Page 36 of Fatal Mistake
“It definitely provides more of a challenge in finding him.”
“Exactly. And it could mean he’s escalating in his need to inflict harm. We could be dealing with another necklace bomb sooner than the first of next month. Means this scene is more important than ever, and we have to find something here to stop him.”
“I hate to interrupt, Agent Riggins,” Deputy Andrews called out from the truck as he jumped down and hurried over to them. “My sergeant just contacted me. Keeler’s been spotted, and we have a lead on his current whereabouts.”
“Credible lead?” Cal asked, adrenaline already racing through his body.
Andrews bobbed his head. “We have an eyewitness who can take us right to the cabin where the jerk’s been hiding out.”
Chapter 12
Dufur, Oregon
3:05 p.m.
On a hill above Keeler’s rental cabin, Cal walked the length of the lot, making a final assessment before he and Rick breached the door. The one-room log cabin with a red metal roof and stone chimney sat at the base of a hill, cowering in a thick stand of tall pines much the way Cal thought Keeler would cower when they barged through the door.
The FBI SWAT team had arrived from Portland, and they, along with Cal and Rick, were on hold while their sniper crept into position. Then it would take the rest of their team a few minutes to set their outer perimeter and take a secondary stance at the back door.
Cal stopped next to Rick, who lay behind a log, his binoculars trained on the house. “Any movement?”
“None.” Rick swatted at a mosquito buzzing around his head, but he didn’t take his eyes from the cabin.
“Then either Keeler’s not home or he’s hunkered down. We’ll follow standard protocol in case he’s there. You sure you don’t want to take the long shot?”
“Where’s the challenge? The range is so short any trained sniper can make that shot.” Rick offered a rare grin and came to his feet. “I’d rather bust down the door with you.”
“Nothing like the rush of not knowing what’s waiting on the other side.” Cal strode to their SUV, Rick following.
Before picking up his weapon, Cal dialed Shane. “Everything good back there?”
“Quiet as can be. That is if you don’t count Kaci’s bad jokes.” Shane laughed. His easygoing attitude was legendary for a man in such a high-pressure job.
“We’re about to breach the door, and I’m going silent,” Cal said. “Text me with any issues, and I’ll look at them on the other side.”
“Roger that,” Shane replied. “And, hey man, relax. We’ve got this.”
“See that you do.” Cal clicked off, and after silencing and stowing his phone, he glanced at Rick. “Ready to do this?”
Rick stood silently appraising Cal with a focus so pointed that it cut to Cal’s soul. “You know I was born ready. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Me? I’m good.”
“You sure about that?” Rick strapped on his helmet. “You seem distracted.”
Cal couldn’t lie and say the disappointment on Tara’s face before he left for this raid didn’t keep playing in his mind. He’d promised to put her safety first, but then something came up requiring his attention, and he reneged.
Right. Required.
The well-trained SWAT team could handle this raid without his or Rick’s help, but Cal wanted to be there to see the look on Keeler’s face when they slapped handcuffs on his wrists. To be there to put away another bad guy so he could chip away at his guilt.
You’ve put away a lot of bad guys this past year. The thought popped into his mind. And has that honestly made your life better?
“I’m talking about looks like that one.” Rick picked up a Heckler and Koch MP5, the standard-issue submachine gun for their team. “You’re a million miles away.”
As a former sniper, Rick had to understand and deal with guilt that the loss of life caused.
“You ever lose someone on a mission or on the job, and you can’t let it go?” Cal asked.
