah Hoffman. Please forgive my dad. I don’t think he realizes exactly what’s at stake here.”

Nick greeted the woman. “Thank you. You’re the Sarah Hoffman who made the call?”

“Yes. I’m the one, I believe, who served the man you’re looking for.” She led them toward the table where Stroud sat. “He was sitting here and was wearing a baseball cap. St. Louis Cardinals, if I recall. I just didn’t realize.” The young waitress began to tear up.

“Ms. Hoffman, it’s okay.” Kate reached out for her shoulder. “Most people don’t think they’ll ever come across someone like Stroud.”

Nick was dismissive and continued to prod the waitress with questions. “Did you see what kind of car he was driving?”

“As a matter of fact, I did, because I was getting ready to serve him; had his plate in my hand, when he took off. Just left. Didn’t even pay for his coffee. I shouted at him that he was responsible for paying for the food, and I made it to the door, but he was already inside his car, fixin’ to leave.”

“What was he driving, Sarah?” Nick pressed on.

“He was in a white hatchback. American, but I don’t know that much about cars and I couldn’t say what kind it was, but it didn’t look like Japanese or something. It was old, like maybe early 2000s or sometime around then. Small, two doors, kinda damaged.”

“What kind of damage?” Nick asked.

“He started pulling out of the parking lot and I saw the passenger door. It was banged in. Had a big dent right there in the panel.”

“This is helpful, thank you.” Nick began to scan the diner. “Anyone else around here see him?”

“I don’t think so. We weren’t that busy this morning and they all would’ve left. I was the only one waiting tables and Rudy back there works in the kitchen, so it was just me.”

“Thank you,” Kate said. “We appreciate it.”

“I’m sorry I let him go.”

“He’s a very dangerous man. Be glad he left.” Kate began to walk away and Nick followed.

“What now?” she asked him.

“Let’s get this information out. Update the BOLO and we’ll keep looking.”

His temperament was borderline callous and Kate didn’t know how to rein in his growing fury. He’d made a second promise to Jake Talbot that he might not be able to keep. It would unravel him completely if he let him down again and she didn’t think there would be any coming back from that. Nick was a man teetering on the edge and she felt helpless to do anything about it.

» » »

Stroud listened to the radio in the Ford Focus as he found temporary refuge parked around the back of a grocery store. He’d repeated his revised strategy over and over in his mind and it was nearly time to put it into action. According to the radio news reports, the entire state was looking for him. The FBI, State Troopers, and the local cops were all hunting him down like a dog.

He stepped out of the car and began to walk around toward the front of the busy store, pulling his cap low on his forehead and doing his best to keep his head down. He stood near a masonry column that would help to obscure his presence.

Stroud waited. He had to find the perfect target. Preferably a middle-aged woman on her own and with a cart full of groceries. She’d be slower to unload and he’d have more time.

Minutes seemed to move much more slowly than he’d anticipated. At this rate, the cops would find him standing right here. He peered across the walkway toward the exit doors and spotted her.

She pushed her haul over the lined sidewalk and onto the asphalt, appearing to struggle to gain momentum. Stroud hung back, confirming no one was watching either her or him. He waited for her to start down one of the rows and when she was far enough from the entrance, he followed.

A final glance at the front of the store and no one had taken notice of him. A couple with a young child was too busy keeping the kid from darting out into the parking lot and a man with a cell phone stuck to his ear pushed a cart with two cases of Bud with his free hand. This was his chance and Stroud continued in the woman’s direction.

A quick glance at the light posts confirmed that no security cameras were stationed. A good thing for him, not that it mattered much because by the time anyone could see what happened, he’d be over the state line.

The woman was placing her grocery bags into the back of her midsized crossover. She was about halfway through when he made it to within fifty feet of her. It would only take a brief glance over her shoulder to spot him, but if Stroud could count on one thing in people it was that they were oblivious to anything else around them. He shoved his hand into his front pants pocket, pretending to retrieve car keys and walking toward the vehicle next to hers. Fifteen feet away, ten; now was the time.

Stroud dashed behind the woman and thrust his hand over her mouth. “If you scream, I’ll kill you. Now get in the car.”

The woman froze until Stroud kicked her foot and she nearly tumbled to the ground. He forced her to the driver’s side and pulled open the door. “Give me the keys.”

She shook her head.

“Give me the God damn keys, or you’re dead.”

She closed her eyes and handed him the keys.

He pushed her inside and quickly slid into the back seat, all the while, keeping his gun pointed at the back of her head. “Drive.”

“Where?” Her voice trembled and her hands shook as she tried to place the key into the ignition.

“Get on the freeway.”

The engine started and the woman reversed out and left the safety of the Kroger’s parking lot. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Then do what I say and don’t try to get yourself pulled over.”

“Where are we going?”

“Out of this town is all I know right now. Just keep driving.”

They reached the freeway and continued north on I-95. Stroud kept his eyes peeled for signs of checkpoints. So far, they hadn’t reached any, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

His gun was pushed deep inside the back of the driver’s seat, although Stroud tried to keep a low enough profile not to raise eyebrows from passersby in other cars. Now that they’d gained some speed, that would be less of a problem.

The woman hadn’t uttered a word and continued with her hands glued to the wheel. An occasional glance through the rear view revealed her captor’s malevolent gaze because if she believed he wouldn’t make good on his promise, then there was no reason for her to continue.

The road signs above flashed with warnings of Stroud’s white beat-up car that he’d recently abandoned. That meant they had no idea yet of what he’d done. He might end up with an hour or two head start and that would be enough.

The sun was behind them as it shone through the rear of his passenger window. It was approaching late afternoon. They were nearing the state border and that would be the real test of Stroud’s plan. He needed to stay hidden in the back seat and that meant searching for cover of some sort. There was a good chance the woman’s car wouldn’t be stopped at all. They were looking for Stroud’s car, and so he might not need camouflage. But right now, he couldn’t take that chance.

“What do you have in the back besides the groceries?”

“What do you mean?” She glanced into the rear view again, but quickly returned her eyes to the road.

“I mean, do you have any clothes, or a blanket or something?”

She seemed to be searching for an answer that was coming too slowly.

“Come on! What do you have?” Stroud raised the gun to the space between the seat and the headrest, just touching her neck with the barrel.

“Um, I-I think I have a towel, maybe two for when the dog gets in the car.”

The gun retreated and her shoulders dropped.

Stroud kept the gun aimed at the seat and twisted his upper body toward the back to have a look. He felt around with his right hand, his short stature working against him. He swatted at the grocery bags until he felt the top of a towel. He took hold of it and dragged it out. The beach towel would do enough if he hunched down into the foot well, making certain the gun remained pressed against the seat, just in case. He couldn’t risk her alerting the cops, so if she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, even if it meant his own life, she would cooperate.

“By the amount of food you bought, I’m assuming you have a family—children.”

“Yes.”

“If you want to get back home to see them, then you just need to do exactly as I say. You understand?”

“Yes.”

“We’re about fifteen miles from the border. If you’re stopped, stay calm. Don’t even think about saying a word to them about me, or give them a funny look. I’ll be keeping my gun against your seat and believe me, miss, it’ll be the last funny look you’ll ever give. And I’m sure your kids would miss you very much.”

» » »

Detective Mason entered the comm. room with an urgency that alarmed Kate, who noticed her arrival before the others. The detective approached, holding her cell phone.

“Agent Scarborough?”

Nick diverted his attention. “Yes?”

“Chief told me he just received a call from the McLean district. They got a call from a Kroger’s store manager regarding a car they found around the back of the building. They think it might be Stroud’s.”

“McLean. That’s what, thirty, forty miles east of us. Shit. He’s trying to get the hell out of the state. Do they have any security video?”

“They’re emailing it now.” She moved to one of the computers. “If you don’t mind, can I log in here?”

Agent Vasquez nodded and stepped away from the screen. “Be my guest.”

She retrieved her email from the main server and there it was. The attachment from the store manager. “This is it. I’ll open it up.”

A few clicks and the files lined up, ready to be viewed. She opened the first one. The video was slightly grainy as the sun hindered its clarity. “The inside footage is much clearer, but the manager said they didn’t see him in there. Just here.” She pointed to the outer part of the frame where a man stood, wearing a ball cap and appearing to disguise his face from the cameras. “That’s got to be him.”