Midnight Sun (91 page)

Captain
Cook
Hotel

2:10
p.m.

Hilde
arrived
in
the
hotel
lobby
to
meet
Lonnie.
Not
finding
her
immediately
,
she
took
a
seat
on
one
of
the
wide
leather
chairs
to
wait.
She
pulled
out
her
cell
phone
and
dialed
Mike
to
let
the
husbands
know
where
they
were
going.
Before
the
first
ring
started
,
the
distinct
sound
of
gun
shots
popped
in
rapid
succession
from
somewhere
outside.
She
hung
up
the
phone
and
ran
toward
the
noise,
dread
filling
her.
Through
the
windows
,
she
could
see
that
the
sidewalks
and
streets
outside
the
hotel
were
mostly
empty.
She
ducked
through
a
side
door
onto
the
street
just
in
time
to
see
a
blue
minivan
taxi
with
a
mangled
rear
bumper
turn
the
corner
away
from
the
hotel,
not
speeding,
driving
at
a
normal
rate
and
therefore
not
an
immediate
suspect.
She
took
a
step
further
and
saw
a
white
van
jutting
from
the
alley
behind
the
hotel.
Its
front
bumper
was
smashed
,
and
she
saw
a
man
sitting
straight
up
in
the
driver
’
s
seat.

There
was
something
strange
about
the
man,
something
about
the
way
he
held
his
mouth.
She
moved
forward
to
offer
help
and
gasped
at
what
she
saw.
A
solid
object
jutted
from
his
open
mouth.
His
eyes
were
wide
with
surprise.
Pain
and
shock
were
captured
in
the
tight
skin
around
his
face.
The
object
was
the
handle
of
a
knife,
its
blade
jammed
through
the
back
of
his
skull,
pinning
him
to
the
seat.

A
half
dozen
police
cars
and
an
ambulance
came
charging
around
the
corner.
Someone
had
called
911.
Hilde
pulled
out
her
pistol
and
ran
to
the
side
of
the
van,
flung
open
the
side
door
,
and
saw
Lonnie
lying
on
her
back.
A
large
man's
body
splayed
beside
her,
trapping
her
beneath
his
weight.
Three
police
officers
moved
quickly
toward
her
,
weapons
drawn.

“
Freeze!
”
the
police
officers
shouted.
“
Set
your
weapon
on
the
ground
and
put
your
hands
in
the
air!
”

She
obeyed
instantly.

“
I
’m
FBI,
”
she
shouted
back.
“
My
badge
is
in
my
pants
pocket.
”

She
pointed
with
the
fingers
of
her
upraised
hand
down
toward
her
body.

“
Slowly
pull
it
out,
one
handed.
”

Three
officers
kept
their
weapons
trained
on
her.
She
reached
with
one
hand
,
and
using
only
the
tips
of
her
fingers
,
pulled
the
ID wallet
from
her
pocket.
An
officer
moved
forward
and
inspected
the
badge
and
ID
in
the
wallet
.