Page 91 of Fatal Mistake
“In the living room.” Her voice came from that direction, but Tara wouldn’t take a chance.
“Did Oren really put a bomb around your neck?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know if he booby-trapped the front door?”
“No. It’s fine.”
Tara shoved the door all the way open and flipped on the entry light, casting a glow into the living room. June sat on a wooden dining chair in the middle of the room, her hands folded on her lap, her eyes blinking at the sudden light.
Tara entered the room and stared at the plastic pipe around June’s neck. “Are you sure this is real? That it’ll explode?”
“I can’t be positive, but when he clicked it into place I heard a whirring sound from inside, so I know it’s not empty piping.”
Tara circled her aunt to evaluate the device. Right—like she had a clue about what she was looking for. That didn’t mean she didn’t desperately want to find a way to save June. Tara couldn’t lose her aunt, the woman who for all practical purposes was her mother. She loved her so much.
Tara dug deep to find even an ounce of bravery before she passed her fear on to June.
“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable on the sofa?” Tara asked.
“There’s a motion switch in the bomb. Moving could set it off, and I can’t risk that.”
Tara was suddenly grateful her aunt had always kept in tip-top physical shape so she had the stamina to remain still for as long as it might take to disarm the bomb.
“Oren left another cell on the dining room table,” June added. “He said he’d call you on that one.”
Tara stepped across the entryway and turned on the old crystal chandelier. The light fractured across faded floral wallpaper, and memories of the many meals she’d eaten in this very room momentarily replaced her anxiety. She glanced at the chair where Oren had often sat, but instead of seeing the boy, she imagined the man in the video. His narrowed eyes, darkness buried in the depths, and her terror came rushing back.
Would she escape from him and eat a meal here again?
Maybe. If she didn’t panic. She carried the phone and a chair into the living room and placed the chair next to June. Tara sat and gently twined her fingers with her aunt’s. “I love you, Aunt June.”
“You can leave the house if you want,” June said. “Take the phone with you and get far enough away. Oren will never know.”
Tara shook her head, as Oren had said he would make a video call again, and even if he didn’t, she wouldn’t leave June alone to face this horrible uncertainty.
Chapter 26
Burke, Virginia
Cal swung around the corner where patrol cars and uniformed officers blocked the road at the outer perimeter of the bomb scene. He leaned out the car window and flashed his credentials at an officer standing in the road. The guy nodded and stepped out of the way, allowing Cal to move down the road to the inner perimeter. As much as the delay of having to show his ID frustrated Cal, he was glad that Yancey had listened and set up two perimeters.
Four fire trucks were parked just outside the barrier, and worried firefighters stood at the ready. Nearer the scene sat a heavy response truck with the county logo painted on the side. A tech had already moved a robot down the vehicle ramp. The device containment truck used to transport bombs to a disposal area hadn’t arrived. Perhaps Keeler chose this location outside of D.C. because he knew the county squad didn’t have the funds for such a truck.
Cal slammed the gearshift into park and was out of the vehicle with his ID in hand before the car quit rocking from his sudden stop. He charged up to the bomb tech. A disposal suit lay discarded on a storage case, and Cal hoped the suit had been worn to put a protective cover over the woman.
“Where’s Sergeant Udall?” Cal asked.
The officer gestured at a strongly built man in uniform leaning over the hood of a patrol car, a map spread out in front of him.
“Is the robot ready to go?” Cal asked the tech.
“Ready when you are.”
Cal nodded and marched up to Udall. As the squad leader, he’d phoned Cal and was expecting him, so Cal didn’t introduce himself but simply held out his ID. “Is the shield in place over the woman?”
Udall gave a quick nod.
