Edge of Mercy (A Kate Reid Novel Book 11), Robin Mahle [freenovel24 .txt] 📗

have been several demonstrations around here lately, so I guess they want to take every precaution.”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Kate replied.

“Since when would the time of day stop anyone from doing something stupid?” he added.

“Point taken.”

Inside the embassy, a raised front desk stretched across several feet. Behind that desk were guards.

When a man approached with a smile, Kate assumed he was their contact.

Fisher spotted him and extended his hand. “Senior Unit Agent Cameron Fisher.”

The man accepted his hand. “SSA Ruiz. Pleased to meet you. I understand you let a killer loose in our city.” He turned away. “Follow me. There are a few people who would like to get a grasp on the situation we have here.”

“Of course.” Fisher pursed his lips and looked back at the team. He followed Ruiz down the hall toward the right rear side of the building.

“In here, if you’d be so kind.” Ruiz opened the door to a large room lined with rectangular tables and computers. “My team is just ahead.”

Fisher led the way again while the others followed.

Kate felt as though they were about to be scolded for letting Bishop slip through their fingers. Maybe they were, but these guys didn’t get their shit together fast enough in her opinion. If Fisher had just let them offer help sooner, they might not be in this situation.

“Here they are, folks. Our friends from BAU Quantico.” Ruiz gestured to the team as though they had been a consolation prize. “Senior Unit Agent Cameron Fisher is going to get everyone up to speed on things and see if we can’t pinpoint where our man has gone to. Agent Fisher?”

“Thank you. I know it’s very late and I’m sure most of you have been here since probably 6am this morning. The man we’re looking for, Theodore Bishop, whose passport shows his name is Eli Parnell, has once again slipped from our crosshairs. We had the address his mother insisted was accurate. As you already know, he wasn’t there. However, we have a very good sense, based on our profile of Bishop, of where he is now.”

“Where might that be, sir?” An agent asked.

“We think he’s headed to, or likely already arrived, at the epicenter of Guadalajara’s earthquake that occurred roughly 48 hours ago.”

“Why the hell would he be there?” Another agent with serious eyes and arms folded aimed his question at Fisher.

“I sent the profile to SSA Ruiz when we discovered Bishop made his way to Mexico. Since then, we’ve had some recent developments take place. We are very certain Bishop will be there because he feels he must be,” Fisher replied.

“He must be?” Ruiz asked.

“Yes, sir.” Fisher turned to Kate. “You want to field this one?”

“Sure. I’m Kate Reid, I put together the profile you all have. Now, I understand your team discovered a binder filled with pictures and news articles relating to several natural disasters over the past decade.”

“That’s right,” another agent replied. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“There isn’t much time to make my point clear, so I’ll just say that the victims we know of were found to have been rescued from different disaster sites. Hurricane Edward, in Texas, the wildfire in Riverside, California, and most recently, the hurricane that hit the Bahamas.”

Ruiz nodded. “That’s why you believe he went to the site of the earthquake. Makes sense.” He set his sights on Fisher. “Sounds like that’s where we need to be. Let’s go hash out the logistics in my office.”

Fisher followed Ruiz. “With all due respect, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have your team alongside mine.”

Ruiz sat down. “You know what, Fisher? It really bugs the shit out of me when people say that. ‘With all due respect.’ If you were being respectful, you wouldn’t be standing here in my office, in my city, telling me my people aren’t needed on your little operation.” He leaned back in his chair. “You come here all the way from Quantico for a guy you let loose, what twice now?”

Fisher widened his stance and peered at Ruiz. “In all fairness, we gave you his address. I suppose we could’ve drawn you a map…”

Ruiz held up his hands. “Okay look, maybe we’re getting off on the wrong foot here. Pissing on each other isn’t going to help us capture this asshole.”

“Agreed,” Fisher replied. “And the longer we sit here, the better the odds he’ll take off again. If he does, he’ll be lost to us forever.”

“That might be a bit of an exaggeration,” Ruiz replied.

“I don’t think so. There’s still a chance Bishop’s mother alerted him after she told us where he was. Guilt or whatever you want to call it. If she did, there are no guarantees he’s even in Guadalajara. He might be in Guatemala for all we know.”

“Then why come down here if you and your team aren’t even sure where this dude is?”

Fisher gripped the back of the chair across from Ruiz’s desk. “All I can tell you is that Agent Reid is right about Bishop. He’s at the site of the earthquake. The draw for him is too much to resist. So, what I would propose is that you let us go there, maybe take one of your guys…”

“Oh, don’t think the Guard won’t want one of their own with you too. That, my friend, will be non-negotiable.”

“Okay. A member of the National Guard, one of your team, whoever you want to send, and my people. We will find him. I promise you that.”

Ruiz seemed to consider the proposal. “Well, I reckon if you’d rather put your team at risk than mine, no skin off my nose, right?”

“No, sir,” Fisher replied.

Ruiz inhaled a deep breath. “I’ll help you arrange it with the Mexicans, but you’ll want to move fast, so I’ll have my guy arrange for a car and communications. I’ll expect you and your people to keep us informed. The secretary will also want briefings. You’re talking a site where we have Red Cross